After spending a night at Stone Mountain Georgia, we drove north to visit friends in Highlands, North Carolina. We lived in Chapel Hill for a few years and visited the mountains around Asheville, but had never been to Highlands, which is just over the Georgia border in the very southwest tip of NC.
The drive through Northern Georgia was impressive. We drove backroads on a gradual climb through horse country and summer cabin rentals. The ascent continued as we crossed the North Carolina border until we pulled over to gaze at a view of the Blue Valley…
Looking across the road revealed this waterfall cascading down from the mountain above us:
Our hosts showed off the town of Highlands. It lies on a summit, or as it is known on the East Coast, a “knob,”, at 4,100 feet of elevation. This mountain location makes Highlands a very popular destination during the warm, humid summers of the southern Atlantic Coast. The town oozed money and weekend visitors from Atlanta and Charlotte. It reminded me somewhat of Aspen, in that everything was twice the cost and dress was more elegant than casual. While both are mountain towns, Highlands offered a perch from above, while Aspen was nestled at the base of its surroundings. Highlands, like Aspen quadruples in size when the tourists are there.
Our hosts took us on a trek to a couple waterfalls on the edge of town. The first was Bridal Veil Falls. I videoed the falls with some tourists ignoring the cones and walking behind the water:
Next was Dry Falls, which judging from the video below, doesn’t look very dry…
But, if you can zoom into the lower right corner, you’ll see a person begin to walk behind the falls. I think that is how it got its name. So I hiked down, and the trail was more misty than dry… But it was fun to see the majesty and power of the water from an angle rarely experienced:
It is nice to have friends that live in very nice places, especially if they like us too and invite us to return. I’m sure we will once Mts Bear is back to her hiking ways.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 