Whether hiking up Big Glassy Mountain behind the Carl Sandburg Home, taking a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway or backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we in this part of Southern Appalachia are extraordinarily blessed. We can get to all three national treasures within minutes, or a couple of hours at the most.

We're also fortunate to be living here now, when all three parks are offering interesting and important looks at their own history and contributions as part of their birthdays.

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BlueRidgeNow (09/15/09)