With its deep, clear water and stunning mountain views, Lake Lure has long been a popular vacation destination for North Carolinians, especially those in the Charlotte area. Many people also know Lake Lure as the site of the beloved 1987 movie, Dirty Dancing. The year before Dirty Dancing was released, it was another film that brought Lake Lure to my attention. Early scenes from one of my favorite documentaries, Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March, were shot at his family’s vacation home on Lake Lure.

It’s taken 37 years to make my way there but, with my sister Pam, I set out for Lake Lure on a beautiful Sunday in May, meandering along the back roads that I prefer. We packed our lunches and I held out the somewhat unrealistic hope of a picturesque picnic spot where we could stop and eat. That vision was realized when we came upon Richfield Park, a tranquil area that included picnic shelters alongside a fishing pond. It was an appreciated and impressive surprise for a town with a population of less than 600 people and a welcome introduction to Stanly County.

Leaving Stanly County and skirting past Charlotte, the road wound its way up to The 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa, looking out over the lake and nearby mountains. The highlight of our stay in Lake Lure was our visit to The Flowering Bridge, a historic bridge that was decommissioned in 2011 and then transformed into a community garden by local volunteers, a real testament to what can be accomplished when dedicated people come together.

From Lake Lure, we crossed the border into Tennessee for a reunion with our first cousins, Mary Ann and Shatzie. We had so much fun reconnecting and finding common bonds, including an agreement that no matter what the calendar or the mirror says, we are all young at heart!

Next on our itinerary was a stay in the small and charming mountain town of Burnsville, where the Carolina Country lnn was a nostalgic reminder of our childhood vacations. A practically ideal coffee shop, Appalachian Java, set us up nicely for an excursion to the top of nearby Mt. Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. UNC professor Elisha Mitchell lost his life on this mountain attempting to verify its height, so it only seemed right for two UNC grads to go to the mountaintop and pay homage to his efforts.

There is so much negativity in our world and plenty of reason for anxiety. Stepping outside of our routine was a much-needed chance for Pam and me to remind ourselves of the good and beauty all around us. From a community park that provides a respite for people in Stanly County, a bridge in Rutherford County that was reconstituted into a garden full of surprises, a reunion that rekindled family bonds, and a view in Yancey County from our tallest mountain, we found a world full of reasons to celebrate.

May 7th – 9th, 2023 – Counties #50, 51, and 52 – Stanly, Rutherford, Yancey