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 -Artichoke Rice Salad -Red Bean & Clilantro Wrap |
Indians of the Catawba strain ("people of the river banks") were well settled here and into South Carolina when DeSoto passed through in 1540. Cherokee lived in the western hills. Today you can see how they sustained themselves heartily raising food and animals in these wide open lands.
Later, people came here and stayed on because it seemed so healthful, with mountain springs, broad lakes and rivers, plentiful flowering grasslands, and views of distant mountains. Gemstones in the foothills were a big draw, too.
In the late 1920s, the Morse brothers carefully made Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and the Hickory Nut Gorge area into a tasteful attraction where visitors can appreciate the natural surroundings.
It's obvious that widescale, fast-paced development is not the norm here. Towns like Hickory, Morganton, Marion, Rutherfordton and Forest City have a self-assured sense about them. Shelby's handsome downtown and Tryon's horse-country environment deliver a message that they know what they are about and where they are headed.
Relaxed driving in this region can be one of the most satisfying excursions in all of North Carolina.