“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10
Travel Snapshot
📍 Destination: Montreat, North Carolina
🏔️ Region: Blue Ridge Mountains
📅 Time of Year: Fourth of July Weekend
❤️ Known For: Mountain cottages, summer camps, Montreat College, Lake Susan, hiking, Black Mountain, and a pace of life that makes you slow down whether you planned to or not.
⭐ Would I Go Again? Absolutely. And next time, I want to see it in the fall.
Some Places Make You Busy. Others Make You Breathe.
There isn’t much happening this morning.
The leaves barely move.
A hummingbird chirps somewhere off in the distance, while a few crows peck through the gravel near the parked cars. The flags gently sway every so often with a breeze that’s almost too soft to notice.
Back home in Oklahoma, the wind has a much different personality.
Just last month it cost me $500 in tree branch cleanup. And according to my sweet friend who’s been taking care of Kitty while I’m away…there were more branches waiting for me when I got home. 😂
Up here, though?
The mountains seem content with simply being mountains.
Frank Sinatra is softly playing in the background. I’ve still got the same cup of coffee I brought home from church this morning, and there’s a book sitting beside me that’s patiently waiting for me to stop typing.
This…
This is what I love.
It’s what I need.
And if I’m being honest, it’s what I crave more often than I allow myself to have.
I still catch myself reaching for my phone and opening my computer. Checking emails. Thinking about clients. Planning the next thing.
It’s habit.
It’s also because I genuinely love what I do. I love helping people and constantly want to improve the experience we give every client through our work ethic.
But sitting here on the porch swing at my boyfriend’s family’s cottage in the mountains of North Carolina, I am reminded that the work will still be there tomorrow.
Sometimes it’s okay to simply sit.
A Cottage Filled With Nearly 100 Years of Memories
This little mountain cottage has been in Luke’s family for nearly 100 years.
That alone amazes me.
After recently finding our way back to one another following a year apart to grow individually, it feels especially meaningful to be here together.
This isn’t some fancy mountain getaway.
It’s better.
It feels like an old farmhouse tucked into the woods.
White paint beginning to peel.
Original furnishings.
An old-fashioned kitchen with a little window bench where I love sitting with a book in the mornings.
Streams nearby.
Towering trees surrounding the home.
And my favorite spot of all…
The porch swing.
I could sit there for hours.
There is something about being surrounded by a place that has held so many family memories for so long. You can almost feel the history in it.
And maybe that’s another reason I love it here.
I’m a sucker for old homes, old things, and places that have stories.
The Traditions That Keep Bringing Us Back
Every family has traditions.
The McIntosh family has quite a few.
Every visit includes stops at some of our favorite places:
🍝 Vinny’s
🥪 Que Sera
They’re the kinds of places that become part of the trip. You don’t necessarily need to try somewhere new every time because sometimes the familiar places are part of what makes you feel like you’ve come home.
Lunch in nearby Black Mountain is always a good idea, and Lake Susan is one of those places that never seems to get old.
Yes…Fairy Hair Is a Thing
One of our favorite little traditions is getting fairy hair. ✨
Yes, fairy hair.
Every trip, we like to stop by Mountain Fairy Hair in Black Mountain. For around $35, they tie tiny strands of shimmering hair into your own hair.
It sounds silly until the sunlight catches it.
This year I went with gold.
And two weeks later, I still have at least five pieces hanging on.
Every time they shimmer in the sunshine, I’m reminded of North Carolina.
I love little souvenirs like that.
Sometimes a memory doesn’t have to sit on a shelf.
Sometimes it can sparkle in your hair.
One Stop We Never Skip
Another favorite is Sierra Nevada Brewery.
And don’t let the word brewery fool you if beer isn’t your thing.
The grounds are beautiful, with an incredible garden area out back that makes the entire place feel like more than just somewhere to grab a meal.
We love walking around the property, enjoying the gardens, grabbing some tasty bites, and just spending time outside.
It’s relaxed, beautiful, and definitely worth adding to your list if you’re in the area.
A Night at Biltmore
This trip we also enjoyed Biltmore Estate’s Lumière.
We spent the evening sitting on the lawn, strolling through the gardens and conservatory, and enjoying another beautiful mountain evening.
There is something about the Biltmore that never feels quite the same twice.
Maybe it’s the season.
Maybe it’s the gardens.
Maybe it’s simply being there.
Either way, it’s one of those places that makes you slow down and look around.
Fourth of July…Blue Ridge Style
While Oklahoma was dealing with heavy rain this 4th of July, canceled fireworks, and enough wind to make you question every patio umbrella you’ve ever owned, we celebrated Independence Day this year a little differently.
We went whitewater rafting at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
Level V water temp. That means it’s real, real cold.
And Level II rapids.
Thankfully, the rapids kept everyone inside the raft, and it turned into some pretty incredible bonding time.
There is something about getting thrown around in a raft with your family that really brings everyone together. 😂
That evening we headed into Black Mountain for fireworks.
Naturally, I came prepared.
Bug spray? Check.
Lawn chairs? Check.
Travel cooler? Check.
Speaker? Check.
Apparently, my event-planning brain doesn’t know how to take a vacation.
A Town Unlike Anywhere Else
Montreat is tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a personality all its own.
It’s a small college town, home to Montreat College, and during the summer the area fills with children attending camps and families returning year after year.
And then there are the bears.
🐻
Bears are a very common sight around here.
I haven’t decided whether that makes me feel more like I’m in the wilderness or whether I should be paying closer attention when I take the trash out.
Probably both.
Church is another favorite tradition whenever we’re here.
The historic stone church is beautiful and peaceful, although during the busy summer months there are so many people attending that services are held in the larger auditorium.
There’s something special about seeing so many generations of families return to the same place year after year.
Now I understand why.
The Hike That Wasn’t Happening This Year
One of the family favorites is Lookout Mountain.
I’ve conquered it before.
This year?
Not so much.
My Achilles is still reminding me who’s in charge after rupturing it, and Luke is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
So hiking Lookout Mountain wasn’t exactly at the top of our list this year.
The twenty-somethings, however, showed absolutely no mercy.
They headed up the mountain, conquered it, and came back home red-faced and exhausted.
We were very proud of them.
And very happy to remain on the porch swing.
Lake Susan and That Mountain Air
Lake Susan is stunning.
But honestly, I think it’s more than the scenery.
The air feels different here.
Cleaner.
Cooler.
Quieter.
Maybe it’s the mountains.
Maybe it’s the trees.
Maybe it’s simply that life seems to move a little slower.
Whatever it is, I always leave Montreat feeling a little lighter.
And now I have a new goal.
I need to experience Montreat during the fall leaf change.
According to the McIntosh family, it is absolutely worth the trip.
I’m already looking forward to it.
What Montreat Is Reminding Me
Lately I’ve been working on something that sounds incredibly simple but is actually pretty difficult.
Being present.
Not planning tomorrow while I’m living today.
Not answering emails while I’m supposed to be relaxing.
Not having conversations in my head while I’m sitting with someone I love.
Not constantly thinking about what needs to happen next.
Just…
Being here.
Breathing.
Looking around.
Listening.
Enjoying the moment I’m actually in.
I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this.
Our minds are constantly moving.
Planning.
Solving.
Worrying.
Preparing.
Working.
Thinking.
And sometimes I wonder if we’re so busy trying to build the life we want that we forget to actually live the life we have.
Maybe that’s why places like Montreat matter.
They gently remind us to slow down.
To sit on the porch swing.
To read another chapter.
To listen to Frank Sinatra.
To drink a cup of coffee.
To watch the trees move in a breeze that’s barely there.
To spend time with people we love.
To thank God for where we are instead of constantly worrying about where we’re going.
I don’t think I’m ever going to become someone who doesn’t have a million things running through her mind.
That’s probably just who I am.
But maybe I can get better at putting it all down for a little while.
And maybe that’s the lesson.
Life doesn’t always have to be a grand adventure.
Sometimes it’s a porch swing.
Sometimes it’s fairy hair sparkling in the sun.
Sometimes it’s a mountain lake.
Sometimes it’s whitewater rafting with people you love.
Sometimes it’s an old cottage that’s been holding family memories for 100 years.
And sometimes it’s simply sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and realizing…
Life is good.
❤️ Heartfelt Takeaway
We spend so much of our lives chasing what’s next that sometimes we forget to appreciate what’s right in front of us.
Montreat reminds me that slowing down isn’t wasting time.
Sometimes slowing down is the point.
So here’s your reminder—and mine—to put the phone down every once in a while.
Sit on the porch.
Read the book.
Drink the coffee.
Watch the trees.
Take the trip.
Call the person you love.
And don’t wait for life to become perfect before you decide to enjoy it.
Because sometimes the most meaningful moments aren’t the ones we planned.
They’re the quiet ones we almost missed.
Thoughtfully, Tiffany
