Things To Know Parkway • Eating Out • Chambers of Commerce
This visitor guide includes all the information you will need to make the most out of your vacation time in the High Country. Don’t miss out on all the wonders the area has to offer! Let us help you discover the High Country this fall. DRIVE THE PARKWAY — Take our word for it. It’s a place that, no matter how many times you see it, you’re always ready to revisit and explore it further. This guide highlights a few of the not-to-miss stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and if you ask anyone on the street, they’ll tell you the same—it’s the one thing you have to do while you’re here. Go out for a drive and you’ll see exactly why it keeps us coming back. See page 31.
open and follow the signs and you should find public parking close to your destination. Look for Blowing Rock’s parking deck and in Downtown Boone, public parking on the north side of the business district.
TWEETSIE, MYSTERY HILL, THE BLOWING ROCK, GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, LINVILLE CRAVERNS — All are classic
attractions that have entertained thousands of visitors and locals over the years. While you’re in town, don’t miss these sites that have helped define the High Country for many generations. Read information about area attractions starting on page 20.
LOTS OF DINING OPPORTUNITIES — Go out to eat! You’re on vacation, after all. There are more than 200 local restaurants in the High Country waiting for you to be their guest, so go to a few you’ve never tried before. Check out any of the ones mentioned in this guide and you’re guaranteed to find great food, a unique atmosphere and friendly faces. See page 34.
VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR VISITORS
Each town – including Watauga County as a whole – has a Tourism Development Authority (TDA) that highlights all of the wonderful things that communities like Seven Devils, Sugar Mountain, Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and Beech Mountain have to offer to visitors of the High Country. Not only a valuable resource to tourists, these organizations are a boon to local businesses and attractions, too, by enticing folks to the area. And once here? We know how quickly people will fall in the love with – and return to – the High Country. See ads on inside cover, pages 1, 3, 9, 10 and 11 for examples of local TDA’s.
TAKE A HIKE — Its what we do up here in the mountains. It’s a combination of the solitude and the adventure of twisting trails along an array of mountain landscapes. It’s never knowing what’s around the next bend. We’ve even compiled some of our favorite places for your benefit, starting on page 56. PARKING DOES EXIST — It may not look like it at first glance, but keep your eyes
Chambers of Commerce
n BOONE: 264-2225 • 870 W. King Street, Suite A
Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30-4:30 • www.boonechamber.com
n BLOWING ROCK: 295-7851 • 132 Park Avenue Open Mon.-Fri. 9-5 • www.blowingrock.com
n BANNER ELK: 898-8395 • 100 West Main St. • Open Mon.-Sun. 10-5 • www.bannerelk.org n BEECH MOUNTAIN: 387-9283 • 403-A Beech Mtn Pky. Open Mon.-Sat. 9-5 • www.beechmtn.com n AVERY-BANNER ELK: 898-5605 • 4501 Tynecastle Hwy. Suite 2. • Open Mon.-Fri. • www.averycounty.com 4
VISITOR’S GUIDE AUTUMN 2021
