Private island getaways are the stuff of travel blogs and bucket-list dreams. Perhaps you’ve found yourself dreaming of the idea only to decide it was probably unrealistic for anyone other than rockstars and the wealthy. Sucked in by the promise of beautiful scenery, the idea of staying at a truly…

The beautifully preserved Colonial village of Edenton is often referred to as the Prettiest Small Town in the South. All it takes is one visit to see why. Seemingly around every corner is an Instagram-worthy view. For many, Edenton offers the ideal combination of historic charm and scenic beauty. Established…

Eastern Music Festival (EMF), Greensboro’s nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program, returns to the stage June 26 through July 31, 2021, Celebrating 60 Years of Musical Excellence. For six decades each summer, extraordinary musicians from around the world gather in Greensboro, bringing their talents to perform the…

Driving on a cloudless Carolina blue sky day is always fabulous but the destination anticipation is exhilarating! You see the mountain ahead however there’s so much more to explore. Downtown Pilot Mountain is open for visitors. Along with several events scheduled this summer downtown has many places for you to…

Avery County, North Carolina Every Friday, running May 31 through August 30, our Brewhouse will host Purposeful Pints. As always, Beech Mountain Brewing Co. is a family-friendly environment. Bring the kids, bring the whole family! Our unique brewery is nestled in the village of Beech Mountain Resort which offers mountain…

Avery County, North Carolina Beat the heat this summer with a trip to Beech Mountain, eastern America’s highest town. A full schedule of fun family-friendly activities, many of them free, awaits you here in North Carolina’s high country, where just a few hours of driving takes you into North Carolina’s…

Avery County, North Carolina What makes you happy? Maybe it’s wandering along a mountain path, breathing in clean, fresh air, and letting warm sunshine and cool breezes comfort your body and soul. Maybe it’s reveling in magnificent long-range views, across mountain ranges far below your mile-high perch, or savoring the…

The paved trail that marks the beginning of the hike to Waterrock Knob looks harmless enough… but you’ll be glad for an opportunity to stop and take in the views when you realize it’s a steep climb (412 feet) to the summit. Located at Milepost 451.2, Waterrock Knob is the…

Avery County, North Carolina Dream of a treasure hunt, to be done at your leisure from the comfort of your own car, which leads past timeless works of art, on quiet mountain backroads.  The Avery County Quilt Trail is such a dream, brought to life and headquartered at the Beech…

Local artists are putting Mocksville on the map one paint stroke at a time! Mocksville is just west of the Yadkin River, a day trip to see the massive “Running of the Horses” Mural.  While the horses running reflects the past, the Day and Night themes are reflected with the…

The 43rd annual Woolly Worm Festival may have been canceled this year due to COVID-19, but you can’t keep a good worm down. Previously scheduled for Oct. 17-18, the festival sees approximately 20,000 attendees visit Banner Elk in Avery County to witness a big prediction from the smallest of prognosticators. …

The Yadkin Valley’s newest vineyard showcases wine, mountain views and sunsets on 70 acres bordering the Fisher River. Melissa Hayes and husband, Christian Krobisch, opened Serre Vineyards in September. The Charlotte couple fell in love with NC wine while touring vineyards statewide, spurring them to start their own.  The centerpiece…

In the midst of a global pandemic, Eden’s historic downtown, now called Uptown Eden, has flourished. Starting in 2019 with entrepreneurs opening new stores and solidified with Carpino Investments purchasing and renovating historic buildings, Uptown Eden is coming alive.  Julie Stanton opened Southern Julep, an apparel, jewelry accessories and gift…

Our 2020 Wheels Through Time Raffle Bike is this beautiful 1939 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead hand-built by the team in the Wheels Through Time restoration shop. This year’s masterpiece is powered by an all original 1939 61c.i. OHV Knucklehead engine mated to a genuine H-D 4-speed transmission, making it one of smoothest…

There is something about a treehouse that brings out the child in everyone. Maybe it’s the sense of adventure it invokes. Maybe it’s the imperfect lines of the structure mixed with quirky wall hangings. Or maybe it’s the offer of a place to dream. Whatever the reason, the family treehouse…

Bryson City is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s an adventurers playground with some surprisingly luxurious options for relaxing at the end of the day. Home to the Great Smoky Mountain railway, there’s more than one way to immerse yourself in the scenic landscape that envelopes this charming…

Sometimes side streets make for the best discoveries on a road trip. Wilmington is a charming escape. The port city blends history with the vibrant energy of a college town.  The beautiful Cape Fear river is flanked by homes with porches that make you want to sit on them and…

Today’s visitors on the parkway are welcome to share much of the same glorious scenery known only to native mountaineers born to it and men of wealth who bought into it. But in addition, as I travel over this route it strikes me that the parkway and its northern link…

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of life from our biggest cities… to the far reaching corners of rural North Carolina and all the way to the coast. So I wasn’t sure what to expect when I made the drive to Ocean Isle Beach. Ocean Isle was trip…

A renovated caboose, a bison farm, and the scenic views of the North Carolina Mountains combined for the perfect socially distanced road trip. It was a much-needed getaway after spending weeks staring at the same walls of my house, day in and day out. The weekend was part of my…

The rural town of Dobson makes the most of its Yadkin Valley location with stunning scenery, rolling terrain for outdoor activities and sprawling vineyards for growing grapes. It’s a quiet and relaxing getaway, less than two hours from Charlotte and less than an hour from Winston-Salem. Dobson’s rural nature allows…

It can bring solace in times of uncertainty to think about those aspects of life which move forward unaffected. In the vineyards of the Yadkin Valley, grapes grow on leafy vines, marking the promise of a coming harvest just a few months away. Nobody knows when executive orders will be…

Eastern Music Festival (EMF), Greensboro’s nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program, returns June 27 through August 1, 2020, for a season of Classics Reimagined. For nearly six decades each summer, extraordinary musicians from around the world gather in Greensboro bringing their talents to perform the works of…

April 17-19, 2020, The Loch Norman Highland Games at Rural Hill is a family friendly event presented by Historic Rural Hill. Come and experience all the fun with Highland Dancing, Bagpipe Bands, Highland Athletics, a Giant Kid’s Zone, Scottish Merchants, Haggis, Celtic Rock and Traditional Performers, Historic Reenactments, Scottish Country…

On Saturday, April 11th Pilot Mountain Unites is proud to announce our inaugural Community For A Cause 5k & Fun Run!! Join in supporting local efforts with a day of friendly competition and family fun. If you register by March 30th you are guaranteed a t-shirt and swag bag. You’ll…

A new decade brings new experiences for guests to enjoy at Grandfather Mountain in 2020. With a mission to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain, the nonprofit nature park and its staff are readying for an eventful year….

All roads lead to Surry County in the Yadkin Valley on Saturday,   April 18, as three wineries host events, including the official grand opening of North Carolina’s newest winery, Haze Gray Vineyards. For folks in the Charlotte region, the events are less than two hours away, while folks in…

Join us March 14-15 for 2 days of Historic Festivities including. Celtic Musicians and Dancers, Bagpipers, Celtic Warriors in action.  This year we’re adding more fun to the party with a VIP area in our 200-year old historic Alexander Cabin. This exclusive ticket includes a private Tavern Experience, where you’ll…

The Rural Hill Food Truck Rally has something for everyone! On March 22nd 11am – 4pm let your kids run wild in the Kids Zone (fee applies), learn about cooking over an open flame at the historic Rural Retreat Cabin. Challenge your friends and family to a round of corn…

The turn in the temperature signals a new season on Grandfather Mountain — and the return of a bargain allowing unlimited access to the park for six months. The Secret Season Pass allows holders unlimited, six-month access to the park November 2019 through April 2020. An individual Secret Season Pass…

The third weekend in February is Beech Mountain’s 9th Annual Retro 80’s celebration, which has been named one of the Top Twenty Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. From Thursday, February 20th through Sunday, February 23rd, 2020, visitors can take a trip down memory lane to the…

Haze Gray Vineyards, which draws its name from the color of U.S. naval ships, opened its winery and tasting room on Dec. 19. Owners Deane and Becky Muhlenberg have long-standing military ties, including Deane’s three-decade career as a Navy flight officer. The Muhlenbergs relocated to Surry County three years ago…

An invigorating winter getaway awaits in the mile-high elevations surrounding Banner Elk. This town in the North Carolina mountains offers the chance to get outdoors with hiking and exploring at Grandfather Mountain, as well as snowtubing at nearby ski resorts. One of the biggest winter attractions in the area is…

Think Mayberry only exists in a television show? Think again. Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina, invites folks to visit the real-life place that inspired the fictional Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Visitors to Mount Airy can choose from several Mayberry attractions and activities. The most popular…

From choose and cut Christmas tree hunting to a magical family weekend to enjoying the holidays nestled between two ski resorts, the North Carolina mountain town of Banner Elk is an ideal place this December. The month starts with people flocking to the many tree farms raising beautiful Fraser fir…

Enjoy the holiday’s pleasures a little too much? Stuffed to the gills from all those parties? Determined that this is the year to make a change for the better? Why not come out to Rural Hill and start 2020 off right with First Footin’ our annual walk and celebration of…

Just a few hours’ drive from most metropolitan areas in North Carolina, Beech Mountain is a year-round vacation destination with the added benefit of a ski resort right in town. This premier destination for winter sports enthusiasts sits at an elevation of 5506 feet, making it the highest town in…

In the Village of Fairhaven shop an extensive array of craft vendors offering home décor, jewelry, clothing of renaissance and medieval fashion, blown and torched glass, handmade art and pottery. Think of Fairhaven as a medieval mall. There are also activities for children of all ages including people-powered amusement rides…

Many folks across the state have heard of North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley wine country, but it can be daunting to decipher the best way to visit this federally-recognized American Viticultural Area that is home to more than 40 wineries. Fortunately, the wineries in Surry County make it easy to visit…

Banner Elk’s 42nd annual Woolly Worm Festival draws people from near and far to this Blue Ridge Mountain town for two days of racing woollybear caterpillars. This year’s festival takes place Oct. 19-20. “We have a lot of people who come to Banner Elk in the fall to look at…

One of the best things about my job and life is that at any given moment, I can pack a bag and head out in any direction. The beauty here in N.C. is incredible and I love getting “lost” in my backyard… so to speak. This time, we headed towards…

Tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains sits a tiny gem called Round Peak Vineyards. One of the first wineries in the Yadkin Valley, Round Peak Vineyards is a boutique winery focused on small lot winemaking and is charmingly individual. The current owners Ken Gulaian and wife Kari Heerdt…

The last week of September is a wonderful time to visit Mount Airy, the town that inspired Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show. Mount Airy more than doubles in size as fans from far and wide come “home” to Mayberry. This year’s Mayberry Days celebration takes place Sept. 23-29 and…

If being a better steward of our planet is important to you, here is a reward program that will (m)eat your standards. Tour De Pork is a summer showcase featuring restaurants committed to sourcing ethical meats and who, collectively, utilize all parts of the hog. Each pork part deserves a…

Surprise that special person in your life with a romantic mountain escape this summer.  The resort town of Banner Elk is home to easy-to-use theater packages that include one night of lodging, a pair of tickets to an Ensemble Stage performance, breakfast and discount dining coupons for the popular Banner…