About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2008)
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. County, N OV^O Ok. - -■ - t -T \n *
