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Stories about Modern Appalachian Life

OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
From Kentucky to Virginia to Tennessee, Appalachia is graced with countless cave systems. They range from the longest in the world to one boasting a stalactite organ. There's no better time to check out the region's remarkable caves than winter.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
If you have a yard, you can help save butterflies in five easy steps.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Visit Dolly Parton's hometown — Sevierville, Tennessee — and see how new restaurants and shops honor her place in music history.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
With Appalachian mountain backdrops, these wedding venues make for beautiful memories. And they’re waaaaay better than the jail in which writer Lauren Stepp accidentally got married.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
A Hendersonville, North Carolina native shares her favorite places to visit, including HenDough Chicken and Donuts, Mike's on Main Street, and the Appalachian Pinball Museum.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Writer John Briley visited White Grass Ski Touring Center, which is ground zero for Nordic and backcountry skiing in West Virginia.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Whether you prefer a Gatsby-esque affair or something more low-key, these five Appalachian parties will help you ring in the new year.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Mark Lynn Ferguson visits Wytheville, Va. his mother's hometown and unravels a wee family mystery while exploring restaurants, galleries, a book store, and more.
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Photo provided by Getaway.

Let’s be honest. A lot of tiny houses look like they were thrown together from Home Depot remnants. But the folks at Getaway, a vacation rental company with 16 outposts nationwide, take a different approach. They build style-forward structures that are more MOMA than modular home.

In their location outside Charlottesville, buildings are clad with blackened wood, which is both chic and cozy. Inside, an enormous picture window defines the space, bringing the outdoors indoors. Getaway cabins are finished with neutral tones and amenities like crisp white linens, micro-kitchens, heat/AC, and their own wee libraries.

This Virginia outpost is special, said Getaway spokesperson Jordan Sweat, because it is located just 30 minutes from Shenandoah National Park. And nothing has been overlooked. From a simple self check-in to doggy bowls, Getaway covers details so visitors can clear their minds and reconnect with nature in a beautiful space.

This was previously published in Virginia Living

 

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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL

"Sure, the likelihood of urinating near a highly venomous serpent nosedives when it’s 20 degrees outside. But colder weather also deters many folks from venturing past the couch..."


It’s really hard to stop peeing.


Even when you realize a timber rattler is slithering just inches from your bare buttocks, it takes some real restraint to pause the stream and pull up your muggy trousers. I know firsthand.


Last July, my wife and I had a random Saturday off. She’s a chef, so we almost never get a free weekend together. When we do get time to explore, it’s usually a random weekday when most 9-to-5’ers are in the office. All this to say, we had yet to witness the pandemic-driven outdoor boom until we pulled up to find a historically overlooked trailhead in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest teeming with long-haired brahs and fetid summer campers. We let out a collective grunt.


Intent on squeezing all the life we could out of the day, we started hiking anyway. But as soon as we gained momentum, 20-somethings in sandals and couples with toddling kiddos would round the corner, forcing us to step off the trail. The hike continued like a UPS delivery route—stop and start, stop and start—and as the miles dragged on, I could feel my bladder squirm.

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Story by Lauren Stepp
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Photo by Andriy Blokhin on Shutterstock.

With peak fall foliage coming, it's time for just one thing — leaf peeping on the Blue Ridge Parkway and checking out cool towns along the way.

As crisp autumn air starts settling in on late-September afternoons, leaf peepers begin hitting Virginia's stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Cloudless skies set an ethereal backdrop for clusters of crimson, burnt orange, and golden leaves lining the curvy two-lane highway, a bright runway for the smoky blue mountains peeking over the horizon. Carloads of tourists embark on the scenic drive every fall to take in Virginia's striking foliage. This year, escape the crowds, and pull off the parkway to explore a few mountain towns with their own front-row seats to the seasonal show. Hot Springs, with the historic Omni Homestead Resort surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains; Lexington, a charming college town in the Shenandoah Valley; and Roanoke, a buzzy city for both foodies and outdoor enthusiasts in the eponymous valley.

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Story by Grace Haynes
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OUTDOOR+TRAVEL
Photo by terry priest on Flickr.

About 200 species of fireflies—also known as lightning bugs—are found in the United States, including a famous one in Appalachia. The synchronous glow of Photinus carolinus has become a tourist attraction in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But, in many place, these charming insects are now threatened.

Many of us have great memories of watching and catching fireflies on warm summer nights. Remember sitting out on the patio and watching them light up the back yard? One would call, and another would answer, all via light. But lately, especially here in Maine, you may have noticed the numbers are declining. You’ll maybe see one or two. Are fireflies disappearing? Will the magic they bring to our warm evenings soon be gone forever?


Turns out, firefly numbers are decreasing all over the country and all over the world. According to Ben Pfeiffer of Firefly.org, most of us are seeing a decline in numbers of the Big Dipper firefly (Photinus pyralis) due to several factors: light pollution, pesticide use, and loss of habitat from development.


Fireflies are picky about where they live and many are not able to recover when their habitats are destroyed or rearranged. So what can you do to help fireflies make a comeback?


Help Fireflies Make A Comeback
Here are a few things you can do to help fireflies in your area...

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Story by Susan Higgins

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