About the author

Larry Deane is the co-owner and voice behind Blue Ridge Mountain Life, a travel resource built from more than two decades of exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains firsthand. A Western North Carolina local, Larry has spent 20+ years hiking the trails, visiting small towns, chasing waterfalls, and documenting life in the mountains he calls home.

Alongside his wife Jenn, he created Blue Ridge Mountain Life to share their real-world experiences with others who love — or are just discovering — the Blue Ridge. Larry is a seasoned travel writer, photographer, and videographer with a background in journalism, and his work reaches more than 500,000 mountain lovers each month. Whether he's deep in Pisgah National Forest or strolling Main Street in a mountain town, you can count on Larry to give you the inside scoop from someone who’s truly been there.