AUTUMN 2012

Introduction HISTORY The Southern Highroads Trail is a scenic In 1991 the University of Cooperative route across fourteen counties in four Extension met with local leaders to discuss ways states with destinations and events to to develop the economic base of northeast offer for the entire family. Stretching Georgia, western , and southeast across North Georgia, Western North . Under these auspices a planning Carolina, , and Tennessee, partnership was formed. South Carolina was the Southern Highroads Trail offers a wide added to the project area and to the Southern variety of antique shops, arts, Highroads Develpment Association in 1992. This entertainment, dining, lodging, outdoor non-profit 501(c)(3) organization was ultimately activities and fun. The trail is a 364 mile incorporated in March 1992. Charles Jenkins, loop across the Appalachian Mountains Frank Bradley, Jerry Hamby, A. Randall Dilliot, that winds through four national forests Rob Tiger and Tim Todd were among the and embraces some of the South's most beautiful scenery. Each original board members. season offers a different display of colors, wildlife and natural Some still serve on the board today. beauty. The Southern Highroads Trail is also an important The initial top economic priority became the development and historical route that blends history and legends from the region's designation of a scenic driving tour through all four states. A rich and intriguing past. Visitors can uncover the legends told by modest increase of traffic volume would positively impact and Indians on why the "bald" mountains exist and trace the expand business along this scenic tour as well as offer a quality early settlers' paths as they searched for gold, farmed the land, experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the four states for the and carved out a place to call home. automobile traveling visitor. This driving tour is now referred to as Read more... The Southern Highroads Trail. Read more...

member benefits

Over the years, the Southern Highroads Development Association has promoted its members along the trail through the creation of regional promotional maps and a website that complements local marketing efforts. More than 200,000 brochure maps have been printed and distributed with each press run including important updates to the trail. Regional Information Exchange Meetings are conducted by the MARKETING board at various intervals to increase awareness and coordination among all organizations involved in tourism development along OPPORTUNITIES the scenic tour. As a result, the area Chambers of Commerce and Convention and Visitor Bureaus have established a distribution In addition to the brochure maps and website, the Southern process along the trail to provide visitors with travel guide Highroads Trail has created a Facebook page, a Twitter page and information while enhancing the marketing efforts of our other social media outlets to keep the traveling public engaged members. in current events as they happen on the trail. The brochures are also available as a download from the website. The trail has grown substantially over the years and with the Chambers and CVBs keep information and event pages updated support of our members, it will continue to provide the for their area of the trail. excitement, history and beauty it has been known for over the The new redesigned Southern Highroads Trail website has been past three decades. online since September and already boasts over 1250 unique Read more... visitors in an average week. Read more... EVENTS ALONG THE TRAIL Special!Special! Check out the exciting events and festivals along the trail by selecting Three Months FREE! the State you plan to visit: New members receive a Georgia FREE LISTING on our WEBSITE! Reach up to 1250 customers per week! Offer Good Through 12/31/2012 Contact Doug Monroe [email protected] • 770-536-3482 2012 bOARD

North Carolina OF DIRECTORS Jan Hackett Fannin Chamber, Georgia Paige Green Gilmer Chamber, Chamber, Georgia Dinah Rowe Chatsworth-Murray Chamber, Georgia Candace Lee Towns Chamber, Georgia Cindy Williams Blairsville-Union Chamber, Georgia Judy Taylor Ph.D Habersham Chamber, Georgia Charles Jenkins Union County, Georgia Phyllis J. Blackmon Cherokee Chamber, North Carolina Rob Tiger Clay County, North Carolina Julie Spiro Jackson Chamber, North Carolina South Carolina Sue Bumgarner Cashiers Area Chamber, North Carolina Linda Harbuck Franklin Area Chamber, North Carolina Bob Kieltyka Highlands Chamber, North Carolina Tim Todd Discover Upcountry, South Carolina Dan Kauffman Polk County, Tennessee Dave Jensen Rabun County, Georgia Jamie Nicholson Tennessee State Parks Cheryl Smith GDEcD(NE Region) Janet Cochran GDEcD(NW Region) Kathy Papa Georgia DCA Leamon Scott Georgia DCA-Region 1 Keather Weideman John C. Campbell Folk School Tennessee Larry Kernea Murphy Power Board Heather Feldman GA Mtn. Regional Development Sherry Hicks Read More...

President, Stephen F. Bailey [email protected] • 706-633-6706

market areas trail supporters The Southern Highroads Trail promotes the following areas: GEORGIA NORTH CAROLINA The Southern Highroads Trail is proud to have the Blairsville / Union County Cashiers / Jackson County support of the following organizations: Blue Ridge / Fannin County Franklin / Macon County Hayesville / Clay County USDA Rural Development Georgia Forestry Commission Chatsworth / Murray County Athens, GA Macon, GA Clayton / Rabun County Highlands / Macon & Jackson www.rurdev.usda.gov www.gfc.state.ga.us Ellijay / Gilmer County County Habersham County Murphy / Cherokee County Tri-State Electric Membership North Georgia Regional Corporation Development Center Helen / White County McCaysville, GA Dalton, GA Hiawassee / Towns County TENNESSEE www.tsemc.net www.ngrdc.org Copperhill / Polk County USDA Forest Service Georgia Dept of Economic SOUTH CAROLINA Southern Region Development - Tourism Division Westminister / Oconee County For Information about the www.fs.fed.us/r8 Gainesville & Dalton, GA Cities, Read More... Interview with Rob Tiger

Rob Tiger of Hayesville, North Carolina is one of Also president of Clay County Communities the original board members of the Southern Revitalization Association (CCCRA), Tiger is no Highroads Development Association. As a stranger to coordinating huge projects and business owner and entrepreneur, Tiger has a raising capital. He has been deeply involved in vested interest in the region and had always the restoration of the Clay County Courthouse, wanted to help the area remain pristine to aesthetic improvements to the Hayesville enhance its reputation as a scenic tourist downtown area and the creation of the destination. “The idea was to preserve the Jackrabbit Mountain Biking and Hiking Trail scenic beauty of the area, to get some parts Project. designated as scenic by-ways before billboards Tiger gave kudos to Director Steve Bailey for had a chance to take over,” Tiger said. keeping the Southern Highroads on track. “It Tiger was inspired to help create the Southern took a while to get the ball rolling on a project Highroads Trail by a visit to the San Juan as big as the Southern Highroads,” Tiger said, Skyway, a 233 mile loop through the San Juan “We had to get people from four states Mountains in Colorado. Several of the original together on a pretty regular basis to go over all founders of the Southern Highroads Trail group the details. Having a director like Steve Bailey traveled west to take the tour and discovered to pick the ball up and keep it going has really the concept would coincide perfectly with their helped.” vision of a scenic mountain drive through the four states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. The project gained momentum as the SHR group guided the concept through several bureaucratic hoops, getting permission to put trail signs up in four states, changing the original name of the trail from Southern Highroad Scenic Byway to Southern Highroads Trail to satisfy DOT guidelines and of course, fundraising.