TAKE AN ECO-VILLAGE VACATION

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After exploring the mountain's forests and its carefully created wildlife habitats, you'll travel on to Linville Caverns under Humpback Mountain, where deserters from the Civil War once lived with their families. These caves, which extend about a mile into the mountain, contain fantasy forests of icicle-shaped stalactites (measuring up to 10 feet and ranging in color from white to red to dark brown) and fiat or dome-shaped stalagmites. Here, too, are clear pools and blind trout, which live in the dark caverns' underground stream.

Cherokee/Clingmans Dome . You'll find the drive from Hendersonville to Cherokee — located at the entrance to Smoky Mountain National Park — to be a spectacular one, but even more so when you go on to Clingmans Dome, the tallest peak in the Great Smokies and the third highest in eastern America. From there, you'll have a view (on clear days) of five states: North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia.

In Cherokee itself, which is situated in the largest organized Indian reservation east of Wisconsin, you'll be able to visit a museum containing the world's largest collection of Cherokee Nation artifacts . . . and Oconaluftee Village, a meticulously recreated example of what life was like among these people 250 years ago, featuring demonstrations of many traditional crafts. In addition, our travelers will take in the noted outdoor drama Unto These Hills , a poignant tale of this nation's history.

The Eco-Village is simply a beautiful place to enjoy.

The Ruby Mines of Franklin. With more than 300 varieties of gems and minerals found in the state, North Carolina is a rockhound's paradise. And the town of Franklin, where New York's Tiffany & Co. once mined rare stones, is dotted with sites that allow visitors — for a small fee — to do some prospecting of their own . . . and to keep what they find! Though the search itself is half the fun, rubies worth hundreds of dollars — as well as sapphires, garnets, and other gems — are frequently discovered here. Who knows, you may get lucky!

The Nantahala River . People come from all over the world to raft, kayak, or canoe the many waterways of "The Land of the Sky" . . . and the Nantahala is one of the most popular. Cutting through the Nantahala Gorge, it offers an enjoyable combination of mountain beauty and whitewater excitement that ends with a thrilling ride through the Class III Nantahala Falls. Ideal for families or inexperienced paddlers, this adventure will provide a thorough introduction to the thrills of white-water rafting . . . and while you drift on the quieter sections of the river, you'll be surrounded by lush groves of rhododendron, mountain laurel, and the unusual princess trees.

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