These wilderness retreats are a basecamp for your next adventure
For Whitewater, the outdoors is the foundation for play and connection.
The story: Whitewater, the nonprofit behind the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, is expanding how you can access natural playgrounds across the Southeast with Adventure Lodging.
Each lodge is an access point to nearby trails, rivers and outdoor recreation — the ideal basecamp for any adventure.
Take note: Whitewater's Adventure Lodging network covers three Southeast locations, and here's what you'll find at each:
🌲 Big Creek Lodge in Mills River, NC
Stay inside the Pisgah National Forest with direct access to some of the best hiking, trail running, mountain biking, fly fishing and gravel cycling on the East Coast.
Fish Mills River, a freestone stream that flows through the six-acre property.
Hike Pisgah National Forest with direct access to the Trace Ridge and North Mills River trail heads.
Climb Looking Glass Rock with routes for all skill levels.
Paddle miles of the French Broad River on flatwater kayaks or stand-up paddleboards.
🚵 Windfall in Lansing, NC
This mountain retreat sits on a 215-acre farm overlooking Mt. Rodgers and the seven tallest peaks of Virginia.
Explore Trail Town USA in Damascus, VA, where the Appalachian and Virginia Creeper trails intersect.
Hike or bike sections of the Virginia Creeper Trail, perfect for families and experienced riders alike.
Watch a live theater performance at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, VA – and while you're there, check out Abingdon Vineyards and Winery featuring live music on the banks of the Holsten River.
🎣 Middleburg in Huger, SC
This centuries-old National Historic Landmark overlooks the banks of the Cooper River and includes the oldest surviving home across the Southern U.S.
Fish or kayak along the channels of the Cooper River, accessible directly from Middleburg.
Run or hike the Palmetto Trail through the Francis Marion National Forest.
Plus, stay around the corner from the dining, arts, music and shopping that Charleston and Mount Pleasant have to offer.
Worth a mention: Nightly stays range from $150 to $500 with accommodations for families, groups, weddings, events and more.
The takeaway: Adventure farther — stay closer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
$600,000 Homes in West Virginia, Missouri and Massachusetts
Charles Town, | $609,000 This three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house is a few blocks from the center of town and is listed as a contributing structure in Charles Town's Residential Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Within walking distance are a brewery, a gastro pub, one of the oldest theaters in West Virginia, a diner, a Mexican restaurant and several coffee shops. Recent exterior upgrades include a freshly-painted stucco facade, a restored metal roof and a repointed stone foundation. Harpers Ferry is 20 minutes away, and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a 45-minute drive. Both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are 90 minutes away by car. Size: 3,087 square feet Price per square foot: $197 Indoors: A red brick path leads from the street to a covered front porch with Doric columns. Inside is a foyer with hardwood floors. The living room is off one side and the dining room is off the other. In the living room, the walls are blue and a bay of windows faces the front yard. The dining room has high ceilings and a wood-burning fireplace with an original mantel. At the back of this level is the kitchen, where the center island is topped with marble. The appliances, including a gas range, are stainless steel, and the backsplash is made of white subway tile. A laundry room off the kitchen has a stacked washer and dryer, and a powder room is off the foyer, tucked beneath the staircase. Also off the kitchen is a sunroom, where walls of glass overlook the backyard. The main staircase, from the foyer, and one in the rear lead up to the second level. At the top of the steps is the primary suite, which has two four-over-four windows and a closet. The attached bathroom has a double vanity and a glass-walled shower. Across the hall are two additional bedrooms, both big enough for queen-size beds and one with built-in cabinets. They both have use of a full bathroom with a claw foot soaking tub. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Alberta photographers document history, character of old Western Canadian hotel taverns
Small-town hotel taverns that once served as the social centres of their communities are the subject of an ongoing project by a team of Alberta photographers and historians, who are working to document the establishments before they vanish. The Beer Parlour Project features the stories of hotel taverns told using film and digital photography, and interviews with the owners and patrons that inform online write-ups aiming to capture the businesses' ambience and character. Since 2022, Chris Doering, Connie Biggart, and Rob and Margarit Pohl have travelled around Western Canada to document 33 hotels. Doering and Rob Pohl, who are from Calgary and Edmonton respectively, came up with the idea in 2019, while already shooting photos of historic sites in small towns. When they stopped in for lunch at a hotel bar, they recognized the history of the building around them, and envisioned an art project covering the history of these businesses. "We think the history of these old places is important because they're disappearing," said Rob Pohl. "For every hotel that we visit, there's probably three in the general area that have burned down, been torn down, shut down or are for sale. And it's just an opportunity to get in and experience what it once was, and the people that still patronize it." The list of hotels the team has documented around Alberta already includes the Stettler Hotel, the Tofield Hotel, the Grand Hotel in Rimbey, the Greenhill Hotel in Blairmore and the Grand Union Hotel in Coleman. The project has also included hotels in other provinces visiting Coleville, Limerick and Unity in Saskatchewan, and Fanny Bay and Hosmer in British Columbia. A small-town hotel was often the first thing new visitors and residents would see upon arriving to a new community, often also serving as a social centre. "It's for people to get together, be very comfortable in their environment, chat with anybody who happens to be there, learn local gossip," said Doering. Along with aiming to capture the history and old stories of the establishments they visit, Doering said they're also sometimes able to see hidden secrets from a hotel's past. He said they've found old messages written on walls, and forgotten love letters written to a hotel owner decades ago. Pohl and Doering noted the urgency they feel from this work before more old hotels close, as these businesses are already becoming few and far between. Even some of the hotels they've already documented have since shut down in the last few years. "That's where that history is disappearing," said Pohl. "We want to be able to talk to the older crowd that still hangs around in these places and get the stories of the time the guy rode a horse into the bar, and the ghost in room number seven upstairs." Looking ahead, the team envisions building an archive of around 100 hotels in the Beer Parlour Project, and past that, potentially turning their photos and research into a gallery exhibition touring Western Canadian venues, or a coffee table book that compiles their work. The local history of these old businesses isn't always in the forefront of people's minds, Doering said, but he hopes the project's work stirs up memories for people who've stopped in to visit or dine at an old tavern in a small town over the years. "They were such an important part of the community," said Doering. "One by one, they're going away."
Axios
24-07-2025
- Axios
These wilderness retreats are a basecamp for your next adventure
Studies show back-to-back video calls and windowless weeks in offices are exhausting our minds, tiring our bodies and isolating us from the natural environments where we truly thrive. For Whitewater, the outdoors is the foundation for play and connection. The story: Whitewater, the nonprofit behind the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, is expanding how you can access natural playgrounds across the Southeast with Adventure Lodging. Each lodge is an access point to nearby trails, rivers and outdoor recreation — the ideal basecamp for any adventure. Take note: Whitewater's Adventure Lodging network covers three Southeast locations, and here's what you'll find at each: 🌲 Big Creek Lodge in Mills River, NC Stay inside the Pisgah National Forest with direct access to some of the best hiking, trail running, mountain biking, fly fishing and gravel cycling on the East Coast. Fish Mills River, a freestone stream that flows through the six-acre property. Hike Pisgah National Forest with direct access to the Trace Ridge and North Mills River trail heads. Climb Looking Glass Rock with routes for all skill levels. Paddle miles of the French Broad River on flatwater kayaks or stand-up paddleboards. 🚵 Windfall in Lansing, NC This mountain retreat sits on a 215-acre farm overlooking Mt. Rodgers and the seven tallest peaks of Virginia. Explore Trail Town USA in Damascus, VA, where the Appalachian and Virginia Creeper trails intersect. Hike or bike sections of the Virginia Creeper Trail, perfect for families and experienced riders alike. Watch a live theater performance at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, VA – and while you're there, check out Abingdon Vineyards and Winery featuring live music on the banks of the Holsten River. 🎣 Middleburg in Huger, SC This centuries-old National Historic Landmark overlooks the banks of the Cooper River and includes the oldest surviving home across the Southern U.S. Fish or kayak along the channels of the Cooper River, accessible directly from Middleburg. Run or hike the Palmetto Trail through the Francis Marion National Forest. Plus, stay around the corner from the dining, arts, music and shopping that Charleston and Mount Pleasant have to offer. Worth a mention: Nightly stays range from $150 to $500 with accommodations for families, groups, weddings, events and more. The takeaway: Adventure farther — stay closer.
