High Country Host

High Country Host: Plan your trip without the stress

BY KAYLA LASURE

Even in a year of COVID-19 when the typical pace of life changed, High Country Host — a nonprofit regional welcome center — had a 50 percent increase in visitation and phone calls to the center in summer 2020.

“I think it’s because people were coming to our area to escape the larger cities,” said Candice Cook, High Country Host’s marketing director.

Cook predicted the High Country will have a busier than normal summer again this year in 2021 as people still want to stay away from larger crowds and spend time outdoors. As visitors plan their summer trips to the area, the High Country Host staff are prepared to give the best advice on how to make the most out of a trip to the area.

High Country Host collects information about five counties in the region that include the towns of Beech Mountain, Banner Elk, Boone, Blowing Rock, Sugar Mountain, West Jefferson, Wilkesboro and Sparta.

The regional visitor center has detailed information about the Blue Ridge Parkway, including all of the hiking maps visitors would get at the parkway facilities which are currently closed; the parkway itself is open to motorists and hikers, but facilities remain closed to in-person traffic. Visitors can also gather brochures and information about event schedules and most local attractions.

“We encourage people to come in here at the beginning of their stay so we can help them plan their week so they don’t try to plan to go to West Jefferson and Banner Elk in the same day,” Cook said. “A lot of people don’t realize the distance between the towns, how long you should spend at different attractions or long it might take you to finish a certain hiking trail.”

High Country Host also offers information about local lodging options. If visitors are having difficulty finding lodging on major holiday weekends, High Country Host keeps a list of last minute lodging vacancies. Cook said hotels, condos and cabins notify High Country Host if they have a last minute cancellation.

Many of the phone calls that High Country Host staff have received are with inquiries about whether free live outdoor music will be available this summer and fall, and about local festivals such as the Highland Games.

Due to COVID-19, High Country Host has been involved with a local live entertainment planner committee in which area organizers who plan live entertainment could get together and discuss what their plans are. In the spring, the committee posted a survey asking locals and visitors to give input on what type of events and safety parameters would make them more likely to attend events in 2021.

Cook said the committee distributed the results to live entertainment planners so they could make decisions about items such as whether or not they wanted to add more hand sanitizer stations or have tickets sold strictly online. Because of that committee, Cook said High Country Host has good inside information as to what entertainment will be like this summer and fall.

Results from the survey indicated that the majority of people were overwhelmingly in support of bringing back live entertainment this year, and that they were willing to pay for events even if they are typically free just so live entertainment could return.

Most survey respondents said they felt more comfortable purchasing tickets in advance online, and that they were interested in having reserved seating.

For more information, call (828) 264-1299 or visit highcountryhost. com.

PHOTO SUBMITTED North Carolina High Country Host operates the Official Regional Welcome Center located on Hwy. 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, within view of N.C. Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost Exit 291.

HIGH COUNTRY HOST

High Country Host is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The regional welcome center is located at 6370 U.S. 321, Blowing Rock.

As of early May, High Country Host was still taking some safety precautions as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Candice Cook, High Country Host’s marketing director. The visitor center had a hand sanitizer station for visitors to use. The center’s water fountain was closed, but the water bottle filler station was open for use.

Cook said the center also had to-go bags with information in the lobby and an outdoor box by the front door with maps and travel information if visitors don’t feel comfortable coming into the visitor center.