Flowing between green mountains, flush with cool breezes and soaring birds, area lakes - especially Lake James in McDowell and Burke counties and Lake Lure in Rutherford County - offer idyllic vistas, swimming and fishing to scores of visitors

Anchored by the manmade 720-acre lake with about 21 miles of shoreline, the town of Lake Lure has developed as it has, Proctor said, due to efforts of the town’s former leaders. He said the town, which holds the lake in a trust, adopted zoning ordinances in the 1970s, a relative anomaly in a region whose residents frequently reject zoning efforts. It’s now developing a comprehensive plan. “Lake Lure had the fortune of having planning be a part of the town process for a long time,” he said. “That’s really helped us keep a handle on where we are.” Still, development in the town - not just on lakeshores - is increasing. The lake is an attraction, as is nearby Chimney Rock Park. (more…)

search for : green mountains, cool breezes, Lake James, McDowell, Burke, Lake Lure, Rutherford County, swimming, fishing

A week of thunderstorms has provided a breather for the Western North Carolina firefighters who have extinguished at least 585 wildfires in what so far has been the worst spring fire season of the decade. Enough spring days remain, however, for the potential return of the dry, windy, tinderbox conditions responsible for their long days and nights.

Wildfires in the state’s 16 westernmost counties have scorched at least 2,689 acres this year, according to the N.C. Division of Forest Resources — an area roughly a third the size of the Biltmore Estate. Less than half of that land, 1,083 acres, had burned by this time last year. No other year this decade has seen more than 2,000 acres burn so quickly. No homes were destroyed by wildfires, although paid and volunteer firefighters formed battle lines in many a back yard. (more…)

search for : thunderstorm, Western North Carolina, firefighters, N.C. Division of Forest Resources

Aptly named “The Land of Waterfalls,” Transylvania County is home to about 250 falls within just a few square miles. They range from the massive 411-foot Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains, to the cozy 50-foot Moore Cove Falls. Some of the most popular are off major highways, including Dry Falls and Looking Glass Falls - a handicapped-accessible 60-foot cascade that can be seen from U.S. 276.

“Transylvania County receives the highest rainfall total of anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains,” said Beth Carden, director of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority. “We don’t need a water park here, because we have plenty of natural ones.” (more…)

“Asheville Any Way You Like It” is the tag line that adorns walls in the new Visitors Center on Montford Avenue. Tourism officials have just launched a new $500,000 ad campaign called “Unscripted” with commercials showing skinny-dipping seniors, airing across the Southeast.

The offbeat ads build on the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s $200,000 branding initiative, trying to cement Asheville’s emotional connection for first-time and repeat visitors. “We guarantee you a life-enriching experience each and every time you visit Asheville. It’s personal, personal to you. And it is also personal to us,” Miller read from the Asheville brand promise printed on the back of his business card. (more…)

search for : Asheville, Tourism, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority

4.7 + / - acre tract located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Ashe / Alleghany County line. Over 600 feet of water frontage on Peak Creek, a North Carolina stocked trout stream.

Property has a restaurant that seats 50, includes some kitchen equipment, needs renovation. Upstairs has a newly remodeled, two bedroom, two bath suite, complete with kitchen and fireplace, washer and dryer. Also included is a 12 unit motel and office which needs renovation. The property is situated perfectly for an R.V. park and campground with sites along the river. (more…)

search for : Blue Ridge Parkway, Ashe, Alleghany County, Peak Creek, North Carolina, trout stream, R.V. park, campground

Grasping the extent of development sweeping across the Haywood County landscape is not always easy. So Marc Pruett, the county’s erosion control officer, came up with a little anecdote to put things in perspective. He tallied up all the private roads currently permitted for construction across the county — 73 miles worth in all. “That would be like putting on your walking shoes and walking to Clyde, on to Canton, all the way to Asheville, up to Mars Hill and on over Sams Gap and down to Erwin, Tennessee,” Pruett said.

Two candidates — Commissioner Chairman Mark Swanger, who is running for re-election, and Bill Upton, the superintendent of Haywood County schools — believe the county has a responsibility to facilitate discussions about growth in communities throughout the county. Swanger and Upton both supported what Swanger calls “community self-determination.” “Lots of counties in Western North Carolina have tried land-use management from the top down. All it does is create a huge controversy and nothing gets accomplished,” Swanger said. “I think you need to recognize the uniqueness of each community and let them craft some good policies that are specific to their community — not a one-size fits all.” (more…)

search for : Haywood County, erosion control officer, Asheville, Western North Carolina