No one knows and loves Jackson County like her residents. And it comes as no surprise that the abundance of natural beauty coupled with community pride and a strong sense of place make it difficult for Jacksonians to choose “a” favorite place.

Curtis Allison was sitting in a lawn chair watching his team of mules haul a wagonload of visitors around the grounds at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Cullowhee. Allison, born in Webster, said, “I’ve been in Jackson County for 66 years. I love every inch of it I’ve ever seen. I can’t think of anywhere in the world I’d take a one-way ticket to.”

Asked to pick a favorite spot, Allison thought a minute and said, “You know, it’s the people of Jackson County I love. I try to never be in a hurry, cause anywhere I go I’m gonna meet friends that want to visit — and wherever one of my friends is — is my favorite place.”

Drew Cook, an advertising representative with Smoky Mountain News, is drawn to Western Carolina University’s Catamount Links Disc Golf Course. Why? “It’s a great activity, a sport any person of any athletic ability can play, and the cost is low,” the Cullowhee resident said. “I’d also have to include the Tuckaseegee River for fly fishing, kayaking and tubing. That’s pretty self explanatory.”

Dwayne Franks lives in the Little Canada community. “I’m an outside person,” said the avid horseman. “One of my favorite places is the Roy Taylor Forest. I love riding the trails there.”

The Roy Taylor Forest, established in 1981, is a 62-square-mile forest within the Nantahala National Forest in southwest Jackson County. The rugged Tuckasegee Gorge is found in the Roy A. Taylor Forest.

Amanda Middleton of Tuckasegee has a favorite place in Sylva. “I like the Sylva park [Charles E. Poteet Memorial Park]. And,” she smiled, “my favorite place in the park is the tire swing.”

Amanda said she and her family often make special trips to Sylva just to go to the park located off Municipal Drive. “But,” she said, “any time we’re in town, I like to go by there.”

Shannon Middleton is Amanda’s father and he also has a favorite place in Sylva. “I like eating out,” Middelton said, “and Thursday is wings night at O’Malley’s. Their wings are the best, but you have to get there early.”

O’Malley’s Pub and Grill is located at 83 Asheville Highway in Sylva.

Carroll Brown is a professor in Western Carolina University’s Hospitality and Tourism program. “I love the Village Green in Cashiers,” she said. “I look for solitude, beauty, nature and quiet.”

The Village Green is a 12.5-acre park in the center of Cashiers at the crossroads of N.C. 107 and U.S. 64. It features walking paths, a boardwalk over wetlands, native plants as well as a nationally judged dahlia garden, an 8,000 square foot playground, pavilions, a woodlands trail and sculptures by renowned artists.