A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

An Evening with Michael Feinstein - Benefit in Boone

August 27, 8 PM, Appalachian State University Farthing Auditorium, Boone NC. Popular singer Michael Feinstein performs a benefit concert with proceeds going to The Temple of the High Country & Appalachian State University's Center for Judaic, Holocaust & Peace Studies.

Five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer dubbed "The Ambasssodor of the Great American Songbook", Michael Feinstein is consider by some one of the premier interpreters of American Standards today.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: $100 Premier Seating, $ 50 Patron Seating, $ 20 Student Seating. Call The Farthing Auditorium Box Office 800.841.2787 or 828.262.4046.

Special Lodging offer in Boone - Save up to 20% when you book early.

Holiday Inn Express - Boone 129 room hotel offering: two room suites with fireplaces, a jacuzzi and a balcony; King rooms with jacuzzi and standard rooms with Queen beds. All guest rooms have complimentary high speed wireless internet service. Free hot breakfast and free local phone calls.

Stay at the ASU Inn

Broyhill Inn and Conference Center Enjoy a personal or group retreat, eat and meet in the High Country. 20,000 sq. ft. full service conference center facility available. Comfortable lodging includesfree continental breakfast in the Jackson Dining Room.Owned and operated by Appalachian State University.

Boone Historic Bed and Breakfast

Lovill House Bed and Breakfast An historic 1875 farmhouse set on 11 wooded acres on the town edge, heavily wooded and secluded on all sides. Close to everything, but with a real country feel. 3 fireplaces, original maple and wide pine plank flooring, contemporary wormy chestnut archways, beams, and door/door frames. Waterfall, stream, gazebo, 14 perennial gardens, original barn, and wrap around porch on 3 sides of the house with rocking chairs . All modern amenities including WiFi, TV & DVD/VHS players and libraries, complimentary beer, wine, lemonade and sodas.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Chimney Rock Park hosts 5th Annual Race to the Rock

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park will host its 5^th annual Race to the Rock at the Park on Sunday, August 28, 2011. Race to the Rock climbs the steep, winding Park road and finishes in the top parking lot with breathtaking 75-mile views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge. The 25-mile bike race starts at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K run starts at 7:45 a.m.
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Race to the Rock is part of the 7^th Annual Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad, a three-day, family sports festival, and is professionally managed by Set Up Events. Registration is $35 in advance online or $40 walk-up. For more information or to register, visit www.hickorynutolympiad.com or call 828-429-9011.

“Race to the Rock is a bold challenge for the adventurous runner or cyclist. Everyone who finishes this race will have accomplished an incredible feat and gets to enjoy the panoramic views of Lake Lure and the Gorge at the finish line,” said Matt Popowski, PR & Events Coordinator at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park.
Race Information.The 5k run starts in Chimney Rock Village, climbs the 7% grade of the Park road and finishes in the top parking lot below the Rock. The bike race, formerly a 7k course, has been extended to 25 miles. It starts in the Village in a time trial format every 15 seconds, heads east on Hwy 64 and loops back to finish on the Park road just below the Rock. This is the only time anyone can run or bike up to Chimney Rock. All cyclists must be inside the Park (about 22 miles into the course) by 9:30 a.m. to finish the race. Cyclists who do not enter the park by 9:30 a.m. will not be able to finish. Also, cyclists will NOT be allowed to ride down the mountain this year after the race. Shuttles will provide transportation up and down the Park road. Medals for top finishers are awarded in all age groups.

Registration. Registration is $35 in advance online or $40 walk-up. On-line registration closes on August 25 at 7:30 a.m. Walk-up registration begins at 6 a.m. on race day at the Old Rock Café in Chimney Rock Village. Race to the Rock is the final competition in the 3 Races in 3 Days challenge. Proceeds benefit non-profit, community organizations in the Hickory Nut Gorge. Visit www.hickorynutolympiad.com for more info.

Delayed Park Opening. Due to Race to the Rock and the bike race’s extended length, Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park will open to the public at 10 a.m. However, spectators of Race to the Rock will be allowed to enter the Park with free admission prior to the race at 7:30 a.m.

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is a developing international outdoor destination located 25 miles southeast of Asheville on Highway 64/74A in Chimney Rock, N.C. It is recognized as one of the Southeast’s most iconic sites and popular travel destinations. The Park’s 535-million-year-old monolith called Chimney Rock offers guests 75-mile panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. Hickory Nut Gorge, one of the state’s most significant centers of biodiversity, is home to 36 rare plant species and 14 rare animal species, and the second highest waterfall of its kind in the eastern United States. A destination for travel groups, weddings and special events, the Park also hosts innovative educational programs for schools, homeschoolers, scouts and summer camps.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Get a Buzz at Chimney Rock Park

August 20 Chimney Rock Park hosts Get the "Buzz on Bees". More than one third of the world's food supply, including fruits and vegetables, depends on honeybees for pollination. Even your home garden and flowers wouldn't make it without them! Learn more about how our survival depends on honeybees, why they are disappearing and how you can help by joining us at the Park from 11am-3pm.

Observe enclosed live bee hives, learn the basics of beekeeping and bee-friendly backyards, dress up to win the bee costume contest and bring home a variety of local honey products! Kids' activities will be offered too. No additional charge with paid admission.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Bluegrass Gospel at the Blue Ridge Music Center

On Saturday August 20th there will be a FREE concert at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax featuring three top-flight bands: Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Rich In Tradition, and Sonrise performing traditional and original bluegrass-gospel and mountain gospel music.

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice

Junior Sisk and Rambler's Choice are known for their hard driving, soulful, bluegrass sound that showcases Junior's strong vocals and songs steeped in the hills of Virginia. From the first sung notes, you'll see why Junior Sisk has been nominated so many times for songwriter and male vocalist-of-the-year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice are currently working on their new CD, "The Heart of a Song" and have several other acclaimed recordings.

Hear Junior Sisk and Rambler's Choice here.

Rich in Tradition

Drawing from the deep well of Galax and Mt. Airy, Rich In Tradition started out in a blaze winning many fiddlers conventions right from the start, including the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Their hot instrumentals and vocals are sure to fire up the start of this concert. And if two great bands wasn't enough, Sonrise is on the concert bill as well. For over twenty years now, Fredericksburg Virginia's, Sonrise has been gaining recognition and popularity for their strong harmony gospel singing - with bluegrass band instrumentation as well as a cappella (unaccompanied) songs. Some of the best new, original gospel songs today are being written and sung by this band.

Listen to Rich in Tradition here.

Hear Sonrise here.

The Bluegrass Gospel Concert starts at 7pm. Seating opens at 5:30pm. Admission is free!! Bring a lawn chair, a picnic and your friends. Concessions available. This free concert was made possible with your support through the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation - Your stewardship in action!

* Free concerts are made possible with your support through the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

The Blue Ridge Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Save on advance tickets! Info and tickets are available online at www.blueridgemusiccenter.org or by calling (276) 236-5309. Bring the whole family. Picnic food is permitted. No pets or alcohol in the amphitheater. The Music Center has evening concerts every weekend all summer through mid-September at the foot of beautiful Fisher Peak (only 10 miles from Galax). Concessions are available on concert nights. Lawnchairs and blankets recommended. The Blue Ridge Music Center is open 9-5 seven days a week through October 30. Come see the new Roots of American Music exhibition and sit awhile in our covered breezeway and listen to Mid-Day Mountain Music from 12-4pm daily. There is no fee for Visitor Center activities

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.