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Taste the New Delights

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Chasing Sunsets and Waterfalls

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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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Protecting Our Ecosystems

Staying healthy is on everyone’s mind and water plays a vital role.  Having clean water is important to people and healthy ecosystems.  We have an abundance of water here in the Highlands-Cashiers area, having the second highest rainfall in the United States. This high rainfall, coupled with our steep slopes, means we have more waterfalls than most.  Our clean water …

Don’t Forget The Rescues

I’ve never written a column quite like this before. But then again, we’ve never been in times like this before. On behalf of Rocky and the nearly 500 other animals we save and care for each year, I’ll be very straightforward – we need your help.   Please. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected us all. Social distancing restrictions have caused …

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Life on the farm as I explain to everyone who visits or works here is very Zen like, “Chop Wood, Carry Water.” It’s a daily repeat of activities and chores. Nature and the animals work like that and we do our best to stay in their rhythm, adjusting and adapting to their needs. One of the biggest challenges on the …


Full Circle of Community

When COVID has us otherwise confined, taking a jaunt down the street, walking past the Peggy Crosby Center is a welcome highlight of the day.  We breathe in the sweet, fragrant air of PCC’s pollinator garden. And we notice something else …an awareness of the symbolism that pairs Peggy and pollination. Peggy’s known for nurturing and growing non-profits and burgeoning …

The Cullasaja – Mountain River of Wonder

Peter Ray’s debut book, The Cullasaja – A Mountain River of Wonder, is a photographic love story about a river.  The Cullasaja River, situated in Macon County, flows 25 miles from the shoulder of Whiteside Mountain through the town of Highlands and into Franklin. There it joins the Little Tennessee River on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over its short distance, …

Dig My Do

Many of you sent support when I went through my recent balding (chemo and radiation). Your sweet wishes, jokes, and empathy pulled me through that hairable time. I am glad my first hair poem resonated with those who’ve experienced chemo or had loved ones who did. Now that I am a fluffy again, here’s a poem to celebrate hair-etics everywhere. …


A Special Place for Special Weddings

“Do you think there are fairies in these woods?”  It’s a question that might usually cause you to cock your head to the side and audibly “hmm” when asked.   But when you’re standing beside the thick rhododendron forested trails that surround the Hutchinson House it seems all too logical a query.   I gazed down as the bright eyed seven-year-old …

Restore Function & Find Relief

There’s no doubt that the body is an amazing vessel that can endure various amounts of wear and tear.     Unfortunately, it is also susceptible to a wide range of issues that can create a decline in function, cause pain and lead to limited movement.  The culprit can be everyday habitual activities, a past or current injury, physical trauma, …

What is Your PH?

Have you ever thought of your Personal Health IQ? When we think about PH, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Hopefully, balance or homeostasis and the ability to live life in a constant state of great health!  Now, this is often easier said than done, but totally doable! A better understanding of the health dynamic, or PH (personal …


More Healthcare, Better Health

Whether you’re here year-round, are a seasonal resident, or simply a visitor, the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation has your health and well-being in mind.  “If you’re on the Plateau, we’re thinking of you,” says Dr. Walter Clark, Foundation Board Chair. The Foundation envisions a community where vibrant and healthy living is ensured for all people.  That’s a big task and …

Forefathers’ Strength & Resolve

“What’s a poor boy to do in times like these?”   Those lyrics were floating through my head as I drove onto the grounds of the historic Zachary-Tolbert house in Cashiers.  Face masks, hand sanitizers and grim statistics were beginning to take a toll, but I discovered there’s nothing quite like a visit to these peaceful and historic grounds to …

What’s in a Name?

There have been articles in The Laurel about how Cashiers and Glenville got their names and now it’s time to discuss how Jackson County got its name.  The earliest settlers of the Cashiers Valley arrived in the 1820s and 1830s when the area was part of Macon County. It remained in Macon County for several decades until Jackson County was …