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The Top 61 Happiest Mountain Towns in the Blue Ridge
Our quest to have our readers select the happiest towns in the mountains began with a set of criteria applied
April 2, 2026
Lifestyles
Three families have created perfect homes in the mountains, each finding its own way of including and preserving the natural beauty and unique history of the home’s surroundings.
Nick Berndt, owner of Appalachian Custom Homes in Sylva, N.C., wheels his Tundra up a winding incline to the site of a 3,700-square-foot hybrid timber frame home he’s building.
Living in a historic home exacts a price beyond the cost of the structure. There is all that history – and the ghosts of owners past – demanding to be heard, respected and occasionally lived with.
Timber framing is a form of post and beam construction. Traditionally, large, solid lumber is used as the structural frame and joined by carved wood joinery, such as mortises and wooden tenons rather than nails.
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Web Extras
Photo Recap: Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2023
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (BRRR) is a musical festival held annually in September that celebrates the heritage of country
September 1, 2023
Behind Blue Ridge Country
“Virginia” in Virginia: Discovering Patsy Cline in Winchester
Walking Winchester in the relentless rain of a soggy spring could not dampen my enthusiasm to see the home of
August 10, 2018
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
April 12, 2018
