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Country Roads

CURRENT Country Roads

A Classic Book Review: The Last Girls

For Women of a Certain Age, Lee Smith’s “The Last Girls” is a trip you want to take now: a novel about four women reliving a raft journey down the Mississippi River taken when it was acceptable to call college-aged women girls.

Foothills Conservancy on a Roll

Two tracts were recently protected, with another in the works.

Biltmore Gardens Preserved in Forever Stamp

A new audience of garden lovers will discover the colorful tulips and blooming Wisteria at Biltmore Estate’s Walled Garden in Asheville, North Carolina.

Crayfish Comeback?

Two crayfish nearing extinction could have a lot more room to roam if a federal plan to protect their habitat is approved.

Alderson’s Store Legacy Lives

Alderson’s, of Alderson, West Virginia, has held on against the tide of retail closings.

Current Issue

Lee Smith. The Last Girls. (Ballantine Books, 2002) 406 pp.

A Classic Book Review: The Last Girls

For Women of a Certain Age, Lee Smith’s “The Last Girls” is a trip you want to take now: a novel about four women reliving a raft journey down the Mississippi River taken when it was acceptable to call college-aged women girls.
e04831a6-c610-11ea-a4e4-1244d5f7c7c6-CanoeCreek1_Courtesy-of-Foothills-Staff

Foothills Conservancy on a Roll

Two tracts were recently protected, with another in the works.
a4c745dc-c6cd-11ea-b9b9-1244d5f7c7c6-foreverStamp

Biltmore Gardens Preserved in Forever Stamp

A new audience of garden lovers will discover the colorful tulips and blooming Wisteria at Biltmore Estate’s Walled Garden in Asheville, North Carolina.
c5edc558-a5d8-11ea-9941-1244d5f7c7c6-AdobeStock_284670306

Crayfish Comeback?

Two crayfish nearing extinction could have a lot more room to roam if a federal plan to protect their habitat is approved.
Sarah Alderson stands outside the historic store bearing her family’s name in the town also carrying that name.

Alderson’s Store Legacy Lives

Alderson’s, of Alderson, West Virginia, has held on against the tide of retail closings.
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Departments

Vibrant Monarch butterfly clings to its translucent dew covered cocoon
Creature Feature

Monarch Mimickers

It’s easy to mistake other orange species for the king of fall butterflies.

August 26, 2026
At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

June 29, 2026
©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

June 29, 2026

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