Highlands, NC, is one of the toniest mountain towns on the Eastern seaboard. It’s been called the Aspen of the East. However, you may be surprised to pass by taxidermy outposts, gun pawn shops, mom ‘n’ pop restaurants, country gas stations and quaint clapboard churches on the way. That’s because on the road to stay at Old Edwards Inn, a Relais & Châteaux member, you can’t ignore the fact that southern, mountain culture was around these parts long before the luxurious spa and hotel became the destination property it is today.
Of course, once you’re in downtown Highlands, you’ll find spots like McCulley’s selling sumptuous cashmere, Acorn’s with its comely home goods and Rosenthal’s dolling out Escada and Armani. But they are steps away from casual pizza joints, ice cream parlors and the adorable Mountain Fresh Grocery.
I would argue that it’s this juxtaposition of country charm coupled with exquisite lodgings, white glove service and gourmet culinary offerings (Madison’s is a must-try), that is a significant reason Old Edwards Inn (OEI) has been so successful. Subsequently, it’s also the kind of place I personally love: Where you can have the most opulent of experiences and yet no one is uppity. Everyone here is friendly and the millionaire standing next to you may be wearing flip flops or hiking boots.
I’ve been making this trek to the Highlands since my college years at UGA in the mid-90s. It has always had down home magnetism. One of my friends, Macie Bowen, would invite me and a few of our friends up to the Highlands once or twice a year. The Bowens were from Dalton and some of the most generous people I knew. Above all, they would often let us wild college girls stay with them and drink all their booze and eat all their food for a weekend.
We would drive from their cabin in Highlands out to dinner at Market Basket in Cashiers. It was the cutest little restaurant where you could “cook” steak or shrimp on a hot rock right in front of you. (Anyone else remember it?) It’s no longer there, but its memory remains seared in my mind as much as the sound of the sizzle and the sight of smoke plumes when the protein hit that scalding square slab.
In the years to follow, I’d go up regularly with other friends. Instead of getting tipsy and partying, we’d go hiking, discovering waterfalls, connecting with nature and enjoying fantastic food and hospitality. The older I got the town seemed to grow up with me. Now I believe OEI became more and more sophisticated after
the arrival of Richard and Melissa Delany in 2008. The couple had previously been at The Cloister at Sea Island. My aging—and sophistication level—just happened to coincide with their arrival.
Since then, this adorable mountain hideaway has matured. It’s now a playground for Southerners with expensive taste and an abiding penchant for down home hospitality. It’s simply a place that is as Two-Sided Southern as you can get.
The Highlands’ Main Street is filled with expensive dining options (Wild Thyme, Madison’s, Ristorante Paoletti). However, they’re sitting next to informal spots like The Ugly Dog Public House or Highlands Deli. Therefore, it has the same high/low, relaxed-yet-elegant ambiance as the Hamptons or Aspen, but without any pretension.
I just hope the country churches and chicken fried steak spots stick around too. It’s all works in concert. The combination of luxury cradled in a small country town is always enchanting if you can execute it authentically. Thankfully, they have.
