Little Switzerland is mountain oasis

Nice story by the Raleigh News & Observer about the history of Little Switzerland:

In winter, said Gary Jensen, owner of the Switzerland Inn, there are maybe 40 residents. Then, as things warm up, the summer folks begin their annual migration back to cottages that, in many cases, their grandparents or great-grandparents built. By summer, the population tops out at about 1,000, and a low-key social scene hits its peak.

 

There are private cocktail parties, community socials, regular “Local Ladies Lunches,” square dances, covered dish suppers and literary events, beer and oysters at the inn on Wednesday nights and lunch dates over smoked trout with capers at the Switzerland Café.

 

By September, the summer population has begun to drain away, though traffic at the inn and café spikes again with fall leaf-viewing season.