High Hampton Resort

Just ten miles from Highlands, North Carolina, past a breathtaking view of Whiteside Mountain, is Cashiers, where High Hampton Resort has been hosting vacationers for generations.

The 1,400-acre property is stunningly situated on a private mountain lake with the rock face of a mountain as its backdrop. Rooms are rustic but elegant, the beds crafted with rough-hewn timbers, the walls made of wide-plank chestnut or poplar. Not all of the rooms have air-conditioning, but given the cool night air at this altitude, an open window is really all you need. Our room backed up to a waterfall overflowing from recent rains, the perfect mountain lullaby.

In a world where most adults thumb their iPhones and kids zone out to video games, High Hampton asks that you step away from all that. Take a hike up the mountain and see what’s blooming along the way. Plunge into the cold mountain lake or grab a canoe, kayak, paddleboard, or paddleboat. Admire the property’s well-marked ancient trees, including the world’s largest Fraser fir. Play a game of ring toss on the lawn or ping-pong on the wide side porch of the historic inn. Kick back in a tall red rocking chair and watch the children being pulled around in a donkey cart. Follow a secluded pathway and claim a hidden gazebo as your own private reading nook. Then listen for the dinner bell.

Dinner is coat and tie in the grand dining room, a dress code that might seem odd given the unpretentiousness of the cuisine itself (more comfort food than haute cuisine, served buffet-style), but it’s all about tradition and respect for mealtime. The sea of white linen tables comes alive with chattering families, many of them multi-generational. Our table fronted an open window with a gentle breeze and stunning view of the lake and mountain beyond. The food was plentiful—Virginia ham, beer-battered trout, peel-and-eat shrimp, flank steak, a plethora of Southern classics, and a dessert spread that would make anyone’s eyes pop with glee. Every August and September the resort hosts special dinners in the dahlia gardens (another reason to come back!).

After dinner, guests migrate to the columned main lobby where some play BINGO, others chess, others relax by fireplaces. Children race their wooden horses across a life-sized checkerboard. I felt like I had stepped back to a time before electronics commanded so much of our attention—a time when we actually talked to each other and turned strangers into friends. High Hampton knows what it’s doing. We all parted ways, but with an implicit understanding: “Same time next year.”