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¡Que Rico!

Casa Amigos Bar & Grill, 3638 US Hwy 64 in Sapphire, is a quick ticket to fun and fine dining. For reservations or quick questions or take-out,

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New Chapter at CLE

Meg Stevens takes the reins of the Center for Life Enrichment, bringing enthusiasm and a genuine love for the Plateau.

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Winter Wonderland

The Village Green and surrounding shops and businesses in Cashiers will be a Glittering Wonderland throughout the grey days and dark, dark nights

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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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Bird Seed Physics

Catherine Taylor’s arrival in the Tessentee community in Macon County 94 years ago wasn’t terribly auspicious.  Born critically premature, she weighed in at two-pounds, two-ounces, and looked, in the words of her father, “like a skinned squirrel.” The attending doctor could offer her parents no reassurance, simply stating that if she could survive through the night then it was possible …

Spring Forward Well Rested

After rock climbing with my husband around the country, we were called to Highlands by the vertical and timeless granite domes.  The nature of the tall rock and trees make an interesting study on light, which reveals itself differently than light on a horizontal coast.  The Cherokee called this area “Nantahala”  (“Land of the Noonday Sun” or “The Place Where …

Supporting Our Healthcare System

Tom Neal was named chief executive officer and chief nursing officer for Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in December. He brings more than 30 years of progressive healthcare experience and a diverse skill set in acute care, behavioral health and post-acute operations. Tom most recently held CEO positions at hospitals for Community Health Systems (CHS). During his time with CHS, he served as …


How Mighty Are Your Mitochondria?

The mitochondria are the powerhouse of each and every cell and are very important to your life in general.  Most cells have many (over 800) mitochondria inside of them, providing the necessary energy, or ATP, for function. This process involves using glucose from food or stores in the body and oxygen to complete the process of cellular respiration.  Mitochondria have …

When Panthers Roamed These Hills

Many generations back in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, people were outnumbered by the wild animals of the forests.   Several times a year, every homesteader had to deal with monstrous six-foot long black panthers with a tail as long as their body. Sheep, piglets and fowl had to be cooped up at night for safety, or one …

Highlands First Mayor

In the late 1870s Highlands was still struggling to get a solid footing on the Plateau.  But in 1878 a powerhouse came roaring up the mountain from Horse Cove in the guise of Stanhope W. Hill and wife, Celia Edwards Hill. Stanhope lived in Horse Cove over 30 years before heading for Highlands.  While a resident of the Cove, he’d …


The Appalachian Dulcimer

If you’ve been to the Cashiers Farmers Market at the Village Green during the summer, chances are you’ve seen a band of good ol’ country folk filling the air with harmonious bluegrass melodies.  Everyone is familiar with the stereotypical bluegrass instruments: fiddles, banjos, the occasional cello.  The most beautiful of them is the mountain dulcimer.   There is no instrument …

Rare Oconnee Bells

Among the large diversity of native plants in the Botanical Garden of the Highlands Biological Station, Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia), is quite possibly the most fabled wildflower of the region.  It was first described by the French botanist, Andre Michaux in 1787 and not found again until 1877. The 19th century American botanist Dr. Asa Gray described it as “perhaps …

A Fine Flyer Filled

The Carolina Wren, State Bird of South Carolina, produces some of the loudest, most distinct vocalizations in the forest.  Its various calls and songs, intoning dozens of phrase patterns, have been described by Sibley as “a rolling chant of rich phrases pidaro pidaro pidaro or TWEE pudo TWEE pudo TWEEP and other variations.” Calls are “a harsh, complaining zhwee zhwee …


My Day In March

The month of March can symbolize a lot of different things to a lot of different fly anglers.   Here in North Carolina, it means the start of the Delayed Harvest Season, a start to a new fishing season, and the beginning of changing springtime weather.  Flowers and trees are starting to show their buds, and songbirds start singing a …

Green’s the Theme

March is named for Mars, and we all know the original green thumbs come from Mars, right?  Well, maybe they’re green all over, but green is still the theme for March considering St. Patrick.  If you practice the three P’s, you may notice more green all season, not to mention those green with envy when they see your plants. We’ve …

The Magic of Secret Falls

Secret Falls is a hidden gem nestled just south of downtown Highlands that makes for an excellent day hike.  A half-mile hike leads to a multi-tiered Secret Falls off Horse Cove Road. Visitors can see the falls from the top, by the swim hole at its base, or a riverbend downstream with several small drop-offs. The view from the bend …