You sip strong coffee, reclined in an Adirondack chair, ankles resting on the railing of your deck. You take in the view of early morning Lake Glenville and smile at a little family of ducks gliding past your dock. A hummingbird hovers over a nearby flower and that’s when you hear it.
“Mom, I’m bored.”
My own mother might have rolled her eyes, but that was way before children went to robotics classes on the weekends, learned Chinese in kindergarten, and could program a home’s electronics system in thirty seconds flat.
Fortunately, the Plateau offers infinite variety of activities for all tastes, many of which are a breathtaking change for children tied to computers and tablets during the school year.
The possibilities range literally from A to Z, as in art classes to zip lines, and even include some things to do on those dreaded rainy days. And, many experiences and activities can be had free of charge.
Starting at A, as in animals, High Hampton Inn (828-743-2411) offers a llama “show and tell” Thursdays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 4 p.m. Your children can mingle on the lawn, pet the animals and learn interesting llama lore. If this is a hit, you may want to consider playing nine holes of golf with one of the llamas as your caddy. Call Craig Hartle, High Hampton’s director of golf, to make arrangements to have a llama (supervised by a handler) carry your bag for nine holes. Family memories start here!
B is for vacation Bible School, and a random survey of area churches makes clear that summer guests are warmly welcomed. Most are for one week of mornings and include music, art, and play.
C is for Chattooga River, site of Sliding Rock, a favorite destination for family outings, thanks to its slippery rock face slide into a natural swimming hole.
D is for day camp at the Sapphire Valley Resort (828-743-7663) which offers walk-in, half-day or full-day experiences that include swimming, sports activities, art projects, and treasure hunts. The counselors are beloved by the regulars, who enjoy being recognized by them throughout the town on weekends.
E is for Highlands’ Easely an Artist (828-526-2933), open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 2. Walk-ins are welcome (children under 6 will need an adult with them) and the studio provides canvas, paints, brushes, easels and aprons. In addition, a children’s day camp will be offered each Tuesday this summer from 10-3. All your child needs to bring is a sack lunch.
F is for fly fishing. Local options include the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail (800-962-1911), the first and only fly fishing trail in the United States. Its fifteen stops offer brook, brown, and rainbow trout, open waters and small streams. Guide service, as well as beginner’s instruction, is also available through Brookings Anglers, with locations in both Cashiers (828-743-3768) and Highlands (828-482-9444).
G is for gem mine, as in Jackson Hole Gem Mine in Highlands (828-524-5850), where children can receive instruction and help with gem identification. The mine is protected from rain, so weather is never an issue.
H is for horses and Arrowmont Stables in Cullowhee (828-743-2762) offers great experiences for all ages and skill levels. David Sellers explains that children, beginning at age 6, will enjoy their trails. Every ride begins with a 45-minute orientation, during which the children receive helmets, learn basic safety practices and meet their horses. There are five trails from which to choose, depending on experience level, and the outing usually lasts about two and a half hours.
I is for indoor swimming, available year-round at the Highlands Pool Complex (828-526-1595), next to the Civic Center. Extended summer hours begin on Memorial Day. The pool is enclosed in glass, making it delightful rain or shine.
J is for jet ski, awaiting you at Lake Shore Marina (828-743-9998) on Lake Glenville. The rentals come with gas, and dogs up to 100 pounds ride free!
K is for kayaks, also available at Lake Shore Marina on Lake Glenville.
L is for library, and there is no greater resource than the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers (828-743-0215) or the Hudson Library in Highlands (828-526-3031). Both offer calendars rich in offerings for children, like reading programs that reward independent reading, Lego Club, “crafter-noons,” weekly story times and special presentations from notables like Professor Whizzpop and the Snakes Alive expert. The calendar also includes regular showings of movies like “Moana” and “Trolls.”
M is for movies, and the Highlands Playhouse (828-526-2695) is one of the nicest venues for screen entertainment. Movies are shown Fridays through Tuesdays and include a wide variety of offerings, many suitable for children. Great snack bar too!
N is for Highlands Nature Center (828-526-2623), a wonderful hands-on learning center for all ages. Children can see a working honeybee hive, play scientist at the microscope stations and dive into the “touch and learn” table centers. Check the Center’s calendar for special programs this summer, like “Going Batty” and “Salamander Meander”.
N is also for National Registry of Historical Places, of which Cashiers’ Zachary Tolbert House is one. In addition to offering tours on Fridays and Saturdays from 11-3, which could be of interest to older children, the setting offers beautiful walking trails and a shaded pavilion perfect for picnics.
P is for playground, and nothing beats Cashiers’ Village Green to induce creative play and just plain healthy exhaustion. Designed by local children in 2002, this play space includes slides and swings, lots of climbing structures and even a playhouse and puppet theater.
Take a picnic to enjoy under shaded shelters nearby.
R is for Red Bird Golf Links (828-743-1991), a public driving and nine-hole executive course in beautiful Sapphire Valley. Check the calendar for golf clinics, open to all ages.
S is for sun and sand which can be enjoyed in full at the Pines Recreation area on Lake Glenville. Open sunrise to sunset, the area features a swim beach, fishing pier, and a free life jacket loaner board.
T is for tennis. Public tennis courts are available through the Cashiers Recreation Center (828-631-2020). Check out a key from the Center’s office and enjoy the courts, which are located near the Cashiers swimming pool. First come, first serve (no pun intended).
V is for visual arts, and for visual arts there is no place like the Bascom (828-526-4949), the jewel of Highlands. Eight children’s day camps are offered throughout the summer, according to Billy Love, the director of education, with instruction in painting, pottery and mixed media. Additionally, the Bascom offers “art by appointment” whereby a child can receive one-on-one private instruction. Check out the family events too, like the old-fashioned barn dance.
W is for Whiteside Mountain, a wonderful two-mile hike along the Eastern Continental Divide. It’s a relatively easy hike, perfect for children eight years or older, along with their parents or grandparents, and offers breathtaking views as well as informational plaques along the way. You’ll see the signs on Highway 64 between Cashiers and Highlands and find easy parking inside the park area.
Y is for “Yosemite of the East,” another name for Panthertown Valley in Sapphire Valley. Acre upon acre of beautiful mountain valley, featuring waterfalls, streams, rare vegetation and wonderful hiking trails. It is recommended that a visitor allow at least a half day to enjoy the site. Bikes are welcome on main trails.
Z is for zip line and children have choices: Highlands Aerial Park (828-526-8773) offers a variety of options for youngsters, including the “Brave Indian” for children five years and older and the “Mountain Top Canopy Tour” for those at least eight years old. In Sapphire Valley (828-743-7663), children eight and older can experience the “Vordach,” which includes training and thirteen zips.
The clever reader has noticed the lack of an O, Q, U or X activity and there will be no apologies offered, because the variety of children’s activities goes way beyond a mere a,b,c listing.
As proof, where else can children experience the once-in-a -lifetime experience which will be ours this summer when Cashiers becomes shrouded in darkness for nearly two and a half minutes August 21? The Cashiers Eclipse Festival, which will celebrate the out-of-this-world happening, is the most perfect retort to the whine of “there’s nothing to do...”
To Be Young and Happy: A Kid's Guide to the Plateau
- By Jochen
- Posted
WHERE TO EAT
Cross the covered wooden bridge just off Franklin Road in Highlands, and you will find yourself on the magical campus that is The Bascom. Set on six lush acres of what was once Cranes Horse Farm, this extraordinary center for the visual arts is a sensory treat for anyone who loves art. You know you are somewhere special long before you walk through the door. To ones right is the original horse barn which has been transformed into a ceramics center. The main building, designed by the Atlanta architectural firm of Lord Aeck Sargent, is composed of wood, glass, and stone to pay homage to the natural materials that are native to our part of the world. A walking nature trail surrounds the campus, containing a variety of site-specific sculptures comfortably positioned among indigenous plants and flowers. An outdoor amphitheater, tiers defined by stone seating, is the perfect setting for weddings, classes, and guest lectures. Like the warm hostess that she is, Teresa Osborn, meets me at the Centers front door. As executive director, she quickly explains how she sees the Centers three important missions: exhibition, education, and outreach. This is no hushed gallery of hands-off, important artnor is it intended to be. The exhibition aspect of the Centers mission is everywhere you look, as the 30,000 square feet of space abound with remarkable pieces created by artists from the Southeast, many of whom call the Blue Ridge Mountains home. Oil paintings mix comfortably with photography and pottery, the occasional piece of primitive furniture and whimsical pieces like a room-size tree composed of discarded clothing. One can also find jewelry, basketry, and wood-turned vessels here. The collections are fluid so visitors can enjoy a totally unique experience each time they come. A fun aspect of this art center is the opportunity for hands-on creativity. Check out the smARTspace loft on the third floor, and try any of many self-directed art activities. A wishing tree downstairs invites visitors to write their deepest desires on papers to hang from a tree. The wishes are as random as you would expect, from I wish I was a horse to I wish I could destroy my computer and phone. These two areas speak to Teresas deepest passion: that art be a unifier, accessible to all, regardless of income, ability, or anything else. 
Education is unquestionably a big part of The Bascoms mission as well. The Center offers artist residencies, fellowships and internships in ceramics, photography, sculpture and community, which is a teaching position involving outreach to all ages. Residencies range from two weeks to one year and afford artists housing, teaching opportunities, unlimited studio access, and the opportunity to sell their art. The community at large is a huge focal part of the educational component, and an adult education calendar offers a palate-pleasing menu of everything from Playing in the Clay to Highlands Landscape Photography. In addition to after-school classes during the school year, area children (and visiting grandchildren) are invited to eight different art day camps in the summertime. Private lessons, too, are available for all ages through Art by Appointment. Outreach, says Teresa, warming to a subject dear to her heart, is a yearlong activity, diverse and widespread. Area youth are served through school programs: the Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Gordon Center for Children, to name just a few. The needs of our adult community are addressed through programs like those at Cashiers and Jackson County Senior Centers, the Center for Life Enrichment, the Chestnut Hill retirement community, and the Eckerd Living Center. It is no small feat that admission to this visual feast is free. Thanks to year-long sponsors, such as Delta and The Chaparral Foundation, The Bascom is accessible to everyone. A robust membership lends further support, as do various sponsors of individual exhibits. The vision for this Center began in the 1980s, when Watson Barratts estate made possible an exhibition space in the Hudson Library. Proceeds from the sale of his family home on Satulah Mountain founded The Bascom, which honors the maiden name of his wife, Louise Bascom Barratt. Although he died in 1962 when Highlands was still a village, his belief in the need for a permanent gallery was prescient. Today, more than 20,000 individuals visit The Bascom each year, and that does not include all those who learn and create at the Center, or the thousands of people who are enriched through the outreach programs. A centerpiece of Teresas delightful, art-cluttered office, is a charming piece of decoupage, teeming with buttons and ribbons and miniatures, created by a gentleman who struggled with developmental challenges. His family, she says, was stunned and thrilled to see how much joy he gleaned from the compilation of this masterpiece, and she keeps it in a place of honor to remind her always, of the life-changing possibilities of art. The Bascoms ever-growing impact in the community is a living testament to Watson Barratts foresight and a gift to all of us who call these mountains home.
One of Americas favorite backyard pastimes is one that distinguishes Cashiers and Highlands from many other mountain towns. What is it? Croquet. The traditional game played with wooden mallets and balls brings laughter and competition to the area known for its lush landscape of waterfalls and golf courses. From tournaments to weekly gatherings, summer on the green takes on a whole new meaning with over 1,600 croquet players in the highlands of Western North Carolina. It is a sociable spectacle where teams face off to hit a ball through a course of hoops or wickets (as Americans have named them). Croquet dates to the 1400s, but it didnt become a recreational activity in the United States until the 1860s. The game turned into a tradition for many East Coast families, and has remained part of the lifestyle on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. Despite its French name, croquet is very English. The polished appearance of the wisely dressed players and immaculate grass can be deceiving. Players must outwit their opponent(s), creating a slight dog-eat-dog aspect to the game. If you can manage to roquet, or hit a rivals ball, you might gain a slight edge with gaining an extra shot. Strategy is the key, as you should consider not only your current shot, but the one after that and the one after that, making this game an authentic technical challenge. The classic game of croquet brings the community together for social events throughout the season. With clubs offering wine and wicket hours, it is common to see players sip their favorite vintage in between running a hoop.
The airline originated to enhance the flying experience. With a goal to make your time flying more personal and hassle free, Elite Airways is bringing Western North Carolina and Florida travelers good news. With a new nonstop flight between Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) in Florida to Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) in North Carolina, residents and visitors now have the ability to travel between the two destinations Thursdays and Sundays.
Christmas on the Plateau is much more than a single day or a week. It seems to begin the moment one pushes away from the Thanksgiving table.
Are you ready for an afternoon thrill? If you like your hands behind the wheel and want to take an engine to its limits with no fear of blue lights in the rear-view mirror? Make your way to the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.