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Today�s technological advances have brought with them an ease of travel and communication that are almost not possible to take for granted � sweeping four-lane Interstate highways, cell phones, well-planned utility systems, health and hospital systems, and numerous other modern necessities and conveniences are an expected part of everyday life, and make living in the mountains of Western North Carolina as easy as anywhere else in the state or country.But when the first pioneers to the Appalachian Mountain region of Western North Carolina arrived, what they saw was intimidating, even frightening � an ocean of mountains that lay ahead of them, filled with fog, deep valleys, and mountaintops that, in some cases, reached beyond the clouds. Spurred on by a search for inexpensive and available land, these hardy, independent, and tough-minded settlers, generally German, Scotch, Irish, and Scotch-Irish, pushed forward into the mountains. By doing so, they laid the groundwork for settling a harsh � yet bountiful � region of North Carolina that is now home to their descendents and the many others who have embraced the region�s overwhelming beauty.
Travel out of the mountains often meant several days� walk or a horse ride through deep forests just to get to a road that led to markets in the Piedmont or South Carolina. Supplies were often scarce, and �making do� was the name of the game. Of course, these resilient people brought their music with them, and created their own versions of songs and instruments they remembered from childhood. Much of the traditional music of Appalachia can be traced back to roots in Scotland and Ireland.
The Appalachian Cultural Museum is located on University Hall Drive, off the Appalachian State University campus. Turn up the hill off Hwy. 321 (Blowing Rock Road) between Staples and Greene's Motel, approximately .5 mile south of the Hwy. 105 intersection (Wendy's & the Quality Inn). The museum is on the first floor of University Hall, the second (and last) building on University Hall Drive. Their telephone number is 828-262-3117. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10AM-5PM, and Sunday, 1-5PM. The museum is closed on Monday. General admission is $4 adults, $3.50 seniors, $2 children 10-18 years, and free for children under 10. The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University is located on Highway 107, five miles south of Sylva. For more information, please call 828-227-7129 or visit their web site, www.wcu.edu/mhc. (Photo courtesy of Appalachian Cultural Museum)
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The Appalachian mountain culture is generally one of survival and necessity � the tough and resourceful early inhabitants of the region survived long, cold winters, the occasional drought, and other natural hardships through hard work, planning � and more hard work. Many handmade tools survive to this day, a reminder of a time when self-reliance was sometimes the difference between life and death. 
Two excellent regional centers on Appalachian cultural history can be found at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, and at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Both universities offer wide-ranging exhibits on various aspects of early Appalachian life, including artifacts of Native Americans, the formation and early history of the Appalachians, mountain family life, mountain furniture, early settlers (including Daniel Boone), arts and crafts, the Civil War era, music, industry, logging � even moonshine stills.