Month: August 2024

A holistic ritual for purifying and exfoliating the skin, dry brushing is a long-held practice that provides both health and beauty benefits. First developed hundreds of years ago in India, dry brushing may improve your body’s detoxification process while smoothing and polishing your skin. The bristles, made from natural fibers, gently scrape away dead skin, dirt, and other impurities that clog pores. This may better allow you to filter toxins organically.

Beyond natural exfoliation and detoxification, dry brushing is a sensory experience, akin to a massage, that even improves circulation. This act of self care, especially when integrated into a daily routine, can serve as a soothing, tranquil moment for meditation.

Before your shower, brush along your feet and ankles before sweeping the brush up your legs in sweeping motions. When you reach your torso, transition into rounded movements with your brush before moving to your arms. Step into a shower to wash away the exfoliated impurities, then apply moisturizer when complete.

A simple method with lasting effects, dry brushing is a rich experience where you can bring the luxury of a spa into your very own home.

This autumn, explore Lake Toxaway and the surrounding mountains and trails by geocaching! A cross between a scavenger hunt and a treasure hunt, geocaching involves using GPS coordinates, maps, or other clues to find hidden objects. These objects can be anything, from small bottles holding the location tracker to intricate, multi-step puzzles.

On geocaching.com, searchers can find a map to 19,000 geocaches in North Carolina and nearly one million in the United States. A quick glance at the map reveals geocaches in nearly any public place, hidden in the hollow of a tree in the Pisgah National Forest or even by a city crosswalk.

Once you come across a geocache, you can log it into the website or on a physical log included with the object. Just remember to leave the geocache where you found it, so everyone else can enjoy their treasure hunt, too.

Lake Toxaway is home to two geocaches of our very own! One is right by The Greystone, should you like to explore the area and have an outdoor adventure during your stay.

Spanning across 500,000 acres, the Pisgah National Forest is home to some of North Carolina’s most iconic and treasured scenery. From the rippling waters of Looking Glass Falls to the sprawling wildflowers of Black Balsam Knob, there is something for everyone among the natural wonders of this forest.

It may surprise readers to learn the origin of the Pisgah National Forest is linked to the history of another famous North Carolina landmark, the Biltmore. George Vanderbilt’s estate once encompassed 125,000 acres. He hired Frederick Law Olmstead to oversee the management of the estate’s lands, as well as the preservation of the area’s existing forests and the reforestation of other sections of the land. In 1898, the Biltmore Forest School, the country’s first school to teach sustainable forestry practices, was founded and located on the property.

The Vanderbilts weren’t alone in their concern for the preservation of forests. The Weeks Act was passed into law in 1911, which meant the federal government could now purchase and preserve private land. No property owners sold to them, however, until Edith Vanderbilt inherited the Biltmore and surrounding lands after her husband passed away in 1914.

In order to ensure the land remained protected and undeveloped, she sold 86,700 acres to the government so they could continue what the Vanderbilts began. The Pisgah National Forest was founded the very next year, becoming the state’s first national forest.

For those interested in learning more, the Cradle of Forestry is located a roughly 30-mile drive from The Greystone and provides interactive learning experiences about the beginning of forestry. The next time you find yourself in Pisgah, whether you’re driving through the Blue Ridge Parkway or hiking along mountaintops on the Appalachian Trail, know you’re among a significant piece of the country’s conservation history.

To learn more about Cashiers Quilters and find quilt shows in the area, visit cashiersquilters.com.