Mine for precious gems, hike among mountains and stunning waterfalls, and dive into local history in this small, charming North Carolina town.

Sharon] The Blue Ridge Mountains are more than 1 billion years ... Mike Clark gives tours to consolidated gold Mine and Mill. Built in the early 1900s this was the largest gold mining operation ...

The mountains, however, contain something far more ... He now runs the Spruce Pine Gem Mine, a jewellery shop near the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, and is saddened by the loss of community among those ...