Southerners have been summering in the mountains for generations. When the late-summer air feels like bath water and we’re all eyeballing the coast for hurricanes, many of us pack our bags and seek higher climbs. Winding, undulating two-lane roads in western North Carolina take us up. The dark forest flies by, its floor intensely shaded by rhododendron and lush ferns, its canopy dappled with sunlight. A cloud bank envelopes us. We open our windows to the refreshing mist. This is the Nantahala Forest, land of waterfalls.
At an elevation of 4,118 feet, Highlands, North Carolina, is the highest town east of the Mississippi. Its founders in 1875 drew a giant X on a map to designate eastern trade routes—Chicago to Savannah, New York to New Orleans—then incorporated a town at the junction of that X. They were sure Highlands would become a center of commerce. Instead, it became a prime vacation destination. The town now thrives with unique shops as well as cool eateries like Mountain Fresh Grocery, which roasts its own coffee beans, and the wildly popular The Ugly Dog Public House.
In the heart of town sits the European-style Old Edwards Inn and Spa, an expansive resort comprised of a historic inn, private cottages, a stately lodge, multiple pools, croquet lawn, the finest spa I have ever seen, and top-notch restaurants, cafes, and shops, all spanning three city blocks. And that’s not including its off-site properties: the farm, the club, and a golf course whose tenth hole offers a view of three states.
Owners Art and Angela Williams earned their fortune in the insurance business and spared no expense in the renovation, design, and development of Old Edwards. Mrs. Williams travels extensively, personally selecting European antiques, hand-woven oriental rugs, and custom fabrics that give each room a distinct character. Bathrooms are equipped with Italian tile floors, marble vanities, and sunken tubs. The ladies’ sauna area appears to be styled after the elegant bath houses of Pompeii.
The property boasts multiple bars, darkly paneled hideaways, and a mind-blowingly good restaurant called Madison’s with an outdoor Wine Garden. Their craft cocktails are fresh and inventive (try the elderflower rosemary martini). My husband’s beef tenderloin was the best he’d ever tasted, and I must get the recipe for its accompanying mushroom marsala jus. I indulged in a spinach herb pappardelle pasta dish with duck confit, field peas, and wild mushrooms. It’s a shame I didn’t have room to try the pecan-crusted quail schnitzel (a signature of the German chef), but that’s just one of many reasons to return to the mountains soon.
