High Country Host

A need-toknow visitor center

BY MOSS BRENNAN

The beautiful landscape and multiple exciting destinations in the High Country offer many adventures for those traveling. But the rolling peaks and valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains also make for plenty of winding, curvy, two-lane roads, making a road trip a destination in itself.

That can mean certain destinations a weary traveler sees on a map may not be as “close together” as it seems, and travel time takes longer than it would in flatter areas off the mountain. That’s where a stop or call to the High Country Host regional welcome center comes in. They can help you plan your day trips so that you’re not spending big chunks of your vacation in the car.

North Carolina High Country Host operates the Official Regional Welcome Center located between Boone and Blowing Rock, within view of part of the area’s portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost Exit 291. The Welcome Center provides maps, brochures, coupons, upcoming event handouts and travel counselor support, as well as clean public restrooms and an area to walk your pets. The center is housed in (but not affiliated with) Appalachian Ski Mtn.’s visitor kiosk.

For more than 40 years, High Country Host has represented destinations in five counties, including the towns of Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, West Jefferson, Wil-

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, at Milepost Exit 291.

kesboro and Sparta.

And all during that time, they answer questions from thousands of visitors each year. The most common question they get is “What’s going on today?” High Country Host keeps a weekly calendar of all events in the area which can be found at highcountrycalendar.com.

High Country Host also offers insider information and updates that many visitors won’t find anywhere else. In addition to helping you plan day trips with travel time in mind, High Country Host can advise on which hotels and lodging facilities have vacancies.

With the cold weather, a lot of questions can come from people who came up to ski, but the conditions aren’t good for it.

Some of the other places High Country Host suggests to people includes Linville Caverns, Apple Hill Farm and Grandfather Mountain.

The visitor center staff can also advise on group size limits at various establishments and whether you can walk in on the day of your visit or need to book several days in advance, Cook said.

The High Country Host Official Regional Welcome Center is located at 6370 U.S. Highway 321 South in Blowing Rock, N.C. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (828) 264-1299 or (800) 438-7500, or visit highcountryhost.com.