Feature Story Sustainable Seafood: On The Bubble Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Efforts to make sustainable food more visible and available are increasing. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments
get outta town Kendall Lukas Visits Wilmington, N.C. Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Kendall Lukas has stars in her eyes and history under her feet as she explores the neighboring port city of Wilmington, N.C. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments A Lowcountry Life From Ballet Shoes To Bikinis Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Poland native Maria Dobrzanska Reeves uses her dance discipline to achieve success in Charleston. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments essay Splashing Through Childhood Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Author Ron Daise looks for joy and finds it in remembering his children in their youth. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Cooking in the Great Outdoors Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
More on Megan Westmeyer and Jennifer Smith’s visit to Swimming Rock Fish Farm Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments from the editor Water World Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
I love being in water. I love that clear, cool swishing feeling around my ears. In fact, on a warm, sunny day, I like to go outside and get as hot as possible and then dive into a cool pool. For me, it’s refreshment at its finest. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments distinctively charleston Beach Music Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
You can see the shrimp boats from your restaurant table, so that shrimp pasta on the menu has to be fresh and local. Right? Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments just dogs Water Babies Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
We celebrate what we treasure in the Lowcountry and beyond that gives us an interior smile. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments from the editor Maxximum Style Thursday, May 1, 03 49 p.m.
My 14-year-old niece visited Charleston with her parents in March. She’s from Moscow, Russia, and I had not seen her in more than 10 years. There’s a big difference between 4 and 14! Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments feature story Holy City Style Thursday, May 1, 03 49 p.m.
When Nancye Starnes decided to move out of Memphis, she drew up a list of “must haves” for her new hometown: it had to be a walkable city, located on the water, and sizeable enough to support a vibrant performing arts community. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments just dogs Citadel Charmers Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Move aside – bulldog coming through. In January, the American Kennel Club announced that the Bulldog, one of the most recognizable and iconic purebred dogs, has muscled its way into the 10th spot on the organization’s annual list of the most popular breeds in America. Read More 2 comment(s) / read/add comments delectable delights Beyond Cookie Cutter Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Prime ingredients, Nostalgic tastes and creative bakers transform Lowcountry cookies into high-style confections. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments A Lowcountry Life Working for Peanuts Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Anthony Wright, the man known throughout the Lowcountry and across the nation as Tony the Peanut Man, never intended to make his living selling boiled goobers. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments get outta town Kendall Lukas Visits Charlotte, NC Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
I had never been to Charlotte … not really. Well, I’ve gotten my kicks at Carowinds because that was part of being a kid in the Carolinas, and I’ve been to concerts at the open-air Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre because it’s a large complex for big-time acts. I’ve visited my sister at UNC Charlotte and have flown through the city’s major transit airport many times. But as for the metropolis of Charlotte, I’d only ever viewed its high-rises from afar. This time I took an up-close look at the interior and found a lot of reasons to relish in North Carolina’s top travel destination. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments distinctively charleston Turning Heads Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Bessie is almost 50 and looks as good today as she did in her youth – maybe even better. After all, back then she was hanging from a pole. Now she runs circles around the rest of us, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Café Comfort Thursday, May 1, 03 46 p.m.
Banquettes are big. Heidi Walker, Allied ASID, of Walker Design Group, is currently working on three different kitchens that have banquettes. For this kitchen in a young couple’s home on Sullivan’s Island, Walker created a café atmosphere by building on the existing element of the laminated floor. “This promotes a casual impromptu gathering space,” she says. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments ESSAY Lowcountry Style Thursday, May 1, 12 00 a.m.
If you want to experience real Lowcountry style, you need to come to the Hebron Saint Francis Senior Center. Its members are long time Johns Island residents, a hardscrabble group of African-American women who meet every Wednesday for devotion and quilt making. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Jewel Box Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
Although one of the smallest rooms in a house, a powder room is nonetheless important since most of your guests will pay it a visit. Jennifer Rhodes, ASID, principal designer of J. Rhodes Design, took the popular concept of making this room a “jewel box” and ran with it, creating a luxurious surprise in this 3-foot by 7-foot Daniel Island room. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments distinctively charleston Treasure Hunt Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
For some it’s a hobby; for some it’s an obsession; and for some it is all about the experience. Under a table, out of a box of old papers or tucked in a dark corner, you see it. It might have been neglected, someone no longer valuing it, but you know its true worth. Your heart speeds up and suddenly you realize … you found a something you must have.
Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments feature Story Let’s Go! Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
It is official – spring has sprung! As winter wanes, so does our brief tolerance for being cooped indoors. We have a bridge to walk, nature paths to bike, bass to catch, and azaleas that need planting. So dangle off the dock, put the top down, grab the gear out of the garage, or get the dogs ready for a ride. It is time for Lowcountry residents to play outside! Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments get outta town Kendall Lukas Visits Aiken, SC Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
Today Aiken is somewhat old-fashioned, but it is cosmopolitan in its direction. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments feature Story Exceptional Educators Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
Three Lowcountry teachers go beyond the call of duty to make a difference. We see it splashed across the headlines every day. South Carolina schools are struggling. In fact, it’s even become an issue in the upcoming presidential election. And with good reason. Our schools are struggling, dropout rates are hovering in some districts around 50 percent, and the heated debate about the emphasis on testing continues. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments essay The Art of Walking Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
The word “art” usually brings to mind pictures of such objects as paint brushes, canvases, pigments, and marble statuary. It does not call up, necessarily, the image of the walker or the bliss and freedom of the path – beaten or unbeaten – that unfurls ahead. But to walk, to enter truly the experience of locomotion merged with one’s surroundings, alert to air and leaf and salamander, is to practice a high and much-forgotten art. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments letter from the editor Go-Go Girl Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
"Go” has practically become my middle name. I’ve always been a fast mover, even when my body isn’t really up to it. A quick climb up three flights of stairs will remind me of this every time. Lately I feel like I’m constantly on-the-go: work; household chores; child rearing; trips to the grocery; trips to Target; trips to the vet to care for Bugsy, my dear aging Westie. It seems that ”going” has become an American pastime; if you’re not crazy-out-of-your-mind busy then you’re not doing something right. I disagree. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments delectable delights Spring Fling Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
Mother Nature delivers the first flush of spring in asparagus, onions and peas.
Spring enters life so beautifully,
With love within her tears of rain;
She whispers softly in my ear
Her presence in the world again. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments
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get outta town
Rabun County, Georgia
By Kendall Lukas
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Photo by Peter McIntosh
When Lowcountry folk head to the hills for the leaf season, North Georgia may not be the first region to appear on our mental radar. But just five hours northwest of Charleston, where the Blue Ridge Mountains dip southward into the converging corners of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, is a geographical gem: Rabun County. Threaded together by a rolling patchwork of nine small towns – Dillard, Sky Valley, Rabun Gap, Mountain City, Clayton, Tiger, Wiley, Lakemont, and Tallulah Falls – Rabun County has more surprises than you might expect out of somewhere so rural. In fact, once you exit the interstate and wander its scenic two-way highways, plunder its antique shops and craft markets, and tip your glass with the locals at “wine-thirty,” you may never stop toasting this charismatic mountain community!
THEN
Located on the Eastern Continental Divide, Rabun County was originally inhabited by the mound-building American Indian “Mississippian culture.” Later the area was so densely populated by the Cherokee Nation that it was referred to as the “Cherokee Mountains.” Naturalist William Bartram was one of the first explorers to report on the region, which was settled in 1794 by John Dillard, ancestor to the prominent Dillard House family, and in the years following, it was a productive farming community until tourism became a significant industry in the 1880s.
Photo by Peter McIntosh
In 1898, the Tallulah Falls Railway began bringing passengers into the Tallulah Gorge, making it the most popular vacation destination in the Southeast. Atlanta’s elite and coastal plantation owners were among thousands welcomed by a brass band as they disembarked the train. When residents ran out of boarding room, they created more lodging, and tourism became an official industry.
As Atlanta outgrew its energy resources in the early 1900s, Georgia Power entered the waters of Rabun County and bought 20 percent of the land. It built three power lakes separated by dams, which have provided recreation to generations. National forests and state parks now make up 60 percent of the land, leaving a valuable 20 percent to private ownership.
NOW
With its sublime vistas, bounty of waterfalls, rivers, and lakes, and a rich heritage illustrated through its world-renowned arts tradition, discovering Rabun County feels like stumbling onto a great secret. But it is not one that any of its 18,000 residents are going to keep – they will reach high and low to share their passion for their home, bringing “Southern hospitality” to a whole new altitude!
Photo by Peter McIntosh
Visitors may find themselves chatting with inn owners in their kitchens or basking in boathouse views with new friends on Lake Rabun. They may end up eating pizza with locals by candlelight on Louie’s lakeside porch or singing karaoke with them on Saturday night at a great American lodge, the Old Clayton Inn.
How about investing in hand-crafted pottery or meandering along the Georgia Wine Trail through local vineyards. Take a cruise by a rare dome house community above the beautiful, one-of-a-kind Barn Inn or do some ghost hunting at the intriguing White Hall Inn. Hungry for more? The county cuisine will not disappoint! On the menu you’ll find gourmet breakfast galore at the Dillard House or sumptuous Sunday brunch at Julia’s, followed by juicy burgers at Joni’s or a wine dinner at Beechwood.
Whether you come for the Moonshine Jamboree or The Foxfire Fall Heritage Festival, you are sure to fall for more than just flora and fauna in Rabun County. The small town atmosphere has big personality that will leave you musing: “How can I get a second home here?”
LET'S SLEEP
The Barn Inn at Lake Rabun | 31 Barn Inn Rd., Lakemont | (706) 212-9995 | www.barninn.com
Joni’s Fireside Inn & Restaurant | 115 Laurel Lodge Rd., Lake Burton | (706) 947-1631
Main Street Station Sports Bar & Grill | 109 N. Main St., Clayton | (706) 782-7623
LET'S GO
A must-see/taste/smell are the multi-award-winning wines produced at the pristine, contemporary Tiger Mountain Vineyards. (I think the unforgettable view and vine offerings easily outshine vineyards in the California wine country.) www.tigerwine.com
Choose an outdoor adventure from three area State Parks: Tallulah Gorge, Black Rock Mountain, and Moccasin Creek. Combined they offer steep canyons, sheer cliffs, significant waterfalls, campgrounds, an 80-ft. suspension bridge, a fascinating interpretive center, lake fishing, hiking, rafting and boating. www.gastateparks.org
What is foxfire? Find out at The Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center in Mountain City. www.foxfire.org
LET'S PLAY
Paddle the wild and scenic Chattooga River (aka Deliverance River, location of James Dickey’s book and the 1972 movie). Make reservations through Southeastern Expeditions. www.southeasternexpeditions.com
Family fun awaits at Hillside Orchard Country Store and Farm Adventure, which includes the Sorghum Mill Café, hand-dipped ice cream, a moonshine still exhibit, indoor gem mine, Grandpa’s barnyard, and aisles of local foodstuff. In October there is a corn maze and bluegrass music on Saturday afternoons. www.hillsideorchard.com
Experience the lake lifestyle with a boat, Jet Ski, or water equipment rental through Interstate Boat Rentals. (706) 782-4754
GETTING THERE [Worth a stop along the way]
Turn into Toccoa to see Toccoa Falls, which is 26 feet taller than Niagra, or visit Currahee Mountain and Military Museum, site of the World War II “Easy Company” paratrooper base featured in HBO’s miniseries “Band of Brothers.” www.toccoahistory.com
Boogie to bluegrass in a refurbished cotton warehouse in Hartwell called Bluegrass Express. (706) 376-3551
Right when you get to Tallulah Falls, take the Tallulah Gorge Scenic Loop to Tallulah Point Overlook, a nostalgic, roadside general store with a breathtaking porch view. It’s tradition! www.tallulahpoint.com.
There is another Bed and Breakfast in Rabun County that combines the beauty of the natural suroundings with historical interest. It is the Sylvan Falls Mill B&B located in Wolffork Valley at the base of Black Rock Moutnain State Park. The inn is situated in an historic, operating grist mill built in 1840 and delights visitors with spectacular views of the 85 foot waterfall cascading down the property. The mill is open to the public and offers tours and demonstrations, the Inn is romantic and pampering.
Kendall really covers the area wonderfully. We are RVers and will be going to Rabun County this fall. Maybe you should do an article for RVers in SC, like where they can stay, have a good time, good food, and see more of this beautiful state.
Nice article and GREAT photos! I am an Atlanta native who relocated to Denver, CO a few years ago. Peter McIntosh is a personal friend of mine and shared this article with me. I love his photography and I really enjoyed reading about my "old stomping grounds" in Rabun County.
Lowcountry Living is a bi-monthly magazine of The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C. 29403-4800. Copyright 2007 by The Post and Courier.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without express written permission from The Post and Courier. Printed by R.L. Bryan, Columbia, S.C. Click here to email the editor
Comments
Posted by Linda3010 on ;September 9, 2007 at 1:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is another Bed and Breakfast in Rabun County that combines the beauty of the natural suroundings with historical interest. It is the Sylvan Falls Mill B&B located in Wolffork Valley at the base of Black Rock Moutnain State Park. The inn is situated in an historic, operating grist mill built in 1840 and delights visitors with spectacular views of the 85 foot waterfall cascading down the property. The mill is open to the public and offers tours and demonstrations, the Inn is romantic and pampering.
Posted by monafloyd on ;September 19, 2007 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Kendall really covers the area wonderfully. We are RVers and will be going to Rabun County this fall. Maybe you should do an article for RVers in SC, like where they can stay, have a good time, good food, and see more of this beautiful state.
Posted by WCSMITH on ;October 23, 2007 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nice article and GREAT photos! I am an Atlanta native who relocated to Denver, CO a few years ago. Peter McIntosh is a personal friend of mine and shared this article with me. I love his photography and I really enjoyed reading about my "old stomping grounds" in Rabun County.
Claire Smith
Denver, CO
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