Visit | Living in the Moment

With holiday decorating, menu prepping, parties and shopping, it’s easy to forget the splendor of the fall season is still with us. There is nothing more beautiful in North Carolina than getting to see the leaves change from stunning greens to gorgeous orange hues in the fall. Driving down the highway doesn’t seem like a chore anymore due to the scenic views our trees have created for us. The best way to enjoy these views and the autumn color? The mountains.

My home state boasts more hiking trails than I can count, and I’m sure I’ve hiked at least half of them. One of my favorite places to hike is Grandfather Mountain State Park in Linville. There’s a great array of short and easy, but still view-rewarding trail hikes, as well as long and strenuous hikes that allow you to scale up the sides of the mountain via ladders and rope line. Another tremendously beautiful hiking area is the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville. If you want to see a canvas of colors, I highly suggest heading here - I’ve never experienced a leaf-change like this anywhere else. If you're more of a scenic driver than a hiker, this region is home to more than 20 tunnels on the famed Parkway, so there's fun for everyone.

Consider putting your holiday prep on hold for a few hours, grab a bag of trail mix and get out to experience the show our trees have put on for us; it only comes once a year...let’s live in the moment!

By Meg Rupp