The Carolina High Country: Bucket List Destinations

The debate over ‘most beautiful state’ in America can often be a contentious one, and a source of local pride for those looking to promote their home state as being one of the most beautiful. To be fair, most any state in the union will have something worth seeing, even if some states have more to be thankful for than others. But there are some states which are uniquely blessed with a variety of picturesque locations and things to do, making them easy spots to add to any bucket list itinerary. One such state just so happens to be the home base of Well-Sewn.com, the great state of North Carolina. From the streets of Uptown Charlotte to the sandy beaches of the Outer Banks, North Carolina is one beautiful place to live.

Among this cacophony of colors, sights and sounds, though, few who live here would argue that one of the most beautiful locales in the entire state, and by proxy one of the most fun and interesting places to visit, would be the region in the far northwest of the state. Located high in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, the North Carolina High Country is one of the state’s most breathtakingly beautiful regions, home to so much natural history that one could never hope to explore it all in a single trip. As part of our series on highlighting great travel destinations, Well Sewn is proud to take a look at several bucket list destinations in the North Carolina High Country!

Beech Mountain, North Carolina

The highest permanently occupied settlement east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, Beech Mountain is one of the preeminent outdoor recreational areas in the Carolina High Country. Known as one of the best ski resorts on the east coast, winter sports are a major draw for the town which sits over 5,500 feet above sea level atop the eponymous Beech Mountain, and many people regionally flock to the area during the summer and the winter alike for outdoor recreation opportunities including – but not limited to – hiking, fishing, rafting and skiing. Of special note is the Land of Oz, a former theme park in the town devoted to the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz. Patrons can travel down the yellow brick road, visit Dorothy’s farm and experience the Autumn at Oz celebration in September with arts, crafts and live performances.

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Often considered the gateway to the High Country, Blowing Rock is a resort town near the college city of Boone, off of U.S. 321 in Watauga County. Home to a number of quaint boutiques, restaurants and shoppes, Blowing Rock is the perfect destination for a couple’s retreat, with lodging at one of the town’s bed and breakfasts always a popular option. The town itself gets its name from the Blowing Rock of legend, a stone formation where two lovers, a man and a woman from two warring tribes met. According to tradition, the man was so distraught over their plight that he threw himself into the gorge below. The woman prayed to the Great Spirit, which blew a huge gust of wind up the gorge and landed her lover back on the Blowing Rock.

Tourists can visit the attraction now and other local spots, such as Julian Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway, for excellent hiking and outdoor recreational opportunities. Families who visit during the spring and summer would be interested in one of the High Country’s most beloved theme park attractions, Tweetsie Railroad, an Old West-style park with a steam-gauge locomotive and live entertainment. In October, the park converts itself in the evening to a Halloween-themed attraction called the Ghost Train that is a big hit with the locals. And of course, there are few spots better in the region to see the changing leaves in the fall than off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs nearby the town-proper.

Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina

Nature enthusiasts need not travel far in the High Country to experience the majestic beauty of the North Carolina mountains. Located off of U.S. 221 near Linville, North Carolina, Grandfather Mountain is one of the most famous destinations in all of the Carolinas, noted for its peculiar rocky outline which gives it the appearance of an old man lying down, hence its name. The mountain has become a nature preserve and ecological park thanks to the efforts of wildlife photographer and conservationist Hugh MacRae Morton (1921-2006), who created the park. Today travelers can visit exhibits devoted to wildlife found in the area, including elk, cougars, bears, otter and eagles. Those with a more adventurous spirit can cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge, or hike the mountain’s many different nature trails.

Dating back to 1956, Grandfather Mountain has been the site of the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, the largest Scottish festival in the state of North Carolina. Held over the course of four days each year, the festival honors the rich Scottish tradition in the Carolina High Country with dancing, piping and drums and traditional highland games. Many who choose to participate do so by camping near the event site at MacRae Meadows, several hundred yards from the main park entrance on U.S. 221.

Valle Crucis, North Carolina

Nestled between the towns of Banner Elk and Boone, on N.C. Highway 194 near the Watauga River, the picturesque village of Valle Crucis (‘Vale of the Cross’ in Latin) is a former Episcopal mission site that has since become a quiet getaway for visitors to the nearby towns of Boone and Blowing Rock. With beautiful country to see and shopping to explore along the main town route, Valle Crucis’s Historic District is well known in the region for the presence of one of the region’s oldest-standing Mast General Stores. An old-time general store carrying everything from confections and general goods to shoes and leather goods, many visitors have passed the time playing bottle cap checkers by the cast-iron stove inside, near the still-functioning post office, or have enjoyed an RC Cola and Moon Pie while sitting on the back porch looking out at the valley beyond.