16 lin fortune at what's been dubbed the "Gem Capital of the World." North Carolina's Franklin (discoverfranklinnc. com) is a Macon County town overflowing with gem mines and string of sifters to sort through jewels of all kinds and colors. 3. Watch the fiery fireflies. The male fireflies at Elkmont put on quite a synchronized show in the Great Smokies: They all flash at once in the woods of Tennessee as part of a mating ritual. But this rare show lasts only for about two weeks in late May/early June. And you must reserve 44 BlueRidgeCountry.com hard-to-get tickets through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park once shuttles are announced each April (nps. gov/grsm). 4. See the Brown Mountain Lights. For untold time, mysterious lights have appeared at Brown Mountain in North Carolina. Theories abound on what makes these lights hover on the outskirts of Morganton (brownmountainlights.com). Some say it's science; some say it's legend. And when will you see them? Well, who knows? One tourism director describes the appearance of these mysterioushttp://www.brownmountainlights.com http://www.brownmountainlights.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com