The May issue of “Our State” Magazine is out, and Emerald Village in Little Switzerland is featured in two places! In an article about Emerald (the official state gem of North Carolina), the author, Bryan Mims of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, includes only one destination and writes:
“…So here I am, cruising west on Interstate 40, passing signs (the color of emeralds!) with this town name and that exit number, setting my prospects on a mine that has struck a bonanza of tourist green. The place is Emerald Village — an enchanting, Oz-like name if ever there was one — a few switchback curves away from Little Switzerland….Alan Schabilion, the owner of Emerald Village (is) kind enough to show me around and leads me to a small assortment of Emeralds from nearby Crabtree Mountain. Here, and in Hiddenite…are the only places in the country where Emeralds have been mined commercially. The ones I see are indeed green, and indeed beautiful…”
Later, in the “Out and About” section of the magazine, the extraordinarily unique night time Black Light Underground Mine Tours at Emerald Village are featured, beginning with the first one of 2015 on May 23rd.
More information can be found at www.emeraldvillage.com or on their Facebook page. In a broad sense, Emerald Village in Little Switzerland is North Carolina’s real Gem!