Tennessee Archives • Dzhingarov

Where to Find the Best Mountain Views in the Southeast

Dzhingarov — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:16:14 +0000

The Blue Ridge Mountains across the southeast provide both an ideal climate and beautiful scenery that make them desirable locations for purchasing a full time home or a vacation property. If you’re looking into Blue Ridge real estate, here are some tips on where to find the best mountain views in the towns and cities dotted across this scenic and unique part of America.

Some General Location Tips

While you can find great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Jefferson National Forest in the southwest corner of Virginia, the highest peak is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, and you can find a great concentration of small towns for purchasing a home or vacation home nearby. This article will focus in particular on the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee regions.

Blue ridge mountains (Photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton)

Asheville, NC

Asheville is located right in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers one of the most desirable lifestyles since it balances the perks of city living with proximity to the beauty of the mountains. You won’t be lacking for culture, fun times, or mountain views. It’s not hard to find a scenic home in Asheville since it’s right in the middle of the mountain range.

Blue Ridge, GA

This small town of roughly 1,200 is a mere 90 minute drive from Atlanta and is one of the stops along a scenic railroad line through the state. This town is nestled near some of Georgia’s best hiking and also puts home owners or vacationers within an easy drive of the larger peaks of the Blue Ridge mountain chain. If you want a scenic mountain view in Georgia, Blue Ridge is a great town on the rise that offers all of the basics a home owner could want along with plenty of great mountain views.

Johnson, TN

One of the largest Tennessee towns with mountain views of the Blue Ridge range, Johnson provides access to both the mountains and a number of nearby lakes so that you’ll have plenty of great recreation opportunities. Johnson isn’t just a scenic place to live. It is also one of the most affordable places to live, providing low home, healthcare, and transportation costs. Its size makes it an ideal location for small businesses to thrive since there are plenty of customers and fewer larger companies moving in to saturate the market. If you want to find a beautiful place to live full time, Johnson may be one of your best choices.

Boone, NC

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, Boone, NC is a small town that provides easy access to a wide variety of scenic locations throughout the mountains. It has been listed as one of the top ten places to retire since it offers an affordable standard of living and plenty of scenery. You won’t get the amenities of a big city, but if you want some peace and quiet, you’ll do quite well looking for a home in or around Boone.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hot Springs, NC

This popular vacation and romantic getaway location is also one of the top rated up and coming mountain towns in the Blue Ridge mountain region. Nestled in the mountains and heated up by a series of hot springs, this resort town provides both excellent dining options and exciting hiking opportunities along the Appalachian Trail. If you want to live like you’re on vacation year round, consider a home in this wonderful mountain town.

My personal favorite mountain-view location is Blue Ridge real estate in Georgia. Not only is the view phenomenal but the weather is always perfect for outdoor activities. No other mountain real estate I have visited has compared to my family’s summer home and the memories we share from Blue Ridge.

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Best Extreme Sports Destinations

Dzhingarov — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:35:51 +0000

Extreme sports are quite popular and are a great adrenaline rush. They are not for everyone, it takes a certain type of person to even get up enough courage to attempt some of these sports. Many extreme sports can only be done within certain conditions, and because of this, there particular destinations that are great for the best extreme sports.

Base Jumping in Lysefjord, Norway

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Base jumping is the sport of jumping off of an object that is stationary while wearing and using a parachute. The term base actually stands for the various objects that are used to jump from; buildings, antennas, spans which are bridges, and earth such as cliffs. Lysefjord in Norway is an ideal location for base jumpers.

Buildering in Boulder, Colorado

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Buildering is basically the opposite of base jumping. Rather than going to the top and jumping down, someone that is buildering will start at the bottom and climb their way to the top. This is similar to rock climbing or bouldering, but when buildering the person will climb a building, bridge, or similar type of structure. This sport is not something that many business owners or cities will allow to happen. This is what makes Boulder, Colorado a great place for buildering. The majority of the time the University of Colorado at Boulder will not stop the climber.

Whitewater Kayaking at Ocoee River, Tennessee

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Whitewater rafting is a popular sport and uses a large raft with multiple people in the raft to make their way down the river. Whitewater kayaking turns this sport up a notch. A kayak is used by one person to make their way down the river. Kayaks are easy to maneuver and can even be used to perform tricks. Other rivers can be used for whitewater kayaking, but you will get the best experience when on the Ocoee River in Tennessee.

Surfing in Waikiki, Hawaii

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Surfing is another great extreme sport. When surfing, a person will ride the waves by standing on a board that is specially made for surfing. Waikiki, Hawaii is a great place to surf. Surfing can be done in other countries and states that border the ocean. Some surfing has been done in lakes and seas when the conditions are right, but oceans are ideal and have the best conditions.

Rock Climbing in Ogawayama, Japan

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Rock climbing is the sport of climbing mountains and other rock formations. Special equipment is used when rock climbing and is necessary for the safety of the climber. A climber needs to have the skills, attention to what they are doing, and balance in order to ensure a safe and successful climb. This sport can be done anywhere that rocky type of mountains exist which is why Japan is an ideal location. Ogawayama, Japan in particular is a prime location to give a rock climber a challenge.

Cave Diving in Florida

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Cave diving is a sport that is similar to scuba diving, but the diving is done within caves under the water. Cave diving is not an easy sport to do, but for those that would like to try it, Florida is the place to go. Anywhere in the world where underwater caves are located will work though.

Jet Skiing in Florida

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Jet skiing is another popular extreme sport. A person will ride on a motorized jet ski on the open water. When riding on a jet ski, the rider is able to do a variety of tricks and jumps. Having the appropriate jet ski accessories are beneficial in this sport. Florida is a great location for jet skiing, but it is a sport that can be done wherever there is open water.

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