Sitting atop the Highlands plateau, Highlands sees a wide variety of visitors each year. Some of these visitors are new to the area while others have a family tradition of coming up for various seasons and holidays. Our cherished visitors come from miles around. Those who live here enjoy the diversity of those who travel to visit us each year.

The history of the Highlands plateau dates back 350 million years to the creation of the oldest mountains in the world. Highlands history starts in 1875 when Samuel Kelsey and C. C. Hutchinson founded Highlands. Legend has it that these developers from Kansas took a map and drew a line from New York to New Orleans and then drew another line from Chicago to Savannah. Their prediction was that where these lines intersected would become a great population center and major trade route.

What came of the place where these lines intersected was a health and summer resort sitting more than 4,000 feet in elevation upon the highest crest of the Western North Carolina plateau in the Southern Appalachian mountains. Travel up to Sunset Rock and you can see Highlands on the plateau from a birds eye view. It is a truly great picnic spot!

We often hear great stories from our customers when they come into our stores and shop. Juliet Rhodes took this one step further and wrote this essay about her favorite place to visit, as a school project. The topic was "Nature - Picture the most beautiful place in nature you can imagine. Describe it. What makes it so beautiful to you?"

This is what she wrote: 

"North Carolina"

"When I start driving to North Carolina my heart starts thumping. When I get there I always go to the beautiful, shimmering creek first. And then we go up, up, up the big hill and then the soft, gushy moss sinks through my toes. And I love the fresh air. We always go on a hike. I always bring a bag with me so I can collect those very shiny rocks. We see the huge mountains there so green and bumpy. Can't you imagine seeing that? And every night we go inside and sit by that orange, and red fire and have some hot chocolate with smores. When were done we watch the fire and hear the crackling, and on the walls theres big shadows. When the fire goes out we clean-up and climb into the soft, fluffy bed and get ready to start a new day. This is my favorite place to be."

- Juliet Rhodes - Age 8

* Juliet is the daughter of Spencer & Tracey Rhodes and niece of Jennifer Rhodes, Judith & Don Smeller. Her late grandmother, Linda Rhodes, helped in the Highland Hiker. Her aunt Jennifer worked at the old Happy Hiker. They have a summer home in the Cold Springs area.