Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

By: John Ross

Ageless Smoky Mountain Tradition!

Folklore and whispering stories of adventure and mystery are as deep as the hills around the small Smoky Mountain towns. There have been legends born and heroes die, all carried by word of mouth and each telling, grander and larger than life tales, such as the story of Fines Creek.

A man by the name of Fines, not told to me as his first or last name, simply by Fines, traveled the Smokies of North Carolina and Tennessee several times during the1800s. During one of his journeys, Fines was robbed of his horses by a local band of indians.

Fines, along with his group of men, forcefully retrieved their horses and set up camp along a creek deep in the mountains. The threat of raids was ever present and resulted in ambushes in which Fines was mortally wounded. His men were not able to carry Fines back home and decided to bury him under the frozen creek until they could return to retrieve him.

Upon their return, they discovered Fines’ body missing and so named the creek, Fines Creek.

Now the creek lazily rakes along side I-40, some of the best road travel in the South. Large hardwoods infest the roadside and you feel as if the next 30 miles was taken up like a rug and shaken.

Our exit was a few miles inside North Carolina, and after traveling a windy dirt road a short stretch, we came into view of a now-a-day Xanadu. The sight was extraordinary. Soft outside colors blended with the mountains and the four large buildings framed the portrait of a great getaway that was much needed.

Llamas grazed in fields on both sides of the road as we trekked up the hill. The idea of using Llamas for hiking was a foreign idea to me, but not one for history.

Known as probably one of the first domesticated animals, early fossils have been found of these docile creatures in America dating back 5000 years. A member of the Camelid family, llamas are considered a burden bearing creature, meaning they are work animals.

The Livengood family, owners of WindDancers, have been breading llamas for decades and love the gentleness of the animals.

The sight of the surprisingly tall animals, made the lodge feel comfortable and laid back, much as their demeanor.

We first meet some of the Livengoods when settling into our room and they told us about the llamas and the lodge. There are hundreds of acres of wooded hillside that the family takes visitors on their hikes. We were not able to hike with the llamas due to weather conditions but we walked a small trail leading to a lunch deck.

To read this entire feature FREE with photos visit this link:
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John Ross, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent ? Read Jetsetters Magazine at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com to book travel visit Jetstreams.com at http://www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at http://www.beachbooker.com

About the Author

John Ross, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com Leave your email next to the logo for FREE e travel newsletter.

By: Vicki Miller

“Vacation used to be a luxury, however in today’s world, it has become a necessity.” –unknown

I just returned from a wonderful, relaxing family vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. What made the vacation so wonderful was just ‘being’ with family and sharing stories and lots of laughter. Although we had some activities planned, most of the time was unscheduled and spontaneous. It was a true vacation as the dictionary defines it: vacation – “freedom, a respite from something, a scheduled period during which activity is suspended, a period of exemption from work.” I had taken some work with me, (thinking I might use the time while flying to and from NC), but I never looked at the materials. My heart wanted the entire vacation experience to be a respite, a time to recharge with no emails, no phone calls, and no work.

I am amazed at how many people take so-called vacations and constantly stay in touch with work. Their mind never gets the rest and quiet it needs, and with out this quiet, the heart and spirit are drowned out. When I was in the corporate world, I remember how often vacations were spoiled by a call from the office. I could be a thousand miles away resting at the beach, and all of a sudden my mind was jerked back into work (and stress) with one phone call. After the call, it was almost impossible to return to the same carefree attitude that I had achieved. And today for most people it is even worse, because they go on vacation with their laptops, business cell phones and pagers; they are never out of touch.

When was the last time you took a true vacation – with no contact with your business or work? What impact is the “24/7” trend having on you mentally, physically and spiritually? What would it take for you to make the break and totally leave work behind for just one week? Does just the thought scare you? What’s your biggest fear surrounding this? Are you afraid that you will miss something important or is it ego or martyrdom saying that the business or office cannot run without you? Remember that one of the signs of a successful leader, entrepreneur or business person is the ability to leave for an extended period and have everything run smoothly while they are gone.

Perhaps it is a need to be connected, be essential or be useful that drives people to constantly be on call. If this is true for you, how else might you get this need met and still have a true vacation from work? Here are some possible suggestions to spur your thinking – vacation with family or friends that need your support or volunteer for a week with a charitable organization, or be a guide and lead others on a trip. If being “dis-connected” from work for a week really scares you, then plan a mini-vacation to wean yourself from work. Start with just a weekend or 2 days with NO work (that includes emails and calls). Gradually move up to a full week’s vacation totally away from work and note how you feel during and after – you will be amazed at the results!

The key to experiencing a true vacation is to break from what you have been doing. Give your mind and body a rest and allow your spirit to guide you. When you return to work you will be more creative, more productivity and re-energized. Doesn’t that sound wonderful!

Copyright May 2005