Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway
[Updated No 16, 2024] Located in the North Carolina High Country, less than 20 miles from Boone and Blowing Rock, Banner Elk is one of the most beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain towns we’ve ever visited. Once used by the Cherokee people for hunting and fishing, the area surrounding the Elk River was settled by Martin … Read more
We started this website in large part because we wanted to explore the small towns of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the search for our future home. We’ve since visited dozens of towns all across North Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, and found some potentially great places to live in each state. In NC … Read more
Located in the North Carolina High Country, Boone is a scenic college town with a surplus of art galleries, shopping, restaurants, hiking trails, Christmas Tree Farms, and beautiful overlooks. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs right through Boone, which is close to small towns such as Blowing Rock, Seven Devils, Wilkesboro, Newland, Linville, and Banner Elk. This … Read more
[Updated August 3, 2021] The Blue Ridge Mountain town of Boone NC is best-known for its Christmas tree farms and outdoor recreation opportunities, offering everything from mountain biking and rock climbing to whitewater rafting and snow skiing. The county seat of Watauga County has a population of around 20,000, which is pretty big for the Western … Read more
Encompassing 43 square miles, with a population right around 100,000, Roanoke is the largest city on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with loads of great shopping, museums, and other attractions. In our eyes, Roanoke is one of the must-see mountain towns for anyone taking a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip. Downtown Roanoke is home to Virginia’s … Read more
The Blue Ridge Music Center was established by an act of Congress in 1985 to celebrate the rich cultural history and ongoing musical traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 17,000-square-foot facility is particularly immersed in the Round Peak style of the North Carolina mountains and the Galax and Grayson County style of Virginia. But the museum … Read more
For me, the monolithic majesty of Grandfather Mountain preceded itself. On a few occasions in the past, my wife Emma and I visited friends who had a distant view of it from their mountain cabin. They were always thrilled to point the iconic summit out as a centerpiece of the High Country landscape. In a … Read more
The short stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs from just east of Boone NC to just west of Blowing Rock is particularly packed with special sites and things to do. Over this 36-mile span, you’ll see the monolithic landmark of Grandfather Mountain, stunningly colorful mountain lakes, and jaw-dropping scenic vistas from the lofty NC High … Read more
The Cradle of Forestry in America was originally known as the Biltmore Forest School. It was founded in 1898 by Carl A. Schenck, a German Ph.D brought in by George W. Vanderbilt to manage his 100,000+ acres of forests around the Biltmore Estate. The goal of the school was to teach responsible forest management to … Read more
The Southern Appalachian Historical Association was formed to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Watauga County and the surrounding areas in the North Carolina mountains. It does this in a variety of ways– through theatrical performances, educational programs, and an excellent living history museum. Located in Boone, the seat of Watauga County, the Hickory … Read more
