West Virginia: Keeping It Wild
Pack your hiking (or ski) boots and head out to north-central West Virginia's Canaan Valley. Stoke your inner mountain man in the pristine Dolly Sods wilderness. Hike, bike, or paddle in rugged Blackwater Canyon. In winter, tackle the slopes at Canaan Valley, Timberline, or White Grass resorts. Or indulge in tennis and golf galore. "It's great for families," says Traveler photo editor Dan Westergren. "There's plenty that's affordable and enough activities to keep a ten-year-old entertained."
•LOGISTICS: Canaan Valley is a three-hour drive south of Pittsburgh and four hours west of Baltimore. Lodging: Blackwater Falls State Park. Small rustic cabins in woodland setting, from $110; www.blackwaterfalls.com/accomodations.htm. Dining: The Purple Fiddle, Thomas, W. Va. Down-home general store with live mountain music, sandwich fare; www.purplefiddle.com. Best link: www.canaanvalley.org.
North Carolina: High on the Smokies
Itching to go cowboyin'? Scratch that urge at Cataloochee Ranch, a thousand-acre ranch/equestrian center/ski resort on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "You're a thousand feet up," says two-time visitor Janice Martin, "with views that go on forever." When you tire of riding, hike park trails leading through dense rhododendron stands. Take a day-trip to the nearby town of Cherokee for a visit to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian (did you know they once hunted with blowguns?). A longer excursion leads to artsy Asheville and the historic Biltmore Estate.
•LOGISTICS: Maggie Valley is a 40-minute drive west of Asheville. Lodging: Cataloochee Ranch. Ranch house, lodge, or individual cabins, from $173; www.cataloocheeranch.com. Dining: Maggie Valley Restaurant. Homey local favorite, Southern fare, great breakfasts. Best link: www.maggievalley.org.
While Natchez gets most of the press for its antebellum gems, the small, historic city of Columbus—birthplace of Tennessee Williams—is right behind. Begin your tour at the playwright's home, a Victorian mansion that houses the town's visitors center—which touts Columbus as having "some of the most beautiful pre-Civil War homes in the South." Stately Waverley Mansion (circa 1852) and the grand Rosewood Manor (circa 1835) help back up that claim. Best time to visit is during the annual Spring Pilgrimage, when the town's mansions and gardens are at their finest, with docents in period dress.
•LOGISTICS: Columbus is 146 miles northeast of Jackson. Lodging: Barrister's House B&B. Historic 1835 home, four rooms, from $95; www.barristershouse.com. Dining: J. Broussard's. New Orleans-style cuisine; www.jbroussards.com. Best link: www.columbus-ms.org.
Louisiana: Lesser Known Landscape
Nicknamed the Northshore, St. Tammany Parish is a trove of nature and small towns on the opposite side of Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. Here you can hike or bike the 31-mile rails-to-trails corridor called Tammany Trace, look for gators in Honey Island Swamp, visit an 1829 sugar mill in Fontainebleau State Park, check out the galleries and shops in Covington (including the general store run by the Smith family since 1876), and sip the latest vintages at Pontchartrain Vineyards. This quietly beautiful region was featured in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
•LOGISTICS: Northshore is a 45-minute drive north of New Orleans. Lodging: Blue Willow Bed and Breakfast, Covington. Three suites in downtown historic district, from $125; http://home.earthlink.net/~tmchambless/bluewillowbedandbreakfast/index.html. Dining: La Provence, Lacombe. Fine French cuisine; www.laprovencerestaurant.com. Best link: www.louisiananorthshore.com.
Published in the May/June 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
