After ten months of being safe at home in Charleston, the Brown family finally decided it was time for a change in scenery so off we ventured for a vacation to the mountains of Western North Carolina.
About a year ago, Will and I decided this fall would be perfect to finally vacation in Vermont, a state that neither of us have ever visited. Then 2020 happened. The pandemic happened. A surprise twin pregnancy happened. And we decided since the rates of COVID are continuing to rise, air travel is just not in the cards for us right now.
So we decided instead on something a little closer and in driving range. Which brought us to the perfect VRBO cabin in Cashiers, North Carolina.
My perfect mountain house checks three things off the list 1) a rustic cabin feel with natural wood panel walls; 2) a back porch with stunning views of the mountain; and 3) a hot tub for those cold autumn and winter nights. This house checked off 2 out of the 3 things on my list, minus the hot tub, which turned out to be just fine since pregnant women are not supposed to be in hot tubs anyway!
Things To Do in the Area:
Hike! There are so many great hikes in and around the Cashiers/Highlands area, including many with great mountain and waterfalls views. In addition, we were there for prime leaf-peeping season so we felt like we were getting a bonus view on our hikes.
- Dry Creek Falls (in Highlands)- this is a beautiful cascading waterfall that you can walk behind. Kid friendly, it’s a quick .25 round-trip “hike” which was more like a walk from the parking lot down a few flights of stairs. It was pretty crowded since its right off the main road but worth the stop and takes less than 30-45 minutes depending on how long you stick around!
- Turtleback and Rainbow Falls – we didn’t do this hike but the waterfall views are said to be stunning!
- Bridal Veil Falls (sightseeing but not really a hike) – Right on Hwy 64 in Highlands it’s a skinny waterfall that you can pull off on 64 and walk behind.
- Glen Falls (in Highlands) – a fun 2 mile round trip hike down and back, stopping along the way to see FOUR different waterfalls and gorgeous mountain views. Coming back up was the hardest but the trails and steps were well maintained.
- Sunset Rock (in Highlands)- a simple and quick 0.7 mile one way hike to a rocky cliff overlooking a valley.
- Secret Falls (in Highlands) – this is a short 1/2 mile hike but our friends who traveled with us did this hike a few weeks ago and said it was a little treacherous, not as well maintained, with lots of slips and falls. So we decided to forgo this for some of the other waterfall hikes but this one would be good if you are nearby and looking for a quick hike.
- Whiteside mountain hike– 1.9 loop hike in Highlands to the top of the mountain. We went on the foggiest, most cloudy morning and had ZERO views but the hike itself was still fun as we crunched through the fallen leaves!
- Whitewater Falls (near Cashiers, NC and the SC state line) – a stunningly beautiful, multi-drop cascading waterfall. Well worth the half-mile (round trip) hike to view a 400+ foot cascade. Great option for the drive into or out of town if you are headed from or back home to South Carolina.
- Satulah hike (in Highlands)- this 2.7 mile hike departs from downtown Highlands so great to do before lunch and then afterwards grab sandwiches from Mountain Fresh Grocery.
- Schoolhouse Falls – 2.5 miles round trip hike, this water fall is 40 min east of Cashiers so a bit of a drive but good one for the summertime as the waterfall freefalls into a refreshing pool that is safe for swimming and wading.
Other Things to See and Do:
- The Spa at Old Edwards Inn. If we were traveling sans children, I would of loved to have visited the spa. They have a wide menu of massages, skin treatments, and even acupuncture. We have been to the spa at Grove Park Inn in Asheville a few times so I have set a very high bar for spa experiences when in North Carolina but I would love to give this one a try someday too!
- Will Henry Stevens covered bridge in Highlands – made all out of wood, this bridge was giving up Beetlejuice vibes so we had to stop! The bridge which is functional is also an art installation and leads into a neat little art district which was a nice spot to stop and let the kids run around.
- fall foliage! Coming into Cashiers from S.C. get your camera ready for leaf peeping on 1)Whitewater falls rd (Hwy 130); 2) the Scenic overlook on state road 37; and 3) Rhodes Big View Overlook on Hwy 64 between Cashiers and Highlands. We were there November 6-9 and locals say it was one of the best weekends yet! If leaf peeping is your jam, plan your trip sometime around late October-early November for the best views.
- The Shadow of a Bear – So this one is pretty cool. At sunset from mid-October through early November the shadow that is cast on Whiteside Mountain (at Rhodes Big View Overlook along U.S. Highway 64) around 5:30pm grows larger and larger before finally taking on the shape of a bear. The shadow only appears on clear, sunny days so as you can see from the photo below we missed it on this trip! But still a great pull off scenic stop to view the leaves and hopefully we will see the “bear” next year!
One last photo of the leaves from Scenic Overlook on state road 37.
Outfit Details:
GAP Maternity Overalls // Banana Republic tank // New Balance Sneakers
Random side note: we discovered, although it looks like the word for a person who rings you up at a store, the town of Cashiers is actually pronounced KASH-erz. I still get in wrong but I am learning.
Someday we will make it to Vermont during autumn and cross that state off our bucket list. But for now, we have “fall”en in love with Cashiers and look forward to returning next year as a family of six!
xx Priscilla
