Destination: Highlands, North Carolina

A small town downtown with big city perks

If communing with the outdoors doesn't appeal to you, perhaps shopping will. In Highlands, visitors can find antiques, clothing, imported cashmeres and tartans, art work and southern handicrafts, as well as Christmas specialty stores for those who plan for the holiday months in advance.

Highlands' dining matches its fine shopping. A wealth of gourmet choices satisfies the pickiest cravings. Paoletti's serves delightful (and pricey) classic Italian. At Hildegard's, you can savor German-American cuisine such as sauerbraten, schnitzel and rack of lamb. On the Verandah boasts a scenic view and gourmet, contemporary American dishes with a Southern twist such as grilled trout and Carolina quail.

After dinner, the seasonal Highlands Playhouse caters to summer crowds with four annual productions. Evening performances are held Tuesdays through Saturdays, and there's a Sunday matinee. The summer 1997 selections are: "No, No Nanette," June 21-July 6; "Don't Dress for Dinner," July 9-July 20; "South Pacific," July 23-August 10; and "The Woman in Black," August 13-August 24.

The town's year-round residents number only about 1,000, but in the summer and fall "leaf-peeping" seasons that multiplies by as much as 20 times. From summer's greenery to fall's kaleidoscope of color, the natural beauty in Highlands is reason enough to relax and take advantage of the world around you ... if only for a weekend.

McCall Wilder, a CNN Interactive staff writer, has written numerous Destinations stories. She has also written and produced for CNN's weekend TravelGuide TV show. McCall has been vacationing in the Highlands area since she was a child and now heads for the North Carolina mountains with her husband and two dogs when she needs to escape her travel duties.

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scenic view and gourmet, contemporary American dishes with a Southern twist such as grilled trout and Carolina quail.

After dinner, the seasonal Highlands Playhouse caters to summer crowds with four annual productions. Evening performances are held Tuesdays through Saturdays, and there's a Sunday matinee. The summer 1997 selections are: "No, No Nanette," June 21-July 6; "Don't Dress for Dinner," July 9-July 20; "South Pacific," July 23-August 10; and "The Woman in Black," August 13-August 24.

The town's year-round residents number only about 1,000, but in the summer and fall "leaf-peeping" seasons that multiplies by as much as 20 times. From summer's greenery to fall's kaleidoscope of color, the natural beauty in Highlands is reason enough to relax and take advantage of the world around you ... if only for a weekend.

McCall Wilder, a CNN Interactive staff writer, has written numerous Destinations stories. She has also written and produced for CNN's weekend TravelGuide TV show. McCall has been vacationing in the Highlands area since she was a child and now heads for the North Carolina mountains with her husband and two dogs when she needs to escape her travel duties.