Did You Know....

That the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a public footpath that follows more than 2,100 miles of Appalachian Mountain ridgelines between Maine and Georgia; and, it ONLY takes 5,000,000 adult footsteps to hike the entire trail??? 5,000,000 footsteps - No problem -- right?

Our family definitely lies victim to the lure of the Appalachians. Every chance we get we head over to Western Carolina to the Blue Ridge a/k/a the Chrystalline Appalachians. Only 3 1/2 hours away from Raleigh, the heart of the Blue Ridge helps us to escape the summer heat in no time. In fact, we're heading over there again this weekend to check out some property areas we may be interested in. We're thinking of expanding Carolina Pines across the state and just may have some news about a western office opening up over there within the next year. More on that later.

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you an article recently appearing in our local newspaper The News & Observer, about the progress of the Mountain-to-Sea-Trail (click here to read the entire story.) In case you haven't heard of it -- The Mountain-to-Sea-Trail is a 900 mile trail leading from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and ending up at the Outer Banks. How Cool is that! The article references the trail as 900 miles of roller coaster (ups and downs) through the mountains, the triad and the coastline. All the best scenery North Carolina has to offer with some pretty "off the beaten path" exposures.

While there is no "ETA" right now on the completion date of the Trail, there is work being done on it almost every weekend -- with trees being marked, roots being pulled, water being diverted and research being done to assure no rare or sensitive plants or animals are disturbed. It's a very ambitious undertaking (to say the least) - a one of a kind project and I believe --unique to Carolina.

Here is a brief timeline, outlining the progress:

TRAIL IS 30 YEARS IN THE MAKING

1977: Mountains-to-Sea Trail is proposed by Howard Lee, then secretary of the state Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, to showcase the state's beauty.
1982: First segment of trail is dedicated -- 75.8 miles along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

1997: Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is formed by Allen de Hart.

2000: State legislature designates Mountains-to-Sea Trail as a state park and authorizes state Division of Parks and Recreation to acquire and manage the land.

2001-04: Route planning from Wake to Carteret counties gets under way.

2005-07: Routes are mapped in the Piedmont.

2006: Western Piedmont sections are planned.

2007: 485 miles of trail are completed.

2008: State commits $8.5 million to acquire four tracts.

The Mountain to Sea Trail is steadily forging it's way toward the North Carolina Coastline and is currently being enjoyed by hikers, campers and nature buffs. This is just another reason North Carolina is home to so many outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers and will continue to grow in popularity as time goes by. Don't forget to click on the link above to read the entire article and find out where you can go to experience sections of the Trail. It makes for a great adventure -- whether your an avid hiker or trailblazer, or you just want to take the family out for some "back woods" fun.

Also, please visit our Carolina Pines Realty Website where you can find all kinds of information on vacation adventures in and around the Raleigh area, as well as relocation information. And be sure to click on the "Property Search" button. Just one click allows you to check out our local residential listings through the Multiple Listing Service -- without a password.

Have a great week -- and maybe we'll see YOU on the Trail!

North Carolina -- a Wonderful Place to Live, Work AND Play.

The Fruits of our Labor are FINALLY, Paying Off!!

Ok, I admit it - I'm addicted to HGTV. I started watching it 8 years ago while we were still living in Florida -- the land where NOTHING grows -- other than pricker bushes, palm trees, St. Augstine Grass, and other stuff that never DIES! Maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit -- but I couldn't grow anything in Florida.

Well it's been three years now since we put our first sets of plants in the ground here in North Carolina. And, if you watch HGTV you know what they say:

"The First Year They SLEEP...."

"The Second Year They CREEP...."

"The Third Year They LEAP..."

As is evidenced by the growth occurring in and around our yard -- that addage is so TRUE! The lavendar bushes and roses I put in exactly three years ago are huge and proliferating with blooms. They are really taking off -- and smell sooooo good. There is a special hybrid lavendar that grows particularly well in this area of the country (zones 7-8) and is pretty much ever green and blooms all but 2 months of the year. Sabrina loves to make Lavendar sachets from the dried lavendar buds.

The purple salvia in the front of the house I just planted last summer - and they were tiny. For our clients who are currently living in North Carolina -- Salvia plants from Home Depot are the way to go. You can't kill them, they're drought resistant and they make wonderful visual impact with planted "en masse." We have an exceptionally long driveway, so I had to put something in that would get pretty dense and be able to be seen from the street. These did the trick -- they are gorgeous -- and again --flower right up to the first heft freeze and begin flowering again before the last frost.

Horticulturally speaking - the only downside of living in an area where things grow so prolifically -- is the TRIMMING. And, as Blaise will tell you -- that is a never ending job. As soon as he finally makes his way around the house -- the bushes in the spot where he began are almost ready to be trimmed again. It's a never ending job. Thank goodness we both enjoy working in the yard.

Finally - I send a question out to YOU, What is LEAPING in your garden? Click on comments (below) and tell us all about it. Even if you're not living in North Carolina (yet!) we'd love to hear from you! Gardeners LOVE to share stories and we'd sure enjoy hearing yours.