Tales from the Corners

If you are looking for the best ski resort deals, plan in early October. Whether you are planning to ski close to home or out West, you are sure to save dollars and headaches. There’s nothing like the present to plan for the future. Ski trips can be costly. With equipment rental or purchases plus transportation costs, skiing doesn’t come cheap. That is why many of us in the area like to stay close to home for a winter-like adventure at resorts like Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Appalachian Ski Mountain offers a smorgasbord of ski ticket packages including multi-day rates ranging from two to five days. If you are a bit rusty or there is a beginner in your group, this resort has numerous lesson plans featuring the “Learn to Ski Package.” These lessons are offered in the early or late portion of the ski season. Members of the French-Swiss Ski College give students the confidence to hit the slopes. If skiing is not your thing, Appalachian Ski Mountain off...

Years ago, travelers from my neck of the woods in the Southeastern United States would head to the mountains of North Carolina for a summer respite. That was before air conditioning. That was before SUVs. That was before a time when middle-class America would fly to the Caribbean or crowd the beaches and commercialized swamplands of Florida. Well before all of this, people would go to the hills of the Tar Heel state to escape the heat and humidity so that they could experience cool air -- gazing out at nature’s wide expanses while listening to dulcimers and dining on apple-spiced trout. This is Western North Carolina also known as High Country. This part of the state is home to communities nestled in these gorgeous mountains that bear names such as Waynesville, Dillsboro, Banner Elk and Hot Springs. As I climbed the narrow winding roads leading into these cozy towns, I felt a true sense of escape. Sure I find a sense of serenity when I’m away from the daily grind, but this getaw...