by Rachel L. Miller

Ask any writer, director or actor about the importance of a story's setting, and they'll probably tell you that it matters...a lot.

A good setting is just as important as a story's central character -- hell, the right place can even manage to outshine some of the most beautiful people on Earth. For example, imagine the towering Rocky Mountain backdrop of the mid-'90s film "Legends of the Fall" -- I easily can picture each white-capped peak in the distance, wild horses galloping through a lush green valley, but the image of the movie's star -- Brad Pitt -- is rather hazy. And believe me, that really means something coming from a 25-year-old female.

The Blue Ridge Mountain view from one of the resort's scenic walkways. Photo: Rachel L. Miller

So yes, setting matters, and even more so when it comes to selecting your next vacation spot. Even before embarking on my journey (a 10-hour drive) to Asheville, North Carolina, I had been told numerous times that the area was simply gorgeous. My mother kept on and on (like mothers often do) about how I would definitely fall in love with the scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains and never want to return to Michigan.

My family apparently had traveled to western North Carolina when I was just shy of 10 (and just plain shy), and all I really remember is purchasing a bedazzled acid-washed denim purse, one that was all the rage back in the '80s. But I wasn't about to let that horrid, embarrassing memory keep me away from Asheville. Plus, my mother's constant chatter convinced me to get on the road...and as fast as possible.

I chose Asheville as the destination for my first solo road trip for a number of reasons (all of which will be included in an ultra-exciting road trip story to come in August) -- but the main one was the ease of the route. I drove south on I-75 to I-40 east -- it was that simple. An added benefit was the breathtaking scenery through which I passed. As soon as I hit the Kentucky border (sorry, Ohio, but you look too much like home), the drive seemed more adventurous. Nothing, however, prepared me for the vistas that awaited me at the North Carolina border. Mountains dominated the landscape on either side of the twisting highway; a new wave of forested hills appeared around each steep curve. (CONTINUE...)