For true local charm, look no further than Canton and Clyde, the neighboring towns nestled in eastern Haywood County. They are situated around the Evergreen paper mill, which started life as Blue Ridge Paper Products and has been running steadily for more than 100 years. 

In the heart of the Smokies lies Maggie Valley, a mountain getaway that rolls out the welcome mat to traveling tourists. 

Sylva is an eclectic community that’s a blend of a local, tourist and college feel surrounded by towering mountains. 

A charming and delightful village, Dillsboro is home to a community of artists, unique retailers and great restaurants.

Highlands and Cashiers are perched on the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, where the mountains plunge sharply from a high plateau, creating the right ingredients not only for bountiful waterfalls but a temperate rainforest, one of the few in North America. This makes for lush vegetation, plus special designations such as “salamander and lichen capital of the world.”

Franklin is the ideal staging are for exploring the Nantahala Mountains.

Most of lands surrounding Bryson City are publicly held forest and park land, making the town a staging area of sorts for hikers — the Appalachian Trail runs nearby — cyclists, campers, horseback riders and river rats. 

A unique mix of modern and ancient, Cherokee is 21st century entertainment played out on a backdrop of time-honored cultural traditions. 

What started as an unsure adventure turned into a passion-filled career for Jim Rowell.

What looked like a risk to some was a dream for Diane Cutler and Andy Zivinsky.