Barnsley Resort in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains looks to be the perfect U.S. summer getaway this year. Madeline Weinfield is a journalist covering travel, culture, and current events.

I had driven four hours to Black Mountain for the official kickoff of the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail ... And there, in the cold Buncombe County water, a pair of fish swam up to my mask like ...

Locally damaging wind gusts, large hail, and a brief tornado are possible, especially near and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains ... Warren, Clarke, Nelson, Albemarle, Greene, Madison, Rappahannock ...