Create My Trip
In the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, a Cherokee woman weaves river cane into a basket using movements that belong not only to her, but to an ancestry that predates our country.
Through a meander of goldenseal and goat farms, two Madison County men create a garden masterpiece of bonsai and lotus in a field where tobacco once grew.
At the edge of the Penland School of Crafts campus, a rocket scientist turned professional potter experiments with new dinnerware glazes in his studio.
On looms that have shuttled for decades, women of the Crossnore community make woven goods prized by presidents and favorite uncles.
Life imitates art as two sisters transform a 19th century farm into a haven of hospitality with gardens of gourmet vegetables and organic flowers to complement an upscale restaurant and espresso bar.
You'll discover the shops, gardens and studios of these extraordinary people in the HandMade Trip Planner. We'll help you explore destinations along the back roads and byways nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains - where you can see only as far as the next bend, as something of timeless grace unfolds. Make the most of Western North Carolina, and you can be certain that your journeys will be filled with lifetime memories.
This project received support from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
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