CASHIERS, NC -- This little mountain village in the mountains of Western North Carolina is at the center of an interesting region, featuring beautiful waterfalls, majestic mountain views, dozens of antique and speciality shops, great golf and lake activities.
Cashiers, pronounced "Kashers" by the locals, at the intersection of North Carolina 107 and U. S. Highway 64,.is one of those high-mountain communities which have built-in natural air-conditioning (the average high temperature here in July is 80 degrees) and serves as a great retreat from the summer heat.
A hundred years ago grist mill operators found unlimited hydraulic energy in these North Carolina mountains, and today one of the many attractions is the dynamic flow and scenic vistas of the many waterfalls that surround the town (some say there are as many as 200 waterfalls less than an hour's drive of here). The area waterfalls include the roaring Whitewater Falls, with a vertical drop of 411 feet (higher than Niagara Falls), and the rapids-like flow of Sliding Rock Falls off State Route 276, with a natural 60-foot slide into a six-foot-deep pool of cold mountain water.
While the interesting shops and restaurants of Cashiers also provide plenty of opportunities to browse and explore, perhaps the biggest star attraction for Cashiers is the High Hampton Inn and Country Club.
This resort has proven to be a destination of choice for tens of thousands over the past eight decades.
The High Hampton Inn and Country Club here remains the undisputed queen of North Carolina's beautiful highlands.
High Hampton has been around for 86 years but is still the standard for unique quality country inns in America.
Rated as one of America's top 100 hotels by one national service, the Grand Dame of The Smokies undoubtedly rates No. 1 in the hearts and minds of countless thousands who have trod her grounds.
One would have to visit the Swiss Alps to find a place as picturesque and pleasant as High Hampton.
This hotel is a weathered pine and stone masterpiece situated on 1,400 of the most beautiful acres in the world.
Surrounded by huge pines and hardwood trees and a wraparound 35-acre lake, the hotel and its magnificent golf course sit at the foot of Rock Mountain, a majestic peak rising 4,430 feet like a huge stone sentinel.
High Hampton has a lot of unique charm about it.
It's main old building has 30 guest rooms and there are 90 more rooms available in 17 charming cottages scattered around the grounds. Many of the cottage rooms feature fireplaces. All have baths. Rocking chairs on porches are common. Many of the rooms overlook the lake and/or the beautiful mountain backdrop. Daily maid service is provided.
The lake is so close to the main inn and cottages that you can be serenaded to sleep by a cacophony of croaking frogs and crickets.
The hotel was built from native wormy chestnut and white pine and is as rustic as it gets. Plush is out.
There are no TV set or radios in any of the rooms. Only a windup alarm clock. No plush carpets cover the floors and no expensive paintings adorn the walls. Knotty pine dominates. The furniture is plain and simple and designed for practicality, not aesthetics. And sometimes the floors creak a little, but that's all part of the charm of the place.
When you come to High Hampton you leave the busy pace of life behind. As hotel owner Will McKee puts it, "Our customers like to unplug from the electronic frenzy of the rest of the world."
David Jones, general manager, says a large number of High Hampton guests are people who keep coming back year after year. "Those who originally came as children, come back with their children and grandchildren. They know what to expect. Nothing much changes at High Hampton. When guests walk in the door, we hope they have the feeling of stepping back 30 or 40 years. We're not a 5-star resort, but we're a beautiful facility with plenty of things for everybody to do. We have one couple in their 80s who spend each May through October here."
Jones says the resort has spent nearly two million dollars over the past year upscaling the furnishings and making other improvements. "We have lots of new furniture, new rugs, new beds . . . a general upgrading of everything."
One of the newest attractions for High Hampton was the addition of a full-service spa and fitness center a couple of years ago. The spa offers numerous treatments, including a unique program involving the use of heated river stones.
The inn is listed on the National Historic Places Registry.
There's a bit of old worldness to High Hampton.
Customers are on the American plan, meaning they have three buffet meals a day, served in a large dining hall, as part of their all-encompassing hotel fee. All the servers wear formal outfits. Male guests are required to wear a tie and jacket for dinner. "This is a time-honored custom here, and we plan to continue it," said McKee. "We did an extensive customer survey and the overwhelming response was in favor of continuing to dress for dinner."
Guests are given their own tables (with cloth tablecloths and flowers) for use during their stay, with their own names on a placard each day. Large dining room windows afford lovely views of the lake and/or mountains.
The food is terrific, with everything from trout, to shrimp to prime rib, steak, vegetables, salads, desserts and variety of drinks. The inn has a no-tipping policy.
Several times each year the hotel has Dinner on the Lawn, with tables set up on a pavilion overlooking the lake and Rock Mountain.
Rock Mountain Tavern is a cozy bar area in the hotel's lower level, offering a variety of mixed drinks in a social atmosphere, with a patio view of the lake and mountains.
The hotel has a large main common area, complete with huge four-sided stone fireplace. The hotel often provides live musical entertainment in the evenings and a lively game of chess or checkers is not uncommon. A large TV set is also available. Dozens of comfortable couches and chairs dot the room.Morning coffee and afternoon tea is served daily. Banquet and meeting rooms are on the lower level, and computers are available for those who absolutely must keep up with the cyberspace world. And if you are an exercise fanatic, High Hampton offers a fitness room with a variety of equipment. Bridge tournaments and bingo games are also a fixture at High Hampton.
Its the area surrounding the hotel that is the masterpiece of High Hampton. The grounds are dotted with beautiful wildflowers, mountain laurel and rhodendron. There is a postcard view around every corner. Many hiking trails are available around the lake and mountain. Most of the trails are easy walking, but you can venture as high as the peak 4,618 feet on Chimney Top Trail.
Golf and tennis (six championship clay courts) are available daily, with the golf course providing magnificent views at practically every turn. The course is always in immaculate condition and offers great opportunities for scoring with a 5,100 yard distance from the white tees (6,100 from the back tees) and 3,100 for the ladies. The course has many beautiful holes, including the par three eighth, a tough penisula green with water on three sides. Special golf tournaments are offered for seniors during the spring and fall, with divisions for men and women ages 50-64, 65-74 and 75 and up. Dozens of Colony Homes (individually owned) bordering the golf course are available for renting through the hotel during much of the year.
There is a children's playground and special children's actvities are offered throughout the season.
The inn is the site of several flower and art shows during the season.
Limited pet kennel space is available.
If you like to kayak, canoe or fish, High Hampton's lake offers ample opportunities. Because the lake is private, there is no closed season and no fishing license is required. The inn can provide fishing gear if needed. There is a sand beach swimming area.
The inn is not open year around, closing during the harsher winter periods though the golf course is always open, weather permitting. The inn usually opens in late April and closes in mid-November. Rates vary according to the season, number of people and days of the week, but range from $177-$197 per person per night in the spring and fall and $207-$242 during the summer. Golf and/or tennis packages are available for anywhere from three to eight days
The inn is about a mile south of Cashiers on Highway 107 and is about 60 miles southwest of Asheville and 150 miles northeast of Atlanta.
The nearby town of Highlands (about 10 miles west of Cashiers on U. S. Highway 64) also offers many antique and shopping opportunities.
For High Hampton information call 800-334-2551 or visit the inn's website at www.HighHamptonInn.com. For Cashiers information call 828-743-5941 or visit the website
www.cashiers-nc.com.

This story was published on 01 Jul 2008.