It?s All Relative
April 8th, 2009 | 
Author:  Last weekend, I went to Highlands, North Carolina with my boyfriend, Bruce, and my kids. I eventually had a good time, but it did take some time for that to happen. If you haven’t been to Highlands before, let me give some background (not that I am any sort of expert, after all, it was my first trip there!).
At its highest point, the elevation in the Highlands is approximately 4118 feet. Yes, I did type that correctly, 4118 feet above sea level! The altitude in Charleston last week during all of that rain seemed like it was 10 feet below sea level! Anyway, take my word for it that the Highlands’s motto, “Above it All,” is the truth!!! |
 The Town of Highlands is located in Macon County, North Carolina. Legend has it that the founders of the Town, Samuel Truman and Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson, drew two lines on a map, one between Chicago and Savannah and the other between Baltimore and New Orleans, and decided that the location would be a future crossroads of commerce. Way back then, the Highlands was promoted on the basis of its healthy air and excellent potential for orchards and gardens. From what I saw last weekend, the cool climate and scenic beauty are what make the Highlands such a tourist draw nowadays.The “permanent” population of the Highlands is about 3000 people. What I mean by “permanent” is the number of people who actually live on the mountain 24/7. The population from spring to fall is approximately 15,000 people when the “second home” owners come to make use of those beautiful houses that they have built way up there in that mountain. That is exactly what Bruce and I did with the kids last weekend. We were among the “second home” visitors.
Anyway, Bruce had to constantly assure me that we were going to be fine, that we weren’t just going to fall off the edge of the mountain like I had feared. I kept thinking out loud, “How in the world do these people live on this mountain?” I just could not understand how anyone could get adjusted to living so high in the sky. Bruce promised me that it was indeed safe, and that the people who live on the mountain wonder how we live among all of the pavement and flat land and Wal-Marts that are on every corner. What I learned while in the mountains was that I can adjust to new environments. It took a while for me to get used to the altitude and the cool temperature, but thankfully by the time we got to Sunset Rock, I was good. Sunset Rock is a cliff side outdoor amphitheatre that provides a fantastic view of the Highlands. The mama in me made me keep the kids close while the adventurer in Bruce caused him to see how close he could get to the edge without falling over! Yin and Yang, that’s us! |
I have never been to the mountains before, and I just don’t think I did enough to prepare myself. I wasn’t prepared for the popping ears and the high heights! We arrived Friday evening. The sun was still up and we were still able to enjoy some of the fantastic views. Before I realized how fantastic the views were, I had to be convinced to uncover my eyes and actually look! When I finally got the nerve to look out the window, I was absolutely amazed at just how beautiful that place is! I think I even said out loud, “Who made this?” What kind of question was that?! Who made that?! Duh! Thanks God!
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