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PAGE10A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2008
'Mountain Lovers Love Jackson
Perfect destination for family vacation
waterfall in Eastern America with a drop
of 411 feet, which is 244 feet more than
Niagara Falls and approximately equal
to the drop of historic Victoria Falls in
Africa.
While in Cashiers, we lunched at
Lighwater Grill one day. The restaurant
is famous for its cream of wild mush
room soup, made with fresh portabella,
cremini and shiitake mushrooms. I also
really enjoyed the crunchy grouper reu
ben, which is red grouper crusted with a
breading of corn flakes, Japanese bread
crumbs and almonds. It is fried until
golden brown and served on grilled Rye
with swiss cheese, slaw and thousand
island dressing.
DILLSBORO
Our time in Dillsboro included a visit
to the Treehouse Pottery, located at 148
Front Street. Joe Frank McKee of Texas
and Travis Berning of Kansas opened
the shop in 2003. In the shop, you will
find many kinds of pottery, as well as
woodwork, glass work and photography.
You will probably also see Joe Frank or
Travis at work. Both are very personable
and will tell you about their unique and
beautiful work.
A Pottery Festival is planned for
Saturday, Nov. 1. Throwing and firing
demonstrations will be offered through
out the day. For more information, call
1-828-631-5100.
The Jarrett House in Dillsboro is
MOUNTAIN GET-AWAY
The view from the porch of the River Lodge Bed and Breakfast in Cullowhee, N.C., provides a
great view of the mountain countryside. It makes a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing
and adventure in the North Carolina mountains. Photos by Angela Gary
BY ANGELA GARY
A relaxing pontoon boat ride surround
ed by waterfalls, mountain views and
breathtaking scenery.. .pulling over to
the side of the road and heading down
to the river for a day of trout fishing.
trying your skills at a geocaching expedi-
tion.or just relaxing with a good book
surrounded by gorgeous views and fresh
mountain air.
Jackson County, North Carolina, is a
paradise for mountain lovers. Sweeping
mountain views, amazing waterfalls and
lush greenery are found at every turn in
the quaint mountain towns that make
up Jackson County. Dillsboro, Cashiers,
Sylva, Cullowhee and Glenville are part
of the county and all offer plenty of fam
ily vacation opportunities. Located just a
few hours from North Georgia, Jackson
County, N.C., is a great family vacation
destination. It offers plenty of outdoor
adventures, as well as some of the most
beautiful country to be found.
CULLOWHEE
During my long weekend in the North
Carolina mountains, I chose River Lodge
Bed and Breakfast in Cullowhee as my
headquarters. Located on a tranquil
stretch along the Tuckasegee River, it
is such a beautiful location that you
really won’t want to leave the grounds.
Innkeepers, Cathy and Tony Sgambato,
provide plenty of information on the
lodge and the area, as well as a scrump
tious gourmet breakfast.
100 year old hand-hewn logs taken
from old barns and cabins in the Smoky
Mountains region were used to build the
lodge. A huge stone fireplace is located
in the great room. It is the focal point and
the first thing you notice when you enter
the lodge. Comfy sofas around the fire
provide a great place to relax and enjoy
the scenery. Huge glass windows face the
mountainside, so you get a great view of
the natural beauty surrounding the lodge.
A pool table, books for borrowing and a
chess board are also located in the great
room. Comfortable furnishings, antiques
and collectibles make the River Lodge a
perfect example of rustic elegance. Be
sure to spend some time on the porches
and balconies for some relaxation time.
The breakfasts are simply wonder
ful. Baked bananas, homemade French
toast, and eggs benedict are just a few of
the scrumptious dishes I had during my
weekend stay.
The lodge is located at 619 Roy Tritt
Road in Cullowhee, N.C. For more infor
mation, go to www.riverlodge-bb.com or
call 1-877-384-4400.
The property around the River Lodge
is a great place to
try out geocaching,
the latest craze in
outdoor adventure.
According to geo-
caching.com, there
are 2,176 caches
hidden within a
40-mile radius of
Tuckasegee, the
geographic center
of Jackson County,
N.C.
Geocaching com
bines technology
and hiking. In geo
caching, someone
hides a container
of trinkets at a cer
tain geographical
point, usually on
public land. This
container is known
as a cache. The per
son who places the
cache then posts its
geographical coordinates on a website
like geocaching.com. At that point, any
one with a hand-held GPS device can
take those coordinates and use the GPS
device to locate the cache. Geocaching is
the act of finding the cache.
The basic guideline for geocaching is
to put a number of trinkets in the cache
if you hide it. If you find it, take a trinket
from the cache and replace it with an
GEOCACHING EXPERT
Graeme McGufficke is an
expert on geocaching. He is
shown with a cache hidden
in western North Carolina.
item of equal or greater value.
River Lodge Bed and Breakfast, as
well as the adjoining Tuckaseigee Valley
Cabins, has 10 geocaches hidden on the
grounds. GPS coordinates are available
to overnight guests.
GLENVILLE
For the best view of the beautiful
mountain scenery in
Glenville, take a pon
toon boat ride. We spent
a few hours one morn
ing cruising along the
lake and were lulled
into a relaxed state of
mind by all of the natu
ral beauty around us.
Signal Ridge Marina
offers boat rentals. For
more information, call
1-828-743-2143.
While in Glenville,
we stopped by the
Innisfree Victorian Inn
& Garden House for
a visit. The Victorian
inn and garden house
overlooks beautiful
Lake Glenville. Visitors
can enjoy the parlor for
meals, observatory to
relax and enjoy the scen
ery and veranda which
overlooks the gardens, lake and moun
tains. It would make a perfect romantic
get-away. There is also a dance studio at
the inn and private lessons are offered.
CASHIERS
Cashiers is a scenic mountain town
with shops, the famous High Hampton
Inn, fishing, golf, festivals, and perhaps
what it is best known for, the wonderful
waterfalls. Whitewater falls is the tallest
MORNING ON THE LAKE
During your visit to North Carolina, be sure to spend at least a
few hours on Lake Glenville. The views of the mountain coun
tryside are breathtaking.
TREEHOUSE POTTERY
Travis Berning, originally from
Kansas, is shown above at work
at Treehouse Pottery, located
at 148 Front Street in Dillsboro.
The business opened in 2003.
It features work by Berning and
co-owner, Joe Frank McKee (at
left), as well as other potters.
The two are helping to plan
a pottery festival in Dillsboro
for Saturday, Nov. 1. Throwing
and firing demonstrations will
be ongoing throughout the
day. Call 1-828-631-5100 for
details.
famous for its great Southern cook
ing and we stopped in for lunch. Fried
chicken, fresh vegetables and homemade
biscuits were my choice. Also be sure
to save room for the vinegar pie, which
is a unique and tasty treat to complete
the meal.
The Jarrett House also offers lodg
ing at a great price. The location is also
great because you can just walk across
the streets to the shops of Dillsboro or
for an excursion on the Great Smoky
Mountains Railroad.
For dinner one night, we went to
Dillsboro Smokehouse where we had a
great barbecue meal. It’s no surprise it
received a “10 Best of Everything” award
from National Geographic Traveler. The
plates are huge and the prices are great.
Barbecue beef, pork and pulled chicken,
as well as baby back ribs are among the
offerings.
I spent a few hours shopping in
Dillsboro and found some delightful
shops. In addition to my delightful visit
in Treehouse Pottery, I enjoyed stopping
in Dillsboro Chocolate Factory, Nancy
Tut’s Christmas Shop and Bradley’s
General Store.
In Dillsboro, another interesting stop
is the Green Energy Park. Built on an
old landfill, the park captures methane
gas from the landfill and converts it into
energy. That energy is used to power
the park, which is currently home to a
blacksmithing studio, two greenhouses
and a biodiesel fuel manufacturer. Future
plans are for an artist colony with glass
blowing and pottery studios.
Dillsboro is known for its festivals and
one is coming up soon. The 24th annual
Dillsboro Arts & Music Festival will be
held Saturday, June 14. The free festival,
one of the oldest in the mountains, com
bines art and crafts exhibitors with live
music in Dillsboro’s historic downtown.
Artisans and crafters from five states
will exhibit a variety of media, includ
ing: pottery, gourd art, paintings, pho
tography, pewter, wrought iron, wood
carvings, handmade jewelry, handcrafted
soaps and scented oils and other folk
craft items. There will be live music
all day on the Church Street stage. The
lineup includes noted blues singer Karen
“Sugar” Barnes and acclaimed blues
guitarist Marshall Ballew. Meanwhile,
an assortment of tantalizing aromas and
wonderful tastes will be available at the
festival’s food court, as well as the town’s
various restaurants.
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and there’s no charge for admission.
Free and paid parking are available. The
HISTORIC COURTHOUSE
The historic courthouse in Sylva is one of the most photo
graphed spots in North Carolina.
VICTORIAN INN
The Innisfree Victorian Inn & Garden House is located in Glenville.
The Victorian inn and garden house overlooks Lake Glenville.
GREAT FOR TROUT FISHING
Great trout fishing spots can be found throughout Jackson
County. Trout season recently opened in the mountains of
North Carolina, bringing anglers from near and far in search of
that perfect trout stream.
festival is sponsored annually by the
Dillsboro Merchants Association. For
festival information, call Todd Sessoms
at (828) 631-0156.
SYLVA
In Sylva, the first stop should be the
historic courthouse, which is one of
the most photographed spots in the
state. After that, stroll along downtown
and you will find some great shops.
I enjoyed stops in Jackson’s General
Store, Black Rock Outdoor Company,
Annie’s Naturally Bakery, The Killer
Creek Company, Cope’s Superette &
Newstand and Jake’s Mountain House.
There are also benches located through
out the downtown area which is very
convenient.
For fine Southern dining, be sure to
try 553 West Main in downtown Sylva.
Located in a charming historic home,
it offers some delightful dishes. The
shrimp and grits was the best I’ve had
in all of my travels. Fresh shrimp and
sausage is prepared in a vegetable creole
gravy with smoked gouda cheese. For
reservations, call 1-828-631-3810.
TROUT FISHING
Great trout fishing spots can be found
throughout Jackson County. Trout sea
son recently opened in the mountains of
North Carolina, bringing anglers from
near and far in search of that perfect
trout stream.
While there are many good options
in Western North Carolina, two accom
plished trout fishermen recommend
wetting a line in Jackson County. Josh
Stephens, a Fly Fishing Team USA
member, and Bobby Kilby, who’s
caught at least two trout in 1,000 N.C.
streams, both point to the trout-rich
waters of Jackson County.
“There are a lot of good trout streams
in Jackson County,” says Kilby, who
took detailed notes in his quest to land
trout in 1,000 streams across the state.
“And I like the fact that a lot of Jackson
County is federal land. That is beneficial
for the trout because you don’t have to
worry about home developments and
erosion factors. Plus, it is open to the
public.”
Stephens, who captained Team USA
to a sixth-place finish in the 2006
National Fly Fishing Championship, is
fond of the Tuckasegee River, Jackson
County’s most famous stream.
“You’ve got great access and a good
variety of fish,” Stephens says. “There
are several places along the river where
you can pull your vehicle over and walk
to the river to get a few quick casts, or
spend the whole day wading up and
down stream. Also, the Horsepasture
River near Cashiers and sections of the
Chattooga River offer excellent fish
ing.”
Kilby is partial to smaller streams, and
he praises Jackson County’s abundance
of them. In fact, Kilby has landed trout
in 84 different waterways throughout
the county.
“Some of my favorites are the streams
that feed into the Tuck,” says Kilby.
“There are many, from Scott Creek to
Caney Fork to some that people have
probably never heard of.”
Kilby grades every stream he visits.
He won’t reveal all his “A” list, but these
Jackson streams earned a top grade:
Caney Fork, Mull, Piney Mountain,
Tanasee and North Fork Scott Creek.
Kilby also says Robinson Creek near
Panthertown Valley is an A, “if you can
get to it.”
For more information on visiting
Jackson County, N.C., to go www.moun-
tainlovers.com or 1-800-962-1911.
Angela Gary is an editor with
MainStreet Newspapers. She can be
reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.
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