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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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A Fading Golden Opportunity

Early spring in Appalachia brings the return of some of our most beautiful and precious songbirds, the warblers.  Soon our trees and bushes will be decorated with members of this large avian family sporting such descriptive and geographic names as Yellow-throated, Hooded, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Kentucky, Chestnut-sided, Canada, Black-throated Blue, Black-and-white and Black-throated Green. The rarest of these small, colorful birds …

Narcissist, and Proud of It

Narcissus – what a name.  These flowers have every right to be a little narcissist – after all, they’ve got the guts to stick their neck out on a cold Spring day while other flowers are still getting their beauty sleep.  In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, and couldn’t tear …

Cliffside, Nature’s Getaway

As spring begins here in the mountains, the landscape transforms from a dull brown speckled with evergreen trees into a lush and vibrant mixture of colors, scents, and sounds that dazzle the senses any time you step outside.   To best experience the wonders of nature one must venture out of town and into the wild.  For those with a …


Globalization of Wine

I began my wine career 25 years ago in an environment where I was, almost exclusively, exposed to domestic wines.  My experience with old world wine, though limited, was eye-opening. The differences between new and old world were obvious. I rarely saw an old world wine with alcohol levels above 13 percent, the fruit was restrained and balanced and there was …

This Takes the Cake

Rebecca Shuler grew up with a grandmother who loved to cook.  “Dolly” Ramey was known for her classic Southern meals, especially her fried chicken.  Rebecca remembers her Granny fixing chicken for every church function and to give away to pastors in the area.  Shuler, who is the Highlands town clerk, carries on Dolly’s legacy with another one of the family’s …

Dine out for Life

The Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s 14th Annual Dining Out For Life is happening again on Thursday, April 28. “This is WNCAP’s largest fundraiser of the year and biggest community event,” says Jesse Oates Vest, Special Events Coordinator for the agency. There are over 115 restaurants participating throughout seven counties that day and over 250 volunteers who help make it …


Killer Kale Salad

It seems like only a few years ago, kale was practically a forgotten part of Americans’ diet. Now, thanks to some innovative recipes and a greater commitment to eating healthy, kale is back on the menu. That’s good news for all of us. Kale is packed with all sorts of good things. Its only drawback is the sometimes bitter taste …

An Unforgettable Experience

Just last month, someone came up to me and complained that my restaurant reviews are relentlessly positive. This perspective, he maintained, gives them all the necessary flavor and resiliency of a pile of overcooked kale. OK, I can argue the point, but I’ll also concede that the illusion of unrealistic sunshine is predicated on two immutable facts. First, my personality …

No Place Like Holmes

“Come, Watson, come!”  he cried.  “The game is afoot.  Not a word!  Into your clothes and come!”  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may not have coined the phrase, “the game is afoot,” but it certainly brings to mind his famous detective.  When you think of Sherlock Holmes, you’re no doubt picturing a character created by Broadway actor William Hooker Gillette.  Gillette …


A Man of the Arts

Lucien Harris III was an American painter of natural subjects.  He was a self-taught artist best known for his observations of the interactions of plants and animals.  Harris worked as a naturalist painter, and was immensely influenced by his father, a highly regarded lepidopterist.   Harris was a native of Atlanta, a Navy aviator, and a veteran of World War II.  …

A Spring Opening

The Art League of Highlands-Cashiers opens an exciting art season with its first artist reception at 4:30 PM Monday, April 25, in the Atrium at The Bascom, 323 Franklin Road in Highlands. Presentation starts at 5:00 PM and will feature artist Holly Klaine, a new and emerging artist in the ALHC. This event is free and open to the community. …

Music in the Garden

Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival celebrates its milestone 35th anniversary season with a special program – “Chamber Music in the Garden!” on Sunday, May 15, in Mershon Hall at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.   Set in these stunning surroundings, in the midst of the new blockbuster Dale Chihuly glass exhibit, the international award-winning Vega String Quartet will perform “Spring” by Vivaldi; …