Photo Essay: Blossoms & Their Buddies

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in flight. Adults eat the nectar of flowers from a variety of plants.

Rob Travis on the opening-page photo: “I was composing this yellow-on-blue combo and great texture when a bee mimic hoverfly came by to add perfect color.”

Travis: “Capturing fast-moving flying insects requires patience as well as skill. I noticed this dragonfly sometimes went to this perch, so I waited there a while to see if it came by again.”

Travis: “Composition plays a big part in flower/insect photography. Sometimes, I take many shots to get the best image, always trying to capture the action of the visitor and the beauty of the host.”

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September’s Blue Ridge Mountain Apple Profile: Summer Rambo

The Summer Rambo is not a particularly attractive apple, but it has other charms.
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25 Years of Rhythm and Roots at the Birthplace of Country Music

Twenty-five years ago, a small festival dedicated to the music forged from the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains took root.
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September’s Mountain Wildflower: Ghost Pipe

Containing no chlorophyll, this plant rises from the soil on translucent, waxy-looking stems, and the pinkish-white flower nods back toward the ground, giving the whole plant the appearance of a fancily carved soapstone pipe.
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Fall Magic in the Upcountry

With breathtaking mountain views, majestic waterfalls, and brilliant fall foliage, the Upcountry of South Carolina is the ultimate autumn destination to experience the magic of the great outdoors.
Built in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1950s, the “Queen of Steam” remains one of the nation’s most celebrated steam locomotives.

The Queen Still Reigns

More than 70 years after she first took to the rails, the legendary Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 continues to inspire both passengers and the volunteers who keep her running.
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Singing in the Garden: The Practically Perfect Pear

“There are only 10 minutes in the life of [the average] pear when it is perfect to eat.” —Abraham Lincoln, amended by Ginny Neil
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Vic Isley: President & CEO of Explore Asheville

“At my core, I’m a proud Carolina girl, foodie, travel and music lover, and farmer’s daughter.”
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Walking in the Footsteps of an American First Lady

The owners of Wytheville’s Bolling Wilson Hotel and Graze on Main make sure the town never forgets her legacy.
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Former wildland firefighter Carly Pearson became an accidental advocate for people with disabilities.
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Finding Home in the Mountains

In 1926, renowned writer Sherwood Anderson moved from center stage in Chicago to the mountains of far Southwest Virginia. Why?