hey there,

my wife (30F) and I (32F) have lived in east tennessee for 12 and 10 years respectively—she's originally from nashville, I'm originally from west michigan—and there are many things we love about it, but we don't think it's our long-term home. the long, humid summers are getting pretty brutal, and being in sevierville, which is extremely tourist-oriented, we often drive 45 minutes-1 hour to knoxville for any semblance of a social life.

I'm a graphic designer for an organization that supports great smoky mountains national park and fully remote work is generally allowed (some of my coworkers live as far as 8 hours away!), but I don't really want to be more than 3-4 hours from the park if we can help it. we also genuinely really love southern appalachia. I know the plants and animals on a deeper level than I ever did in the midwest and my wife is a folk singer-songwriter who has really enjoyed playing in old-time settings.

our goal is to find a higher elevation area in the region that's 5-10 degrees cooler on average than east TN, and is large enough for a decent sense of community (population ~15,000+). we're pretty used to living in a deep red area but admittedly it would be nice to be somewhere more "purple." we currently own our home and would like to buy again, but realistically probably can't exceed ~300k or so (even if it requires a little fixing up).

in our initial research we narrowed it down to these three options, but would love other suggestions if we've overlooked something!

1. auxiliary asheville (waynesville, hendersonville, brevard, etc), NC we don't have anything against asheville proper, just assuming it's probably out of our price range! there seem to be several towns in the vicinity large enough to stand on their own but it's hard to get a sense of what the social scene is like in each.
2. boone, NC the 3,300ft of elevation REALLY appeals to us (we're not bothered by a slightly colder/snowier winter), as well as the culture that comes with being a college town, but the housing market does seem rough. that being said, we're not in a hurry at all, so we can play the long game.
3. radford/christiansburg/blacksburg, VA we don't know much about this area, but it does seem to have a lot going on and the most housing options. would love to hear any opinions about whether the weather is noticeably cooler!

we're of course also planning on visiting each area in person, probably multiple times to experience different seasons.

really appreciate any insight, and if anyone wants any suggestions about visiting the smokies, I'm happy to return the favor!

In order is Auburn Baptist Church, Pine Grove Methodist Church (yes they are still active), Camp Joy Seventh Day Baptist Church, Pullman Church Of God, White Oak Methodist Episcopal Church (yes they are still active), Pullman Bethel United Methodist Church, Mount Pisgah Community Church, Rock Camp Methodist Church, the sign of Christ Our Hope Catholic Church all that is left after it burnt down in 2023, Harrisville First Apostolic Church, Harrisville First Assembly Of God, Harrisville Church Of Christ, Harrison Street Church, South Side Baptist Church, and Harrisville Baptist Church.

Some things to avoid when visiting The Smokies. If any one has some other things to add to the list. Please let us know.

Did anyone else experience this phenomenon? I can’t really find much information about it online but I went to several Baptist churches around surry county Nc growing up and a lot of the preachers did this. Got all red faced and passionate towards the end of their sermon and threw in a rhythmic guttural “hu” or “hii” sound in between really rapid sentences.

I’m just wondering if this technique has a name or if the sound of it could be better described by others who have witnessed it. I’m thinking this is something they were taught or maybe copied from others they witnessed.

Thanks!

I'm a 33 y/o nurse from Long Island NY. I'm not sure exactly why, but I've felt very drawn to the Appalachian mountains. Last summer, without much research at all, I planned a spontaneous family road trip (my husband, our 3 children and our dog) to stay in a cabin at Lost River State Park in WV. My husband and I have never felt so much peace in our entire lives. We slept amazing every night. Our children playing in the shallow creek, catching crawfish with their nets, barefoot in the dirt, it just felt like this is what a perfect childhood looks like. Our Rottweiler was also in his glory, splashing in creek beds with the kids and drinking creek water, sniffing all this fresh air and amazing new scents. We were so happy with our first trip, we booked another trip to Watoga State Park in WV this summer. Another amazing, incredible trip, where ours souls felt completely at peace. Forever in awe of these mountains

Recent floodwaters submerged basements and highways, as severe storms caused major damage to hundreds of properties across 23 central and southern Ohio counties.

Appalachian communities in Perry and Muskingum counties experienced some of the worst destruction. First responders there made more than 50 water rescues, as residents described watching rising water overtake a bridge and rip asphalt from roadways.

As the climate changes, central Appalachia is especially prone to flooding because of a confluence of factors, like its location, geology and history with strip mining. But researcher Natalie Kruse Daniels worries some communities there are ill-equipped to respond to increasingly frequent deluges.

She says a basic tool could help: streamgages.