Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 3

70
20 56
JOSHUA MOORE
LOUGHRAN CABE
FEATURES
28 BEST OF MOUNTAIN WATERS: READER POLL RESULTS
Ready to go swimming, boating, fishing this summer? Or just enjoy a great
waterside picnic? Our readers have the top spots across seven states.
COMPILED BY SARAH RIDDELL & JEFFREY K. WOOD
42 SPLISH SPLASH! A PHOTO ESSAY
Our contributing photographers have been out and about and are back
with the full beauty of water in the mountains.
46 WATER WONDERS IN 7 STATES
The bounty of places to play around water is nearly boundless. We
explore just a few of the finest.
BY ANGELA MINOR
56 LOUGHRAN CABE: UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER
SUPREME
This young Virginia man discovered river snorkeling at age 15. Over the
five years since, he has come to photograph that world like few others.
BY ERIC J. WALLACE
62 THE UNCERTAIN HISTORY OF LAKE TOXAWAY
What is now one of the most popular private lakes in North Carolina has a
past that includes an emptying that was strangely not fully documented.
BY LAUREN STEPP
68 BABY'S FIRST CAMPING TRIP
A couple who had spent much of their recreational life roughing it in the
outdoors had some hesitations before heading to the New River Gorge.
BY LAURA HOPFAUF
70 THE WONDERS OF A WEST VIRGINIA FARM CRAWL
Hampshire County's annual invitation is to explore crops, animals, crafts,
foods and much more.
BY GINNY NEIL
74 CONNIE DEEGAN LOVES SNAKES!
Well, and really all of nature, to the extent that she dedicates much of
her life to helping others build that same appreciation.
BY NANCY HENDERSON
August 2024
BlueRidgeCountry.com
DEPARTMENTS
10
5 From the Editor, Contributors
6 Mill Creek Stories
8 Gifts of the Land
Creature Feature
12 The Good Walk
14 Our Blue Ridge Towns
16 Festivals and Events
18
Country Roads
78 Flavors
80 Singing in the Garden
82 The Mountain Q & A
ON THE COVER
Walker Camp Prong in the Tennessee
Smokies near Gatlinburg. From the
photographer: " This photo was taken
in early July-one of the most beautiful
times of the year in the Blue Ridge
Mountains. I wanted to capture a cascade
while including some of the rosebay
rhododendron blooms. I walked through
and up the creek until I came across this
scene. The challenge was positioning the
camera to put emphasis on the blooms
and still get the whole scene in focus. This
required some focus stacking and lots of
post-processing to get it to work. "
PHOTO BY DAWNFIRE PHOTOGRAPHY
FARM CRAWL: Chickens and Chocolate and Brooms,
My!
MOUNTAIN
TOP STREAMS, LAKES AND MORE
ateRs
Water Getaways
for Every Taste
Stunning
Underwater Photos
Taking a Baby to
Riverside Camping
Lake Toxaway's
Hidden History
2024
WINNER
READER'S
CHOICE
Oh

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024

Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 4
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - 5
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Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2024 - Cover4
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