Hype for the Future 100H: What is the High Country of North Carolina?

Overview

The High Country of the State of North Carolina refers to the relatively higher elevations in the mountainous portions of the State of North Carolina. The State of North Carolina is home to the numerous communities at higher elevations within the region, and the cities at higher elevation that are also somewhat larger often define the cultural boundaries of the High Country, culturally distinct from Asheville and more influenced by the Tri-Cities to the west and even Roanoke to the north. Today, communities such as Boone and Blowing Rock are hydrologically related to the New River Valley, which typically defines the region known as the High Country. Based on the New River definition of the High Country, the region specifically refers to the areas around the City of Boone in Watauga County and in a number of surrounding counties within the State.

Hype for the Future 100G: Ashe County, North Carolina

Introduction

Ashe County is located at the northwestern corner of the State of North Carolina, with the Commonwealth of Virginia to the north and the State of Tennessee to the west. The county is deeply embedded within the Great Smoky Mountains and is a popular vacation and retiree destination located within the higher elevations of the region, especially attractive to visitors from Florida, Georgia, and the lower elevations of the Carolinas.

Communities

While the Town of Jefferson is the county seat of Ashe County, the resort town of West Jefferson provides the vast majority of the cultural features associated with the area. Today, the Town of West Jefferson contains such cultural traits as the R T Morgan Art Gallery, the Catch Light Gallery, the Originals Only Gallery, and the Ashe Arts Center. To the east of the primary communities is the New River State Park, with the upper New River remaining a point of cultural significance throughout the region otherwise known as the High Country.

Hype for the Future 100E: Madison County, North Carolina

Introduction

Madison County is located along the western edge of the State of North Carolina, with the Town of Marshall serving as the county seat and the Town of Mars Hill to the east serving as the largest community within the county.

Attractions

Locally within the Town of Marshall is an art gallery known as “Flow” as well as a statue on the Charters of Freedom. Further east, the Town of Mars Hill is home to Mars Hill University as well as the Mars Landing Galleries and Arts Center outside campus. On the eastern edge of the Mars Hill campus are the Weizenblatt Gallery as well as the Rural Heritage Museum.

Hype for the Future 100C: Town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Overview

The Town of Spruce Pine represents the largest town located within the boundaries of Mitchell County, North Carolina, and is situated within one of just a few places where high-purity quartz can be found, especially within the Spruce Pine Mining District. While not much exists in tourist attractions within Spruce Pine, lodging is available throughout the community and Mitchell County, including the iconic Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel.

Hype for the Future 100B: Grandfather Mountain

Introduction

Largely associated with Avery County, Grandfather Mountain is situated at the highest elevation along the Eastern Continental Divide in the United States of America. Though Mount Mitchell is situated at an even higher elevation, Mitchell is located further west and not along the Eastern Continental Divide in any way.

Infrastructure

The entirely gated community known as Grandfather is located directly at the centerpiece of Grandfather Mountain in the western portion of the State of North Carolina. Nearby, the community of Linville is associated with the modern Highland Games event known as Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Surrounding communities are also home to tourist attractions along the Blue Ridge Mountains, including the overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway associated with Grandfather Mountain and surrounding areas. Also associated with Grandfather Mountain is the site of Grandfather Mountain State Park, recognizing the role of the mountain as the highest point directly along the proper Eastern Continental Divide.

Hype for the Futute 100A: Avery County, North Carolina

Overview

Situated immediately outside the Town of Banner Elk are two notable ski resorts in the area, namely the Beech Mountain Resort in the north and the Sugar Mountain Resort in the south. Wildcat Lake is situated nearby, and Grandfather Mountain is situated somewhat further to the southeast. In town, however, is the Banner House Museum, largely home to preserved historical artifacts from the 1860s in an analogous historic home. To the east of town, the Banner Elk community is also home to the Apple Hill Farm, which requires tickets.

Hype for the Future 100/284: Town of Banner Elk, North Carolina

Overview

The Town of Banner Elk is the largest town located within Avery County, North Carolina. However, the Town of Newland to the south serves as the county seat, and the most significant geographical interest related to the county is the relatively high elevation associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the region. Today, the Town of Newland is the county seat with the highest elevation east of the Mississippi River, while the Town of Banner Elk is home to the college or university of the highest elevation in the eastern part of the country. The college is known as Lees-McRae College, and the surrounding area is largely determined by rural mountain communities, thus with minimal population.

Hype for the Future 99N: Grayson County, Virginia

Introduction

Located firmly within the Appalachian, and more specifically, Blue Ridge, portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia is Grayson County, a Virginian county home to the Town of Independence and associated Independence Gallery as well as much of the Grayson Highlands State Park.

Geography

Topographically, Grayson is the Virginian county most commonly attributed to the highest elevation found in the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, the official highest point on the mountain may actually be shared with a neighboring western county, namely Smyth County.

Tourist Attractions

Apart from the local gallery serving the Town of Independence, more easterly tourist attractions include the Matthews Living History Farm Museum and the Blue Ridge Music Center, though the latter may actually be shared with Carroll County immediately to the east. Both tourist draws are identified as within the general vicinity of the independent City of Galax.

Hype for the Future 99M: Notable Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina Edition

Introduction

Within the State of North Carolina are many of the highest elevations located east of the Mississippi River within the United States of America. While Mount Mitchell represents the highest natural point in the State of North Carolina as well as in the east in general, neither the Eastern Continental Divide nor the Great Smoky Mountains divide between the States of North Carolina and Tennessee contain the official highest point. Mount Mitchell is, in fact, situated directly in between the two, east of the Tennessee state line but entirely west of the Eastern Continental Divide, thus associating with the Tennessee Valley first by way of associated river tributaries in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Additional Mountains of Intersst

Apart from Mount Mitchell, two of the other most notable mountain peaks in the State of North Carolina include Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) and Grandfather Mountain. While Kuwohi is the highest point of the Great Smoky Mountains and of the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, Grandfather Mountain contains the geographical high point of the Eastern Continental Divide through the United States of America. Also associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, albeit north of the Great Smoky Mountains, is the highest natural peak in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mount Rogers, directly within the limits of Grayson County and within reach of the Town of Independence.

Hype for the Future 99J: Haywood County, North Carolina

Introduction

Haywood County is located in the western portion of the State of North Carolina and serves as the largest county by population in the portion of the state west of the City of Asheville. The smaller City of Waynesville serves as the county seat, and the artificial Lake Junaluska to the north anchors a significant unincorporated community and a novelty residential area similar to gated communities located elsewhere throughout the nation.

Geography

The City of Waynesville is located within a region straddling the edges of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, depending on the associated side of the area. Usually, the community is considered a core community of the Great Smoky Mountains; however, the eastern portion of the county is largely closer to sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Attractions

Most of the attractions associated with Haywood County, North Carolina, are located within the City of Waynesville, including, but not limited to, the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in the Shelton House of History, Heritage, and Crafts and a number of art conservatories associated with the smaller city as with numerous other Western North Carolina (WNC) communities. Apart from the Waynesville Conservatory, the primary art galleries associated with the smaller city include the Curatory Gallery (Art Contempo), the T Pennington Art Gallery, and the Twigs and Leaves Gallery. The Buckner Gallery is also located within the area, albeit further to the northeast.

Hype for the Future 99I: Biltmore Estate

Introduction

Located within the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, North Carolina, is the highly renowned and often prestigious location known as the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore Estate, though with perhaps a lesser-known history, is largely influenced by the geographical setting of the area within the Appalachian Mountains, with the Great Smoky Mountains to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east.

Context

According to the Biltmore website, the Biltmore Estate represents the largest home in the United States of America and was originally associated with the construction by George Vanderbilt. Numerous exhibits and slower-paced attractions are associated with the estate, dependent on the time of day, time of year, and other factors; however, the grounds are largely associated with the southwestern portion of the county.

Hype for the Future 99H: Hayesville, North Carolina

Overview — Hayesville

The Town of Hayesville is centrally located within Clay County, North Carolina, and serves as the county seat. Located in the western portion of the State of North Carolina immediately north of the Georgia state line is the town, which serves as home to the Clay County Historical and Arts Museum as well as the Historic Clay County Courthouse at the Beal Center.

Overview — Clay County

Outside the Town of Hayesville, additional communities of county interest include the unincorporated community of Brasstown, home to the Silva and Highlander Galleries, in the west and the Jackrabbit Mountain area around Chatuge Lake in the south-central portion of the county adjacent to the Georgia state line to the south. In the east, the Shooting Creek Scenic Overlook is situated along Route 64, providing access to scenic views associated with the Blue Ridge Mountain of the region and possibly views into the State of Georgia as well. Though located outside the State of North Carolina, the Brasstown Bald along the line of Union County (west) and Towns County (east) within the State of Georgia is also of cultural significance to the region.

Hype for the Future 99F: The Great Smoky Mountains At-Large

Introduction

The Great Smoky Mountains, largely determining the border between the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, is identified as a region of cultural significance, with many of the thrill attractions on the Tennessee side in Sevier County while the historical museums of the area are predominantly on the North Carolina side of the border.

Tennessee

The most important tourist draw to the Great Smoky Mountains is the Tennessee side of the area, containing such communities as Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge. While Gatlinburg is most notable for the cultural and artistic significance as a mountain retreat with cultural similarities occasionally resembling Asheville more than Knoxville, Pigeon Forge contains many of the most significant tourist destinations, including lighter thrill rides, zip line cultures, and notable figures in modern popular culture. While Sevierville, the county seat of Sevier County, may not be as much of a tourist destination, the community also contains honorary references to figures situated elsewhere within the county.

North Carolina

On the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains, civilization can vary quite dramatically, from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians around Cherokee and Bryson City, including Swain and surrounding counties, to the numerous museums and related cultural aspects regarding Scots and Scots-Irish culture and even a few minor universities in the region.

Though quite a distance from the mainstream Smoky Mountain attractions, Cherokee County is most notable around the Town of Murphy for the Cherokee Historical Museum. A separate museum is dedicated to the Cherokee people and is located within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the community of Cherokee within Swain County. The Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) Observation Deck is located directly at the high point of the Great Smoky Mountains and the highest elevation dividing the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, partially in Sevier County and partially in Swain County. The historical places associated with the region include Mingo Falls, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, the Mountain Farm Museum, the Mingus Mill, the Chasteen Creek Cascade, and a number of scenic overlooks intended to represent the natural beauty of the region. Within Bryson City, the most important tourist draws are the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and the Appalachian Rivers Aquarium.

Outside the major attractions of Swain County and the Cherokee County Town of Murphy, additional communities and counties also contain distinctive tourist attractions and draws. Macon County contains Quarry Falls, the Cullasaja Falls hiking area, the Wesser Bald Fire Tower, and the larger community of Franklin. Within Franklin, Nikwasi Mound and the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts alike represent significant cultural features and traits, while the local attractions in the community include the Scottish Tartan Museum, the Franklin Terrace Bed and Breakfast, the Macon County Historical Museum, the Gem and Mineral Museum at Franklin, and the Uptown Gallery. Further west is the Town of Andrews, which contains the community attractions of the Valleytown Cultural Arts and Historical Society and the Andrews Valley Rail Tours.

Further east is Transylvania County, home to the community of Brevard, which serves as the county seat. Brevard is home to Brevard College, the Transylvania Heritage Museum, and the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

Hype for the Future 99A: The Frontier Culture of Augusta County, Virginia

Disclaimer

Within the Commonwealth of Virginia, independent cities can occasionally be classified within the associated counties; however, the cities are politically separate from the surrounding counties as per the state constitution. This post pertains to the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro in addition to Augusta County proper.

Introduction

Traditionally a significantly larger county associated with the entire frontier of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the County of Augusta, named for Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, continues to serve as a place of historical significance within the Appalachian backcountry and old frontier of the United States of America, originating with the Scots-Irish and German communities dispersed throughout the region.

Communities

The Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro are geographically within Augusta County but are politically separate from the county proper. The governmental offices are increasingly relocating from the City of Staunton to the Town of Verona; additional communities within the county include, but are not limited to, Fishersville, Jolivue, Stuarts Draft, and Grottoes (primarily in Rockingham County).

Attractions

Many of the scenic overlooks, including the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive themselves, are located along the eastern county line with Nelson County, Virginia. However, the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro also provide distinctive opportunities for local and regional tourism, including the relevant backstories of the associated Scots-Irish and German communities.

Associated with the southern portion of the Town of Grottoes is Grand Caverns, a notable tourist attraction in the region for which the nearby community of Weyers Cave to the west may have been named for. The Grottoes Pool and the Fountain Cave Adventure Tours are also associated with the community.

Waynesboro Area

Within the City of Waynesville and the associated immediate vicinity into Augusta County are the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace and Historic District in the east and the more centrally located Plumb House Museum and Main Street corridor areas. Along the Main Street corridor are the following notable amenities, from west to east:

• Mural: Poochie
• The Russell Museum (Art)
• Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Inc.
• Waynesboro Heritage Foundation
• The Augusta County Railroad Museum
• P Buckley Moss Gallery Waynesboro

Staunton Area

For the City of Staunton (pronounced “Stanton”) and immediate vicinity into Augusta County, the most notable portion of the area is the Frontier Culture Museum and associated Octagon Barn. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is located on the northeastern side of the inner city, while the Virginia Scenic Railway represents the southwestern portion of the city limits.

The inner city of Staunton is most notable for the Camera Heritage Museum, the Staunton Mural, the Artisans Loft, and the CoArt Gallery representing the numerous art institutions of the community, while the Downtown Staunton Visitor Center and the R. R. Smith Center for History and Art are each located further east.

Institutions

The City of Staunton serves as home to Mary Baldwin University as well as a number of historic hotels and places to stay, most notably the Blackburn Inn and Conference Center in the southeast portion of the city. The Historic Inn at Oakdene, Hotel 24 South, the Storefront Hotel, and the Frederick House are perhaps some of the most notable places to stay within the city.

Hype for the Future 96A: Highland and Bath Counties, Virginia

Overview — Highland County

One of the least populated and highest-elevation counties in the eastern United States, Highland County, Virginia, is located relatively near the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the intersection of Routes 220 and 250. The Monterey Inn is the chief place to stay within the county, which may contain limited cell service as a result of being physically located within the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ). The National Radio Quiet Zone, originating at the sensitive Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, has influenced the rural communities of the region, including east into the Commonwealth of Virginia. Smaller museums and attractions in the county include the 3rd Space, the Charles Pinckney Jones House Museum, and the Sounding Knob Fire Tower.

Overview — Bath County

Located immediately to the south of Highland County is Bath County, Virginia, most notable as the home county of significant golfer Sam Snead. However, the Warm Springs Pools serve as the primary tourist attraction within the county.