I got my BFA at Western Carolina, which is right by the GA border (if we wanted to go to “town” we road-tripped to Atlanta). I’ve hiked down into Georgia on the trail, and nearly to VA on the NC segment.
Hot Springs was a nice, slightly wacky respite back then. It’s getting a little hippie-gentrified now.
The AT was to crowded for my taste during my tenure at Cullowhere. The Catalooche section of the Smokies, and the headwaters of Caney Fork and the Little Canada section used to get my attention when I wanted to get away from it all.