LeConte now seeking concessions business

The National Park Service (NPS) issued a prospectus for a concessions contract to provide lodging, food, beverage and retail services at LeConte Lodge within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Cold Mountain Music Festival

The annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will be held on Saturday, June 1, at the Lake Logan Retreat Center in Canton. 

NOC to open high-end bungalow accommodations

The Nantahala Outdoor Center unveiled its newest lodging, The Hemlocks by NOC. 

Joining the herd: Family-run bison 
farm, vacation rental flourishes in Clyde 


When Cheryl Hillis started managing vacation rentals in Haywood County 15 years ago, Airbnb didn’t exist, reservations were made with phone calls and mailed checks, and she lived nowhere near Western North Carolina. Hillis was the face of Buffalo Creek Vacations, but she took reservations and managed payments from whichever town her military husband and their four boys lived at the time.

Hidden amongst the tree line: Highland’s Skyline Lodge combines natural, culinary beauty

Pulling up to the Skyline Lodge, a peaceful silence washes over you while emerging from your vehicle. Walking toward the courtyard entryway, laughter and conversation is heard, whether between old friends or strangers who became fast friends. Soon, the smell of culinary delights wafts from the open doorway to the Oak Steakhouse.

Complaint filed against Town of Highlands

A group of homeowners calling themselves the “Save Highlands Committee” has filed a legal complaint against the Town of Highlands for its decision to enforce a ban of short-term rentals within the R-1 residential area. 

Developers tee off on Waynesville Inn rehab

With some demolition work currently underway and a membership drive event held on July 12, the new owners of The Waynesville Inn and Golf Club are eager to present the project to the public as soon as possible. 

Swain asks for 6 percent room tax

After passing a resolution at its May 13 meeting, Swain County will be asking its state representatives to introduce legislation that would allow the county to levy an additional 2 percent room tax.

Real deal boardinghouses don’t exist anymore

Are there boardinghouses still operating here in the Smokies region? There are, of course, hotels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and motels galore. But I'm wondering about the true, old-fashioned boardinghouse, which flourished throughout the region until the middle of the 20th century. 

Honoring the past, welcoming the future

High atop a mountain overlooking Haywood County, Annie Haslam Colquitt sits across a dining room table at The Swag. A rainstorm has just swept through, with a cold breeze floating through the open front door. She gazes around, her eyes slowly drifting out the windows onto the deep woods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park bordering the property. 

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