There are countless attractions for the outdoors-man on the mountainous borders of the eastern states of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia; these nature rich areas are known for their countless outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, fishing, and of course, mountain climbing. However, there are also attractions that serve to satisfy the taste of any visitor. Skiing and tubing are popular activities for athletic individuals and the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee will excite even those who have no enthusiasm for motor vehicals.
GRAY, Tenn. -- Rosemary Kleske had spent hours online.
Some venues required her group to pay for their cooking services – a tough bill to swallow when her group of church ladies could certainly whip up a good meal on their own.
Other retreats restricted the use of alcohol, but Kleske was planning a wine tasting 101 session for the 40 women from the Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (HVUUC).
Other venues also had lengthy, complicated contracts.
But the women’s retreat was a simple weekend event, and they just wanted to have fun and relax.
“It was very hard to find someplace that fit all of our criteria,” she said.
Eventually, she found Sugar Hollow Retreat. Now she’s planning her third woman’s retreat there for 2010.
“The beauty speaks for itself. It’s just gorgeous and everyone loves the hikes,” she said.
BUTLER, Tenn. – Surry Roberts had a vision. The old barn didn’t look like much but a dilapidated pile of rotting wood.
But it had a strong foundation. Roberts knew that it was the start to something wonderful.
“The Sugar Hollow tract was simply cutover woodland, totally decimated, and [people] thought I was crazy, but I could see the beauty at the outset,” he said. “We started by fixing up one of the barns for camping and soon saw that all the rehabilitation of five barns and three houses would be significant.”
Today, a framed photo of the old barn hangs inside a 10-bedroom Lodge. Visitors may be surprised to find out that old barn and the upscale Lodge are the same place.
Sugar Hollow Retreat has been surprising visitors for five years now. It first opened in 2004 as a bed and breakfast with only the Lodge. Now four other guesthouses and a 1,200-squre-foot conference center complete the escape.
Tucked in the mountains of the Cherokee National Forest, Sugar Hollow is midway between Boone and Elizabethton.
One of the most entertaining and truly remarkable events occurs over the first weekend of October each year in Jonesborough, Tenn. – the National Storyteller’s Festival! Inspired by an international renaissance of storytelling, people around the globe are turning to this ancient tradition to produce positive change in our world.
The festival, now in its 37th year is acclaimed as one of the Top 100 Events for groups in North America. This is an invitation for you to attend this gala along with a host of interested folks inclined toward the extremes of fanciful imagination and colorful humor. The Storytellers come from all over the world to display their talents in tiny Jonesborough (population 3,000), the oldest town in historic northeastern Tennessee.
Premiere attractions in 2009 will include Donald Davis, Shelia Kay Adams, Kathryn Windham, Bill Harley, Bill Lepp, Carmen Deedy and a host of others. We must admit that we find the local Appalachian tall tales from the backwoods the most interesting of all.
A day-pass walking tour of this small historic town permits entrance into multiple very large tents each seating about 1,000 people where the storytellers perform. The acoustics are very good and speakers from all over the world are filled with talent and good humor. There is even a children’s tent where the performances are uninhibited and filled with insight and fun. The whole event is very well organized and you will surely enjoy meeting everyone in attendance.
Other retreats restricted the use of alcohol, but Kleske was planning a wine tasting 101 session for the 40 women from the 
BUTLER, Tenn. – Surry Roberts had a vision. The old barn didn’t look like much but a dilapidated pile of rotting wood.
The festival, now in its 37th year is acclaimed as one of the Top 100 Events for groups in North America. This is an invitation for you to attend this gala along with a host of interested folks inclined toward the extremes of fanciful imagination and colorful humor. The Storytellers come from all over the world to display their talents in tiny Jonesborough (population 3,000), the oldest town in historic northeastern Tennessee.