Articles From July/August 2025

Danny McConnell is a huge fig fan, selling fig jam, fig pan pies and more.

The Fruits of His Labor

Danny McConnell grows figs and other unusual produce in the North Carolina mountains.
Children cool off on a hot summer day by jumping into the fish ladder of the weir dam on the Doe River just downstream of the Elizabethton Covered Bridge in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Summer Splash: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers know where to get wet.
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Chattanooga, Tennessee: First National Park City in U.S.

. . . and just the third in the world.
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Beach Answers Beech Joke

College lake and training program offers free sandy experience.
In the Smoky Mountains town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, both the forest and the structures have made significant recoveries since the 2016 wildfires that damaged more than 2,000 buildings.

Comeback Towns!

From devastating storms to raging wildfires, these seven mountain communities have been hit hard by disaster. Today, they’re thriving once more — and brimming with dining, historic attractions, the arts and outdoor fun.

Departments

Behind Blue Ridge Country

Even More Sweet Virginia Breezes

Casually cruising to Claytor Lake in southwest Virginia, I felt like I had come home – back to where it

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