"There's nothing to do…"

That ought to be the official motto of summer. "There's nothing to do." If I had a dollar for every time I said those fateful words (or heard them from my kids)… well I dare say dear reader that you'd be reading someone else's ramblings because I'd be skinny-dipping somewhere off the Greek Isles in my intrepid yacht-zilla rather than pounding away on this keyboard right now. But I didn't come here to talk to you about skinny-dipping or the Greek Isles (unless those are your plans for the summer. And if they are… do you need a writer?). I came here to help you decide what to do now that our patch of the Earth is swinging back toward the sun, delighting us all with warmer temperatures, fewer garments and no more whining and crying about how the government screwed you because couldn't get your flu shot.

I'm talking spring and summer here people! These are the days when you ought to be out making the greatest memories of your lives. Not hiding out like some light-averse troll in a darkened movie theater. Or bobbing around in the local swimming pool, like Vienna sausages packed in beef stock. Or sweating like a meatloaf in some sun-baked ballpark or racetrack, as you watch other people do what they enjoy. Spring and summer are all about life, so get out there and enjoy yours!

In this issue alone, we are helping you learn how you can visit the wilds of a tropical rainforest without ever leaving the state. Follow in the footsteps of Inman, the fictional character from the real Cold Mountain. Explore the secret lair of the Cherokee devil and live to tell the tale. Learn about a community that makes energy, art and life from garbage. Enjoy a real slice of life from an honest-to-goodness cheese factory. Start your own extreme home makeover from one of the nation’s leading furniture resources. Mine the earth for its most precious stones. Revisit one of the most celebrated festivals in American music. Compete behind-the-scenes of one of America's greatest treasures like you've never seen it before. Be pampered head to toe like you were visiting European royalty. Indulge yourself with fine gourmet meals accentuated with a hint of mystery. Experience the soaring summits of the Appalachians on horseback. See why there's more to love at one of the newest state parks.
And find out more of the latest and greatest ways to spend your spring and summer from 40 counties in the mountains and foothills. Just don't tell us there's nothing to do — or else we're going to tangle.

Just stick with ROAM this spring and summer. If you're not careful, before autumn falls upon us, you may turn the old "how I spent my summer vacation" story into "how I spent the best summer of my life." (You're welcome!)