Marie's Lavender Farm was one of the most unexpected highlights of our North Carolina road trip…read more We stumbled across the signs while driving between Robbinsville and Bryson City and decided to stop after lunch. We had no expectations--and left completely in love with this little farm. The gentleman working that day was incredibly kind and informative, and the shop was filled with handmade lavender products. My friend picked up a lavender sachet for the car, and I bought a pillow and linen spray. We ended up spraying our pillows every night while camping, and now that I'm home in Florida, I still use it whenever I need a little calm. It has honestly become one of my favorite purchases from the entire trip. My only wish is that I could order their products online because I'm almost out already! If there's a way to have your products shipped, I'd love to know. Thank you for introducing this Florida girl to the wonderful world of lavender. We'll absolutely be back the next time we're in the mountains!

This place is great especially if you are looking to catch fish and catch them pretty quickly…read more Especially if you have kids with you who want to fish and think that it is just so easy to fish in a river. Hahaha! The owner gave the kids directions on how to fish and provides all of the equipment. He is super friendly and got excited when the kids caught something. You pay for what you catch so keep that in mind especially if you go with a large group. The price is super reasonable especially since this is the freshest trout. He also has a few animals and sells local honey too. The owner will clean your fish for an additional tip. DO IT!!! Also, BRING a COOLER with ICE Between our 4 kids and 1.5 hours, we left with over 27 lbs of trout. We had all but 4 filet. The other 4 were cleaned, but left intact with heads so we can bring them home to smoke. We cooked some the same night we caught it. 2 filet in a brown sugar butter sauce and the other two in a fresh garlic, salt, and pepper blend. All cookies on foil over a charcoal grill. Everyone gave 2 thumbs up!

At first I was hesitant given the unconventional presentation of the trout farm. A small hand…read morepainted sign told us to honk and look left. We complied and saw a young lady sitting on the porch across the street. She smiled big and waved! We pulled down the gravel road to what appeared to be an empty lot...However the owner, Alex, rounded the corner, stood on the bridge with a tattered hat, dark glasses and long white beard. I questioned if we were in the right place.......so I walked up to him and immediately he made my family and I feel right at home with engaging conversation, anecdotes, and explanations. Instead of explaining things directly to me, he sat down and took the time to explain things to my 8 year old son and held his attentional phenomenally.....while still explaining the process to all of us. Poles and bait were provided!!!!! Alex has an amazing way with kids and LOVES explaining things! My son caught 3 trout in under 15 minutes!!! A fish was on the line as soon as it hit the water!!! This really boosted my son's confidence in fishing! Alex took us into the cleaning trailer and gave my son a biology lesson while gutting the fish, talking about the heart, gills, spleen, liver, ect. My son is still talking about how amazing it was! We purchased the trout and tipped Alex for cleaning them for us! Needless to say, my 8 year old is walking tall knowing that he caught our dinner tonight. Plus the picture grotto makes it looks like you've been on a mountain river catching wild trout! #LongLiveFishingLies I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OTTER CREEK TO THOSE WITH CHILDREN OR THOSE WANTING FRESH TROUT FOR DINNER!!! The experience is something we will never forget!! Also, watch out for the chickens!

Amazing. As one of the "crazy plant people," I can say the Nursery blew me away. I was not…read moreprepared for ALL of the amazing plants, and every one of them in incredible condition, clearly loved and cared for. I need to do research to see which of them will grow at the bottom of the mountain where I live, but settled for some vegetable starts this time. Oh, and the staff is so knowledgeable!! THEN!!! We went to the farm and wow, what an incredible place. Would love to stay and/or camp, so I need to plan that for summer or fall. Got to talk with the lambs and chickens, took some beautiful pictures, and relaxed. Many thanks to Stacey for the tour!

Winding Stair is my go to for anything green, or related to green things. Their plants are of high…read morequality, with a wide selection. They always have many native plant varieties, and their classes are excellent as well. in addition, they have lovely gift items and local organic food items. I highly recommend this nursery!

Super friendly people! All smiles and greetings, ready to assist you! There were lots of items in…read morethe greenhouse that will be for sale later this Summer. Pop on by!

One of my favorite vendors from the festival of little hills!…read more Beautiful art! I could have bought so many pieces but I behaved! I will now look for her every year! Staff was so nice! Could not say enough good things about

I have been a customer at blue Mountain vapor for years. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and…read moreprofessional. The products are quality and in stock they rarely run out of anything. I would highly recommend.

Heather is terrific :-) We drive a bit to get to them just because they are always helpful,…read morefriendly, and keep a very nice stock!! Happy to keep coming back.

Located in the heart of downtown Murphy and right next doors to the Daily Grind which is there only…read morelocal Coffee shop. This cute but tiny shop has a very small mix of local artwork and bookstore with a small reading nook up front for kids. I removed one star because a lot of the "local" artwork wasn't really local to the state or the area and even though the money would be going toward supporting the shop. I wanted to support local artist in the area and not someone from Indiana or China.

Four winds pottery is located off the beaten track, just south of Franklin NC, however, the trip is…read moreworth it if you like beautiful, unique, handcrafted and reasonably priced pottery. Gallery owner and potter, Marie, is a gracious and personable host.

Beautiful Artist creations in pottery. The colors are fantastic. A hidden gem…read more Eclectic, handmade art pieces. Have seen her work displayed in Highlands stores and local galleries.