5 minute read
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.
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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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
Interesting Data & Facts
Weather - Population - Land Area
POPULATION & LAND AREA
Avery County
Population: 17,689 Land area: 247.1 sq. miles
Watauga County
Population: 52,906 Land area: 312.6 sq. miles
Banner Elk
Population: 1,067 Land area: 1.9 sq. miles Elevation: 3,701
Beech Mountain
Population: 320 Land area: 6.6 sq. miles Elevation: 5,505 feet
Boone
Population: 18,130 Land area: 6.13 sq. miles Elevation: 3,333 feet
Blowing Rock
Population: 1,237 Land area: 3.05 sq. miles Elevation: 3,566 feet
Newland
Population: 688 Land area: 0.7 sq. miles Elevation: 3,606 feet
Seven Devils
Population: 197 Land area: 2 sq. miles Elevation: 3,944 feet
Biggest One-Day Snowfall in Watauga/Avery
25.1 inches on Grandfather Mtn. on Jan. 31, 1998 24 inches in Blowing Rock on March 13, 1993 22.5 inches on Grandfather Mtn. on Jan. 10, 1996 22 inches in Banner Elk on March 13, 1993 20 inches atop Grandfather Mtn. on March 22, 2001 19 inches in Boone on Jan 27, 1998 18 inches in Banner Elk on Feb. 7, 1922
Highest Temperature in Watauga/Avery
98 degrees – June 21, 1948 in Banner Elk 98 – June 26, 1916 in Banner Elk 98 – June 26, 1948 in Banner Elk 97 – August 9, 1944 in Banner Elk 97 – August 12, 1925 in Banner Elk 96 – July 10, 1936 in Boone 94 – June 29, 1936 in Boone 93 – June 28, 1952 in Boone 93 – June 30, 1936 in Boone
Lowest Temperature in Watuaga/Avery
- 32 degrees – Jan. 21, 1985 atop Grandfather Mtn. - 31 – Jan. 21, 1985 in Banner Elk - 26 – Jan. 10, 1982 in Banner Elk - 26 – Jan. 30, 1966 atop Grandfather Mountain - 24 – Jan. 21, 1985 in Blowing Rock - 24 – Jan. 21, 1985 in Boone - 22 – Jan. 24, 1963 atop Grandfather Mountain
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