Abstract: A luxurious resort town boasts fine amenities for visitors. The local life reflects a more simple, mountain style. Highlands, and its natives, are a well-blended mix of contrasts.
Highlands, North Carolina is a small but world-renowned resort town nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, where the corners of South Carolina and Georgia meet. Fewer than 3,200 people call it home year-round, but in the summer that mushrooms to 20,000. Highlands is a welcome reprieve from hectic lives, a refreshing combination of small-town friendliness and upscale pampering.
I am one of those lucky few able to call Highlands home. Some of the best moments the area has to offer come outside the busy summer. In October, leaves turn shades of yellow, red, and orange. Traffic up the windy two-lane highways slows to less than 20 miles an hour this time of year, as the “leaf-lookers” take in the views. Of course that’s a source of endless griping for the locals who just want to go down the road. The area has four true seasons, and snow falls every winter onto the mountain peaks. Highlands is located in a deciduous rain forest. Rain mainly falls every spring, paving the way for lush green foliage that draw in thousands of visitors each year.
The tourist draw of Highlands
People flock to their second homes in the multiple prestigious country clubs. They are desperate for a literal breath of fresh air, the cooler mountains a stark contrast to muggy hometowns in places like Florida, Georgia, Alabama or Texas. Anytime I went off the mountain for shopping it felt like a ton of hot bricks in my face. A jolting reminder how lucky I had it back home, even though the nearest mall was an hour and a half away. Gas and groceries were less expensive off the mountain, but it was a small price to pay for the getaway.
Historians say two developers put Highlands on the map:
- Drew straight line between New York and New Orleans
- Then they placed a second line between Chicago and Savannah
- The intersection was thought to be hub of major world trade
- One major problem: terrain is much too rugged
- Instead, Highlands became a mountain retreat
Highlands is a haven for the outdoor lover; dozens of hiking trails dot the landscape, many winding around rushing waterfalls. At every turn is yet another blue mountain peak, a nod to the region’s name, the Blue Ridge Mountains. Winding streams and lakes offer quiet nooks for fly-fishing or private reflection. This backdrop taught me to appreciate nature at every turn. People are surprised to find out I love camping. My family often went camping for my sister’s birthday in early September. The nights are cool, the days still warm and perfect for floating down the river in an inner tube.
After a few days enjoying the outdoors, a trip to Old Edwards Inn is a popular choice for four-star spa treatments or a dip in its mineral pool. It’s the best spa in town. Downtown Main Street, between just three traffic lights, yields dozens of antique stores and boutique shops. Restaurants serve some of the finest wines and unique dishes, attracting celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse on his own family vacation. The town zoning board banned eyesores like neon lights and multi-story buildings, trying to ensure Highlands’s growth doesn’t diminish its charm.
Growing up as a local
Those few thousand year-round residents are always friendly, whether it’s to a 3rd-generation Highlander or someone who just moved to town last month. A walk down Main Street encourages smiles, nods, and probably a “howdy, how’s your family doing these days?” or a “come see us sometime.” The latter is really more of a courtesy than an expectation, although anyone is welcome with just the ring of a doorbell. Growing up in a small, friendly place taught me manners quickly. If I didn’t use my “pleases,” “thank yous,” “yes ma’ams,” and “no sirs,” half the town would know it, most importantly my parents.
Most of my large family lives in Highlands as well. My mom has eight brothers and sisters. For every birthday and holiday growing up, we all gathered at my grandmother’s house. Sitting just outside of town, the house is partially hidden by apple trees and overgrown blueberry bushes. Several generations crammed into one room taught everyone the importance of family, not to mention how to get along (most of the time).
The overflowing food table consistently had about twenty items too many, always including the family favorites:
- Fried okra
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Creamed corn
- Macaroni and cheese
- At least three dessert options
Daily life in Highlands
My younger sister and I, along with many of our cousins, attended Highlands School. Our mascot is the Highlander. It was intended, I suppose, to be a strong warrior with ties to the Scottish heritage of the area. The school even has its own blue and gold tartan officially registered in Scotland. To students the mascot mostly means a man in a skirt. For the cheerleaders, I learned once I joined the squad, it also means a three-syllable mascot that doesn’t quite fit in most of the cheers as nicely as “Panthers” or “Bulldogs.” (Go, Highlanders, Go?)
Highlands school is kindergarten through 12th grade. There are less than 500 students total. When I was in elementary school I remember looking up to and admiring the high schoolers. In high school, my classmates and I took care to behave and be respectful; after all, the “little kids” were just down the hallway. I graduated with 33 other people. In some ways Highlands School is a little behind the times; the language option remained French long after Spanish became more useful and practical in the United States. Advanced Placement courses, thought of as a college prerequisite in many high schools, weren’t even offered until 2006 – two years after my high school graduation.
In other ways, Highlands School students enjoy advantages more associated with private schools:
- Smart teachers really love their work
- Students are treated as individuals
- Plenty of student-teacher interaction through class
At night, after the daily bustle has dwindled, a favorite activity is cruising town, music blaring. Locals wave both to people they know and unfamiliar faces. When gas is low or the route gets too repetitive, a stop at Loafer’s Bench in the middle of Main Street finishes out the evening. While the rest of town is empty, it’s not uncommon to see half a dozen cars and trucks parked there, everyone catching up with friends’ lives. After all, the nearest movie theater is in the next town, a half hour’s drive away. The only chain is a Subway restaurant.
Many people who grew up in Highlands choose to raise their own families there, as my parents did. My parents wanted this life to be the basis of our upbringing. They also wanted my sister and me to experience the rest of the world, not settle for life in a town of just 3,200 people. It is this combination that has most shaped me. Friendliness and politeness root me. I am a small-town, Southern, mountain girl at heart.
Audience: people looking for an insider’s perspective to Highlands, NC. Potential homebuyers or visitors to the area.
Miranda D. Reed 