Thanks to its elevation and unrivalled mountain views, Asheville has long been known as the “Land of the Sky” (hence LOTS BREWING). More or a big town than a small city, it is renowned for its vibrant arts scene and burgeoning craft beer presence, which prompted the city to dub itself “Beer City, U.S.A.” after having achieved the distinction of being home to more breweries per capita than anywhere in the nation.

Just “down the road a piece” from Knoxville’s old World’s Fair grounds and Pigeon Forge’s Dollywood, yet half a world away, in a single afternoon you can go for a hike in The Pisgah National Forest (parts of which are ominously known as The Wilderness); visit Mt. Mitchell (the highest point on the entire east coast); and go rafting down the French Broad River (or tubing with a cooler of beer, if that is more your speed). I highly recommend getting in a round of disc golf on one of the most challenging/rewarding courses in the southeast, or perhaps going mountain biking or horseback riding (why not both?) on one of the hundreds of trails that crisscross the region.

Or pack up the family and take a day trip to go see an NFL game in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers; attend a NASCAR event along with 95,000 race fans at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. (The enthralling sport, which is MUCH cooler in person than on television, was born in NC, along with Pepsi Cola and regional favorite Cheerwine soda.)

Or perhaps you’ll decide to head to the middle of the Piedmont, past Davidson College (home of Steph Curry), past Wake Forest University (home of Tim Duncan), past Carolina (home of Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, and a host of others), past the Durham Bulls Stadium (be sure to say “Hey” to Crash and Annie) and Duke University (home to legendary Cameron Indoor Stadium, the house that Coach K built; the awe-inspiring Duke Chapel, and the gorgeous Sarah P. Duke Gardens) to visit the loudest of all NHL arenas to watch the Cardiac ‘Canes strive to earn a remarkable sixth straight playoff appearance under head coach Rod “The Bod” Brind’Amour, who’s already won Coach of the Year honors, after a Hall of Fame career defined by the all-out effort his team works tirelessly to duplicate in every game. GO CANES!

And if you are willing to spend a bit more time in the car, jump on the last 150 mile stretch of the 2,500 mile long I-40 and make the straight shot down to Wilmington, where UNC by the Sea churns out the country’s best marine biologists, and where the sand is clean, the beaches are deep, the water is warm (at times), and the waves are pronounced, but rarely are they rough.

Not far down the coast, and well worth the time it takes to get there, is Emerald Isle, the nicest stateside beach I have ever been to, and I’ve been to quite a few over the years. The welcoming town provides the perfect balance between serenity and activity, there are many things to do for both young and old, and mere minutes away is the fantastic North Carolina Aquarium. (Who doesn’t love playful otters and a gigantic tank filled with sharks?)

Can you tell I’m in love with the “Southern part of Heaven” which I call home? There’s absolutely ample reason why it’s always one of the top 5 fastest growing states in the south, which is the only part of the US to show net population gains from new residents moving in from outside of the region.

But if you can’t come in person, though I urge you to give it consideration (AVL services the WNC region, and RDU International is easily reached), you’ll just have to tune in to my show as I will be filming on location in all these places and more.