=
Directly on the Parkway
|
|  -
Handicapped accessible (call for level of accessibility) It is
always a good idea to make advanced arrangements prior to your visit to these
sites.
$-
Admission Charged
FREE-
No admission charged
|
| YEARLY
FESTIVALS
& EVENTS |
An
Appalachian Summer Festival
July
Come
and enjoy the High Country's Festival of the Arts, featuring the finest in music,
dance, theatre and visual arts during the month of July. Sponsored by Appalachian
State University. 800-841-ARTS or
www.
appsummer.appstate
.edu
Tweetsie Railroad July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza
July
4
Bring your family and
enjoy the festivities and the fireworks at Tweetsie.
800-526-5740
www.tweetsie.com
Home
& Garden Tour
July
Enjoy touring beautiful mountain
homes in the Boone area. Sponsored by Daniel Boone Native Gardens.
828-264-6390
Music Fest in Sugar Grove
July
13-14 2007
The Fourth Annual Doc
Watson Music Fest will be held at the Historic Cove Creek School. While at the
Festival, be sur to visit the Doc & Merle Watson Folk Art Museum.
828-297-2200
www.covecreek.net
Kraut Creek Streetfest
September
A favorite of locals and visitors, the Old Boone Streetfest
celebrates the mountains, our music, traditions, crafts & food.
800-852-9506
www.
boonechamber.com
Tweetsie RR Halloween Festival
October
Go to Tweetsie during the day
and come back in the evening for the Halloween festival as Casey Jones turns into
Casey Bones and Tweetsie turns into the Ghost Train. Fun for all! Be sure to call
ahead for tickets & reservations.
800-526-5740
www.tweetsie.com
Valle
Country Fair
October 20, 2007
The
best in traditional mountain fairs featuring crafts, music, food and great fun!
In Valle Crucis.
828-963-4609
Hickory Ridge Homestead Apple Festival
October
Held at Hickory Ridge Homestead near
Horn in the West in Boone, the Apple Festival celebrates mountain crafts, music,
food...and, yes, apples!
800-852-9506
www.
boonechamber.com
Appalachian Ski Mtn's New Year's Eve Celebration &
Fireworks
Dec.
31
Bring the whole
family to a fun-filled celebration. Featuring torchlight parade, fireworks &
great fun!
800-322-2373
www.appskimtn.com
|
|
|
Points
of Interest |
|
|
Grandview
Overlook - Gorgeous
view--as the name implies! Located at MP 281.7 FREE |
|
| Daniel
Boone Trace - The
rich history of our area includes many visits from pioneer Daniel Boone. In the
mid 1700s, Boone had a camping cabin in Boone (where ASU is now located) and regularly
hunted the area. At this stop, (MP 285.1), there is a monument and a roadside
picnic table. FREE |
|
| Raven's
Rock Overlook- Views
of valley surrounding the Watauga River. No picnic access but great place to pull
off and tailgate while enjoying the view. MP 289 FREE |
|
| Thunder
Hill Overlook- View
overlooks Yadkin River valley. Can see Hickory & Lenoir. Great views during
the day and particularly at night. Also great place to pull off to tailgate. MP
290 FREE |
|
| Downtown
Boone - 2
Hrs. - Featuring charming and distinctive shoppes, antique
markets, boutiques and restaurants. From MP 276.4, take Hwy. 421
North until it becomes King Street - and you're there! Be sure to see all the
stores on Main Street like Old Boone Mercantile, but also turn on Depot Street
and then right onto Howard to visit that area as well. |
|
| An
Appalachian Summer Festival --
The High Country's Festival of the Arts featuring the finest in music, dance,
theater and visual arts during the month of July each year. Sponsored by and held
at Appalachian State University. From MP 276.4 take Hwy. 421 North
until it becomes King Street. Turn left at Daniel Boone Inn Restaurant and then
right onto Rivers Street. Events are held at various venues on campus. Call 800-841-ARTS
or 800-438-7500 for a calendar, times and venues.
www.appsummer.appstate.edu | |
| Magic
Mountain Mini-Golf & Gem Mine - 1
to 2 hrs. - A challenging and fun-filled course set on a mountainside amidst the
beauty of nature and waterfalls. Mine for gems in NC enriched ore. All equipment
provided. From MP 276.4, take Hwy. 421 North into Boone. Turn left
on Hwy. 105, go through the 321 intersection. Magic Mountain is less than 1 mile
from intersection on left. 828-265-4653 $ |
|
| Daniel
Boone Native Gardens - 30
minutes to 1 hour - Featuring a collection of NC native
plant material in an informal landscape designed for education and preservation.
See the wrought iron gates made by Daniel Boone VI, a direct descendent of the
great pioneer. Seasonal operation. A great place to go before you hike
so that you can "name that vegetation" along the way! From MP 276.4,
take Hwy. 421 north to Boone, turn left onto Hwy. 105, turn right onto Hwy. 321.
Turn right in between funeral home and Pizza Hut onto Horn in the West Drive.
From MP 291.9, take Hwy. 321 into Boone, go through large intersection
and turn right in between funeral home & Pizza Hut onto Horn in the West Drive.
828-264-6390
$
| |
| Watauga
County Farmers Market- 1
Hr. - The Watauga County Farmer's Market at the historic
Horn in the West, Features the finest produce, fresh eggs, baked goods, crafts,
cut flowers, garden and specialty plants. Open every Saturday May through October
and also Wednesdays in July and August. Hours are 8:00 a.m. till noon. From
MP 276.4, take Hwy. 421 north to Boone, turn left onto Hwy. 105, turn
right onto Hwy. 321. Turn right in between funeral home and Pizza Hut onto Horn
in the West Drive. From MP 291.9, take Hwy. 321 into Boone,
go through large intersection and turn right in between funeral home & Pizza
Hut onto Horn in the West Drive. 423-727-9370 or
www.wataugacountyfarmersmarket.org
| |
| Horn
in the West - 2.5
Hrs. - The nation's third oldest outdoor drama telling the
story of the Revolutionary War and warmly portrays Daniel Boone and his pioneer
friends as they faced the danger of the British army and Cherokee Indians. in
western NC. Open at 8pm nightly except Mondays from June-August. From MP
276.4, take Hwy. 421 north to Boone, turn left onto Hwy. 105, turn right
onto Hwy. 321. Turn right in between funeral home and Pizza Hut onto Horn in the
West Drive. From MP 291.9, take Hwy. 321 into Boone, go through
large intersection and turn right in between funeral home & Pizza Hut onto
Horn in the West Drive. 828-264-2120 or
www.boonenc.org/saha
$
| |
| Howard's
Knob -
1
Hr. - A
great place for a picnic or to see Boone from above. Covered tables and spectacular
views of the area. From MP 276.4, take Hwy. 321 until it turns into King Street,
then turn right onto Depot Street at the Old Boone Mercantile. At the stop sign,
turn left onto North Street and then shortly after, turn right onto Junaluska
Rd. Take Junaluska almost to the top where it runs into Howard's Knob Rd. FREE |
|
| Mast
General Store - 1
hr. - Listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, the original Mast General Store is located in Valle Crucis. Once known
for selling everything from "cradles to caskets," this landmark still
carries nearly everything you'd need for life in the past century and most of
this one. From MP 276.4, go north toward Boone on Hwy. 421, turn left on
Hwy. 105 and go about 3 miles. Turn right at stoplight just after bridge onto
State Rd. 1112/Broadstone Rd. Mast General Store is approximately 2 miles on right
(you will also pass the Mast General Store annex and Mast Farm Inn on the way--stop
there, too!) 828-963-6511 or www.mastgeneralstore.com |
|
| Appalachian
Ski Mtn. - Half
Day to All Day! - Ski,
snowboard and ice skate at Appalachian Ski Mtn. Featuring 8 slopes, 6 lifts, a
365' vertical drop and an elevation of 4,000 feet. Family-oriented fun with spectacular
scenery! Open mid November through March each year (depending on weather). From
MP 291, Appalachian Ski Mtn. is just a very short distance up Hwy. 321 toward
Boone. Turn left onto Edmiston Road (there is a traffic light at Edmiston during
the winter months) 800-322-2373 or www.appskimtn.com
$ |
|
| Appalachian
Heritage Museum & Native American Artifacts Museum - 30
minutes to 1 hour - The Appalachian Heritage Museum is housed in a 1903 house
originally built by the founding father of Appalachian State University. It has
been restored to portray the lifestyle of middle class mountain families from
the late 1800s to the early 1900s. The Native American Artifacts Museum houses
over 50,000 pieces of authentic Native American artifacts including arrowheads,
effigy pipes, bowls, celts and awls. The largest collection of its kind in NC.
From MP 291.9, take Hwy. 321 toward Boone and the Museums will be on the left
beside Mystery Hill. 828-264-2792
www.mysteryhill-nc.com $ |
|
| Mystery
Hill - 1
to 2 hrs. - Mystery Hill explores the relationship of science, optical illusion
and natural phenomena in a hands-on entertainment center. Enter the Mystery House
where a stronger than average pull to the north causes some basic laws of physics
to work a bit differently than normal. Stand at a 45 degree angle and watch a
ball roll up hill. Also enter the Hall of Mystery to have fun with interactive
optical illusions, puzzles and life-size bubbles. Appalachian Heritage Museum
and Native American Artifacts Museum also on site. From MP 291.9, its a straight
shot up Hwy. 321 toward Boone. Mystery Hill is on your left. 828-264-2792
www.mysteryhill-nc.com $ |
|
| Tweetsie
Railroad - 4-6
hrs. - Family theme park with three-mile
train ride, crafts, live entertainment, Country Fair rides and a petting zoo.
Featuring the Number 12 engine, part of the original "Tweetsie" which
ran through the High Country--and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Open mid-May through mid-August every day and weekends from August through October.
Featuring Halloween Festival on weekend evenings in October. From MP 291.9,
go about 1.5 miles on Hwy. 321 and Tweetsie will be on your left. 828-264-9061
or www.tweetsie.com
$ |
|
|
| Facts
& Folklore |
| Daniel
Boone Slept Here! - While Boone bears
the name of the famous pioneer, he wasn't born here and he didn't die here. But
Boone did supposedly have a hunting cabin here where he spent a great deal of
time. The cabin was located where the campus of ASU is now. A sculpture of Daniel
and his hunting dogs can be found on River's Street near Stadium Drive. |
| Boone
Named Best Town- Did you know that Boone
is a perennial member of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America," and
was Blue Ridge Country magazines' 1998 readers' choice as "Best Mountain
Town"? |
| Origins
of Area Names | | Seven
Devils: Seven men on horseback who were interested
in developing the mountain with seven peaks encountered a rumor that there was
an old man who had seven sons "as mean as the devil." The founders wanted
a catchy, unique name that would bring attention to the mountain. They noticed
the repeated appearance of the number seven, including the seven predominant rocky
peaks surrounding Valley Creek--and also many coincidental reference to "devils"--people
also commented about the mountain, "it is as cold as the devil," or
"as windy as the devil." | | Valle
Crucis: Means "Valley of the Cross,"
named for two mountain streams that flow toward each other and when emptying into
Dutch Creek, form a St. Andrews cross. | | Watauga
County: Cherokee name which is said to mean "Beautiful
Waters," "River of Islands," and "The Land Beyond," but
no one knows for sure. | | Tweetsie
Railroad : Gets its affectionate name from the
mountain people who loved the train's shrill whistle. The train began in 1882
as the ET & WNC Railroad and finally ran from Boone to Johnson City in 1918.
It is now a popular theme park between Boone & Blowing Rock. |
| Meat
Camp : Meat Camp was so named because of a cabin
that stood on the land where hunters would store their meat and hides while they
hunted the land. | | Aho
Gap : Aho was actually named by a committee.
When a name was in the process of being chosen, there was always a conflict with
whatever was suggested, so the committee decided that the next word spoken, no
matter what it was, would be the name of the new community. After a long silence,
BB Dougherty (father of ASU) stood up, stretched, and said, "Aho." |
| Wildflowers
You Might Spot From MP 276-291 |
| Dwarf
Iris - Mar-April | | Birdfoot
Violet - Mar-May | | Buttercups
- Mar-June | | Wild
Strawberry - Mar-June | | Crested
Dwarf Iris - Apr-May | | Flame
Azalea - May-June | | Fraser
Magnolia - May | | Catawba
Rhododendron - June | | Beard
Tongue - June-July | | Mountain
Laurel - June-July |
| Birds
You Might Spot From MP 276-291 |
| Red-tailed
Hawks | | Chestnut-sided
Warblers | | Black-throated
Blue Warblers | | Canada
Warblers | | Slate-colored
Juncos | | White-breasted
Nuthatches | | Rose-breasted
Grosbeaks | | |
