Skittles was my beloved therapy dog, bringing joy or comfort to whomever met her. She visited Hospice, the local hospital, nursing homes, and a summer camp for sick children. She died this past May. Owner: Gina Farago
Freezy-bark thanks to our readers for the great canine winter-fun photos, and our regrets for those we couldn’t fit in. Captions, edited for space and clarity, are from the owners.
Marvin is a snuggly Virginia snowbaby whose favorite winter activities include eating snow, wearing snow and diving nose-first into snow! Oh, and a nice after-snow nap. Owner: Hayley Phipps Josie was standing atop a mountainous drift of powdery snow keeping watch over her humans. She was in heaven in the snow and would pounce and dig and roll for hours or until her companions, an 11-year old boy and an 8-year-old girl, got too cold and went in for hot cocoa. Owner: Laura Honaker Tucker is a Husky and Nali an Alaskan Malamute. Both dogs love the snow and are in their element on snowy, cold days. The Blue Ridge Mountains are the perfect home for them! Owner: Bev Baird Abby is always wanting to see what is in the snow here in Coeburn, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Owner: James and Mary Alice Clay Wilson is a mix of Husky and Terrier. He loves running in the snow and chasing squirrels and deer at Wintergreen, Virginia.Owner: Larry Wilson Bogey and Sophie both love to hike and chase their ball through the snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sophie is our golden retriever, Bogey is our grandpup and belongs to our daughter Liz and son-in-law Rob, who live in Alabama. Owner: Bill and Cindy Chambers Magnum loves to get out in the snow and run. He gets the zoomies often while playing in the snow. Owner: Sue Kent Aspen, a spunky Australian cattle dog, calls Roanoke, Virginia, home. She loves to hit the trails in all seasons, but snow days are her favorite. If she’s not walking in the woods, you can find her swimming in the lakes and rivers of Virginia or taking over her parent’s king size bed. Owner: Shannon Terry Henry will not go out in the rain, but snow is completely different—and catching snowballs makes it even better! Owner: Jennifer Goodwin
This photo was taken within six months of Daisy losing her sight and hearing. She still loves the smells of Blue Ridge Country, now more than ever!! My border terriers (Kai and Two) love living in the mountains of North Carolina! So much to do, so many places to hike and explore, and the snow is so much fun! (Kai and Two also appear on the Contents page, where they are about to spring into squirrel-alert action.) Ms. Pickles’ first time in the snow! She is an English cream golden retriever, so sometimes she does a disappearing act in it! And it tastes great! This was our six-month-old Maggie’s first snow here in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Is it the shadow or the snow that’s fascinating? She loves it now. Owner: Sukey Binion
We moved from South Florida to Shenandoah Valley in the pandemic and my dogs had never experienced snow. My golden retriever Keebler absolutely loved the snow and you can tell! Todd and Tanner, Home Sweet Home. Five-year-old Snoop was born in Florida, but has spent over half his life in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. He loves everything about the mountain life! This photo captures Snoop enjoying his first snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains.Owner: Paula Greene
Brad was born in Louisiana and raised in Texas so he was not used to the kind of snow his new home in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, provides! He loves to go on long walks in the snow and loves to jump into the deep drifts that form here on Apple Mountain! Owner: Robert Mehnert
Wylie loved roaming our mountain property! He looked like a bear, so during hunting season he got to wear an orange vest that we modified for him. He lived at our log cabin in Highlands, North Carolina, and died at age 14. Such a good dog! Owner: Jane Sheridan
Our Belgian Tervuren, Forest, was 11 weeks old when we got him and took to the snow right away. He is 9 years old now and we walk in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, every day. Widget never let her disability stop her from enjoying the snow in Southwest Virginia (Coeburn). She was always ready for walks enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountains! Owner: Mary Alice Clay
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.
More than outposts for gearing up, these seven mountain communities are destinations in their own right, pairing easy access to some of the region’s best outdoor adventures with walkable downtowns, local flavor, and much more.
Long before modern healthcare reached many Appalachian communities, Granny Women became trusted healers and caregivers, delivering babies, treating illness and injury, and preserving generations of healing knowledge.
Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.
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