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There are so many great articles in the pages of The Laurel Magazine, sometimes you want to read them again. You won’t miss a thing. Use these helpful search parameters and find just what you’re looking for about Highlands, NC and Cashiers, NC.
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Flies and Specks
Most of us know them as Brook Trout, or Brookies, but if you grew up in Western North Carolina, you know them as “Specks.” Specks are our only native trout species here in the Southeast, and they are technically an Arctic Char. I know what you’re thinking…native species / Southeast / Arctic Char?…something doesn’t add up. Millions …
Red-bellied Woodpecker
This relatively large, Robin-sized bird is common year-round on our Plateau and in the eastern U.S. from Canada to Florida. The Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) has a black-and-white barred back and wings with a pale pink belly. The male has a distinct red crown and nape. The female has similar plumage but lacks the red crown. Look for these birds …
Perfecting Your Putting
I was recently asked by a student of mine what part of the game I felt players struggled with the most. The answer was easy, putting! I think it’s a pretty well-known fact that the quickest way to shave strokes off your round is to tighten up your putting. Yet I see very few people actually practicing this skill. When people …
Visit Dry Falls
About three miles northwest of Highlands on US 64/NC 28 along the Cullasaja River is Dry Falls. The trip from Highlands follows a National Scenic Byway which is part of a nine-mile declension of the river, forming a series of falls and cascades that culminate in Dry Falls before flowing into the Tennessee River near Franklin. There are pull-offs along …
A Landscape Mainstay
The Hydrangea is a genus of over 75 species and native to Asia as well as the Americas, but we are used to seeing only three-to-six species in this area. Its name comes from the Greek word, Hydor, meaning water and Angos, meaning vessel. Another name is Hortensia, deriving from Latin, meaning of the garden. Don’t you wish every plant …
Birds, Bees, & Butterflies
Many of us wonder what we can do to help reverse the alarming declines in many bird, butterfly, and bee populations. One way we can make a real difference is by using native plants in our home landscapes, because they are by far more nutritional than exotics for native insects needed for pollination and as food for nestling birds. …
Dragonflies on the Plateau
Dragonflies are found throughout North Carolina in a large variety of colors and sizes. The state boasts 187 species of dragonflies and their smaller cousins damselflies, which are collectively in the insect order Odonata. The scientific name Odonata, comes from “odon,” the Greek root for tooth and refers to this group’s sharply toothed jaws that hint at their predatory habits, said Jason …
A Virtual Masterpiece
As Covid-19 cuts its swath across the South and Western North Carolina, and events close to maintain social distancing, The Cashiers Designer Showhouse will be thriving virtually this year. As Chair Melissa Hudson noted, “This moment demands a pause of our in-person tradition and a play on creativity.” Ticket Holders to the 2020 Showhouse will be able to take a state-of-the-art …
Mountain Motoring Cranks Up
Earlier this year, with the coronavirus bringing vast sectors of life to a standstill, organizers of the June 13th annual Highlands Motoring Festival, made the difficult decision to cancel the event despite the fact that nearly all the events were sold out. What had become one of the South’s most popular automotive events and voted “Best Concours” by Classic …
For the Benefit of Blue Ridge
Add to the toll of the world’s pandemic crisis: The 2020 Annual Songwriters’ Round, featuring Country Music Songwriters’ Hall of Fame honoree Rivers Rutherford and a host of other entertainers to benefit the Blue Ridge School Educational Foundation. The foundation made the decision to cancel this month’s event at the Trillium Club to protect the health of everyone involved …
Marketplace’s Fall Bounty
One of the surprising bright spots in all the Covid-19 chaos has been that the Highlands Marketplace has enjoyed an uptick in interested shoppers since its delayed opening the last Saturday in June. Don Deal, a local farmer and current organizer for the Highlands Marketplace, said the 15-year-old Saturday market has seen steady attendance and sales and is expected to …
The Climate of Our Country
In 2018 and 2019 The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center of Highlands hosted a weeklong retreat that explored the topics of Climate Change, Social Justice and the intertwining of these two issues. Today, as our social fabric has been torn apart by the pandemic and civil unrest in unprecedented ways, this year’s event, happening September 16-21, seems most pertinent than …
