Beverly-Hanks Welcome magazine

Welcome Serving the Greater Asheville, Hendersonville & Waynesville areas

TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES | Welcome to Western North Carolina

The

Friendly Faces of Asheville Connected communities maintain their own separate charms

Farm to Table

KEEPING IT LOCAL PROVES GOOD BUSINESS

Arts Abound

IN THE AIR, ON A WALL OR IN A GLASS, WE APPRECIATE AN ARTISAN’S TOUCH

Mountain Living is the Norm in Western North Carolina

NO ONE PLANS FOR A LESS THAN PERFECT MOVE. Occasionally, they happen. Having a local advocate goes a long way to resolving problems efficiently.

“

It was a good experience. Very timely. Very careful. Very professional movers.

“

-W. Wisehart 2013

Packing and shipping personal items and household goods can be stressful. Feel confident knowing you are being moved by a premier household goods provider carefully selected by our Move Management Team.

HOW WE HELP Mountainous terrain requires specialized driving knowledge to minimize unexpected expenses Ask about our Full Protection Replacement Program that can help protect your valuables Allow our personal relationships with moving companies to ensure you receive the best possible service Ask about our complimentary Move Management Services for Beverly-Hanks & Associates clients.

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866.858.2257 relocate@beverly-hanks.com

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OPPORTUNITY

beverly-hanks.com Client Services: 866-858-2257 DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE

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Welcome. It is our privilege to introduce you to the beautiful region of Western North Carolina that we call home. We know to truly discover Western North Carolina, one must experience the splendor of our mountains and communities. We are confident that when you do, you will find out why most people who visit here never want to leave.

Choosing the right real estate company to assist you with exploring this area is important. You want to be sure you choose the best, and in Western North Carolina that means choosing Beverly-Hanks & Associates. With over 250 full-time professional sales associates who have the experience to handle your specific needs, we have earned a reputation for looking after our clients like no other real estate company in the area. If you are a first-time home buyer or an experienced investor, whether you are interested in residential or commercial real estate, our sales associates can assist you.

Not only do we know the market, we know the area. We know the schools, the hospitals, the churches, the cultural opportunities, and who to call if you have a problem. We can inform you on taxes, subdivision restrictions, zoning and home inspections. When it is time to move, we can assist with the movement of your household. In short, we can make your move to this area a pleasant experience.

Every year, thousands of buyers and sellers choose Beverly-Hanks & Associates to handle their real estate needs. Many have used our services before, and others are referred from previous customers, from the business community, or from one of the numerous relocation companies who value our professional expertise. Regardless of the source, each client comes to us for the professional service and consul that has been a hallmark of Beverly-Hanks & Associates, REALTORS, since 1976.

It is my hope that you will find the information contained in this magazine of assistance in your exploration of the area. We look forward to being of service to you.

Warm regards,

Neal Hanks, Jr.

300 Executive Park Asheville, NC 28801 800-868-7221 TOLL FREE 828-254-7221

ASHEVILLE NORTH 820 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28804 800-277-2511 TOLL FREE 828-251-1800

ASHEVILLE SOUTH 1 Town Square Blvd. Ste. 140 Asheville, NC 28803 800-868-8999 TOLL FREE 828-684-8999

HENDERSONVILLE 512 North Main St. Hendersonville, NC 28792 800-868-0515 TOLL FREE 828-697-0515

LAKE LURE 109 Arcade St. Lake Lure, NC 28746 828-625-8846

WAYNESVILLE 74 North Main St. Waynesville, NC 28786 800-849-8024 TOLL FREE 828-452-5809 NAI Beverly-Hanks Commercial: 828-210-3940

Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

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Features

4 10 Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Economic Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Active Retirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Festivities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Culinary Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Growing Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Brewing Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 WNC Wineries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Distilling Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Blue Ridge Parkway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Get Out, Get Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Lake Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Higher Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contents:

Locales

64 85 Weaverville & Barnardsville . . . . . . . . . 86 Black Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Hendersonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Fletcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Haywood County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Jackson County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Mars Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Marshall & Hot Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Polk County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Yancey County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Brevard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Chimney Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Lake Lure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Asheville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arden & Mills River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Resources

56 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Useful Numbers & Links. . . . . . . . . . . . 118 WNC Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

On the cover: The sun rises over the morning fog along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina on a cool morning in late September.

Your driver awaits.

Photo by Dave Allen daveallenphotography.com

WELCOME TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 9 • NO. 1

PUBLISHED BY SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, LLC

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Scott McLeod

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Greg Boothroyd

WRITERS Garret K. Woodward Paul Clark Jon Elliston

ART DIRECTOR Travis Bumgardner

SALES Hylah Smalley Whitney Burton

DESIGN

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Micah McClure Emily Kepley Moss

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mark Haskett Margaret Hester

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Education

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Nurturing young minds WNC SCHOOLS CONSISTENTLY RANK AMONG NORTH CAROLINA’S BEST

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Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

One of the most important things to consider when you’re thinking about moving is the quality of the schools. Even if you don’t have children or they are out of the nest, you want to know how good of an education the area provides to its students.

You’ll be happy to know that Western North Carolina’s school systems and private schools consistently rank among the state’s best. The public schools that serve the area include Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Henderson County Schools, Haywood County Schools, Madison County Schools, Transylvania County Schools, Jackson County Schools and Yancey County Schools.

ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS Asheville City Schools have slightly more than 4,000 students, having experienced a significant increase in enrollment at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. The number of students enrolled at Asheville Middle School is the highest it has been in nearly a decade.

Each of the five elementary schools is a “magnet school,” meaning that parents may apply for admission to the school that best suits their child’s interests.

Asheville High School, a four-year-school, occupies a stately stone building designed by Art Deco master Douglas Ellington. The school had a 76.6 percent SAT participation rate, which was 26.6 percent higher than the national rate. Students achieved an average cumulative score of 1575, compared to the state average of 1479 and nationwide average of 1498.

Claxton Elementary integrates the Arts and Humanities into curriculum teaching through drama, dance, music, visual arts and creative writing. Hall Fletcher Elementary emphasizes science, math and technologies through course work such as science lab, its greenhouse and “HopSports,” which works technology into physical education. Ira B. Jones, a “Global Scholars school,” includes Spanish, multicultural awareness and environmental stewardship into its studies.

Isaac Dickson, an experiential learning school, bases its core principles on the educational ideals of Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori. Vance School of Human Diversity and Ecology invites students to study the people and cultures of the world and examine their relationships with the natural environment.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY SCHOOLS Reflecting the diverse nature of the area’s population, Buncombe County Schools serve children of many different ethnic backgrounds. Students in 42 schools speak more than 60 different languages. The 11th largest school system in the state (and largest in Western North Carolina), Buncombe County Schools employs nearly 4,000 people, making it the county’s second largest employer.

High school students SAT scores consistently rank among the top districts in North Carolina. In 2013, SAT scores in math, writing and critical reading exceeded state and national averages.

Enrollment exceeds 25,000 students, taught by nearly 2,100 licensed teachers. Its 42 schools include 23 elementary schools, three intermediate schools, seven middle schools, six regular high schools, one alternative high school and two middle/early college schools. The

In 2013, Buncombe County’s SAT scores in math, writing and critical reading exceeded state and national averages. “graduation initiative” began in 2006 to examine and put into motion the long-term changes to improve graduation rates. Since its inception, the program has decreased the dropout rate by 35% in the system.

Among Buncombe County Schools’ education initiatives is “Learn and Earn Online,” a program that allows sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to take online college-level courses taught by instructors from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Students may also take classes not offered at their high schools through North Carolina Virtual Public School, which sets up coursework, group discussion and student-teacher interaction via the Internet.

HENDERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS Henderson County Schools’ vision is “that every student will achieve success

and graduate as a lifelong learner, globally competitive, prepared for career, college, and life.”

The system has both one of the highest graduation rates in the state and a dwindling dropout rate. Its four middle schools have been nationally designated “Schools to Watch” because of their emphasis on strong academics and their sensitivity to their students.

Compared to the students throughout the state, Henderson County’s scholars scored better in ABCs End-of-Grade tests in grades three through eight.

Scores were considerably higher than the state average in Geometry, English 1 and Algebra 1 and 2. Achievements for both males and females exceeded state scores.

Every classroom in the 13,000-student system has access to the Internet. For 2013, the district averaged a 1514 for the cumulative SAT score, 35 points higher than the state average.

Henderson County Schools owns Historic Johnson Farm, a heritage education center, making it one of only three school systems in the United States to own a farm. The farm, open to the public and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, teaches students about farm life on its 15 acres of farmland, forest, fields and streams. The school system also has the Bullington Center, a 12-acre horticultural education center that holds workshops to teach children and adults about gardening and plant science.

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY SCHOOLS The Transylvania County school system operates four elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and one alternative school. It consistently ranks among the top few school systems in North Carolina in its students’ performances on the state ABC’s tests. Student attendance is also among the best in the state.

Its high school students scored better on their SAT scores are students did throughout the state, and Brevard High School’s scores keep getting better. For 2013, the school’s average SAT cumulative score for the exam was 1544, which is 65 points better than the state average.

To help prepare its 3,500 students for careers in the computer age, the school system offers classes in network engineering and webpage development, as well as a Cisco Academy. On their first attempt, more than 98 percent of its

Education PUBLIC SCHOOLS Asheville City Schools 85 Mountain St. • Asheville, NC 28801 828-350-7000 www.ashevillecityschools.net

Buncombe County Schools 175 Bingham Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-255-5921 www.buncombe.k12.nc.us

Haywood County Schools 1230 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC 28786 828-456-2400 www.haywood.k12.nc.us

Henderson County Schools 414 4th Ave. West • Hendersonville, NC 28739 828-697-4733 www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org

Jackson County Schools 398 Hospital Road • Sylva, NC 28779 828-586-2311 www.jcps.k12.nc.us

Madison County Schools 5738 US 25/70 • Marshall, NC 28753 828-649-9276 www.madisonk12.schoolfusion.us

Transylvania County Schools 225 Rosenwald Lane • Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-6173 www.transylvania.k12.nc.us

Yancey County Schools 100 School Circle • Burnsville, NC 28714 828-682-6101 www.yancey.net

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Asheville Catholic School Grades PreK-8 12 Culvern St. • Asheville, NC 28804 828-252-7896 www.ashevillecatholic.org

Asheville Christian Academy Grades K-12 74 Riverwood Road • Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-581.2200 www.acacademy.org

Asheville Montessori School Ages 3-6 15 Julia St. • Asheville, NC 28801 828-254-6014 360 Weaverville Road • Asheville, NC 28804 828-645-3433 www.ashevillemontessorischool.com

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Education Asheville School Grades 9-12 360 Asheville School Road Asheville, NC 28806 828-254-6345 www.ashevilleschool.org

Carolina Day School

eighth graders met state standards for technology competency.

The school system has also made steady improvement in its student-to-adult ratio.

It has sought and received state and federal grants for technology, reading improvement, exceptional children’s programs, school resource officers, library books, juvenile justice programs, and quality management practices.

Grades PreK-12 1345 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803 828-274-0757 www.cdschool.org

Christ School Grades 8-12 500 Christ School Road • Arden, NC 28704 828-684-6232 www.christschool.org

Emmanuel Lutheran School Grades PreK-8 51 Wilburn Place • Asheville, NC 28806 828-281-8182 www.emmanuellutheran.info

Fletcher Academy Grades 9-12 185 Academy Drive • Fletcher, NC 28732 828-687-5100 www.fletcheracademy.com

Hanger Hall School for Girls Grades 6-8 30 Ben Lippen Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-258-3600 www.hangerhall.org

MADISON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Immaculate Catholic School Grades PreK-8 711 N. Buncombe St. • Hendersonville, NC 28791 828-693-3277 www.immac.org

Learning Community School Grades K-8 375 Lake Eden Road • Black Mountain, NC 28711 828-686-3080 www.thelearningcommunity.org

Maccabi Academy Grades K-5 43 N Liberty St. #100 • Asheville, NC 28801 828-254-5660 www.maccabiacademy.org

Montessori Learning Center Ages 18 months-6 years 1 School Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-259-9880 www.mlcasheville.org

Mount Pisgah Academy Grades 9-12 75 Academy Drive • Candler, NC 28715 828-667-2535 www.pisgah.us

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Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

cumulative SAT score of 1598, which is 119 points higher than the state average and 100 points above the national average.

During the 2009-2010 school year, all 16 of Haywood County’s schools made the state ABC program’s expected growth marks, with 14 of them achieving high growth. Less than a third of school districts in the state had 100 percent of its schools meet or exceed the academic growth standard, and Haywood County was the fourth largest district in the state to have done so.

Riverbend Elementary School and Haywood Early College were recognized as Honor Schools of Excellence for having more than 90 percent of its students score at or above standard on mandated state tests. More than two thirds of the system’s schools were statedesignated “Schools of Distinction,” compared with less than one third for all state school systems as a whole.

Clyde, Hazelwood, Jonathan Valley, Junaluska and Meadowbrook elementary schools, as well as Pisgah and Tuscola high schools and Waynesville Middle School, were all Schools of Distinction, meaning that at least 80 percent of students performed at or above grade level on end-of-grade tests.

In conjunction with the Brevard Chamber Orchestra, the system implemented a strings program in its elementary schools. It also started a New Century Scholars program that provides support and college tuition for at-risk students.

HAYWOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS “Success for today, preparation for tomorrow and learning for a lifetime” sum up the vision of Haywood County Schools. With schools far smaller than the state average, the system is able to offer its 7,700 students a great deal of personal attention.

In terms of student performance, Haywood was honored in the 2011 as having a “National Blue Ribbon School.”

For 2013, Haywood Early College had a

Madison County Schools’ 2,600 students attend two early childhood education centers, four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one early college high school.

Madison High School has also been designated a School of Distinction.

Madison Early College High School SAT scores were higher than state and national averages, possibly because a higher percentage of its middle school teachers than other teachers in the state have advanced degrees. In 2013, the school had a cumulative SAT score of 1588, which is 109 points above the state average and 90 points higher that the national number.

Compared to state averages, Mars Hill Elementary had higher testing scores in almost all of its classroom testing. In 2012, the school was recognized as a School of Progress for its high academic growth numbers.

With some of the best educational facilities in the state, the board of education has led an effort to rebuild and/or remodel all facilities over the last decade.

An Education for an Inspired Life Asheville School prepares high school students for an education of a lifetime. A challenging academic experience motivates students to become better thinkers, communicators, and develop strong study habits. One hundred percent of our graduates go on to college, and they attend top colleges and universities. Students learn life lessons in a nurturing, close-knit community of 280 students from 20 states and 17 countries.

For more than a century, Asheville School has fostered lives of leadership and service. We invite you to discover Asheville School and learn why our students have a competitive edge. Call today to request an admission packet, schedule a campus tour, or inquire about our merit scholarship program.

ashevilleschool.org Asheville • North Carolina admission@ashevilleschool.org

828.254.6345

Visit ashevilleschool.org/app

Education Nazarene Christian School Grades PreK-5 385 Hazel Mill Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-252-9713 www.ashevillefirstnazarene.org

New Classical Academy Grades PreK-8 38 Stoney Knob Road • Weaverville, NC 28787 828-658-8317 www.thenewclassicalacademy.org

Odyssey Community School Grades PreK-12 90 Zillicoa Street • Asheville, NC 28801 828-259-3653 www.odysseycommunity.org

Rainbow Mountain Children’s School Grades PreK-8 574 Haywood Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-258-9264 www.rmcs.org

Veritas Christian Academy Grades K-12 17 Cane Creek Road • Fletcher, NC 28732 828-681-0546 www.veritasnc.org

CHARTER SCHOOLS ArtSpace Charter School Grades K-8 2030 US 70 • Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-298-2787 www.artspacecharter.org

Brevard Academy Grades K-8 299 Andante Lane • Brevard, NC 28712 828-885-2665 www.brevard.teamcfa.org

Evergreen Community Charter School Grades K-8 50 Bell Road • Asheville, NC 28805 828-298-2173 www.evergreenccs.com

Francine Delaney New School for Children Grades K-8 119 Brevard Road • Asheville, NC 28806 828-236-9441 www.fdnsc.net

Summit Charter School Grades K-8 160 Frank Allen Road • Cashiers, NC 28717 828-743-5755 www.summitschool.org

The Mountain Community School Grades K-8 613 Glover St. • Hendersonville, NC 28792 828-696-8480 www.tmcschool.org

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JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOLS Tracing its history to the mid-1880s, Jackson County Schools received the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s ABC of Education Annual Accountability Report. The schools have joined other county agencies in challenging its staff and 3,600 students to improve their health through fitness.

The system has nine schools, all configured to meet the needs of a large county with few concentrations of population – Smokey Mountain Elementary, which has students from Pre-K to 8th grade; Blue Ridge, a pre-K to 12th-grade school (one of the few in the state); the K-8 schools of Fairview, Cullowhee and Scotts Creek; the Pre-K through 12th-grade School of Alternatives for students with special needs; Smoky Mountain High School; and Blue Ridge Early College and Jackson County Early College.

In 2012, Smoky Mountain High School had an 88 percent graduation rate for the last school year, compared to 80 percent statewide. The school enrolls about 750 students and has been named a School of Distinction. In fact, half of the system’s schools have been designated Schools of Distinction.

Jackson County Early College had an average SAT cumulative score of 1724 for 2013, more than 245 points higher than the state average and 226 points higher than the national average.

POLK COUNTY SCHOOLS Polk County Schools serves about 2,500 students in a system that ranks

high on state and federal lists of academic achievement. All seven schools – Tryon Elementary, Saluda Elementary, Sunny View Elementary, Polk County Middle, Polk County High, Polk Central and Polk County Early College – made “adequate yearly progress” for the 2010-11 school year.

Saluda was recognized in 2012 as a “National Blue Ribbon School”, becoming one of only 269 nationwide systems to receive the honor. For the 2011-2012 school year, Tyron, Saluda, Polk County Early College were named a School of Excellence by the North Carolina Department of Public Institution, while Polk Central, Polk County Middle and High Schools received a mark as a School of Distinction.

The system is 15th among 115 school systems statewide in local perpupil spending. The ratio of teachers to students is one of the highest in North Carolina. Test scores for students in grades 3-12 have consistently ranked among the top of both state and national averages in recent years. Every school has a fully equipped and staffed computer lab and media center.

U.S. News & World Report magazine named Polk County High School a Bronze Medal School in its 2007 report on America’s best high schools. Sunny View and Tryon elementary schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Dept. of Education in previous years. High school students can take advanced placement English, science, history and math courses. They can also earn college credits through several iSchool courses offered in conjunction with University of North CarolinaGreensboro.

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Higher learning

Reaching for your future

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HIGHER EDUCATION COMES FULL CIRCLE IN WNC

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Catering to a diverse population with a wide range of interests and talents, Western North Carolina offers residents an outstanding array of higher education choices.

UNC Asheville, the only dedicated liberal arts institution in the 17-institution University of North Carolina system, has been called one of the best colleges in the country for the money by the Princeton Review and Bankrate.com. It fosters critical thinking by exposing students to areas of interest that are outside of their chosen fields.

Offering 30 different majors, the school employs about 214 full-time faculty members (84% have terminal degrees), giving its 3,600 undergraduate students an average class size of 19. Students from 38 states and 24 countries have enrolled at UNCA, one of the top public liberal arts universities in the nation, where they are able to pursue bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and master of liberal arts degrees. The university has 15 NCAA Division I teams.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has the highest enrollment of any Western North Carolina higher education institution, serving more than 27,000 students annually. Established in 1959 as a trade school, AB Tech offers 39 career programs as well as courses that are transferable to any university in the UNC system.

One of the oldest and largest schools in the North Carolina Community College System, AB Tech has five schools – Allied Health and Public Service Education, Arts and Sciences, Business and Hospitality Education, Continuing Education, and Engineering and Applied Technology. It also has a popular continuing education program.

The college has added several new programs, including an associate degree in healthcare business informatics, a mobile development diploma, a bio-gas option in industrial systems technology and a geospatial technology option as part of surveying. AB Tech has additional campuses in Enka and Marshall.

Founded in 1889, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee serves more than 10,100 students from 38 states and 32 countries. Programs offering more than 220 majors include the nation’s highest-ranked entrepreneurship and project management programs and a teacher education program that has won national awards. Boasting the nation’s first accredited four-year emergency medical care program, the university also has a criminal justice program upon which North Carolina has modeled an accreditation program. Students earn bachelor’s,

UNC-Asheville (facing page) and Mars Hill College (right) both offer an acclaimed education amid the splendor of Western North Carolina.

PETER LORENZ PHOTO COURTESY OF UNC-A MARS HILL COLLEGE PHOTO

master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees.

With an enrollment of 1,295 students, Mars Hills College was founded in 1856 and affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention. It offers 30 majors and 31 minors on its large, leafy campus in the Madison County town of Mars Hill. It has five schools – Business, Social and Behavioral Sciences; Education; Fine Arts; Humanities; and Mathematics and Natural Sciences. A member of the South Atlantic Conference, it fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Selected by the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 as a Top 20 “Best Buy” school in the

nation for the eighth time since 2005, Warren Wilson College is environmentally friendly school whose students enhance their academic experience by working 15 hours a week on campus. They also must complete 100 hours of community service over four years. The college’s 1,000 students earn bachelor’s degrees

in 48 majors and concentrations and 28 minors. Taking at least one class within each of the school’s eight liberal arts areas, they attend classes that average 14 people in size.

“Christ-centered, studentfocused, service-driven – equipping agents of transformation, renewal, and reconciliation” is the motto of Montreat College, a small four-year school in Montreat.

Its liberal arts curriculum includes traditional and selected undergraduate and graduate professional degree programs, including degree programs for adults in the areas of business, education, management and nursing.

Founded in 1897, Montreat College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of the United States. In recent years, it had an enrollment of 755 students, with a student/faculty ratio of 9:1.

Brevard College in Transylvania County offers more than 40 majors and minors

Asheville’s University

North Carolina’s public liberal arts university sits at the heart of Asheville, drawing national recognition for its innovative curriculum and commitment to undergraduate research.

UNC Asheville offers creative collaboration in the classroom as well as cultural events and community resources, including the nationally known Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Visit us at unca.edu

Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

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Higher learning COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College 340 Victoria Rd. Asheville, NC 28801 828-254-1921 www.abtech.edu

Blue Ridge Community College 180 W. Campus Drive Flat Rock, NC 28731 828-694-1700 www.blueridge.edu

Brevard College 1 Brevard College Drive Brevard, NC 28712 828-883-8292 www.brevard.edu

Haywood Community College 185 Freedlander Drive Clyde, NC 28721 828-627-4667 www.haywood.edu

Mars Hill College 100 Athletic St. Mars Hill, NC 28754 866-642-4968 www.mhc.edu

Montreat College 310 Gaither Circle Montreat, NC 28757 828-669-8012 www.montreat.edu

Southwestern Community College Sylva, NC 28779 828-339-4000 www.southwesterncc.edu

University of North Carolina at Asheville 1 University Heights Asheville, NC 28804 828-251-6600 www.unca.edu

Warren Wilson College 701 Warren Wilson Road Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-298-3325 www.warren-wilson.edu

Western Carolina University N.C. 107 Cullowhee, NC 28723 828-928-4968 www.wcu.edu

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Western Carolina University is located amid the mountains of Jackson County in Cullowhee. WCU PHOTO

Western Carolina University offers majors that include the nation’s highest-ranked entrepreneurship and project management programs, and a teacher education program that has won national awards. degree programs, including those in art, biology, English, environmental studies, exercise science, history, mathematics, music and psychology. Its pre-professional studies include pre-dentistry, pre-law, premedicine and pre-nursing. With a student body over 700 students in 2013, the institution has 55 full-time faculty members with a student/faculty ratio of 12:1. The college has more than 30 student clubs, as well as lots of intramurals and outdoor adventure opportunities. Among its 18 varsity sports are baseball, basketball, cross-country, cycling, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Offering 30 areas of study, Blue Ridge Community College near Flat Rock in Henderson County has more than 95 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, many of them qualifying students to work

immediately after completing their course work. About 2,000 students are enrolled at its main campus and a satellite facility in Brevard. It has one of the largest continuing education programs in North Carolina.

Haywood Community College, serving primarily Haywood, Jackson and Buncombe counties, offers more than 50 programs. Its 2,478 students may select coursework in the departments of Advanced Technologies, Arts & General Education, Business & Entrepreneurship, Creative Arts, Health & Human Services and Natural Resources Management. It also offers distance learning and continuing education opportunities. Like all of North Carolina’s community colleges, it offers general education courses that transfer to the state university system, allowing students to get their first two years of university classes completed at a bargain price.

Serving the people of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, Southwestern Community College in Sylva offers coursework in Arts & Sciences, Career Technologies and Health Services. More than 2,600 students are taking classes offered by more than 60 programs, while another 5,500 participate in the college’s ongoing continuation programs.

HCC unveils new Professional Arts center With her hands fluttering like a hummingbird, Dana Claire loops skeins of colored yarn around a large pegboard.

Claire has been interested in fiber crafts her entire life and now, in her retirement years, has she decided to pursue her true passion of working with her hands by going back to school. Offering a nationally recognized professional crafts program, she found herself at Haywood Community College in Clyde. This semester, she’s learning and engaging in the new $10.2 million dollar Creative Arts facility constructed on campus.

“What I’m interested in is creating new textiles that tell a story, that fascinate people and are one-of-a-kind pieces,” she said.

Though she was originally attracted to HCC for its storied reputation, when she found out the new arts and crafts facility was slated to open. She immediately enrolled and began taking classes last fall.

“If you’re drawn to textiles, or any of these mediums here, this the most fabulous experience in learning and using those things to be creative and productive,” she said.

Higher learning facility to match the already stellar reputation of the program. For more than 30 years, the professional crafts program at HCC has been a mainstay in the creative and business climate of crafts in Western North Carolina. A key component in the survival and perpetual interest in clay, fiber, jewelry and wood arts, the school and its instructors attracted talented and determined students from around the country.

“The program here teaches you to learn how to be an artist, and also learn how to be able to make a living at it,” said Kari Rinn, continuing education creative arts coordinator at HCC. “I’m excited about the potential this building holds. It will build these programs and bring a lot of attention to them. We’re going to do all we can to grow and offer as much as we can to the community and beyond.”

Rinn points to the different aspects the school has to offer.

Besides the hands-on programs, students also learn key marketing and design tools to better themselves at survival in a sometimes-harsh business world for artists. Alongside the art majors, there are dozens of continuing education students, with enrollment aimed to increase on both sides of the equation as a bigger space means the possibility of more classes and amenities offered.

Clay instructor Steven Lloyd notes how HCC was one of the first craft programs nationally to offer marketing and business into its curriculum. For him, it’s about providing students with — Kari Rinn, the proper skills to stand on HCC continuing education their own after graduation. creative arts coordinator “With this program, we take students from the very beginning, often with no experience, and teach them how to fire, glaze, make pots, and also how to go out there and market their work,” he said.

Designed for comfort as much as creativity, the space is made for the individual, where every little detail is aimed at provoking curiosity within each student’s respective major.

“It’s a dream come true,” said jewelry instructor Robert Blanton.

“This is going to open the way for us. There’s a lot more possibilities for the students here. The environment, natural light and space are much better than the old building.”

Each of the four craft concentrations — the mediums of wood, fiber, clay and jewelry — have their own elaborate workshops, and each student in the program has their own dedicated workstation.

“The history of this program proves people came here not because of the facilities, but for the instructors, atmosphere and environment,” he said. “Now we can equal that history with this new building. It definitely sets us on a different level.”

“The program here teaches you to learn how to be an artist, and also learn how to be able to make a living at it.”

Dana Claire is a fiber arts major at Haywood Community College, where the school recently opened a new $10.2 million Creative Arts facility. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO An enormous 38,000-square-foot structure, the new building has been years in the making. Since it opened, it has welcomed more than 60 full-time arts and crafts students into the eco-friendly, state-of-the-art facility where creativity can properly flourish in a purpose-built space — specifically designed with the professional crafter in mind.

“I’ve been looking at the plans for this place so much, for so long, that finally seeing it in three-dimensional form is quite stunning,” said Terry Gess, chair of professional crafts at HCC. To Gess, it’s important the HCC crafts program now has a modern

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Health Care

In caring hands

P

HEALTH IS A TOP PRIORITY IN WNC

The flagship of the Mission Health System is a 730-bed facility in Asheville. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

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People seeking better health have been coming to Asheville and the surrounding mountains for decades, drawing upon the area’s reputation for restorative air, healing waters and stimulating altitude. That history continues today, giving the Asheville area one of the state’s highest concentrations of physicians in the state.

Because the area is so attractive, Asheville has more doctors per capita than most cities of its size. But the wealth of talent and commitment isn’t confined to the region’s largest city.

Western North Carolina has several fine hospitals that practice the latest techniques in treatment, surgery and preventive care.

Leading the way is the region’s largest hospital system, the 730-bed Mission Health System in Asheville, which includes Mission Memorial and St. Joseph hospitals. Thomson Reuters recently ranked Mission Health System among the Top 15 in the United States. Out of the more than 300 health systems reviewed, Reuters found that as a patient at Mission, you will have a higher rate of survival, fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.

Mission Health System employs 6,000 team members, including 730 physicians trained in the latest developments in health care, medicine and technology. U.S. News & World Report magazine ranked Mission Hospital among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for heart and heart surgery services. The magazine selected Mission as one of the country’s Top 50 hospitals for endocrinology, which relates to diabetes treatment and research. The hospital was one of the first in North Carolina – and one of only 89 in the country – to achieve the “Baby Friendly” hospital designation given to hospitals and birth centers by UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

Mission’s Owen Heart Center, a five-story building of polished pink granite, houses surgical suites, treatment areas, intensive care units and patient rooms, all of which are private. Seven times since 2000, Mission has been named a Top 100 Heart Hospital by the Thomson (formerly Solucient) Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success Program. In the years 2007 and 2008, it was the only hospital in the Carolinas to receive the designation in the category of teaching hospitals without cardiovascular residency.

SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY IS IMPORTANT. SO IS CHOOSING A PROVIDER. We know that choosing a good provider that matches your personality is essential—that’s why the PardeeSelect program allows you to learn about all of our providers through physician-led video biographies. All PardeeSelect providers are afÀliated with Pardee +ospital meaning you can rest assured that you and your family will have access to highly trained specialists the latest in medical technology and the convenience of a system that will work around your life.

8se our online compatibility tool watch video biographies and learn about all of our PardeeSelect providers online at PardeeSelect.org

Health Care MEDICAL FACILITIES Angel Medical Center 120 Riverview St. • Franklin, NC 28734 828-524-8411 www.angelmed.org

CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital 68 Sweeten Creek Road Asheville, NC 28813 828-277-4800 www.carepartners.org

Charles George VA Medical Center 1100 Tunnel Road • Asheville, NC 28805 828-299-2519 www.asheville.va.gov

C.J. Harris Hospital 68 Hospital Road • Sylva, NC 28779 828-586-7000 http://www.westcare.org/ about-westcare/westcareaffiliates/harris-regional-hospital

Haywood Regional Medical Center 262 Leroy George Drive • Clyde, NC 28721 828-452-8202 www.haymed.org

Highlands-Cashiers Hospital 190 Hospital Dr. • Highlands, NC 28741 828-526-1200 www.hchospital.org

Mission has also opened a Mission Outpatient Care Center in Haywood County. Services offered there include family medicine, imaging and laboratory services, orthopedic care, spine care, neurosurgery evaluations and follow-up care and wound healing services.

Mission’s awards place it in the company of other award recipients that included the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, University of Virginia Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Top 100 Heart Hospital award winners had hospital stays that were 12 percent shorter, on average, than peer hospitals (5.14 days compared to 5.85 days). Their costs averaged 13 percent — or about $2,000 — less per case than peer hospitals.

According to Thomson, if all acute care heart hospitals in the nation performed at the same level as Mission and the other top 100 heart hospitals, more than 7,000 lives would be saved, and nearly 750 medical complications would be avoided each year.

Mission has also opened a Mission Outpatient Care Center in Haywood County. Services offered there include family medicine, imaging and laboratory

Mission Hospital 509 Biltmore Avenue Asheville, NC 28801-4690 828-213-1111 www.missionhospitals.org

Pardee Hospital 800 N. Justice St. Hendersonville, NC 28791 828-696-1000 www.pardeehospital.org

Park Ridge Health 80 Doctors Drive Hendersonville, NC 28792 828-654-0073 parkridgehealth.org

St. Luke’s Hospital 101 Hospital Drive • Columbus, NC 28722 828-894-3311 wwwsaintlukehospital.com

Transylvania Community Hospital 260 Hospital Drive • Brevard, NC 28712 828-884-9111 www.trhospital.org

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At Park Ridge Health in Hendersonville, patients have access to 223 physicians among its more than 1,100 caregivers. PARK RIDGE HEALTH PHOTO

services, orthopedic care, spine care, neurosurgery evaluations and follow-up care and wound healing services.

Western North Carolina is served by several other excellent hospitals, such as Angel Medical Center in Franklin, CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital in Asheville, Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, Harris Hospital in

Sylva, Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands, Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, Park Ridge Health in Fletcher, St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus and Transylvania Community Hospital in Brevard.

Created in 1923, Angel Medical Center in Franklin is a 59-bed hospital with seven operating rooms and an 80-person medical staff, the majority of them board-certified.

Its emergency room is staff 24 hours a day by nurses and physicians. Among the hospital’s latest additions is a digital mammography system that spots abnormalities to help doctors diagnose breast cancer in its earliest stage. Angel provides a safe patient experience through its patient safety team, medication usage review group and environment of care team. It emphasizes exercise as a way for patients with cardiac and pulmonary problems to regain strength and health.

Angel is under a management affiliation with Mission Hospital in Asheville.

CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital in Asheville is an 80-bed regional referral center with programs from those suffering stroke, brain injury, spinal chord injury, multiple trauma, amputation, joint replacement and neurological disorders.

The only licensed rehabilitation hospital in Western North Carolina, it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, meaning that it has met or exceeded rigorous rehab standards. Its therapists have an average of 14 years of experience, and its patient-tonurse ratio is 6 to 1. It participation in a national database that compares its patient outcomes to similar rehabilitation hospitals around the country allows it to continually assess and improve the quality of its rehabilitation programs.

Charles George VA Medical Center is a 116-bed acute care facility with a separate 120-bed extended care and rehabilitation center serving more than 31,000 veterans from the Western North Carolina area and portions of South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. It provides primary, tertiary and

7 CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE 2 NATIONAL TOP 15 RANKINGS 1 LEADING HEALTH SYSTEM Mission Health is proud to serve western North Carolina with outstanding patient-centered care. Our dedicated caregivers make the effort each and every day to attain exceptional outcomes for our community.

Discover all the ways in which Mission Health has combined world-class standards for training, technology and people into one health system at mission-health.org. mission health.org.. mission-health.org

Health Care

Tracing its history back to 1913, Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville is a not-for-profit community hospital managed by UNC Health Care.

PARDEE HOSPITAL PHOTO

long-term care in areas of medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, oncology, dentistry, ophthalmology, geriatrics, women’s health, spinal cord injury, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Because the hospital is a teaching hospital, it provides a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology and programs in education and research.

A short-term 86-bed acute care facility in Sylva, C.J. Harris Hospital serves primarily Jackson County. Having undergone major expansions in 1970, 1986, 1989, 1994, and 1995, Harris offers services including cancer care, cardio-pulmonary, dietary, emergency, maternity and infant care, outpatient surgery, pain management, surgery and sports medicine. Its Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults is a Medicaid program that provides in-home services that include screening and assessment, respite care and home-delivered meals. It also has hospice services that include the highest skill level of nursing and counseling support for the patient and family.

Haywood Regional Medical Center is a 121-bed hospital with 10 operating rooms whose services include advanced home care, behavioral health, critical care, diabetes education, hospice and palliative care, occupational health, orthopedics, pulmonary

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rehabilitation, sleep disorders, spine care services and women’s care center. The first county hospital in the state, it sprawls over 51 acres – the largest medical campus west of Asheville.

In Highlands, the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital has 24 hospital beds, four operating rooms and 84 nursing home beds. Its boardcertified physician staff covers 14 areas of healthcare in specialties usually found only in much larger facilities. It continues to update its range of diagnostic procedures by adding new state-of-the-art equipment. The hospital provides general surgery, as well as hand, orthopedic, ophthalmology, gastrointestinal, dermatology and plastic surgery. Nearly all of its physicians’ offices are on the hospital campus.

Tracing its history back to 1913, Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville is a not-forprofit community hospital managed by UNC Health Care. Pardee is licensed for 222 acute care beds and has 13 operating rooms and 238 physicians and specialists on its medical staff. It also has a 130-bed nursing facility. The medical staff works in 40 medical specialties. Henderson County’s second-largest employer, it has 1,200 employees. Established in 1953, the hospital offers an array of health services that include adult day health, rehab and wellness center, health education center and urgent care. Pardee is owned by, but not funded by, Henderson County.

Park Ridge Health, also in Hendersonville, has a total of 98 hospital beds and eight operating rooms. A onebuilding care center, the only faith-based hospital in Western North Carolina has 223 physicians among its more then 1,100 caregivers. Among the services it offers are audiology, behavioral health, cancer and cardiology services, dermatology, family practice, internal medicine, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics, podiatry, respiratory therapy, urology and wound care.

St. Luke’s Hospital, a critical access 55bed hospital that serves Polk County and upper South Carolina, has been operating for more than 80 years. Services include emergency, psychiatric, geriatric, wound and home care, as well as surgery, radiology and rehab and respiratory therapy. Working with Rosenberg Bone and Joint, it offers patients new procedures in hip and custom-fit knee replacement that result in shorter hospital stays and improved recovery period.

Transylvania Regional Hospital is licensed for 92 beds and has six operating rooms. It opened the 4,000-square-foot Brevard Cancer & Infusion Center at the hospital in 2009 and has treated hundreds of patients. That same year it launched “The Joint Experience,” enhancing its joint replacement surgery services. The hospital also has operated a digital mammography system that allows images to be archived so they can be easily recalled for comparison with future tests.

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Commercial Real Estate

Husband & wife Meherwan & Molly Irani wanted to bring the vibrant flavors and innovative diversity of Indian street food to the table of Western NC.

#29 of 200

Thanks to the help of a NAI Beverly-Hanks broker they did just that, opening in downtown Asheville in 2009. They have since been nationally recognized by the NY Times, GQ and Food & Wine to name a few, and have recently grown to open a second location in Atlanta.

Asheville’s ranking Asheville Metro ranked 29th among 200 US cities as a best place for business and careers.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. The community here embraces the impact these entrepreneurs have on our culture and lifestyle. NAI Beverly-Hanks understands and appreciates this, and is prepared to provide the expert level of service that small businesses need to succeed.

— Forbes.com, August 2013

Contact one of our broker associates today to learn how your business can flourish.

AND Asheville was named one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live.

— Livability.com, October 2013 Business costs are 21% below national average, according to Moody’s Analytics.

In the Asheville Metro, 96% of establishments have fewer than 50 employees.

The Iranis, owners of Chai Pani

naibhcommercial.com 828.210.3940 866.810.5893

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S The mountain road to success WNC OPENS ITS ARMS TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY

UNC-Asheville’s mechatronics program (above) and AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College’s small business incubator (below) prepare a skilled workforce for employment opportunities in the region. MATT ROSE PHOTO COURTESY OF UNC-ASHEVILLE (ABOVE) PHOTO COURTESY OF AB-TECH (BELOW)

Superlatives continue to fall upon Western North Carolina and especially on Asheville, the business and cultural center of a vibrant business-friendly region.

Fodors included Asheville in its list of “21 Places We’re Going in 2011.” In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Asheville sixth among all U.S. cities as a place to do business. Asheville was ranked 21st of Forbes 200 best places for business and careers. In 2009, the USA Today “Road Warriors” report listed the city as a favorite city for business trips. That same year, Business Facilities Magazine ranked it eighth among its top 10 metro areas for quality of life.

Not to put too high a shine on the city, but let’s mention just a couple more “best of ” designations because Asheville has gotten so many, including inclusion in Inc.com’s 10 best midsize cities for doing business and its placing 41st among 100 best places of “live and launch,” as rated by CNN Money.com.

“The Asheville area is extremely business friendly,” said Kit Cramer, president and CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. “There is an entrepreneurial spirit here that runs deep. There is no need to wait to retire here. You can do business here today and enjoy our tremendous quality of life while you work.”

“There are a lot of opportunities here,” said Scott Hamilton, president and CEO of AdvantageWest, the state economic development agency created to promote business and commerce in Western North Carolina.

“We’re within a day’s drive of about 50 percent of the United States’ population,” he added, “so it’s easy to get goods to the market. Our Asheville Regional Airport has direct links to Charlotte, Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati and Newark and LaGuardia. And there’s a great diversification of business here, from manufacturing to tourism to software development.”

The Asheville metro area is an excellent location for any new business. For one thing, it’s highly educated. The average number of college graduates in Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Madison counties exceeds state and national averages. The four counties are home to eight colleges and universities, whose curricula include the vaunted mechatronics program at UNC Asheville and the small business incubator at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

The city’s attraction to the well educated may be why Buncombe County’s unemployment rate of about 5.5 percent was almost two points lower than the state’s towards the end of 2013. In 2012, Buncombe County had an estimated population of 244,791, with an employed workforce around 120,709 people for 2013.

Asheville is well situated in the Southeast. Connected by interstates running in all directions, it’s less than a two-hour drive to Charlotte and an easy four-hour drive to Atlanta. The city and region are well served by busy Asheville Regional Airport, which has direct flights to several cities and connections to anywhere in the world.

Flying in are people working in the area’s biggest industrial growth areas – technology (Internet startups are run by people who love it here), health care (Asheville is a regional leader in

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Doing Business Connected by interstates running in all directions, Asheville is less than a two-hour drive to Charlotte and an easy four-hour drive to Atlanta. The city and region are well served by busy Asheville Regional Airport, which has direct flights to several cities and connections to anywhere in the world.

the medical sciences), professional and technical business services (solo practitioners and support personnel can find plenty of work) and advanced manufacturing (there are already more than 500 such firms here).

Manufacturing wages remain high in the area. In 2012 dollars, the per capita money income was $24,589. Known as a national center of craft beer, Asheville has numerous breweries, many of whom support the area’s strong tourism industries by offering samples in their tasting rooms.

Asheville and its many opportunities for outdoor recreation have attracted health care professionals since the early 1900s, giving the city one of the highest concentrations of doctors in the Southeast. Embracing wellness through such public fitness events as Lighten Up 4 Life, Relay for Life of Asheville and the “Chamber Challenge” 5K race (put on by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce), the city is catnip to outstanding physicians and trainers. The city’s hospital system is also nationally ranked.

Henderson County’s two hospitals are among its top three employers. With skilled workers, excellent schools and one of the lowest tax rates in the state, the county (population 108,266) has several manufacturing clusters, including plastics,

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automotive parts, electronic components and recreational and sporting goods.

In Henderson, some 67,162 residents had attained at least a high school diploma, and the number of residents with bachelor’s degrees from higher education institutions was over 21,000. Every fall, the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce sponsors a Chamber Business Expo for members to promote their business or organization to area residents.

With some 34,000 people in Henderson County’s workforce, the median household income was $42,990 in 2012. In 2009, North Carolina gave its industrial park certification to Henderson County’s Ferncliff Industrial Park – the first such certification granted in Western North Carolina and, at the time, one of only three certifications statewide.

Home of Cold Mountain, whose looming profile inspired the novel and movie named for the peak, Haywood County (population 59,036) was the first Certified Entrepreneurial Community in the nation, a state designation that means the county is friendly toward those who want to start or expand a business. Owners and administrators will find a wealth of information and coaching at the Small Business Center at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

With about 26,835 educated and skilled workers, and a median household income of $37,052, Haywood County has a diversified

economic base that ranges from small business to large manufacturing. Evergreen Packaging in Canton is one of the oldest and continuously operated paper mills in the country. Health care remains strong in the county, with more than 27 providers ranging from MedWest Health System to singlephysician offices. A testimonial to the gorgeous scenery that Cold Mountain presides over are the 51 Haywood County businesses that provide lodging, from inns to campgrounds.

Known as the land of waterfalls, Transylvania County – with beautiful Brevard as its hub – is the home of the Cradle of Forestry, the site of the first forestry school in America. More than half of the county is parkland – Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest and Gorges State Park. Like its 33,433 residents, manufacturers are attracted to its water, the highest quality to be found in the state.

Home to Brevard College, Transylvania Regional Hospital and the nationally known Brevard Music Center, the county has a low tax rate and a median household income of $37,735.

In 2013, the county has a workforce numbering 13,039 people. Capitalizing on its parkland and other natural attractions, many are employed in the tourism industry, which brought $77 million into the county for 2011.

Warmly nestled in North Carolina’s Thermal Belt, Polk County has attracted a

Doing Business An entertainment hub in Western North Carolina, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort attracts international music acts amid acclaimed restaurants and boutiques. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

diverse economic base. Timken, maker of motion control systems and power transmissions, has a plant in Columbus, as does fabric maker Milliken. Kangaroo Products makes its motorized golf caddies there, too. Agriculture is a big industry in Polk County, suppling vegetables and meat to many restaurants and institutions. Because of its rolling hills and meadows, Polk County also has a big equestrian community, anchored by the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center.

Polk County has nearly 9,000 people in the workforce (out of a population of about 20,656) and has a median household income of $42,520. The unemployment rate towards the end of 2013 was about 5.2 percent.

Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Jackson County also boasts a well-educated workforce, many of whom attended Western Carolina University in Cullowhee or Southwestern Community College in

Sylva. Experiencing a 22 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2010, the county now has 41,311 residents and a median household income of $36,336.

Retail sales in 2012 were more than $336 million. Capitalizing on tourists attracted to

mountains that top 6,000 feet, accommodations and food service sales that year amounted to more than $70 million.

Jackson County has the state’s biggest employer west of Asheville – Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

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From the Sierras to the Smokies

the realization we needed to build a second facility.”

Starting with more than 200 potential cities, Sierra Nevada spent a couple years narrowing down the possibilities. Grossman fell in love with Asheville, eventually putting the plans together for a facility in nearby Mills River.

“The community around Asheville attracts such an artistic and eclectic mix of people, a very similar mix of people like Chico,” he said. “The outdoors is something I try to do on a regular basis — get outside and hike. We’re near mountains, streams and places to recreate in Chico, and Asheville is just like that.”

Bordering the Asheville Regional Airport, the 185-acre Mills River facility is a heavily wooded location, with only 30 acres being used for the brewery.

The intent is to impact the landscape as little as possible, while utilizing the property to maximum efficiency. The buildings are LEED certified amid a focus on alternative energy, environmentally conscious construction, reforestation and river quality monitoring and protection.

And as the project totals over $100 million, Grossman looks at it as a longterm, vital investment into not only his company, but also Western North Carolina as a whole. Alongside the craft beer boom in the region, he looks at Sierra Nevada as a valuable addition to Founder/owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Ken Grossman recently opened a $100 million east coast the local scene, which now includes headquarters in Mills River. DONATED PHOTO Oskar Blues and soon, New Belgium.

“Even though we compete, this is a In 1980, Ken Grossman was tired of the fun business,” he said. “All of the A-typical beers found in the United States. brewers have a lot in common — we “There was only really one style of beer share a vision.” out there at the time, the American light When looking at Western North lager,” he said. “We realized this opened up Carolina for the brewery site, Grossman a niche market for us. If we could sell a few made sure to not step on the toes of all thousand barrels of our craft beer, then we the other breweries already established could survive.” in the area. He reached out to make Grossman is the founder/owner of Sierra sure there was room, welcomed room, — Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada Nevada Brewing Company, one of the for Sierra Nevada.

Brewing Company largest microbreweries in the country. Since “All of them were relatively positive founding the business those many years that we would be good for the ago, it has evolved into a craft beer powerhouse. By the end of 2013, community,” he said. “You can look at craft beer lovers like people Sierra Nevada had manufactured over a million barrels. who like music. You don’t just love one band and hate all others. You And at the center of it all remains Grossman. can enjoy a whole wide range of beers and breweries.”

“I’m still in charge of the company, we’ve never sold out, haven’t Coming into 2014, the Mills River complex is already firing up the become public, haven’t partnered with another brewery,” he said. boilers, making steam and brewing their passion. There are plans for “We’ve kept our soul, and we’ve kept it by always doing fun, public events in the springtime, with their on-site restaurant and full interesting beers. We’ll continue to innovate and experiment.” grand opening aimed for the summer. And as his 33rd year in the With that innovation came the idea to open an East Coast craft beer industry turns the page to his 34th, Grossman’s facility. Based out of Chico, Calif., the headquarters for Sierra enthusiasm has never wavered. If anything, it’s grown with his Nevada began looking for better economical, environmentally savvy company. ways to transport their product to the eastern seaboard. A booming “We invest in quality, invest in people, and invest in systems,” he market on that side of the country put the plans into motion to just said. “We’ve been focused on quality since day one. And, I just like construct a state-of-the-art facility in the new market. beer, I enjoy the whole science and alchemy of turning barley, yeast “As far as a strategic business initiative, shipping beer is and hops into something amazing and wonderful.” expensive and take a lot of energy,” she said. “With the practicality of operating a single west coast brewery with a growing east market, it didn’t make sense going into the future, so we came to

“We invest in quality, invest in people, and invest in systems.

We’ve been focused on quality since day one.”

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Planting the seeds of sustainability It’s another busy day on Hendersonville Road in Asheville. As Appalachian sunshine reflects off innumerable vehicles like diamonds on the water, Kara Errickson is upstairs in a nearby home, figuring out how to change the world.

“We really want to dig deep and fight for change,” she said. “We want to participate and make a difference, and Asheville is a great place to do that.”

Co-owner/founder of SkinFare, a company specializing in allorganic skincare, Kara, her husband Tyler and brother Kyle James are focused on making a business as eco-friendly as it is economical.

“SkinFare is about getting consumers to be conscious of what they put on their skin like they are with what they put in their body,” she said. “You’ve got to look at your skin like your food value. Every person has a toxic threshold and once you get past that, your body reacts.”

Founded in 2011, SkinFare came about when Errickson was pregnant with the couple’s daughter, Kaia. While the Erricksons were living in Indonesia, Kara was unable to — Kara Errickson, co-owner/founder, find adequate, safe SkinFare skin products, whose packaging was also biodegradable. She began using local Indonesia remedies, natural ingredients with a large emphasis on coconut oil and its infinite uses. That pursuit molded itself into a business venture, one the Errickson’s felt passionate about launching once they returned home to Western North Carolina.

“Businesses should be building with their community,” she said.

“If you want to impact your community, you want to do they very best for those around you, and that also has to include sustainability in your mission, too.”

And that independent, environmentally conscious attitude is a sentiment permeating throughout the business community of

“If you want to impact your community, you want to do they very best for those around you, and that also has to include sustainability in your mission, too.”

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A grassroots skincare company, SkinFare is about quality, sustainable products that are safe for your skin and the environment.

DONATED PHOTO (ABOVE) • GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO (LEFT)

Asheville and Western North Carolina as a whole. According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 96 percent of businesses in the Asheville metro area had fewer than 50 employees. Those numbers only solidify the small town meets urban city feel this community strives for, and achieves, on a daily basis.

“A prime economical feature of this state is natural products. We don’t want to see the family farm go by the wayside, we want to see it sustain and become profitable once again,” Kara said. “Its takes a community to pursue these dreams, but it’s here and out there for anybody. Everyday is that daily grind, that pursuit of taking your goals one step further.”

Cultivating the natural ingredients of Haywood County, the Waynesville Soda Jerks specializes in “Handcrafted, Locally Produced, Artisan Beverages.” At the center of the endeavor are founders Megan Brown and Chris Allen, who started up the company in 2013. The couple wasn’t happy with quality of the beverages coming out of their massproduced soda stream they purchased for their house.

“We didn’t like the syrups the stream came with, it tasted like chemicals, so we started making our own,” Brown said. “We’re now making syrups from fresh fruits and materials that are grown in Haywood County.”

With the modern-day soda industry constantly in the public eye in terms of health and societal issues dealing with overconsumption and the controversial ingredient high fructose corn syrup. Brown and Allen are trying to get people away from the corn syrup by only using local, natural ingredients and raw cane sugar.

“Our focus is to keeps things as local as possible. Besides the raw cane sugar, we’re also working towards using local honey and molasses,” Allen said. “You want to know exactly what you’re putting in your body. We use no chemicals, no artificial flavors or colorings, none of that nasty stuff.”

In past generations, the handmade furniture industry was a booming economic factor for North Carolina. In recent decades,

many companies either closed up shop or headed overseas, leaving a big hole in a once vibrant sector of the business community. Owner of The Old Wood Company in Asheville, Darren Green looks to slowly turn the tide and breathe life back into a trade that represents sustainability and preservation of an Appalachian tradition.

“As consumers, we take for granted our resources, especially wood,” he said. “There is so much solid wood furniture out there, so it’s nice to take a material destined for a landfill be used to build something with value in a way that provides jobs and keeps the craft alive in our community.”

Opened in 2007, the company takes recycled lumber and reworks it into new and unique furniture.

With a keen sense of a sustainable business practice and work Focusing on sustainability and environment, The Old Wood innovation, the Waynesville Soda Jerks Company takes a lot of pride in not (above) and the Old Wood Company only its product, but also its labor (right) take pride in getting their ideas off the ground in Western North force, which is comprised of skilled Carolina. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO (ABOVE) metal artisans and woodcrafters.

DONATED PHOTO (RIGHT) When he was looking for a location to launch the idea, Asheville turned out to be the ideal place.

“Our focus is to keep providing an income for our workers, for their neighbors and friends — we support each other, ” he said. “It’s great to be involved with a small business, with many small businesses around here.

We all exchange notes, we all work together.”

Doing Business

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Retirement

Active retirement

A

AGE IS BUT A NUMBER IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

With the cultural influence of the Southern Appalachians looming large in the background, quilting is enjoying a resurgence among artisans of all ages. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

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An inexpensive city in an affordable region in the temperate South, Asheville has attracted active retirees for years.

And in recent years, Western North Carolina has becoming even more appealing to those who want to spend the best part of their lives immersed in art, culture, fine dining and adventure opportunities that every beautiful morning beckon its newest residents to come out and play.

No wonder Asheville has been TopRetirement.com’s No. 1 place to retire for four years running. “Asheville’s mountains, gentle four-seasons climate and recreational/cultural opportunities provide the standard that all other retirement towns can aspire to,” the website stated.

In 2010, the website eHow.com listed Asheville as one of the five best small towns in which to live as a retiree. MarketWatch put it first among its top 10 places to retire, and Black Enterprise magazine included it in its 20 best retirement locations.

Bestboomertowns.com said Asheville was one of the “21 Best U.S. Towns for Baby Boomers’ Active Retirement.”

Active retirement certainly sums up the lives of many of the area’s newest arrivals. Every morning, you’ll face an array of exciting options, nearly all of them involving a healthy dose of sunshine and fresh air.

There are many other good reasons why retirees love Asheville. Its cost of living is less than the national average. At $196,500, the median home sale is less than the country as a whole.

Health care is excellent here, and less expensive than many similar- and smaller-sized cities in the Southeast. The average cost of a doctor’s visit is $75.50, and for the dentist, it’s $97.

Downtown Asheville is a sensory delight, filled with wonderful sights, sounds and aromas. The city’s dining scene encompasses nearly every kind of ethnic cuisine imaginable, including Italian, Indian, Thai, Nepalese, French and Southwestern. The sidewalks are full of people popping in and out of dozens of art galleries, all supplied with work by nationally and internationally known artists who chose to live here above all other places.

Restaurants and clubs abound in music, as do sidewalks full of accomplished musicians playing for tips and notice. Hat in hand and heart on their sleeves, they sing and strum in front of smart shops purveying fashionable clothes, art and antiques.

You can’t drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway without passing a long line of motorcyclists enjoying the freedom of the road and of retirement. Clubs formal and informal meet for

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Retirement long rides throughout Western North Carolina, including the famous Tail of the Dragon near Robbinsville, N.C. – 318 curves over 11 miles, one of America’s premier motorcycle and sports car roads.

Nearby is Cherohala Skyway, a mile-high ride to Tellico Plains, Tenn.

For those who like to take the mountains by foot, Western North Carolina abounds in trails. Mount Mitchell, Roan Mountain, Clingmans Dome and Mount Sterling are some of the higher peaks that eager hikers notch on their grand tour of the region’s tallest mountains. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail through Asheville passes through much of the region. Perhaps the area’s most famous forested byway is the Appalachian Trail, a Maine-to-Georgia ridge top route that can be accessed in several places in Western North Carolina.

For those who like to pedal along under their own power, the backroads of Western North Carolina are unparalleled for their beauty and challenge (and most are bikefriendly, with cafes and stores along the way).

Racers will find plenty of events to choose

Biltmore Lake, Lake Junaluska and along the French Broad River. Runners in all age groups can choose from races held nearly every week in nearly every town in the mountains. Those who like to push further will love the half marathons staged in Asheville, Cullowhee, Bethel, Brevard, and Ridgecrest. For those who have even more than that, the DuPont State Forest 50K is in the cool of October, the 18-mile Shut-In Ridge Run is in chilly November and the 40mile Mount Mitchell Challenge is in the cold of February.

Several car clubs cater toward those who like to tinker and show off their work. Highlands Sports Car Club in Asheville is With so much to do, Western North Carolina offers endless options for active retirees. COURTESY OF OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE AT UNC-ASHEVILLE a friendly group of automotive enthusiasts whose members from, including the Blue Ridge Breakaway, come from all walks of life and drive all Roan Groan, 24 Hours of Pisgah, Mount types of vehicles. The Mountaineer Mitchell Assault, Hot Doggett 100 and Antique Auto Club in Clyde attracts Hilly Hellacious Hundred. collectors of classic cars. There is also an Retirees routinely best younger residents in antique car club in Hendersonville and a area duathlons and triathlons held at Mustang club in Asheville.

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Come on in, the view’s great from here

DONATED PHOTO

WHY PEOPLE MOVE HERE

Called the Paris of the South and the San Francisco of the East, Asheville has been everyone’s favorite getaway since ACCORDING TO George Vanderbilt built his BEVERLY-HANKS AGENTS humble vacation home — better Quality of life known as the Biltmore Estate — Distinctive seasons in the Blue Ridge Mountains Cultural experiences more than 100 years ago.

Beautiful scenery People have been following Geography Vanderbilt for decades, making Friendliness of people Asheville and the mountains around it one of the most popular second home and vacation home destinations in the country. In 2011, Barron’s magazine included Asheville in it list of 15 “best places for second homes.”

“It’s an easy place to live in, with enough culture and outdoor activities to keep even the most demanding resident satisfied,” Barron’s stated.

It’s not just the art, though American Style Magazine named Asheville its 2011 top small city for art. And it’s not just the beauty of the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, though in 2011 the Wall Street Journal included it among its list of “four scene-stealing, summertime routes around the nation.”

Partly, it’s the value. You can buy a lot of house here for a fraction of what it would cost in more metro areas. Partly, it’s the charm.

People who live in the mountains, even those who move here from far away, seem nicer. They say hello. They let you in in traffic. And they’ll wave while they do it.

Many of the area’s newest homeowners are people in their 50s

and early 60s who are buying second homes with an eye toward making them their permanent addresses once they retire. Buying now makes sense for many reasons, not the least of which is that prices are affordable. Owners can explore the area to see if it suits their interests and lifestyle upon retirement. And, they can recoup some of their investment by renting their houses during the busy summer months and popular leaf season. There are many property managers in the area to handle the transactions.

New second-home owners who have already quit the working life often time their visits around the activities of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an award-winning, internationally acclaimed center of learning that is affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Participants may select from an array of programs and classes on a variety of topics, including wellness, the arts and humanities and how retirement differs today (for one thing, it’s a lot more active in a place like Western North Carolina).

There are so many wonderful towns to explore, such as Waynesville with its historic Frog Level community, Marshall with its timeless feel, Hendersonville with its wealth of art galleries. People looking for more isolated homes find beauty and value near small communities like Hot Springs, Cashiers or Black Mountain.

Those who love the city life will certainly find it in Asheville, where condos and townhouses downtown are mere steps from the shopping at the Grove Arcade, the dining along Wall Street, the antiquing on Page Avenue and the people-watching up and down Lexington Avenue.

Bookstores, salons, galleries and coffee shops all inhabit Asheville’s Art Deco buildings, making for a fun and funky address for lucky downtown denizens.

New arrivals enrich the community with their volunteer spirit, their wealth of knowledge and a sophisticate’s palate that delights in the many farmers’ markets in the area. Here they can indulge in the region’s wonderful restaurants. Indeed, Asheville has a growing reputation for excellent locally sourced bistros that are independently run and wildly supported. And it’s a city that takes its beer seriously, being the home of numerous breweries and distilleries.

All this makes the city a popular choice for getaway and second homes. Buyers have a range of choices, from large condominiums in Asheville’s River Arts District to Biltmore Park’s comfortably planned neighborhoods to affordable, green homes outside of the city, many within the sheltered folds of the area’s coves and valleys.

The range of real estate in Western North Carolina is as vast as are the mountains, from small cottages to large estates. Buy a beautiful lot, and build your dream home – there are many options here.

Experiencing it is just a matter of walking out your front door. Just outside of Asheville is the Pisgah National Forest. Nearby are Joyce Kilmer Forest, DuPont State Park, Chimney Rock State Park, Nantahala National Forest, the Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and the crown jewel of Western North Carolina — the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Life is just more relaxed here. And it’s a lot more fun.

The range of real estate in Western North Carolina is as vast as are the mountains, from small cottages to large estates.

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31

A Festive Scene

Let the good times roll FESTIVALS BRING TOGETHER CULTURE AND COMMUNITY With so much going on, even residents of these beautiful mountains feel like guests with more opportunity than time. From bluegrass to baroque, barbecue to beluga, Western North Carolina has just about every kind of festival you can imagine.

Hendersonville has been growing apples since the mid-1700s, and in celebration of the fruit of all that labor (a $22 million crop for the county now), the city holds the North Carolina Apple Festival during Labor Day weekend in Hendersonville. Now 60 years old, the festival brings tasty food, arts and crafts, free entertainment and, of course, lots of apples to the historic courthouse on Hendersonville’s stately Main Street.

In July, Waynesville also hosts Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s official international music and dance festival. The Haywood County town celebrates the region’s traditional roots in late August with the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, a weekend’s worth of mountain music and dance. Then in October two fall festivals fills the quaint downtown.

The Church Street Arts and Crafts Festival is a juried craft show, while the Haywood County Apple Festival attracts tens of thousands to enjoy apples, agriculture, crafts and food during the color season.

What’s better than barbecue, smoky ribs and a beautiful day? All that and music, which is what you’ll find at Tryon’s Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival, held in June. This is a serious competition (which you get to savor) in which dozens of teams working with the precision of NASCAR pit crews slop and mop their way to (they hope) the coveted grand championship.

Lovers of the movie “Dirty Dancing” will have the time of their lives at the Dirty Dancing Festival held in September in Lake Lure, where much of the phenomenally popular film was shot. There’s a lake-lift competition and lots of dancing.

Considered by many as the best spring music festival, the White Squirrel Festival in downtown Brevard brings hundreds of people to town over the Memorial Day weekend. The festival kicks off with a Memorial Day parade and, like a lot of festivals in the area, also includes a 5K/10K race. Summertime in Brevard brings about the Mountain Song Festival, a benefit show at Brevard Music Center that showcases the best of folk, bluegrass, old-time and traditional mountain music.

Christmas is special in Dillsboro, which during the first two Fridays and Saturdays of December turns its streets into pathways of softly lit candlelight. Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries is a winter wonderland of light-hearted laughter and song, with horse and buggy rides, cocoa and hot cider.

Got a thing for hats? You should be in the Dillsboro Easter Hat

Western North Carolina is home to many beloved festivals such as Folkmoot (top), Lake Eden Arts Festival (above), and the Asheville Wine and Food Festival (right).

PATRICK PARTON PHOTO (TOP) LEAF PHOTO (ABOVE) ASHEVILLE WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL PHOTO (RIGHT) MARGARET HESTER PHOTO (FACING PAGE)

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Parade. Bring your hat or make one in front of Dillsboro town Hall. Prizes go to the best, biggest and ugliest hat. And, the Easter bunny also attends.

The coolest bands and musicians you may not have heard of are always on the program at the Lake Eden Arts Festival, held in May and October. With a heavy emphasis on world music, the festival has turned into one of the area’s premier music and healing arts events. Go for the day, or camp the whole weekend – either way you’ll love the music, the people and the gorgeous Camp Rockmont setting.

The hot days of August are a good time to be indoors, especially when the heels are flying during the Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, held in Asheville’s Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place. Held the first week of August, the event has attracted the area’s top mountain dancers, balladeers, fiddlers, banjo pickers and others since 1928.

Bakersville in picturesque Mitchell County celebrates its Rhododendron Festival in mid

June, a weekend that includes streets dances, a car show and the “Ducky Derby,” which sees thousands of rubber duckies racing down Cane Creek in a fundraiser that everyone loves. The festival also stages the N.C. Rhododendron Pageant, a two-night event that’s one of the area’s oldest scholarship opportunities for young women.

There’s nothing so sweet as a summer’s evening outdoors. Saturday nights on downtown Asheville’s Pack Square Park, that means Shindig on the Green, a fourdecades tradition for lovers of bluegrass and traditional music. Grab the kids and some lawn chairs and savor the cool night air in the friendliest of atmospheres.

As sweet as the honey it’s named for, the Sourwood Festival in Black Mountain

attracts more than 30,000 to the town’s streets every August. Kids rides and games, face painting, arts and crafts, music and dancing – plus the Sourwood Idol Contest make this a fun alternative to larger festivals held in the area this time of year.

In April, the Biltmore Estate bursts into bloom, turning winter away with thousands upon thousands of tulips, azaleas and flowering shrubs. The Festival of Flowers pageantry is accompanied by musical events that draw people to the gardens and the hopeful signs of spring. Also in April, the Historic Johnson Farm Festival in Hendersonville gives children of all ages a glimpse of what a working mountain farm was (and is).

Foodies find lots to love during Asheville’s annual Greek Festival, a late summer event that serves up mounds of delicious ushers in fall with heaping platters of chicken riganto (baked chicken strips sprinkled with oregano, lemon juice and the chefs’ special sauce). The HardLox Jewish Food and Heritage Festival in October is the place to get a mean chopped liver sandwich and a crisp kosher dill pickle.

June in Asheville belongs to beer-lovers.

The Beer City Festival features great local music, and Brewgrass features great regional music.

Both pour some of the best craft beer made in Asheville and elsewhere in the Southeast.

Asheville’s least formal festival is the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival, an artist-run blast held in September in downtown Asheville.

If you still have any energy after all of that, don’t forget the Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville, a weekend in May full of culture, athletics, music, food, drink and more.

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL Asheville’s famous drum circle kicks up every Friday night during spring and summer. This free event at Pritchard Park in the heart of downtown gives kids a chance of spin and laugh among hula hoopers, tall bike riders and (sometimes) fire dancers.

Also downtown is the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, where on the first Friday of May through October, from noon until 2 p.m., there’s free music on the front porch of the historic Old Kentucky

SELECTED FESTIVITIES Moogfest Asheville www.moogfest.com

N.C. Apple Festival Hendersonville www.ncapplefestival.org

Smoky Mountain Folk Festival Lake Junaluska www.downtownwaynesville.com

Folkmoot USA Waynesville www.folkmootusa.org

Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit Asheville www.mountainoasisfestival.com

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Tryon www.blueridgebbqfestival.com

Dirty Dancing Festival Lake Lure www.dirtydancingfestival.com

White Squirrel Festival Brevard www.brevardnc.org/white-squirrel-festival

Mountain Song Festival Brevard Music Center www.mountainsongfestival.com

Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries Dillsboro www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html

Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade Dillsboro www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html

Lake Eden Arts Festival Black Mountain www.theleaf.com

Mountain Dance & Folk Festival Asheville www.folkheritage.org

N.C. Rhododenron Festival Bakersville www.bakersville.com/rhod_events.html

Shindig on the Green Asheville www.folkheritage.org

Sourwood Festival Black Mountain www.sourwoodfestival.com

Festival of Flowers Asheville www.biltmore.com

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33

A Festive Scene SELECTED FESTIVITIES Historic Johnson Farm Hendersonville www.historichendersonville.org/johnson_farm.htm

Asheville Greek Festival Asheville www.holytrinityasheville.com/greek_festival

HardLox festival Asheville www.hardloxjewishfestival.org

Cherokee Indian Fair Cherokee www.greatsmokies.com

Leaf Festival of Cashiers Valley Cashiers www.cashiersnorthcarolina.com

ColorFest – Art & Taste of Appalachia Dillsboro www.visitdillsboro.org

Fall Harvest Craft Festival Cherokee www.greatsmokies.com

Jammin’ at the Millpond Haywood Community College, Clyde www.haywood.edu

Church Street Arts & Craft Show Waynesville www.downtownwaynesville.com

Apple Harvest Festival Waynesville www.downtownwaynesville.com

Smoky Mountain Fall Arts & Craft Festival Franklin www.franklin-chamber.com

North Hominy Community Apple Festival Canton www.cantonnc.com

WNC Pottery Festival Dillsboro www.visitdillsboro.org

Hard Candy Christmas Arts & Craft Show Cullowhee www.mountainlovers.com

Smoky Mountain Mistletoe Magic Arts & Craft Show Franklin www.franklin-chamber.com

Stecoah Valley Center Arts and Craft Show Robbinsville www.stecoahvalleycenter.com

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Showcasing local artisans and musicians, the Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries is held every December. MARK HASKETT PHOTO

Home. Relax under the shade trees to some pleasant tunes, then maybe tour the boarding house that Wolfe’s mother ran in the early part of the 20th century.

Every July, Narnia Studios, a children’s store in downtown Hendersonville, puts on Chalk It Up!, a sidewalk art affair for children (and adults) that has become one of Hendersonville’s biggest summer attractions. Just remember to register in June.

For one weekend every summer, several farms in the area open their barn doors for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Family Farm Tour, a self-guided driving tour that lets your children pet farm animals while discovering where their food comes from. Join the tour for any or all of the farms in the Asheville area and surrounding counties.

The Orchard at Altapass, a historic apple orchard and farm on the Blue Ridge Parkway, has events nearly every day May through October. The Coon Dog Day Festival, with its crafts, parade and square dances, happens in Saluda in July. In September, the Mountain Heritage Day at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee is a day-long celebration of southern Appalachian music, dance, arts and culture.

Also in September, there’s the “Fall Into the Farm: A Family Fun Day on the Sandburg Farm” in Flat Rock. This free family-friendly festival highlights the farm life of poet Carl Sandburg’s family and features square dancing, historic barn tours, cheese-making demonstrations and children’s crafts.

There’s lots of live theater in the Asheville area performed with children in mind, much of it performed by the

Asheville Arts Center, Asheville Community Theatre and the Tryon Children’s Theater Festival.

WINTER Children have been enjoying Christmas at the Biltmore House ever since owner George Vanderbilt introduced his family and friends to the estate on Christmas Eve 1895. Festooned with Christmas trees, poinsettias and thousands of ornaments, Christmas at Biltmore runs from early November to Jan. 1 every year.

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Everyone loves gingerbread houses, and everyone loves going to the Grove Park Inn to look at the confectionary castles entered in the hotel’s national gingerbread house competition. Mondays through Thursdays from mid-November to Jan. 1, the public is invited to ogle the dozens upon dozens of houses entered into this growing competition.

Another fun thing to do in winter is to attend the Asheville International Children’s Film Festival, the largest children’s film festival in the Southeast.

Held in November, it’s a 10-day extravaganza featuring more than 70 films from 25 countries. Animation, features, shorts, historical films and fantastic hands-on, interactive workshops – this festival has it all for kids.

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35

Culinary Style

Cosmopolitan country cuisine — Carolina style

Brian Ross wants his food to stand out.

As the owner and head chef at DOUGH in Asheville, Ross opened the chef-driven market in 2013 with the aim of providing a place where food lovers could get the finest of ingredients and also learn about the dishes they love through classes, workshops and elaborate sit-down meals.

“It’s a place for foodies, but it’s not like a restaurant, or a café,” he said. “What’s setting us apart from everyone else is that everything we’re making and serving here is also made here. It you’re eating a turkey sandwich here, we’re roasting the turkey, slicing it and everything it goes with is made from scratch.”

Ross’ intent for individuality in the kitchen is a notion wafting INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY through restaurants around Western North Carolina. Over the past decade, there has been a food revolution in the area. Along every MAKE A DELICIOUS BOND IN downtown, you’ll find anything from Cajun to French, Asian to WESTERN NC CUISINES Italian, Mexican to Mediterranean. Whether it’s local establishments incorporating different dishes into the menus or the troves of culinary artisans relocating here, the desire to try something new and different is all around in this land of cosmopolitan country cuisines.

“I certainly like to keep the romance of cooking involved, but I do have a mission to take some of the mystery out of it,” he said. “People respect the integrity and the ideals behind food, but if it doesn’t taste good they’ll lose interest. But, if you can provide both flavor and creativity, then you’ve got them.”

Head chef and co-owner of The Sweet Onion in — Brian Ross, DOUGH Waynesville, Doug Weaver is at the forefront of a pioneering culinary movement in Western North Carolina.

“The thing is, Haywood County is becoming a place that when One of the newest establishments in Asheville, DOUGH aims to educate people are in the area they may go to Waynesville or wherever and expose palettes to the new and around here because there is this restaurant they have to try,” he said. different foods owner/head chef Brian “There are a lot of people planning their trips around what places to Ross (top right) brings to the table. eat here.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOUGH Residents and visitors alike are starting to take note. Go into any restaurant on a weekend evening or during the busy tourism months and

“My motivator for opening DOUGH was the people living here. It’s my business in our neighborhood.”

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The science of culinary delight It’s the calm before the storm.

Ricocheting around Curate like a pinball, executive chef/coowner Katie Button is finalizing what needs to be prepped and readied for the ensuing day. Landing on food critics “Best of” lists throughout the country, the authentic Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Asheville will once again be filled to the brim with curious word-of-mouth customers and die-hard loyalists.

“Our names means ‘to cure and take care of yourself,’” she said.

“And that’s what we’re telling our guests they can do here.”

Button’s journey into the kitchen isn’t your typical tale. With a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University in hand, she was about to enter a PhD neuroscience program when it hit her — she wasn’t happy.

“I didn’t enjoy what I was a doing and I really wasn’t happy,” she said. “And those two things go hand-in-hand. So, I dropped out of

the program, the first time in my life I’d ever dropped out of something.”

Walking away from the program, she immediately entered the culinary industry. Coming from a southern family filled with a passion for food and cooking, she knew her true love was creating dishes and being immersed in the frenzied atmosphere of a restaurant.

“When you walk into this place on a Saturday night, the kitchen and the audience are going back and forth. It’s a ball of energy that’s so contagious you want to be part of it,” she said.

From Café Atlantico in Washington D.C. to Jean Georges in New York City, Bazaar in Los Angeles to elBulli in Spain, Button soon found herself trekking around the globe, working and learning in some of the finest establishments in the world.

“In the kitchen, a million things go through my head.

Checking every station, motivating my chefs and greeting the guests,” she said.

“But, that’s what I love about the restaurant industry — it’s high energy and there’s never a dull moment.”

When she decided to open her own place, Button came across Asheville. She loved the mixture of outdoor recreation with the rich, vibrant culture of Western North Carolina. Add in the embracing, supportive nature of the region’s business sector and it was the perfect city to build her vision.

“The professionals and entrepreneurs here are unbelievable,” she said. “The community immediately welcomes outsides and — Katie Button, Curate something completely unique to Asheville. You can relate to other business owners because you’re doing the same there, and we’re all here for the same reasons.”

Since Curate opened in 2011, the location has become a prized centerpiece in a lush, ever-growing food scene in and around Asheville. It’s about quality over quantity for Button, with her restaurant a prime example of what can happen when a dream is put into motion.

“Nowadays, my expectations are high, and my biggest fear is not meeting them,” she said. “I want my guests to walk out of here knowing they had one of the best meals of their lives. It’s all about the food, the service and the people.”

“When you walk into this place on a Saturday night, the kitchen and the audience are going back and forth. It’s a ball of energy that’s so contagious you want to be part of it.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CURATE

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Culinary Style

you’ll find made-from-scratch or farm-to-table meals on every table.

“We have many restaurants that can go head to head with any restaurant across the country, and we want to make sure that we continue to have the variety we have,” said CeCe Hipps, president of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce.

And that feeling of a new customer walking through never gets old, especially for Haley Milner. Owner and chef at Soul Infusion in Sylva, Milner has created a comfortable ambiance, one where people from all walks of life can come together, and celebrate, through food, drink, music and hearty conversation.

“I want them to feel satisfied, to feel full and good, for them to know they’re always welcome back and will always be greeted with a smile,” she said.

Using the freshest ingredients from local markets and stores, Milner sees the values on providing food based on quality. Once in the kitchen, she’s a maestro, moving around the space with grace and precision, all in an effort to create a healthy, delicious meal.

“When I start cutting the food and preparing a dish for somebody who I know will absolutely love it, it makes me feel great,” she said. “I want to provide my customers with really good, healthy food they’ll enjoy eating.”

While the culinary scene of the region expands, and palettes become more sophisticated, the passion and love put into a meal comes from the mere fact that the restaurant chefs, owners and servers all reside in Western North Carolina — a place they are proud to call home.

“I live here, too, and my motivator for opening DOUGH was the people living here,” Ross said, “It’s my business in our neighborhood. There’s a true sense of community here and I really have a vested interested in doing the best I can.”

Customers at Soul Infusion in Sylva enjoy a meal filled with local ingredients from in and around Jackson County. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

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Sunshine spills over the Smokies. The late summer rays cascade into the mountains, flowing onto the fields of Balsam Gardens and warming the land. A handful of figures are seen wandering the property, picking some of the freshest and finest produce found in Western North Carolina.

“Being able to remake my own little piece of society in the way that I want to with my hands is what keeps me going,” said Steven Beltram.

Beltram and his wife, Becca Nestler, are the owners and chief field hands at Balsam Gardens, a small independent farm in rural Jackson County with big dreams for what their community can become. The couple has carved out a niche for themselves in Southern Appalachia as providers of healthy organic food from their own backyard.

“I recognize the industrial food supply has resulted in an enormous abundance and diversity in the market, and those things are all things we want, and benefit from,” Beltram said. “But, whenever you centralize a system like that and it becomes monocropped and mono-cultured, it becomes susceptible to instability. So, creating alternative production methods and diverse channels in a local region, we have an opportunity for safety and stability in our society.”

With the recent boom in demand for organic produce, meat and farm-to-table restaurants, Western North Carolina has become a hot bed for independent, natural food products. Between handcrafted beer using local ingredients, fresh meat from grass-fed cattle, fine wines, fruits and vegetables, the possibilities are as endless as they are available.

“I think this area is a great connection of small communities. Everyone is really well connected and excited to know where their food comes from,” said George Frangos, co-owner of Farm Burger restaurant in Asheville. “Everyone is very supportive of organic restaurants and local farmers.”

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Farm Burger puts a locally-sourced spin on the traditional American burger joint. Owner of Balsam Gardens, Steven Beltram and Becca Nestler (below) are independent farmers who specialize in bringing the freshest fruits, vegetables and meat to local farmer’s markets and restaurants.

SARA HANNA PHOTO (ABOVE) • GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTOS

Opened in 2013, Farm Burger is the combination of a farm-to-table restaurant and All-American burger joint. The meat and produce is raised in Western North Carolina, which means its not only fresh when served, but also beneficial to the environmental and economical stability of the region.

“When we were looking for a city to locate in, we felt Asheville was a place we wanted to live in and knew would be supported by,” Frangos said. “We’ve met so many incredible people here — everyone really wants to work together.”

Frogs Leap Public House in Waynesville knew from the — George Frangos, Farm Burger start that even though breaking into the food business would provide some challenges, the initial intent and purpose of the restaurant would ultimately win out. With a philosophy of offering fresh, local farm ingredients, the restaurant makes sure to always serve what’s in season or what’s on the market that can fit perfectly with their farm-to-table cuisines.

“My whole goal is to feature Waynesville and Western North Carolina through art, food, music and culture,” said Kaighn Raymond, owner and head chef at Frogs Leap. “Everything we do here at the restaurant is about trying to showcase the qualities and great life we live here in Western North Carolina. I love it all, which is why I moved here.”

“I think this area is a great connection of small communities.

Everyone is really well connected and excited to know where their food comes from.”

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Something Brewing

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Tapping into Appalachia CRAFT BEER BECOMES BIG BUSINESS IN WNC

The lines between work and play are blurred for Dale Katechis.

“This isn’t a job, it’s a way of life,” he said.

Owner and founder of Oskar Blues Brewing, Katechis has built a wildly successful brand of craft beer that is rapidly spilling across the country. Originating in Lyons, Colo., the business opened an enormous nine-acre, $10 million east coast facility in Brevard in 2013.

Katechis decided on the Western North Carolina location after years of visiting the region, soaking in the ideal combination of southern culture and endless outdoor recreation.

“I fell in love with this area,” he said. “When we were looking to build, Brevard offered quite the temptation. I knew my quality of life was not going to suffer being here.”

And Katechis isn’t the only one feeling those sentiments. Craft brewering giants Sierra Nevada and New Belgium are also opening large-scale east coast headquarters in Western North Carolina. With more than 20 independent establishments in Asheville and surrounding towns, the craft beer industry is booming in these parts. Voted “Beer City USA” in 2010 and 2011, Asheville has become the epicenter for a beverage movement unseen in not only the industry, but also the nation as a whole.

“The beer is flowing, the people are drinking it, and the people are liking it,” said Jon Bowman, co-owner of Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville.

Home to three breweries, Waynesville has become a scene in its own right, with BearWaters and Frog Level Brewing also serving up a wide array of selections that perfectly compliment the innumerable varieties brewed in Asheville.

“This area is a vacation destination for the state, and all of these tourists are interacting with our companies while they’re here, and now they want our products where they live,” said Kevin Sandefur, owner/brewmaster of BearWaters. “If we’re that kind of lasting

GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

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A booming business in Western North Carolina, craft beer starts with organic hops (left) and ends with a hearty pint glass of handmade Appalachian ales.

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hit 2,000 barrels in the next two years. impression, it’s great, and it says a lot of the “It’s all about consistency. If you’re not making breweries here and what we’ve accomplished in good beer, you won’t be in business long,” said such a short time.”

Clark Williams, owner/brewmaster of Frog Heading down the Great Smoky Mountains Level. “It’s about increasing production while Expressway, Dieter Kuhn, owner/brewmaster of maintaining consistency. It’s challenging, but it’s Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva, sees the something we can do, will do growth like a spider web, and have done.” weaving its way out of With brewing beer comes Asheville and into the depths the keen philosophy of “work of Southern Appalachia. hard, play hard.” For Katechis, “It has to do with support coming eastward was as much of agencies, people in the a business decision as it was a community, and, of course, chance for adventure in the the customers,” he said.

Great Smokies and beyond.

“Everyone has been “We ride bikes and we supportive. Yes, we’ve worked drink good beer, and we want hard, we’re still here, but we to turn other people onto couldn’t have done it all that,” he chuckled. “I don’t without the support.” clock out and go home. I hit That industry growth is the trails and everyday is like also plainly seen in the Christmas out there.” production numbers. In 2012, Oskar Blues aims to make Oskar Blues brewed 87,000 a big imprint on the craft beer barrels of beer. Add in the culture of Western North Brevard facility, and the Carolina. They hit the ground company increased running in 2013, and it seems production in 2013 to around the only way to go is up.

125,000 barrels, with 40,000 “What I love most about barrels coming from Western my job is getting to make North Carolina. Those beer and putting smiles on numbers are exactly where people’s faces,” Katechis said.

Katechis wants to be, and “It’s amazing how quickly exactly what he had in mind — Dale Katechis, everything came together when opening up shop in Oscar Blues Brewing here, and that speaks volumes Brevard. about the our people and “It speaks to the fact that everyone in Western North Carolina.”

North Carolina folks appreciate good beer,” he As the movement continues to flourish here, said. “We’re all in this together, and we have such all of those involved still come back to their a positive attitude moving forward — it’s easier initial purpose on a daily basis — brewing beer to smile than it is to frown.” for the love of it. It’s a passion as unique and And it seems every brewery is aiming for delicious as the brews themselves. increased numbers around Western North Carolina.

“I love sending beer to people, talking about In 2013, Bear Waters produced 250 barrels, with beer and collaborating,” Kuhn said. “It’s a labor plans to reach 2,500 barrels by 2015. Frog Level of love and I enjoy it.” came in around 450 barrels for 2013, with hopes to

“We ride bikes and we drink good beer, and we want to turn other people on to that.”

Altamont Brewing Asheville Brewing Blue Mountain Brewing Burial Brewing French Broad Brewing Green Man Brewery Highland Brewing Hi-Wire Brewing Lexington Avenue Brewery New Belgium Brewing* Oyster House Brewing Thirsty Monk Brewery Wedge Brewing Wicked Weed Brewing Yellow Truck*

WNC BREWERIES BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) Brevard Brewing (Brevard) Catawba Valley Brewing (Morganton) Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) Heinzelmannchen Brewery (Sylva) Innovation Brewing (Sylva) Lookout Brewing (Black Mountain) Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) Oskar Blues Brewing (Brevard) Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain) Sierra Nevada Brewing (Mills River) Southern Appalachian Brewery (Hendersonville) Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) *Breweries planned

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From the Vine

Fruits of their labor WINE FINDS A HOME IN WNC

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The morning fog has just lifted in Western North Carolina. Sunshine crashes into the hills like a wave, soon washing over vineyards. It’s the perfect time to pick grapes, and Eric Case has been at it since dawn.

“We have warm days and cool nights, which helps the grapes to ripen,” said Case, manager at Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville. “Our elevation in Henderson County helps. We’re cooler at night than other growing areas in North Carolina.”

Taking a page from the microbrewery boom in this region, the wine industry in southern Appalachia has blossomed. With the legendary Biltmore Estate Winery leading the way, an array of local wineries have emerged to compete with the Yadkin Valley and beyond, including Burntshirt and St. Paul Vineyards.

“The conditions of these mountains is very similar to Europe,” said Alan Ward, owner of St. Paul Vineyards near Hendersonville. “We’re trying to be true to this region and grow the best fruit we can. This is agricultural tourism at its best.”

Ward points to the far south ecosystem that resides in the mountain elevations ranging from 2,300 to 3,000 feet. With crisp evenings blanketing the area, pleasant temperatures below 90 degrees during the day is key to grape growth.

“We’ve studied and done our homework,” he said. “We listen to what people tell us about our wine and it’s been great feedback. We focus on high quality fruit and having a great winemaker.”

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“The wine industry in the United States in general is in its infancy compared to Europe. But, it has grown leaps and bounds, with North Carolina being one of the states taking the lead.”

— Richard Miller, The Classic Wineseller

Alongside the obvious addition to the local culture and tradition, the wine industry also replaces numerous manufacturing and agricultural jobs that vanished from Western North Carolina over the past decades.

“It’s still agriculture,” Case said. “The apple farmers have dwindled here. A lot of grape growers in the Yadkin Valley used to be tobacco growers. The more we can keep local, the better.”

Noticing the change in consumer taste at his wine store, The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville, owner Richard Miller sees the potential of the industry for his backyard.

“It fits in with the traditions here. I mean, we’ve had moonshine for years,” he chuckled. “Being a tourist-oriented region, people are looking for local wines. The North Carolina wine industry will continue to grow once they get bigger and have a distributor handle their product.”

California took the lead in U.S. wine production after Prohibition, but the tide is slowly turning. North Carolina is bolting out of the gate and back into the mix.

“The wine industry in the United States in general is in its infancy compared to Europe,” he said. “But, it has grown leaps and bounds, with North Carolina being one of the states taking the lead.”

Connoisseurs are familiar with the Sonoma and Napa Valleys of the west, so winegrowers around here know it’ll be an uphill battle to get people to turn their heads Burntshirt Vineyards south, but the proof is in the wine. in Hendersonville (right) is on the “It’s very satisfying to see people drink the forefront of a wine wine and enjoy it,” Case said. “People aren’t used revolution in the state. to us yet, but we’re going to change that. Once GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTOS they try the wine, they’ll be impressed.”

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In Good Spirits

Distilling tradition

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CRAFT LIQUOR A NEW, EXCITING MARKET IN APPALACHIA Based in Asheville, Troy & Sons moonshine whiskey (above) has made a name for itself around the southeast and beyond. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

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For every batch of moonshine he makes, Cody Bradford is distilling his lineage. The tradition of making ‘shine has been in his family for over 150 years. The recipe remains the same, and it’s as strong and real as each generation of crafters.

“It’s in my blood, it’s the whole reason I wanted to do this, to keep the tradition alive,” he said. “By learning about moonshine, you’re learning the history behind the hardworking people of these mountains. I want people to know what’s good moonshine and what’s not.”

In 2010, Cody Bradford opened the Howling Moon Distillery in Asheville. Putting out hundreds of gallons of moonshine, Bradford can’t keep up with demand, even with the product only being sold in Western North Carolina.

“Making liquor is the hardest job I’ve ever had,” he said. “And doing it legally, I can pass along the tradition without the fear anymore of getting caught.”

The practice of distilling and making spirits in Southern Appalachia dates back hundreds of years. With an influx of Scots-Irish settlers into the area during the 17th and 18th centuries, their ancient methods and techniques of making liquor came with them. Whiskey production was not only an economic vehicle for society, but also one that influenced politics and culture.

“Making liquor was a natural way of life for these settlers,” said Dan Pierce, chairman of the history department at UNC-Asheville and author of Corn From A Jar. “These early Appalachian people had long traditions of making liquor, and they adapted it to the new grains of the land, particularly corn.”

Into the mid-20th century, the illegal moonshine trade developed new tactics to get their product to clients. Faster, more savvy automobiles graced the twisted back roads of the mountains. These bootleggers customized their vehicles with faster engines in seemingly slow vehicles, stronger axles and leaf springs to not make a heavy load of moonshine obvious when driving down the road.

“Moonshine isn’t about a bunch of hillbillies getting drunk,” he said. “It’s about people whose only survival was brewing ‘shine. For me, brewing it is a thrill, and it’s part of who I am.”

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Toes in the sands of time It’s a crisp, late fall morning in rural Rutherford County. Tim Ferris gazes out onto his endless farm fields and grins. For him, it’s just another day in paradise.

“We’re out in the middle of nowhere, in a state-of-the-art facility making single malt whisky on our farm,” he shakes his head in amazement. “I take my four-wheeler to work with my chocolate lab running alongside. It’s not that bad, it’s awesome.”

Owner/distiller of Defiant Whisky in Bostic, Ferris and a handful of friends have built the business from the ground up, slowly turning their dream into a reality. And that existence comes from an unrelenting pursuit of passions.

“None of doing this is lost on us,” he said. “We walk in here every morning, and no matter what situations or problems arise, you open the door, pause for a moment, and truly appreciate the fact we are doing what we love.”

Moving to the 98-acre farm two decades ago, Ferris, 37, eventually entered a career as a deep sea commercial diving and heavy marine salvage operator.

He has traversed the globe, working on projects now found in history books. From cleanup — Tim Ferris, efforts following the Deep Defiant Whiskey Water Horizon Gulf Coast oil spill to Hurricane Sandy in New York City, rescuing the drifting Shell Oil drill barge Kulluk to salvage operations in Egypt during the Arab Spring, Ferris has seen it all.

“You move into the unknown, where you have a task that is large and foreign to you, in what you do and how you do it, but you know what the goal is,” he said. “And you get into it, you’re not afraid of it.

You draw on prior experience, and soon replace ignorance with more experience and awareness as you make steps towards your goal.”

When he wasn’t working for his company, Defiant Salvage, Inc., Ferris and his workers would spend their downtime on the farm, decompressing from the world and gathering their strength. It was during these societal escapes that Ferris began experimenting with a small whisky still in his garage, with each batch getting closer to the perfection and precision he desired. Ferris quickly realized how special the interactions and ambiance of making and enjoying the spirit with loved ones was.

“What makes a successful product, regardless of what it is, is how people connect with it.”

Taking distilling traditions into their own hands, Defiant Whisky in Bostic is rapidly making a name for itself on the national liquor scene. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

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“We go all over the world and it’s easy to lose yourself in the traffic and mobs of people,” he said. “When you come here you can breathe. We’re a half hour from another town, in any direction, and we love that.”

The idea finally clicked in Ferris’ head to build a distillery.

Alongside his friends and co-workers, Defiant Whisky came to fruition, brick by brick, batch by batch. Opening in 2010, the business is expected to produce over 100,000 bottles by the end of 2014, as well as hit the shelves in more than seven states and counting. Though the key ingredient to fine whisky is water, and Defiant taps into the pristine underwater aquifer beneath the farm, what remains is the final piece to the puzzle — the consumer.

“What makes a successful product, regardless of what it is, is how people connect with it,” he said. “People are loving our product. There’s already loyalty and we’ll only continue to get better and better.”

Nestled into the deep hills of Western North Carolina, Ferris is aiming straight for the future or “second star on the right and straight on till’ morning,” as he proudly states.

“The more you live, the more you wake up, the more you realize life is something that you build. There are things that happen to you and the only thing you change is how you react to it. But, the more conscious you can be in your life, the more you get to build your dream, then the more you get to realize and live your dream,” he said. “Otherwise, the sand is just pouring through the hourglass and, before you know it, you’re going to be dirt. So, you might as well make the most out of it and not be afraid of screwing it up.”

“By learning about moonshine, you’re learning the history behind the hardworking people of these mountains. I want people to know what’s good moonshine and what’s not.”

In Good Spirits With a storied history of distilling and bootlegging, liquor production in Western North Carolina has now hit the mainstream with a variety of handmade, quality products.

DONATED PHOTO (LEFT) • GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO (RIGHT)

— Cody Bradford, Howling Moon Distillery

Consequently, many of those actual bootleg drivers became pioneers in another facet — stockcar racing. Taking their talents of evading the law, these moonshine drivers, most notably Junior Johnson, were part of the newly formed National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR, which today is America’s biggest spectator sport.

And as the craft liquor industry has morphed and blossomed into a legal, bountiful trade in Western North Carolina, there are plenty of entrepreneurs and curious alike looking to not only carry on the sacred distilling traditions, but also evolve them into the 21st century.

Since 2010, Troy & Sons heirloom moonshine whiskey in Asheville has been perpetuating the values and heritage of backwoods distilling. Founded by Troy Ball, her husband and three sons, the company started from scratch. Troy eventually learned hands on from an old-time moonshiner she befriended. Originally from Austin, the family relocated to Western North Carolina for its climate, which adhered to the personal health needs of her children.

“When Troy and her family moved here from Texas, she started getting moonshine jars instead of cookies for housewarming

promoting the love of gifts,” said Mary Rich, Asheville and its events coordinator/sales Adam Dalton Distillery community, which has representative for Troy & (Asheville) supported the business Sons. “She fell in love with since its inception. the culture of the Blue Kudzo Sake Company “Asheville is a place to moonshiner and began (Asheville) make changes, where people doing her research and Defiant Whiskey Distillery are receptive to reach out experimenting.”

(Bostic) and accept culture. It’s a What started with a Howling Moon Distillery really tolerant and handful of homemade (Asheville) embracing community,” batches has turned into a Troy & Son Distillers Rich said. “It’s an professional operation, with (Asheville) intentional place, with our production numbers hover food we eat and where we around 60,000 bottles for get it, with what we drink. It fits our philosophy 2013. Sticking to the long lost and highly of preserving the culture and heritage of this sought after heirloom grains and white corn, area, and we’re doing it really well.” native to North Carolina, Troy & Sons are But Bradford assures there is no shortage now in possession of some the finest ‘shine to of bootleggers still operating in Southern flow from a copper still.

Appalachia. He estimates hundreds of “We only take the ‘heart’ of each batch, ‘shiners are cooking up their trademarks which is around 60 percent of the distilled brews to this day, high up in the deep forests, spirit,” Rich said. “It’s about putting one foot far away from Main Street America. in front of the other and making sure you get “There are more moonshiners out there the best possible product possible. We’re today than I can count,” he chuckled. going to continue to experiment with all “They’re smarter these days, they don’t talk kinds of different whiskies.” about it at all, and they’ve survived.”

Now on the shelves in seven states, Troy & Sons is aiming to be in the remaining 43 within the next couple of years. Until then, they’ll continue to move forward and keep

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The Parkway

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America’s favorite journey NATURE MEETS THE OPEN ROAD ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

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The Blue Ridge Parkway unravels gracefully across the landscape, at times suspended from high cliffs and etched into rocky crags, then deftly shifting gears to skim over hayfields and past log cabins bound by split-rail fences.

The road seems unfazed by mountain topography. The Parkway moves harmoniously through the scenery and lays so gently on the terrain, it seems possible that perhaps the Parkway was there first, or at the very least born at the same time as the mountains themselves.

“I can’t image a more creative job than locating that Blue Ridge Parkway, because you worked with a 10-league canvas and a brush of a comet’s tail,” said Stanley Abbott, the chief landscape architect of the Parkway during its construction in the 1930s.

The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway celebrated its official 75th anniversary in 2010. It is a unique unit of the National Park Service, a scenic roadway through the rural mountain area of Western North Carolina and Virginia. It both moves people from place to place and also binds the region together.

The task facing early Parkway designers was enormous, with little more than vague parameters of where to put the Parkway. Blazing a scenic road through high and rugged mountain passes in the 1930s was an engineering and artistic feat. It also pushed the boundaries of competing American ideals.

The country was in the midst of a burgeoning national park movement, and many in the general public had already accepted a popular concept of preserving America’s grand landscapes. Meanwhile, a love affair with the automobile had also gripped the country. These two notions gave rise to the Parkway concept.

Yet merging the two was not easy.

“A road and a park are very different things,” said Ian Firth, a historical expert on Parkway design and professor emeritus in the College of Environment and Design — Stanley Abbott, chief landscape at the University of Georgia. “Roads are architect of the Parkway during meant to bring progress and development.

A park is 180 degrees different. It is where its construction in the 1930s

“I can’t image a more creative job than locating that Blue Ridge Parkway, because you worked with a 10-league canvas and a brush of a comet’s tail.”

and if you didn’t have a gentle change in curve, you had lurches, bumps and screeches that were very uncomfortable for passengers and bad for freight and prone to derailment and accidents,” said Mary Myers, a Parkway expert on landscape architecture and chair of the Landscape Architecture and Horticulture department at Temple University.

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you preserve something from progress and from development.”

Abbott, just 26 years old when he was hired as chief landscape architect for the Parkway, possessed both the skill and instinct to capture the Appalachian countryside and its sweeping mountain vistas from behind the windshield of an automobile. He often likened his approach to that of a cinematographer, training his camera on one frame after the next and eventually producing a 469-mile masterpiece.

While the Parkway’s design is often compared to art, Abbott and his colleagues applied a mathematical formula to achieve the serpentine line.

Abbott was a master of the spiral curve, a highly engineered and deftly calculated arc that eases cars gently into a curve and exits them smoothly. The turning radius broadens as you move through the curve, much like a spiral expands as it moves outward from the center. The Parkway owes its sweeping nature to the equation, which avoids the unpleasant centripetal force of standard curves.

The formula was perfected by railroads in previous decades.

“They had all these cars they were pulling,

Abbott deployed another geometric tool called the reverse curve, essentially two backto-back spiral curves in opposite directions.

Drivers barely exit one turn before they slalom into the next one. The reverse curve creates a rhythmic experience, as if swaying back and forth through the mountains.

“I don’t think you can find a better example of that beautiful line of grace,” Myers said of the Parkway. “The reverse curves do everything.”

Not only do they achieve a rhythmic motion, but they aim the car’s windshield toward the views, whether it’s a mountain vista on the outside curve or a rhododendroncapped boulder after rounding the bend.

While the Parkway often changes, the grade is gentle, another area of careful calculation.

The notion of Abbott penning the Parkway’s design in one fell swoop is far from the truth. Abbott plugged away dutifully from 1935 to 1944 until he was called into service for World War II. By then, only twothirds of the road had been completed.

Construction resumed immediately after the war and continued in sections until 1967.

The final missing link around Grandfather Mountain wasn’t finished until 1987.

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Outdoors

Seizing the Smokies WNC OFFERS ENDLESS OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES

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R

Recreation is truly “re-creation” in the Blue Ridge, whose mountains offer lucky residents and visitors the chance to renew their spirits through a rich variety of outdoor opportunities.

There’s plenty of fun to be had, and if you like sports, you’ll find plenty to root for here. Asheville turns out in force to watch the Asheville Tourists, affiliated with the Colorado Rockies, a Major League Baseball team that sends many of its first-round picks here to pick up valuable experience. Grab the family, pick up a sack of peanuts and a couple of hot dogs and watch some excellent baseball on a warm summer’s eve. It seems like everyone’s friendly in a minor league ballpark, and that’s no truer than at their park, McCormick Field.

For something quirkier, roll over to the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville to watch the Blue Ridge Rollergirls, members of North Carolina’s first all-female, flat-track roller derby league. The matches combine fashion, camp and fierce competition in an event that draws a spirited crowd as fun to watch as these young athletes going ‘round and ‘round.

Coached for years by basketball coach Eddie Biedenbach, UNC Asheville’s Bulldogs have been getting a lot of attention in the Big South League, playing to near capacity crowds in at the Kimmel Arena. In nearby Cullowhee, Western Carolina University’s Catamounts is home to Division 1 gridiron football, playing against the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers in recent years. Soccer and volleyball rule at Montreat College and

An annual celebration in the Nantahala Gorge, the Guest Appreciation Festival at the Nantahala Outdoor Center combines a love of gear and Appalachian recreation. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

The Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville every Memorial Day Weekend is a three-day celebration of all things outdoors. Everyone from amateurs to professionals takes part in competitions and clinics that make participants better competitors.

Mars Hill College.

Asheville has been selected as host city for the 2012-2014 Southern Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The city hosted the tournaments for years at the U.S Cellular Center, with sidewalks full of people going between games and restaurants bringing a palpable excitement to the heart of the city.

The Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville every Memorial Day Weekend is a three-day celebration of all things outdoors. Races and events take in the sports of trail running and biking, cyclocross, Ultimate Frisbee, rock climbing and dodge ball. Everyone from amateurs to professionals takes part in competitions and clinics that make participants better competitors.

The festival also stages a lot of free music around downtown.

Less than an hour and a half from Asheville, the Nantahala Outdoor Center can provide just about any kind of adventure you’d want, from biking to

Western North Carolina is home to numerous outdoor festivals and activities, such as the Mountain Sports Festival (top) held yearly in Asheville, and whitewater rafting on the Tuckaseegee River (middle).

SCOTT BASTE PHOTO (TOP) • OUTDOOREVENTPHOTOS.COM MARK HASKETT PHOTOS (MIDDLE & BELOW)

climbing to hiking to river floats to lake kayaking to jet boat rides to tickets to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (you should see the fall foliage from one of these comfortable cabins).

The Wildwater Rafting centers on the Nantahala, Chattooga and Pigeon rivers offer exhilarating guided whitewater raft rides that roll over rapids in trips that last about three hours. Other adventurous explorers might opt for harnessed canopy tours conducted in the beautiful Nantahala Gorge over six aerial bridges and 11 zip lines. The rides, meant to be more informative than jaw dropping, go through several ecosystems, and guides share cultural and ecological tidbits

CASTING TOWARDS ADVENTURE Fly fishing is one of Western North Carolina’s biggest draws, offering any kind of fishing experience the serious angler could hope for.

In 2011, Cherokee hosted the 2011 U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships.

Sixty of the top anglers in the country descended on the reservation to try their luck in the dozens of streams that contain native brook, rainbow and brown trout.

The tribe has its own hatchery and regularly stocks dozens of miles of rivers and streams (www.cherokee-nc.com).

Next door in Jackson County the chamber of commerce has produced a guide to the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, the only trail of its kind in the country.

The rivers and stream here feature some of the best trout waters in the Great Smoky Mountains (800-962-1911 or www.mountainlovers.com). The trail takes you to 15 excellent spots for catching brook, brown and rainbow trout. Whether you seek quantity or size, open waters or small streams, the WNC Fly Fishing Trail has it all.

Of course the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers some of the best backcountry fly fishing in the eastern United States. Couple that with the hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, and it’s easy to understand why the area around Asheville has become a haven for both serious and recreational fly fisherman.

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Outdoors

Opened in 2013, Kolo Bike Park is a state-of-the-art mountain bike facility in Asheville. The property features jumps, trails and everything in between for rides of all ages and abilities. DONATED PHOTO

Where the trail meets the city Sitting on the back deck of the Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, Eric Krause is all smiles.

“The buzz has definitely started to come around,” he said. “We’re not widely know yet, but the people who have been coming by are absolutely loving it.”

Though the adventure park has been for a couple years, Krause is referring to its newest addition — Kolo Bike Park. A Slavic word meaning “wheel” or “bicycle,” Kolo came about as the final touch to the park, which encompasses a zipline and high ropes obstacle course with more than 50 different elements. Just minutes from downtown, the site is part of the 125-acre Asheville Crowne Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort. The property lends itself to over 100 acres of actual greenspace upon which Kolo could meander the

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landscape, or have the “Kolo Flow,” as Krause noted.

“This is a great testing ground for products, a great training ground for teaching and instructing,” he said. “There’s nothing like it in Western North Carolina.”

The professionally designed and maintained trail system runs about four miles total. It’s filled with jumps, switchbacks, endless downhill curves and rolling terrain. The idea behind the location is to offer something challenging for seasoned veterans, but also be accessible and non-intimidating for novice riders.

“We have a little bit for everything — single track, double track, bridges, with a lot of trails splitting off into multiple directions once you’re in the woods,” Krause said. “This gives the rider a lot of variety to what you can and want to do, which will also encourage people to keep trying new routes.”

Originally from Pittsburgh, Krause grew up riding BMX bikes and making jumps in the woods. It was all those years out there riding that were the catalyst for his lifelong interest in exploring Mother Nature. He started racing around Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky, eventually finding his way into Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. He fell in love with Asheville immediately.

“I found that Asheville was the perfect marriage between a city filled with culture and progressive ideals and access to the outdoors, which is really unparalleled anywhere in the east,” the 47-year-old said.

But, beyond the physical beauty of the region Krause also felt the tightly-knit, — Eric Krause, Kolo Bike Park bountiful relationship between riders and the U.S. Forest Service as something truly special and unique to the sport.

“You go out West and there are trail access issues, with so much of the good stuff being restricted or shut down, and here we really have a great working relationship with the forest service,” he said.

“They understand that outdoor recreation is a key driving component for tourism in the area, and also for relocation. They’ve really working to highlight recreation like biking and hiking as premier attractions.”

The next step for Kolo will be to host races, clinics and camps. It’s about the evolution of mountain biking in Southern Appalachia and being able to move the sport forward, into new and exciting realms.

“This is a great destination for mountain biking,” Krause said. “It’s a great way to experience nature and get fit. Kolo is a great starting point for anybody.”

And with Kolo now open amid the endless riding opportunities in Western North Carolina, Krause encourages old-time riders and the curious alike to come down and take a spin on the trails.

“The freedom and escape of riding is appealing to me,” he said.

“As I’ve gotten older, and more and more appreciative of the outdoors, getting away from it all in nature, mountain biking brings that adrenaline rush of my youth together with an outdoors experience. Grab some wheels and get comfortable.”

“It’s a great way to experience nature and get fit. Kolo is a great starting point for anybody.”

along the way.

Zip lines are big in the Asheville area right now. Navitat Asheville offers top-of-the-tree tours along 10 zip lines, two sky bridges and from two rappelling experiences. The threehour adventures have been featured in USA TODAY, in the New York Times and on CNN’s Headline News.

For those who like two feet on the ground, the region offers unparalleled hiking in Pisgah National Forest, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and state parks at Chimney Rock, DuPont, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain, Lake James and South Mountains. There are several hiking

Navitat Asheville offers top-of-thetree tours along 10 zip lines, two sky bridges and from two rappelling experiences.

TV

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Learn more about hiking in Western North Carolina

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clubs in the area, including the Carolina Mountain Club, established in 1923 and now the oldest and most active hiking club in Western North Carolina.

Julian Price Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s largest campground, offers rangerguided hikes during the day. The National Park Service also provides car camping in maintained sites at Linville Falls, Crabtree Meadows, Mount Mitchell and Mount Pisgah. For backpackers, there’s excellent primitive camping in Linville Gorge. Closer to Asheville, public campgrounds exist at Lake Powhatan, North Mills River and Davidson River.

Lake Powhatan is in the Bent Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest, just south of Asheville, and home to miles of mountain biking trails. DuPont and Pisgah state parks have lots of trails, as does the Jackrabbit

Mountain biking and hiking trail system just outside of Hayesville in Clay County. Road riders will love the popular flat cycle along the French Broad River between Asheville and Marshall. The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Asheville Bicycle Racing Club and the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club host events, club rides and races.

Whitewater Paddling magazine has named Asheville a “Top 10 Whitewater Town,” but the glory is shared by many towns on the French Broad, Pigeon, Nantahala and Nolichucky rivers. There are many rafting companies in the area, including Huck Finn Adventures in Hot Springs and French Broad Rafting Expeditions and Blue Heron Whitwater in Marshall. The Biltmore Estate has many outdoor experiences, including river floats, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking and biking.

The fun doesn’t stop with the warm weather.

Strap on your skis and head to Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, Wolf Ridge Ski Resort near Mars Hill or Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk. All have runs for various levels of expertise, as well as exhilarating inner tube rides and ski lodges to nurse any sore muscles.

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Erwin 107

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Lake Life

Jump right in WATERFRONT COMMUNITIES MAKE LIFE A SPLASH

L Lake James is home to an array of outdoor and recreational activities.

DONATED PHOTO

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Living and recreating on a lake in the deep mountains of Southern Appalachia is about as close to paradise as one can get.

“It’s like being on a full-time vacation,” said Yvonne Booley. “You’re living in truly a paradise here. It’s a little piece of heaven.”

An agent for Beverly Hanks Real Estate in Lake Lure, Booley has resided near the lake for the last few years. And being part of this majestic location in Western North Carolina means being part of an outdoor recreation culture as timeless as it is growing.

“The beauty of it is the access to the lake and nearby hiking trails. It’s a simpler way of life here, where it’s quiet with no traffic and no stoplights for miles,” she said.

“People who come here get away from the city. Lake Lure is such a close, tight-knit community — it’s all about enjoying your environment.”

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Playing into that culture is Lake Lure Adventure Company. Started by Mark and Genevieve Helms more than 15 years ago, the couple wanted to be able to combine their business sense with their longtime love of the outdoors. So, they packed up their lives in Florida and headed for the hills.

“It’s all about being your own boss. I used to be a contractor for years, and I learned everyday was the same, you sign a contract, smiles all around, then it’s all downhill from there,” Mark said. “But, being here, renting boats and doing tours, we’re making a living making people happy.”

Nowadays, the adventure company has a small fleet of pontoon, fishing and waterskiing boats, on top of offering kayak and standup paddleboard rentals.

It’s about being able to take full advantage of the natural beauty of this unique landscape.

“It’s a more laidback lifestyle around here. There’s plenty to do, whether it’s winter or summer. You take advantage of all the seasons,” Mark said.

“We’re here all the time ready to help anyone who wants to get out there. Yearround, if you call, — Earl Weaver, ranger, we’ll be down there Lake James State Park ready to get you on the water.”

Over at Lake James, State Park Ranger Earl Weaver is revving up his boat, ready to take anyone interested on a personal tour around the vast waterscape. Working for the park service for the better part of the last 25 years, he is passionate about sharing the beauty of his surroundings with locals and visitors alike.

“I like the fact you’ve got the lake, the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway all here,” he smiled. “You can fish, hunt, swim, boat or kayak, you can do it all here. Get outside and enjoy it — that’s the reason we’re all here.”

Sitting up front on Weaver’s boat is Marion resident Annette Bryant. A longtime resident to the area, Bryant came to the area to immerse herself in nature and finding a balance between the outdoors and city amenities, where she can be out in the woods one day and in downtown Asheville the next.

“There’s literally something different here for everyone,” she said. “I just love the ability to go out and see nature at its best. Why wouldn’t you be out here?”

“Get outside and enjoy it — that’s the reason we’re all here.”

Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. Crescent Communities Realty, LLC. Š 2013.

WHEN CHILDREN COULD PLAY OUTSIDE ALL DAY?

On their own.

They could roam free and explore.

WOODS. FIELDS. STREAMS. They invented worlds of wonder. They invented themselves.

It was a level of freedom that has become just a memory.

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Swinging for the Smokies

A DAY ON THE LINKS IN WNC IS ALWAYS A HOLE-IN-ONE EXPERIENCE

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There’s nothing like playing a round of golf at high elevation Another glorious day at the to quicken the blood and make you feel alive. Golf courses in Grove Park Inn Resort & Asheville and Western North Carolina have attitude as well as Spa in Asheville. altitude, challenging golfers in the most gorgeous of settings.

GROVE PARK INN PHOTO Condé Nast Traveler Magazine included the golf course at Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in its list of “Top 20 Southern U.S. Golf Resorts.” Designed by Donald Ross in 1926, the 18-hole, par 70 course has an undulating front nine and a back nine that can be steep. A decade ago, the resort invested $2.5 million to restore the course in a manner that Ross would approve. Players who have enjoyed its challenge include golf immortals Bobby Jones, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson and more recent PGA stars Doug Sanders, Gene Littler, Fuzzy Zoeller and Chip Beck.

The Country Club of Asheville has an 18-hole, par 72 Donald Ross-designed course with a distinctive clubhouse that overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. It also boasts a stateof-the-art indoor tennis facility that has eight outdoor clay courts and a modern fitness facility. Also available are a 25-tee driving range and putting and chipping greens.

One of the oldest golf courses in Western North Carolina, Asheville Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 72 course that opened in 1927. The front nine of this Donald Ross-designed course measures 3,246 yards from the back tees, calling for a driver on every hole. The course is open daily to the public, weather permitting.

The 18-hole golf course at Biltmore Forest Country Club recently underwent at $2.5million restoration, accompanied by an $8.5-million renovation of the clubhouse, bringing both back to their 1922 splendor. Over the years, the course has attracted the likes of Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden, John D. Rockefeller, William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge Sporting the only golf course in Western North Carolina designed by Jack Nicklaus, The Cliffs At Walnut Cove is an 18-hole, par 71 course that opened in tournament-ready

conditions, according to the PGA Tour. Its greens, bent grass fairways, clever bunkering and elevation changes make it a challenge that calls for a sharp eye.

In Weaverville, just north of Asheville, is Reems Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 course. Located in the beautiful Reems Creek Valley, it’s surrounded by tall mountains through which the Blue Ridge Parkway passes. The 6,492-yard course was designed by Hawtree & Sons, a British firm that worked on Royal Birkdale, a course that’s in the British Open rotation.

South of Asheville, in Mills River, is High Vista Country Club, whose golf course is open to the public. Established in 1976 and designed by Tom Jackson, the 18hole course has dramatic elevation changes and winding fairways. Nearby, Etowah Valley Golf Club has three 9-hole courses,

all knitted together in one spectacular championship golf experience. Create the combination you want from six tee positions on a scenic mountain plateau 2,200 feet high.

Height matters at Mount Mitchell Golf Club, located near Burnsville. Lying at about 3,000 feet elevation and bordered by peaks that exceed 6,000 feet, the course is relatively flat. The South Toe River runs through it, a factor that must be taken into account for many shots.

In the mountain region west of the Asheville area there are a handful of top-notch public courses, including the new Sequoyah National in Cherokee (designed by Robert Trent Jones II) and the historic 27 holes at Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa. In the Cashiers area of Jackson County, the scenic High Hampton Inn has one of the most picturesque courses in the country.

Golf courses in Asheville and Western North Carolina have attitude as well as altitude, challenging golfers in the most gorgeous of settings.

AREA GOLF COURSES Asheville Municipal Golf Course Municipal 226 Fairway Drive, Asheville 828-298-1867 www.ashevillenc.gov

Biltmore Forest Country Club Private 31 Stuyvesant Road, Asheville 828-274-1261 www.biltmoreforestcc.com

Black Mountain Golf Course Municipal 15 Ross Drive, Black Mountain 828-669-2710 www.blackmountaingolf.org

Broadmoor Golf Links Public 101 French Broad Lane, Fletcher 828-687-1500 www.broadmoorlinks.com

Cliffs At Walnut Cove Private 268 Walnut Valley Parkway, Arden 888-988-3040 www.cliffscommunities.com

Play where the air is refreshing, the views are breathtaking, and Robert Trent Jones II-designed greens are waiting.

Enjoy 18 holes of challenging championship golf surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains. While you’re here, experience natural beauty, native culture, and entertainment in the homeland of the Cherokee Indians.

SequoyahNational.com | 828.497.3000

TroonGolf.com

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AREA GOLF COURSES, CONT. Country Club of Asheville Private 170 Windsor Road, Asheville 828-258-9762 www.countryclubofasheville.net

Crowne Plaza Tennis and Golf Resort Public 1 Resort Drive, Asheville 828-253-5874 www.ashevillecp.com

Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club Public 20 Cummings Cove Parkway, Hendersonville 828-891-9412 www.cummingscove.com

Etowah Valley Golf Club Public 470 Brickyard Road, Etowah 800-451-8174 www.etowahvalley.com

Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Public 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville 800-438-5800 www.groveparkinn.com

High Vista Country Club Public 88 Country Club Road, Mills River 828-891-1986 www.highvistagolf.com

Mount Mitchell Golf Club Public 11484 N.C. 80 South, Burnsville 828-675-5454 www.mountmitchellgolf.com

Orchard Trace Golf Club Public 3389 Sugarloaf Road, Hendersonville 828-685-1006

Public 1300 Conley Creek Road, Whittier 800-474-0070. www.smokymountaincc.com.

Southern Tee Golf Course Public 111 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher 828-687-7273

Springdale Country Club Public 200 Golfwatch Road, Canton 800-553-3027 www.springdalegolf.com

Semi-private 36 Pink Fox Cove Road, Weaverville 828-645-4393 www.reemscreekgolf.com

Public 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville 800-627-6250 www.wccinn.com.

Make yourself at home™ Enjoy spacious suites and a wealth of amenities. Conveniently located neaV the aVea´s ½nest communities and Fest attVactions.

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Smoky Mountain Country Club

Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort and Spa

ASHLEY T. EVANS PHOTO

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Public 79 Cahons Road, Whittier 828.497.3000 www.sequoyahnational.com/

Reems Creek Golf Club

The Waynesville Inn, Golf Resort & Spa is renowned for its 27 hole course.

©

Sequoyah National Golf Club

TREES BECKON COME OUT & PLAY. ADVENTURE AWAITS. THIS IS YOUR HOME.

10 minutes from Downtown Asheville

RambleAsheville.com / 828-274-1336 Marketed exclusively by Beverly-Hanks & Associates, Asheville, NC. The Ramble Biltmore Forest® is a trademark of, and developed by, Biltmore Farms, LLC. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in The Ramble® by residents of CT, HI, IL, NY, NJ, OR, PA and SC or in any jurisdiction where prohibited by law. No offering can be made to residents of New York until an offering plan is filed with the Department of Law of the State of New York. This offer is void where prohibited. All prices and plans are subject to change without prior notice. ©2014 Biltmore Farms, LLC

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Buncombe COUNTY

With a population of 75,000 and growing, Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina and serves as the area’s economic and cultural nerve center in many ways.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

Billed as a place where “altitude affects attitude,” Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and just a short car ride to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s been renowned as a place to retreat and take in natural wonders since the 1800s. Over the last decade its once-dormant downtown has exploded with commerce and entertainment second-to-none in the Southeast.

With a theme of “cosmopolitan country,” the culinary scene is bursting at the seams in and around the city. In 2013, The Daily Meal ranked Asheville “The #1 Locavore City in America” (food that comes from within a 100-mile radius), while that same year The Huffington Post named it one of the “Cities You Need To Visit.”

In 2007, the city topped the Relocate-America.com list of the 100 best places to live, while U.S. News & World Report named it one of “America’s best affordable places to retire” for 2009. And in an August 2011 report, Good Morning America pegged Asheville as one of the “10 most beautiful places in America.”

There are over a dozen craft breweries in Buncombe County, with their delicious output lauded by beer enthusiasts. In 2009, Imbibe magazine’s readers voted Asheville the “best craft beer city in America,” and from 2010-2012, Asheville has won a national online poll for the coveted title of “Beer City USA.” In recent years, Asheville has firmed up its reputation as a culinary center with a sizable and rapidly evolving food scene. They city has some 250 independent restaurants and 12 farmers markets.

Livibility.com named it one of the country’s top-10 “surprisingly vibrant food cities,” and The Huffington Post listed it among the top “undiscovered local food cities.” The best of the city’s culinary offerings is celebrated at events like the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association’s Taste of Asheville, an annual gala featuring cuisine and spirits from dozens of area eateries, wineries and breweries.

Outdoors enthusiasts find no shortage of activities in Asheville, whether its hiking, biking and climbing in nearby mountains, paddling and fishing on the French Broad River and local lakes, careening through the trees on a zip line, or golfing at one of the area’s renowned courses. Asheville is such an outdoors destination that a few years ago Outside magazine named it “Best Southern Town” for outdoor adventures. And of course, no survey of Asheville’s outdoor offerings would be complete without a mention of the area’s stunning leaf season. TripAdvisor.com recently named the city the best place in the nation to view fall foliage.

Amid this renowned city are six distinct areas — Downtown, Biltmore Village, Biltmore Park, North Asheville, Rivers Arts District and West Asheville — each as unique as the people, places and things that inhabit them.

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DOWNTOWN The heart of the city, downtown Asheville is a cultural mecca. In both 2010 and 2011, the readers of AmericanStyle magazine voted it the “top small-city arts destination” in the country. This section is full of galleries and shops displaying all manners of art, from traditional crafts to more modern creations.

The Asheville Art Museum, which has helped anchor the arts scene for decades, recently announced major expansion plans. The Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center hosts exhibits, talks and workshops that celebrate the legacy of the college, a noted avant-garde institution from 1933-1957.

The performing arts also flourish in Asheville, with dozens of venues hosting live music, readings, theatre and comedy on a nightly basis.

The U.S. Cellular Center is the largest, with both a 7,600-seat arena and the 2,400seat Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The center hosts everything from performances by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra to roller derby bouts starring the Blue Ridge Rollergirls. More intimate performances take place at the Diana Wortham Theatre, a 500-seat venue that’s part of a downtown cultural and educational center, Pack Place,

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and the recently opened Altamont Theatre, a 120-seat performance spot that boasts some of the best acoustics in the area.

The Orange Peel, a renovated 1970s-era music club, draws national acts on a nightly basis and was recently named one of the best rock venues in America by Rolling Stone.

And on just about any given night, bars, breweries, clubs and restaurants around the city feature live music of various genres.

There’s also a burgeoning comedy scene, with both amateur and professional stand-up comics performing several times a weeks at various venues. The annual Laugh Your Asheville Off, held in in July, is the biggest comedy festival in the southeast.

Some of the area’s biggest art events take place in Asheville. In July and October, the U.S. Cellular Center is home to the four-day Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, which has

“People coming here feel comfortable about being who they are. It has always been a very accommodating and accepting town.”

— Kristie Quinn, 5 Walnut Wine Bar

Attracting national music acts, like Widespread Panic, the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville is a beacon of quality entertainment in Western North Carolina. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO (LEFT)

taken place for more than 60 years. At the event, more than 200 local and regional craftspeople fill the center, offering their creations of clay, fiber, glass, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper, wood and jewelry. A newer event, The Big Crafty, has exploded in popularity in recent years. Held in July and December at Pack Place, it’s a kind of community bazaar, with quirky handmade crafts, local food and beer, and music.

One of Asheville’s newest festivals, the Mountain Sports Festival hosts an array of outdoor gear demonstrations, live music and craft beer each Memorial Day weekend in nearby Carrier Park. For those who find large-scale festivals too big for their liking, there’s a smaller, but still-vibrant event in September, the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival — a family-friendly celebrating the funkier side of Asheville’s underground arts and music.

Every April since 2009, downtown has hosted HATCH Asheville, a creative arts and mentoring festival that brings in luminaries from around the world to discuss and showcase work in seven disciplines: architecture, design/technology, fashion, film, journalism, music and photography.

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Toast of the town On any given night, there’s a contagious energy in the air at the 5 Walnut Wine Bar in downtown Asheville. Glasses are raised high in celebration, while live music echoes throughout the cozy ambiance of the room. Smiles grace joyous faces lining the counter and numerous tables, while strangers soon to become friends enter through the doors.

It’s the exact scene co-owner Kristie Quinn has in mind when she envisioned what 5 Walnut could be.

“We wanted something more of a neighborhood feeling, something that would appeal to a wide variety of people enjoying a glass of wine or beer, where they could focus on their experience and have a great time,” she said.

Alongside colleagues Matthew Logan and Melissa Terrezza, Quinn opened 5 Walnut in 2010 with the notion to launch a place as friendly and embracing to someone around the corner as from around the world.

“If I had to sum up everything from the staff to the customers to the music, it would be that we all respect each other — everybody understands each other,” Quinn said. “It’s about clear communication, in a pleasant environment, where it all works together.”

An Asheville native, Quinn loves her hometown, a place as embracing as it is innovative.

“The city is ever-changing,” she said. “It’s very respectful of everybody, and I hear that constantly. People coming here feel

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comfortable about being who they are. It has always been a very accommodating and accepting town.”

Being an independent business owner in the city, Quinn feels the community has truly been supportive of 5 Walnut and its place amid a cultural revolution in Western North Carolina.

“Asheville is a city of smart growth, which gives us new things that are complimentary to things that already exist here,” she said.

“It’s a complimentary product mix, and the flexibility of 5 Walnut works well, where we can cater to the needs of our clients and changes at the community grows.”

A treasured word-of-mouth establishment tucked deep into downtown, 5 Walnut is a haven for culture and humanity. The vibrancy of the space is a cosmopolitan mix of beverages and acclaimed local musical acts. From Latin jazz to old-time bluegrass, gypsy soul to bayou blues, the bands are as unique and mesmerizing at the people in the audience.

“Music has always been important to us, and it’s really developed over time,” Quinn said. “And we’ve established great relationships will all of our performers, many of which have played here since we’ve opened.”

Now a fixture of downtown, 5 Walnut will continue to push forward with their vision that intrigues new people each day, who will soon become lifelong customers.

“It’s a pleasure to deal with the people we see on a daily basis,” Quinn said. “We just want to be part of this great community that only seems to be getting stronger.”

Russ Wilson (right) is a well-known big band/swing crooner around the city of Asheville, especially with his group The John Henry’s, who perform regularly at the 5 Walnut Wine Bar. GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

In 2010, Asheville added another festival that’s putting the city on the musical map.

Moogfest, held during the springtime, is a three-day affair that celebrates the legacy of electronic-instrument inventor Bob Moog, who lived out his final decades in Asheville. In 2012, the inaugural Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit overtook downtown at the end of October, showcasing some of the finest digital stage acts from around the globe.

Of course, traditional music also gets its due. On Saturday nights throughout the summer, thousands of mountain-music fans gather for the Shindig on the Green.

The outdoor event was founded back in 1930, as the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, by legendary Appalachian song collector and folk historian Bascom Lamar Lunsford. It’s still one of the best ways to take in mountain music and dance performed by the young, old and everyone in between.

Asheville also has a vibrant literary culture that springs from deep roots. The great

Buncombe COUNTY Asheville is home to a large, embracing artistic community. Downtown is also home to numerous locations dedicated to the arts, like the Asheville Art Museum.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

TV

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restored childhood home, hosts tours, readings and other events to celebrate his rich body of literature.

The city has recently emerged as a center of local, specialized food production, thanks in part to Blue Ridge Food Ventures, an 11,000square-foot kitchen that’s part of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, which is home to a renowned culinaryeducation program. With its cooking and food storage capacity, along with classes and marketing assistance, BRFV has helped scores of food entrepreneurs find a recipe for success.

The sky’s the limit for activities and opportunity in downtown Asheville. Food to festivals, crafts to craft beer, music to mountains — it’s all here, ready for the taking.

Learn more about the Asheville Art Museum

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American novelist Thomas Wolfe was born and raised here, and other noted writers of his era, including O. Henry and F. Scott Fitzgerald, did some of their best work while staying in Asheville. The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, a state historic site in Wolfe’s

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Buncombe COUNTY

From the city to the country

GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

Laura Mahan loves to escape.

“The thing here in Asheville is we have so many nature trails nearby and accessible for anybody,” she said. “You can go to Bent Creek or the Arboretum for an afternoon, or Douglas Fall in Barnardsville when you want to get away, or up to Mount Mitchell for the day.”

With her husband Hal, Laura is the coowner of The Compleat Naturalist Natural History Store in the Biltmore Village. Since 1992, the couple has operated the business in the same building, where the idea of connecting nature and people has only gotten stronger throughout the years.

“The store is about nature studies, giving people the tools, information and ideas to get close to the natural world,” she said.

“Whether their children or professional naturalists and scientists, they all come here to buy their materials.”

Originally from northern Ohio, Laura attended North Carolina State University for botany. It was the diversity of the state’s landscape that attracted her and has captivated her senses since then.

“I just fell in love with the botany of North Carolina because it’s so diverse,” she said.

“We have everything from the subtropical area on the coast to the Canadian zone in the higher elevations above 6,000 feet.”

By the early 1990s, the couple was living in San Diego. Laura worked as a museum educator, while Hal was a director at a handful of major natural history museums.

They decided they wanted something more, and that something become owning their own business. And when they were deciding

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The annual Biltmore Village Art & Craft Fair (above) extends through the streets and onto the property of the historic Cathedral of All Souls. The town was constructed to serve as a base for the construction of the Biltmore Estate (below), completed in 1895. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO (ABOVE) • BILTMORE PHOTO (BELOW)

BILTMORE VILLAGE One of the most unique shopping experiences in the South, Biltmore Village, is home to high-end boutiques, open-aired restaurants, locally owned retailers and other points of commercial and residential interest. Built as a community entrance for the renowned Biltmore Estate, the village is filled with tree-lined streets, historic homes and majestic architecture.

The nearby Biltmore Estate is the site of the Biltmore Mansion, one of the largest private residences ever built. Completed in 1895, today the 250-room, French renaissance-style house and the 8,000acre grounds are open to guests for tours, dinners, concerts and outdoor activities. The gardens, stables, restaurants, winery and hotel all help make this North Carolina’s top tourism destination, with more than a million people now visiting each year. The estate’s Biltmore Winery is also one of the largest in the area, and features both tours of the vineyards and an expansive tasting room.

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Buncombe COUNTY

“At any age, if you have a connection with nature, it just gives you a calming effect in your life.”

— Laura Mahan, The Compleat Naturalist

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on where to live and launch their dream, Western North Carolina fell into their crosshairs.

“We wanted to move to a place that would be the most interesting for natural history, and we knew the Southern Appalachians was that place,” she said. “We knew Asheville was the largest city in the area, so we figured for a retail store, this city would be the best spot.”

Beyond the walls and shelves of products, maps and gadgets, the Mahan’s offer workshops, guide local nature tours and host a variety of events in the store for anyone interested in knowing more about the complex beauty of their own backyard.

“We cover most of the areas of natural history, like rocks, minerals, astronomy and wildlife identification,” Laura said. “We try to also bring in a lot of people that are locally famous naturalists so our customers can meet them.

They’re a lot of interesting people around here you’ll meet and this is our way to meet them.”

Situated in Biltmore Village, the store is in the midst of a retail section of Asheville that harmoniously combines independent stores alongside retail chains. It’s about working

together and not against each other. This, in turn, plays into the healthy business climate of the region, which continues to grow.

“I think we’re getting ready for a major growth spurt in this area,” Laura said. “I think we’re at the beginning of it. A lot of things were affected during the recession, but business here is really turning around.”

Looking back on the past 22 years, Laura is proud of what The Compleat Naturalist has become. What started out as a dream and a plan has now molded itself into a beloved neighborhood business.

“It’s amazing actually. I think back on when we first opened and how much we’ve changed since then,” she said. “I never thought we’d be in business this long. We’ve seen a lot of change, learned a lot and met so many incredible people.”

But, at the end of the day, for Laura, it’s still about getting out there, in nature.

“At any age, if you have a connection with nature, it just gives you a calming effect in your life,” she said. “That’s an important thing and we hope to address that with our store.”

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Buncombe COUNTY RIVER ARTS DISTRICT A rising jewel of the Southern Appalachian arts scene is the River Arts District, an ever-expanding complex of studios and galleries near the French Broad River that’s also becoming one of Asheville’s culinary and entertainment hubs.

The Grey Eagle, a blossoming music venue in the RAD that brings in top talents from around the region and across the country, has bubbled up to become one of the renowned spots in the Southeast for live entertainment. Brewing some of the finest craft beer in the region, The Wedge is tucked behind the numerous art studios, restaurants and shops that dot the section.

The artistic heart of Asheville, the River Arts District houses a variety of studios. Many of these studios are on-site facilities where artists create as customers peruse the shop. Zach Noble of Noble Forge (left) specializes in quality metalwork.

GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTOS

Forging the future Morning sunshine trickles down onto the River Arts District in Asheville. A freight train rumbles by, while numerous art galleries open their doors on another day of possibility. In a nearby warehouse studio, blacksmith Zach Noble is tending to his coal fire, an intense flame of heat and passion.

“If I’m forging, I’m happy,” he smiled.

Owner of Noble Forge, specializing in

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custom metalwork, Noble has resided in Asheville for the better of the last three years, with the workshop coming online a year and a half ago.

“Blacksmithing is a difficult thing to learn in the beginning, but once you do it, and practice it consistently, you can only get better and better,” he said. “It’s not like riding a bike, where you can remember how to do it. You need to keep at it. And, with enough practice, the learning curve jumps.”

Growing up on Long Island, Noble

showed at an early age an affinity for crafting. With the guidance and support of his mother, a longtime weaver, he began making jewelry and found himself taking classes at the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts in Spruce Pine. He soon began taking an interest in what he witnessed in passing at the institution’s blacksmith workshops.

Something deep inside of him clicked.

“I saw what they were doing in those blacksmith classes and I realized that jewelry was just too small for the projects I wanted to do,” he said. “Beside the big difference in price for silver and steel materials, I was working in construction and already had some of the big tools needed to blacksmith.”

Noble and his wife spent the next 10 years living near Penland. During this time, he honed his craft and pushed further into his

“There’s always a new challenge. I’m always learning something new about the material and my skill level.”

— Zach Noble, Noble Forge

creative desires. Soon, his family began looking to relocate.

They wanted to be near a city, but not too far out into the sticks.

They also wanted a progressive spot, one with culture and a variety of people, places and things. After checking out Oregon and Maine, Asheville seemed the perfect fit.

“I love the diversity, the mountains, the water, and the light is unbelievable,” he said. “This city has so much going on for its size. It’s not a sleepy town. You can always go out and about — there’s always something going on.”

Stoking the coal fire, Noble sticks a fresh piece of metal into it and waits.

Moments later, he pulls the piece out and onto an anvil, where he hammers away at it until he gets the shape he wants.

“Blacksmithing is an addictive thing.

There is nothing like it,” he said. “You have this hard material that is unforgiving. And when it gets hot, it’s just a luxury to see it move. Every day is a different job. There’s always a new challenge. I’m always learning something new about the material and my skill level.”

Noble keeps himself constantly busy with professional and commission projects, working steady day after day in his studio. He enjoys the vibrant, eccentric energy of the River Arts District.

It’s a place as unique and personable as those who inhabit it.

“There is such an influx of energy here, and that’s great,” he said. “I put a lot of time, energy and labor into my work. My time in the studio is precious for me. I love my work, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Buncombe COUNTY WEST ASHEVILLE Quite possibly the fastest growing area in the city, West Asheville has become home to numerous small businesses. From cafés to restaurants, music venues to breweries, and everything in between, the area offers a warm welcome to the possibilities of niche commerce. The section is known for its “neighborhood friendly” image, where you’ll see just as many baby-strollers and joggers moseying down the sidewalks as patrons heading toward a concert or lunch date.

Finding community through music, food Entering the Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in West Asheville, one is welcomed by the intimacy and cozy ambiance found in every corner of the establishment.

“Our philosophy comes internally,” said Josephine Woody. “We want to create a working environment where everyone enjoys their job, respects each other and feel part of our family. When that happens, it becomes a warm spot that draws people in.”

Alongside her father (Scott), mother (Lil) and brother (Harris), Josephine is proud of the family business and what it has accomplished in such a short time. Opened in the fall of 2012, Isis is a beacon of music and culinary delights, where a stranger can walk in alone and walk out with a whole new group of friends. It’s that unique character and welcoming attitude here that fits perfectly with the intent-at-large of Asheville.

“Everyone in this city is really kind, it’s a very relaxed town,” Josephine said. “I like having the mountains in my horizon. It’s a small city with a big feel as far as the music, food and culture.

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Though it’s smaller in population, people want to visit, while others want to open a business here.”

On any given night, Isis plays host to a wide spectrum of music.

From bluegrass to blues, hip-hop to Americana, if you have talents to bring to the stage, the venue has a home for you. It’s about exposing the public to new and interesting sounds, as well as paying homage to the classic and legends of a storied past.

“Everyone has different musical tastes and desires, just like our family,” Josephine smiled. “We cater to everyone’s interest, and it definitely works.”

Situated on the bustling Haywood Road, Isis is at the epicenter

The newest music venue in West Asheville, the Isis Restaurant and Music Hall presents local and national acts, such as the Corey Harris Band, amid a keen sense of culinary tastes. DONATED PHOTO

Welcome to our neighborhood by the lake.

With 1,300 acres surrounding the 62-acre lake encompassed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore Lake provides a picturesque backdrop for residents. The community amenities are complete with a dock, miles of walking trails, boat launch and Lake Club for all your social and family outings. Amenities also include playgrounds, a beach, along with basketball and tennis courts.

Surrounding the Biltmore Lake Clubhouse are several parks and view pulpits highlighting shots of Mount Pisgah and the Pisgah National Forest next door.

The Cottage Collection The Biltmore Farms Homes Cottage Collection is a subject of unprecedented value. With prices starting in the low $300s, Biltmore Farms Homes has never included so many luxury features and packaged them for less.

Ranging from 1,300 to 4,400 square feet, the cottages offer an opportunity to upgrade lifestyle while downsizing footprint.

Cedar Rock The Cedar Rock neighborhood within Biltmore Lake offers an unforgettable point of view as one of Asheville’s only lakeside gated communities. Cedar Rock homes feature expansive covered and uncovered verandas, main level owner’s suites, and customizable details. Cedar Rock homes offer an outdoor maintenance plan to allow residents to focus on the important things in life and enjoy carefree luxury living.

For more information visit:

Biltmore Lake Sales Center 80 Lake Drive Biltmore Lake, North Carolina 28715 828-209-LAKE(5253) BiltmoreLake.com

Marketed exclusively by Beverly-Hanks & Associates, Asheville, NC. Biltmore Lake® is a trademark of, and developed by, Biltmore Farms, LLC. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in Biltmore Lake® by residents of CT, HI, IL, NY, NJ, OR, PA and SC or in any jurisdiction where prohibited by law. No offering can be made to residents of New York until an offering plan is filed with the Department of Law of the State of New York. This offer is void where prohibited. All prices and plans are subject to change without prior notice. ©2014 Biltmore Farms, LLC

Buncombe COUNTY Owners of the family-run Isis Restaurant and Music Hall are Scott, Josephine, Harris and Lil Woody.

GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO

of West Asheville, a vibrant, progressive stretch of the city that has a personality all its own. Whereas downtown has more of a cosmopolitan feel to it, West Asheville brings to the table more of a neighborhood atmosphere. Filled with an array of cafés, restaurants, bars and shops, the independent spirit of the section appeals to folks looking to settle down in the area, but not be too far from the action.

“This is the neighborhood walking part of the city,” Josephine said. “You can go to all of your favorite spots here, whether it be your favorite deli or café, and also be within a few minutes of downtown.”

Josephine also notes the closeness of the neighborhood businesses in West Asheville, and the city as a whole. Each supports the other, with everyone ready to embrace any new establishment that may open up around the corner or down the street.

“We see people in here from up and down

Haywood Road,” she said. “New businesses bring more to the neighborhood — it’s an evolution of what we want to happen. It’s great to have variety. Why not have another choice to eat and see live music?”

And as Isis immerses itself deeper into the business and cultural climate of Asheville, the venue is always looking for ways to innovate and move the company

forward. It’s a sentiment as sincere and pure as the music onstage nightly.

“We’re ever-evolving in our process and how to run as smoothly as possible,” Josephine said. “Isis is definitely a 100 percent family business, and people may joke about the idea of working with family members, but I think it’s our strongest asset — all we can do is get better.”

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Audi Asheville 621 Brevard Road, Asheville, NC 28806 www.audiasheville.com

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by Federal Federal law law and read read it before before signing anything. anything. No Federal Federal agency agency has judged the merits or value, Obtain the Property Property Report Report required REPRESENTAT TIONS CANNOT CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS AS CORRECTLY CORRECTL LY S TAT TING REPRESENTATIONS REP REPRESENT ATIONS T OF SELLER. F ORRECT REPRESENT ATIONS, T OR C property.

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BY CODE CODE SECTION 4 7C-4-103 OF THE NOR TH CAROLINA C ONDOMINIUM REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO REQUIRED BY 47C-4-103 NORTH CONDOMINIUM TO THE PUBLIC OFFERING STATEMENT T REQUIRED B Y FEDERA L LA AW. NEED NO T BE BUIL T. All pric es and plans ar e subject tto o change without prior notice. notice. Sales by by ACT PROPERTY REPORT BY FEDERAL LAW. NOT BUILT. prices are ACT AND THE PROPER TY REPOR Beverly-Hanks Biltmore Farms, LLC Beverly-Hanks & Associates.©2013 Associates.©2013 Biltmor eF arms, LL C

Buncombe COUNTY BILTMORE PARK A “fresh re-imagining of the Main Streets of the past, made to meet today’s standards of smart growth, green living and reduced driving,” Biltmore Park is just minutes from downtown Asheville. Between an array of apartment, condo, townhouse and residential home options, the strength lies in the vibrant commercial/urban core of the community, which extends outwards into neighborhoods as unique as the people who inhabit them.

At the center of the town are numerous restaurants, cafes, spas, health clubs, boutiques and gathering spots.

Consumers and residents alike enjoy catching a flick at the Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15 movie theater or perusing retailers like REI, LOFT and Barnes & Noble. Amid these stores are plenty of local, independent businesses and world-class merchants.

Biltmore Park has evolved into a epicenter for commercial and residential interests. COURTESY OF BILTMORE FARMS, LLC

In search of the perfect toy Walking into O.P. Taylor’s in Biltmore Park, one is awestruck by the sheer amount of toys. For an adult, it’s overwhelming. For a child, it’s paradise.

“When kids come into the store, they go ‘Oh wow’ and then they take off running, and the parents look at you and say ‘This is great,’” said store owner John Taylor, aka “O.P. Taylor.” “And that’s what we’re going for here, that ‘wow factor.’”

Alongside locations in Brevard and Greenville, S.C., O.P. Taylor’s has remained a haven for curious and imaginative children from around Southern Appalachia and beyond. For the last 25 years, Taylor and his crew bring delight and happiness to all who enter their realm.

“If the toy won’t keep the attention of the child, then I won’t sell it in my store,” he said. “We’re about investing in kid’s imaginations and that they’ll have a toy that’ll last them a long time. Buying toys for your kids is an investment, so we want to make sure it’s something they’ll enjoy.”

Hailing from Sarasota, Fla., Taylor relocated to Western North Carolina in 1982. He was in search of something

different, a place as “She ran after him and beautiful as it was filled brought him back. I talked with opportunity. to the manager and “Like everybody that decided we needed to get comes to the beautiful some in the store to mountains of Western occupy the kids and keep North Carolina, I came up them relaxed and in one here for the lifestyle,” he place.” said. “What’s there not to That simple notion like? You have 6,000 molded itself into a toy miles of hiking and biking store. With a tough trails, and over 250 clothing market to waterfalls. I’m amazed at compete in, Taylor where I live and I discover realized toys were more and more of its timeless and never beauty everyday.” seemed to go out of style.

While living in Brevard “It was a no-brainer,” in the late 1980s, Taylor he smiled. “And I think owned a handful of we’re doing something downtown buildings. right here because They laid empty in a everyone seems to like downtown full of and support what we’re abandoned structures for doing.” sale. He wanted more for Strolling his Biltmore his community. Taylor Park location, Taylor — John Taylor, O.P. Taylor’s figured if he could get enjoys being part of the something interesting modern community the going on in Brevard, then perhaps others constructed downtown has morphed into. would share in his vision and also invest in He has seen three generations of children downtown. Soon, he filled one building with grow up in Brevard, and now is seeing the a clothing and outdoor gear store. first at the park.

“One day this lady was trying on clothes and her kid ran out the door,” Taylor said.

“Buying toys for your kids is an investment, so we want to make sure it’s something they’ll enjoy.”

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Buncombe COUNTY

With a large focus being placed on the rest of the city, North Asheville has been working behind the scenes, creating a steady stream of new, small business and eccentric development. Once overlooked, it is rapidly becoming a hot spot for retail and commercial businesses looking to stakeout their own piece of land to pursue and cultivate their dreams Science and education also loom large in the North Asheville community. The University of North Carolina at Asheville’s 3,600 students participate in such projects as the local hub of the statewide Renaissance Computing Institute, or RENCI, whose mission is to “bring the latest cyber tools and technologies to bear on pressing problems.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNC-ASHEVILLE

NORTH ASHEVILLE

Pouring a cup of friendship A bustling N.C. 25 zooms by the large glass window at Asheville Coffee Roasters.

Inside, the pace slows down, where friends and strangers converge over a cup o’joe.

Conversations and interactions roam free, and that’s just the way Andi O’Gorman envisioned it.

“We’re very proud of this place.

Businesses come and go, and there’s a lot of coffee in Asheville, but we’ve hung in there, through all of the ups and downs,” she said. “We have such a wonderful customers, they’re clients who turn into friends and it’s amazing.”

Located in the north part of the city, the 18-year-old business is owned by O’Gorman and her significant other, Greg Bounds. The couple originally started the company in downtown Asheville, with Greg setting up the now-landmark double-decker bus as a coffee shop. O’Gorman became a frequent customer and soon they were together, roasting coffee with a mission to only sell and brew fair-trade, organic beans.

“Meeting Greg and roasting coffee — it’s a passion,” she said.

An Asheville resident for over 25 years, Bounds has seen a lot of change in the area.

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“It’s all about sustainability for us, for the kids, for the farmers, for our Earth.”

— Andi O’Gorman His business has shuffled around the city over that time, with its current location in North Asheville having been part of neighborhood for the last eight years.

“This part of the city is growing. There’s so much creativity around here, with more and more small business are coming in,” he said.

Originally from Long Island, O’Gorman found the quality of life in Western North Carolina appealing when she moved here almost 20 years ago. It’s a deep sentiment that hasn’t waivered since then.

“It’s a better lifestyle here, a wonderful

lifestyle,” she said. “The people, the demographics, the arts, the music — it’s a great place to live.”

With a keen focus on sustainable efforts in the products they offer, and in their own lives in general, the duo want to educate those who enter their shop as much as pour a quality cup of coffee. It’s about taking care of humanity and the environment surrounding oneself.

“It’s all about sustainability for us, for the kids, for the farmers, for our Earth,” O’Gorman said. “That’s what we’re about, and what we’ve always been about.”

The couple has traveled the world, in search of the finest coffee from the most environmentally friendly growers out there.

Those farmers have not only become mentors to Asheville Coffee Roasters, they’ve also instilled the pride of serving a quality product to a consumer base.

“Everybody has to have their cup of coffee to get them going in the morning,” Bounds said. “It’s just something they have to have.

They want good quality, so they come here, because they know it’s roasted here on a daily basis, none of that stuff you find at a grocery store that’s been sitting there all day.”

With the 20th anniversary of the company nearing, Bounds looks forward to continuing their long-held traditions and vision for Asheville Coffee Roasters.

“We’ve been here 18 years already, so we must be doing something right,” he chuckled. “We’re going to just do what we do and keep on doing it.”

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Buncombe COUNTY

Arden & Mills River

I

In Arden and Mills River, there’s lots of room to roam — and you don’t have to go far to experience some of the finest facets of mountain life.

Arden is an unincorporated community in south Buncombe County. It’s a quick jump off of Interstate 26, with Asheville 15 minutes to the north and Hendersonville 15 minutes to the south. It’s just a few miles from the Asheville Regional Airport and right next door to some of the best spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The community is bordered to the east by the French Broad River and just down the road from the North Carolina Arboretum. An extraordinary public garden that adjoins the Parkway, the 434-acre Arboretum has 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, hosts one of the most unique bonsai collections in the country, and stages a steady stream of exhibits on subjects ranging from mountain quilts to rare plants.

Also nearby is Bent Creek Research and Demonstration Forest, a federal facility that’s part of the Pisgah National Forest, and the Lake Powatan Recreational Area, which together offer dozens of mountain trails and lakeside camping sites.

A favorite Arden locale for kids is Jake Rusher Park, a huge public park with playgrounds and a walking area. One of the play areas includes several castle-like structures, so some locals call the facility “Castle Park.”

One of Arden’s most impressive historic structures is the Blake House Inn Bed & Breakfast, which was built as a summer retreat in 1847 by the son of a Charleston plantation owner. The house is a rare example of Italianate architecture with Gothic Revival influences. It has been restored and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Across the French Broad River from Arden is Biltmore Park Town Square, a mixed-use development that’s one of the Biltmore Company’s newest ventures. The grounds include hundreds of apartments, condos, offices and townhomes, and a dynamic range of businesses including restaurants, spas, health clubs, specialty shops, movie theater, bookstore, hotel and more.

Another nearby community, Skyland, is home to scores of additional eateries and shops and more recreation facilities. The county-run Zeugner Center has a heated indoor pool, measuring 35-by-75 feet, that hosts water exercise classes and open swim times for the public.

Another county-run facility, Lake Julian Park, is popular among local families. The 300-acre lake and surrounding park offers picnicking spots, boating, fishing and a playground. The lake has an abundance of fish, including bass, brim, catfish, crappie and

tilapia. Anglers can fish from the shore and, for a small fee, from privately owned or rented boats. The park also rents paddle boats and canoes, and provides free use of a pontoon boat for people with disabilities, senior citizens and student groups. On the shore, there’s a sand volleyball court and horseshow pits.

The park is open year-round, though the hours vary with the seasons. In addition to the regular offerings, Lake Julian is center stage for special annual events, including fireworks displays on July 4, fishing tournaments and the Festival of Lights.

The North Carolina Arboretum has become a natural centerpiece of Southern Appalachia.

ANDREW KASPER PHOTO

The 434-acre Arboretum has 65 acres of cultivated gardens and 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, hosts one of the most unique bonsai collections in the country, and stages a steady stream of exhibits.

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Buncombe COUNTY

Weaverville & Barnardsville Two communities in north/central Buncombe County offer laid-back living opportunities a short distance from the hustle and bustle of Asheville.

Weaverville, population 3,200, has had a mini growth spurt in recent years. The town is situated in the Reems Creek Valley, adjacent to Interstate 26 and just five miles north of Asheville, where many Weaverville residents work.

The town has its own economic base, however, with everything from small independent eateries (like local favorites on Main Street, Blue Mountain Pizza, WellBred Bakery & Café, and The Glass Onion) to large-scale manufacturers (like Arvato Digital Services, one of the biggest compact disc producers in the country).

Weaverville has earned a reputation for keeping its neighborhoods clean and green.

It’s garnered the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA certification every year since 1990, and in 2009 the foundation named it the top “Tree City” in the state.

The town maintains Lake Louise Park, a hub of local recreation. The small lake is

Weaverville prides itself on a tradition of neighborliness, offering ample opportunities to get to know each other, be it in a park, at a local pub or sporting event, or at the Weaverville Downtown Go Around, a casual monthly event that’s one part meet-and-greet, one part walking tour.

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surrounded by picnic tables and shelters, outdoor grills, a playground and a walking trail, making it a perfect spot for family and community events, exercise and romantic strolls.

From Weaverville, it’s just a 15-minute drive to the scenic roads and trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And the town is home to Reems Creek Golf Course, a semi-private course designed in part by Hawtree & Sons, British architects who specialize in crafting classic Scottish-style links.

Weaverville prides itself on a tradition of neighborliness, offering residents ample opportunities to get to know each other, be it in a park, at a local pub or sporting event, or at the Weaverville Downtown Go Around, a casual monthly event that’s one part meet-and-greet, one part walking tour.

A key part of Weaverville’s recent growth has been in its bustling art scene. Local galleries and studios showcase the work of jewelers, painters, potters, glass artists, sculptors and

Buncombe COUNTY

The birthplace of Zebulon Baird Vance (above), North Carolina’s Civil War governor; Reems Creek Golf Course (top right); a busy lunch at downtown Weaverville’s Well-Bred Bakery Café.

DONATED PHOTOS • SARAH E. KUCHARSKI PHOTO (RIGHT)

fiber artists. Two main local events celebrate the town’s artistic abundance: In September, there’s Art in Autumn, which fills Main Street with arts and crafts. And twice a year, in May and October, there’s the Weaverville Art Safari, a free, self-guided studio tour featuring face-to-face encounters with dozens of area artists and craftspeople.

One of Weaverville’s main attractions is the Vance Birthplace, a state historic site. There you can visit the restored childhood homestead of Zebulon Baird Vance, a storied North Carolina leader who was the state’s Civil War governor and also served in the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. The property, in a serene part of Reems Creek Valley, hosts regular tours, reenactments and educational presentations. The Vance home, a five-room log cabin, has been reconstructed around the original chimney and preserved in appropriately rustic, early-19th century style, as have the six original log outbuildings.

Ten miles northeast of Weaverville is the bucolic community of Barnardsville, set amidst rolling hills, pastures and mountain farms. Like Weaverville, it’s home to both folks who enjoy a relaxed environment and a substantial number of professional artists.

Barnardsville was once a town, but the residents decided to go unincorporated in 1970. As it shed its municipal government, it found other ways to build community connections.

A local association coalesced and founded the Big Ivy Community Center, which has evolved into a vibrant hub of activity. The center hosts a library, pre-school and swimming pool, and provides space for an array of gatherings, events and services, including a pre-school, after-school programs, a community library, a book club, senior lunches, bingo bouts, computer classes, and yoga and zumba sessions. The space is also

available for rent, and is used for workshops, reunions, birthday parties, weddings and other special events.

Every October, the center hosts Mountain Heritage Day, featuring local cuisine, crafts, music and exhibitions on traditional mountain living.

The center’s grounds are also home to the Big Ivy Historical Park, which is dedicated to preserving local heritage.

The centerpiece of the park is the pre-Civil War cabin of Henry Carson, grandson of the community’s founding family, the Dillinghams. There’s also a replica of a oneroom schoolhouse that was built in the 1890s.

Barnardsville is in a part of Buncombe that’s full of farms, so fresh, local food is literally a part of the landscape. There are several communitysupported agriculture options, and weekly farmer’s markets at the Old Barnardsville Fire Station, so residents often buy their produce from their neighbors.

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Buncombe COUNTY

Black Mountain

N

Nestled in the Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain enjoys proximity to nearby mountain vistas, rivers and trails, and has plenty to offer in its own right. The town of almost 8,000 residents has a vibrant but quaint commercial center and is noted for its cultural and recreational offerings. It’s a community that breathes with a particular kind of mountain energy, embracing both its natural surroundings and its tastefully configured, smalltown urban core.

Part of Black Mountain’s vitality can be attributed to its draw as place to gather, consult and worship. Popular retreats and conference centers include the Blue Ridge Assembly, Christmount, The Cove, Ridgecrest, and the Montreat Conference Center. The last of those centers is located in Montreat, a small village adjoining Black Mountain that is also home to evangelist Billy Graham and a liberal arts school, Montreat College.

Downtown Black Mountain features a hearty cluster of independent restaurants and bars, gift stores, craft shops and art galleries, and nearly 50 antique dealers. Town Hardware and General Store, on State Street, offers an inventory of 35,000 items and the quintessential old-timey shopping experience.

The town’s historic feel is enhanced at local institutions like the Swannanoa Valley History Museum, located in the former Black Mountain Fire Department building, which was designed by Richard Sharp Smith (project architect for Asheville’s Biltmore

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Black Mountain is a community that breathes with a particular kind of mountain energy, embracing both its natural surroundings and its tastefully configured, small-town urban core. mansion) in 1921. Also downtown is the nicely preserved historic train depot, which is run as a gift shop and event and display space by a crew of volunteers.

To take in one key part of the town’s history — the distinguished run of the avant-garde Black Mountain College, which was located next to Lake Eden from 1933-57 — travel fifteen miles to downtown Asheville and visit the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, which pays homage to the iconoclastic institution with an ongoing roster of exhibits, talks and performances.

Outdoor recreation is one of Black Mountain’s hallmarks.

Nearby fishing holes abound, and just north of town, the 10-acre Lake Tomahawk and its bank-side walkways are a favorite spot for a stroll, fishing off the peer, or a non-motorized boat ride.

Several local summer camps are some of the oldest in the area.

The Black Mountain Golf Course, which is run by the town,

Buncombe COUNTY has a special claim to fame: one of its 18 holes is a whopping 747yard par 6. And just a few miles away is the Cliffs at High Carolina, a wellness-focused high-end community. And the town hosts numerous footraces, bike rides and other athletic contests on a regular basis.

Unique festivals and gatherings take place in Black Mountain throughout the year. The last Saturday morning of each month, for example, Town Square hosts CRUZ-N, a casual gathering of classic car, truck and motorcycle enthusiasts. The Black Mountain Arts and Crafts Show takes place each June, and on a mid-August weekend, the town stages the annual Sourwood Festival, a street fair that brings tens of thousands of visitors for a celebration featuring mountain handicrafts and art, rides, games, traditional foods, music and dancing.

Several local institutions, including Montreat College and nearby Warren Wilson College, offer frequent concerts, theatre productions and dances. Twice a year, in May and October, the Lake Eden Arts Festival brings together local and national artisans and musical acts. Visitors to LEAF, which often sells out early, can camp on the festival grounds or opt for day passes.

Black Mountain (left) is home to art galleries, restaurants and shops, with the Lake Eden Arts Festival (below) its key cultural event.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS • LEAF PHOTO (BELOW)

Henderson COUNTY

Hendersonville

H

Hendersonville, long known for its historic charms, is blooming into the future. The town, population 13,000, is the largest in Henderson County and is the county seat. In recent years, it has revitalized its local business scene and advanced its reputation as a place that offers something for just about everyone.

The town’s many tranquil neighborhoods and housing developments all surround a sturdy core — a downtown that’s a unique blend of the past and the present. It’s full of pubs, restaurants, museums, general and specialty stores, and other independent businesses, and welcoming to pedestrians, bikers and cars all at the same time.

Few downtowns in the area can boast such a concentration of attractions, especially museums. The Henderson County Heritage Museum is housed in the historic old courthouse, built in 1905. The Mineral and Lapidary Museum, on Main Street, offers geologic highlights from near and far. Also downtown are Hands On!, a free educational museum for children, and the Historic Hendersonville Train Depot, home of the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club. The club has installed a remarkable scale model railroad that has over 600 feet of track. (And just outside of town is the Western North Carolina Air Museum, the first air museum in the state, which features restored and replica antique and vintage airplanes.)

Downtown bustles with special events throughout the year. In the summer, the free Monday Night Street Dances take place, bringing traditional mountain music and dancing. Attendees are welcome to tap

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Hendersonville’s many tranquil neighborhoods and housing developments all surround a sturdy core — a downtown that’s a unique blend of the past and the present.

Downtown Hendersonville is a bevy of shops, eateries and Appalachian crafters.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

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Henderson COUNTY Hendersonville is home to a variety of popular restaurants and pubs. The North Carolina Apple Festival (inset) is one of the town’s largest draws.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTO (LEFT) • HISTORIC HENDERSONVILLE PHOTO (INSET)

their toes as spectators or cut a rug on Main Street. Music on Main Street, a weekly summer concert series on Friday nights, showcases diverse styles of local live music.

And again, visitors are free to sit and watch or to join in on the dance area.

The biggest event of the year is the North Carolina Apple Festival, held every Labor Day weekend for more than 60 years. A celebration of the county’s major crop, the festival pays tribute to everything the fruit has to offer, along with other local foods, crafts and entertainment.

Local foods get a boost at the Henderson County Curb Market, a farmers market held downtown three days a week during

Hendersonville has revitalized its local business scene and advanced its reputation as a place that offers something for just about everyone.

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warmer months and once a week during winter. The market has a true local focus.

Vendors must be county natives and all items for sale are required to either be handmade or locally grown.

The arts also make a strong showing in and around Hendersonville, with the Arts Council of Henderson County taking the lead. The Council recently launched a performing arts series. The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, which celebrated its 41st anniversary in 2012, stages frequent performances and conducts both music education programs and a youth orchestra as well.

The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design also makes a major contribution to the local arts scene. Based at a 50-acre facility in Hendersonville, the center is a project run by the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Its programs include craft and design research and publishing, exhibitions, public art projects, and conferences that draw

Henderson COUNTY Dupont State Forest (left) offers numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. VISITNC.COM PHOTO

artists from across the country.

The town of Hendersonville manages a splendid array of local parks, which are integrated into a comprehensive greenways plan. Berkeley Park presently has a baseball park and a large pavilion, and plans are being advanced to develop a nature trail there. Boyd Park has two tennis courts and a unique municipal park feature: a miniature golf

course. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park features picnic tables, a walking path and a granite memorial to King.

King Memorial Park has a baseball field, a mile-long nature trail and a half-mile walking trail. Lenox Park is another popular picnicking spot, as are Toms Park, which has more than 20 shuffleboard courts, and Sullivan Park, which has basketball courts

and a playground. The two-mile-long Oklawaha Greenway Trail passes through several of the parks.

Patton Park is one of the larger facilities.

The 19-acre park has two baseball fields, a football and soccer field, basketball, racquetball and tennis courts, pavilions and picnic tables, two gazebos, a playground, a walking trail, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a skate park.

When it comes to outdoor recreation, Hendersonville is uniquely situated. It’s close to the Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and several mountain lakes and rivers. Just five miles from downtown is Jump Off Rock, a storied scenic overlook. According to local legend, hundreds of years ago, a Cherokee Indian chief and his sweetheart would meet on the rock, until he was called off to battle.

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Henderson COUNTY

he was killed in combat, so she leapt to her death. Her ghost, the legend goes, appears on moonlit nights. Whatever the truth to the story, today the views remain fantastic, and the trails around Jump Off Rock are popular with hikers.

The Holmes Educational State Forest, eight miles from downtown, offers more opportunities to explore nature in a managed forest setting. There’s a series of trails and several picnic areas, all surrounded by hardwood trees, azaleas, rhododendron and wild flowers.

Henderson’s ties to traditional mountain agriculture and culture are on display at Historic Johnson Farm, a former farm and tourist retreat that was established in the late 19th century. The centerpiece of the property is a house built from handmade bricks, the home of a wealthy tobacco farmer. Several outbuildings, including a blacksmith shop, barn and cottage, have also been lovingly preserved. In 1987, it was added to the

Once known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains,” Flat Rock has long been a resort escape for southerners fleeing summer heat.

National Register of Historic Places, and today the 15-acre site is owned and run by the county school system, and provides a unique range of heritage education programs, including field trips, tours, classes on farm animals and guided nature walks. A renovated boarding house is home to the Heritage Weavers & Fiber Artists, a group dedicated to preserving the history of local textile arts.

Another historic Hendersonville treasure is the Mountain Farm & Home Museum, which is dedicated to preserving agricultural and domestic equipment, methods and literature related to rural life in 19th century Western North Carolina. The museum offers a trip back in time, and is packed with such relics as a 16-foot water wheel, a local doctor’s buggy, grain reapers and threshing machines, and antique engines, tractors, butter churns and tools.

Henderson County is home to the Carl Sandburg Home (left) and the Flat Rock Playhouse (above).

DONATED PHOTOS

The cornerstone of higher education in Henderson County is Blue Ridge Community College, the main campus of which is just south of Hendersonville. The two-year, comprehensive post-secondary school serves more than 15,000 students a year. The college, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, offers 95 programs of study and one of the largest continuing education programs in the state. It has placed special emphasis on technical programs in automotive technology, emergency response, law enforcement, nursing, engineering and machining technology.

Hendersonville is neighbored by smaller towns that also have much to offer. Nearby

Flat Rock, once known as “The Little Charleston of the Mountains,” has long been a resort escape for southerners fleeing summer heat. It’s home to the Flat Rock Playhouse, where the many and varied performances draw some 90,000 visitors each year. It’s also where you can visit the Carl Sandburg Home, where the renowned poet and writer lived out his last 22 years. The estate, which Sandburg christened “Connemara,” is a National Historic Site and welcomes the public to view everything from Sandburg’s 10,000-volume library to the goat farm that was lovingly tended by Sandburg and his wife.

Etowah, also close by, has become a residential and retirement haven that features some of the finest golf courses in the area.

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Henderson COUNTY

Fletcher

A

A small town that enjoys close proximity to some of Western North Carolina’s biggest attractions, businesses and natural wonders, Fletcher is no longer simply a sleepy stopping point between Asheville and Hendersonville.

The town’s motto, fittingly, is “Pride in our past, and faith in our future.” Fletcher is growing at a steady and smooth pace, with its current population of 7,340 more than double what it was a 20 years ago.

The town sits on six square miles of relatively flat land, with the Blue Ridge Mountains on the close horizon.

Located in north Henderson County, Fletcher is just a quick jaunt away some of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities and towns in the region. Asheville, Black Mountain, Brevard, Flat Rock, Hendersonville, Mills River, Lake Lure and Saluda are all within a 20-mile radius of the town.

Fletcher is uniquely positioned for national and international travelers, and a great spot to host visitors from near and far. In addition to ready access to the nearby Interstate 26, residents are just minutes away from Asheville Regional Airport, which offers nonstop flights to almost all major U.S. cities. The airport is going through a growth spurt of its own, adding new routes on a regular basis.

In recent years, the town has expanded its health and recreation initiatives, implementing a greenways master plan that makes the community more walkable and bikable. At present, there are 4.5 miles of connected trails; the plan envisions expanding the network to some 13 miles.

Two local parks offer opportunities for exercise and enjoyment close to home: The 60-acre Fletcher Community Park

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Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

Fletcher is a bustling community just outside of Asheville.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

features playgrounds, picnic areas, walking trails, and baseball and soccer fields, and Kate’s Park, adjacent to the Fletcher Library, has playgrounds, trails and an outdoor grilling area.

Community celebrations, from free concerts to parades, take place throughout the year. Many annual highlights are staged in the fall. Pickin’ in the Park, a bluegrass-infused get-together in September, turns Fletcher Community Park into a center of mountain music, local food and kids’ activities. And in October, Kate’s Park hosts an annual Halloween Carnival that offers safe (if slightly spooky) fun for families.

The biggest festival draw of all is the weeklong Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair, held each September at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. The state-run fair is a counterpart to the annual North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. In 2011, the fair drew an estimated 175,000 attendees from around the region.

The WNC Agricultural Center’s 87acre multiuse facility hosts events year round, including horse and livestock shows, a variety of professional conferences, classic-car events and multiple trade shows. For the past two years, it’s been home to the Asheville Food and Wine Festival, a sizable showcase of the region’s culinary delights co-sponsored by Slow Food Asheville and WNC Magazine.

Several times a year, the Ag Center welcomes thousands of arms aficionados to the Land of the Sky Gun and Knife Show, which outgrew its traditional home at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville in 2010. The show has expanded significantly, adding 130 new vendors (for a total of 450). The upsizing was made possible by the recent completion of the Davis Event Center, a 45,000-square-feet arena that’s outfitted with huge exhibit spaces, several conference rooms and an onsite restaurant.

Other new economic opportunity is brewing in Fletcher, as the town, in conjunction with the Fletcher Area Business Association, is developing a “Heart of Fletcher District.” The mixedused district is being tailored to support small retail businesses, professional offices and independent restaurants, and will feature a new Town Hall complex, built in part with a special $5 million communityfacilities loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, Fletcher has long been home to (and close to) major manufacturing and industrial facilities.

Privacy. Nature. Convenience.

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n a private, natural setting - just 10 minutes from vibrant downtown Hendersonville Fox Run Preserve is a gated community with large wooded lots and abundant open space.

With only 44 home sites on 86 acres in an idyllic mountain setting, more than a fourth of the land in Fox Run Preserve is dedicated to green space, a community pond, parks, and trails. Land/home packages from the Biltmore Farms Cottage

Collection are available from the mid $300s.

Ranging from 1,400 to more than 4,000 square feet, the cottages offer an opportunity to upgrade lifestyle while downsizing footprint. To experience the quality and craftsmanship of the Biltmore Farms Cottage Collection for yourself, schedule a tour of the Fox Run Preserve model home, located at 68 Gossamer Court, Hendersonville, NC.

Call 828.329.4967 or 828.329.9777 to schedule a community tour or visit FoxRunPreserve.com to explore plans and options.

Haywood COUNTY

Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska, Canton & Clyde Several times each summer, Waynesville hosts Mountain Street Dances where locals and visitors alike shake a leg and enjoy authentic Appalachian music. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

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High peaks mountains surround the town of Waynesville, once billed as Gateway to the Smokies and now the county seat of Haywood County. These ridges bring snow in the winter and cooler temperatures in the summer, and Haywood boasts the highest average elevation of any county east of the Rockies. The county has 18 mountains that are 6,000 feet or higher.

Waynesville and its quaint, historic Main Street are just part of what makes Haywood a unique mountain community.

It also includes Maggie Valley, a small town long popular to visitors, and Canton, a historic industrial town that takes pride in its blue-collar roots.

Where to Retire magazine named Waynesville one of its 100 Best Places to Retire, calling it the best mountain town and saying it had the best main street. It also referred to Waynesville as a “low-cost Eden.” The town’s proximity to Asheville offers residents the best of a larger city while still holding on to its small-town amenities.

Downtown is a pedestrian’s dream with much to choose from including working art studios, fine restaurants, pubs, a local bookstore, another coffee roastery, cigar store, gift shops, a bakery and more. The first Friday of each month is Art After Dark, a gallery stroll with meet-the-artist events that is almost like a street party due to the number of people who show up.

There also the popular Mountain Street Dances on several Friday nights during the summer beginning at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Haywood County Historic Courthouse, a fun, free event where you can listen to live music and take part in the traditional dancing. No worries for those new to the art

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form as the caller takes his time and walks everyone through the steps.

Waynesville is also one of those mountain towns that provides a great jumping off point for a mountain vacation. It’s close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Pisgah National Forest, mountain biking trails and whitewater rafting rivers Just outside of Waynesville is Cold Mountain, the peak that Charles Frazier used to name his acclaimed novel that also became the title of the subsequent movie. Hiking the mountain requires a map and an entire day, but you can view it by following U.S. 276 out of Waynesville until you hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Cold Mountain overlook is right at the U.S. 276/Blue Ridge Parkway intersection.

On the west side of Waynesville is Hazelwood Village, which has merged with Waynesville but has maintained its own identity and evolved into a revitalized retail district, including

Where to Retire magazine called Waynesville a “low-cost Eden.”

The town’s proximity to Asheville offers residents the best of a larger city while still holding on to its smalltown amenities. pottery studios, a coffee roastery, a gourmet restaurant, and a business that makes homemade soaps and lotions (which make great gifts). Hazelwood also is home to the Folkmoot Friendship Center, which serves as the headquarters for the two-week international dance and music festival that is held every July.

Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is home to the World Methodist Conference and the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. It features a public, 2.5-mile paved walking/jogging path around the lake.

There are ducks, geese and swans to feed, benches, bridges, dam, butterfly 100

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Haywood COUNTY

Haywood County is home to Cataloochee Ski Area (top left), Lake Junaluska (left) and historic downtown Waynesville (above).

CATALOOCHEE PHOTO • MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

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garden and a rose walk along the path. In addition to lodging accommodations open, a couple of good restaurants and the World Methodist Museum also are on the grounds, along with a native plant garden and meditation labyrinth. Paddleboats can be rented on the lake. There is also a pool and playground. The lake is just off U.S. 19 north of Waynesville and east of Maggie Valley.

Waynesville is also home to the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, which is located in the historic Shelton House and features 19th century crafts, including pottery, quilts, basket and woodworking.

Just 10 miles outside of Waynesville is Maggie Valley, a quaint mountain delight that sprang up to cater to visitors and still rolls out the welcome mat to traveling tourists. From spring to autumn, the valley is

also packed with motorcyclists from around the country, who come to traverse the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, motor through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and enjoy the camaraderie of other riders who make annual treks to Maggie to visit the Wheels Through Time Museum. The museum is among the highlights of a visit to Maggie Valley, featuring a world-class collection of historic motorcycles and cars.

One of the popular mainstays in Maggie Valley is Joey’s Pancake House. It only serves breakfast, but it’s a hearty meal served up by a staff that knows how to treat their customers. Don’t be put off if there’s a line out the door — which there usually is on weekends — it moves fast and there’s complimentary coffee while you wait.

Cataloochee Ski Area features the best

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Learn more about Cataloochee Ski Area

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skiing in the southern mountains and typically is one of the first ski resorts in the East to open. Near the ski resort is the Cataloochee Ranch, which has cabins, horse stables, a grand old lodge and restaurant, all atop a 5,000-foot mountain. Those not staying at the ranch are invited to join staff and visitors for evening cookouts, where you might even hear some local storytelling and music.

From Maggie Valley it’s a short drive to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elk again roam free in the valley, thanks to a re-introduction

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Haywood COUNTY program. Dusk is the best bet for guaranteed sightings, but please, stay away from the elk — they have antlers for a reason.

For true local charm, look no further than Canton and Clyde, the neighboring towns nestled in eastern Haywood County. They are situated around the Evergreen paper mill, which has been running steadily for more than 100 years.

Canton is a snapshot of a classic mill town, with many of the unique and beautiful bungalows and buildings once built for mill workers and managers still intact. The downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its crown jewel is the Imperial Hotel. Originally crafted as a stately home, it is currently being renovated to its former glory, to include a restaurant celebrating the town’s history.

The restored Colonial Theatre features concerts, shows, movies and other entertainment events in a beautifully restored historic theater. The stage features a winter music series hosted last year by the Grammy-award winning local bluegrass band Balsam Range.

Clyde, a hamlet that lies between Canton and Waynesville, can boast as its own the oldest structure in Haywood County. The Shook-Smathers House, home to the Shook Museum, was built around 1820, with additions and renovations made for decades producing the finished product we see today. The home’s attic chapel played host to many storied circuit preachers over the years, many of whom have left their mark in the unique collection of signatures that decorate the chapel’s walls.

The town is also home to “The Big Gun,” a local landmark and war memorial that is the defining feature of the small downtown landscape. Another memorial, made from steel taken from the World Trade Center, is situated in front of the fire department, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Clyde was given two of only around 1,000 piece of steel salvaged from the site to be used in memorials.

From high peaks like Waterrock Knob (top) to quaint downtowns like Canton (right), Haywood County offers it all.

ANDREW KASPER PHOTO (TOP) • MARGARET HESTER PHOTO (RIGHT)

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HIGH UP IN HAYWOOD When you include the mountains that are in the national forest and those that became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County can make a claim to having the highest average elevation east of the Rockies. Six-thousand-foot mountains are the monsters of Appalachia, and Haywood has 18 of them. The county also has another unique claim to fame — all the waterways in the county have their headwaters there. No rivers flow in.

Mount Guyot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6621 Richland Balsam . . . . . . . . . . . 6410 Old Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6370 Waterrock Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . 6292 Luftee Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6234 Black Balsam Knob . . . . . . . . . 6214 Big Cataloochee Mountain . . 6155 Mount Hardy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6110 Reinhart Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6095 Plott Balsam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6088 Tennent Mountain . . . . . . . . . 6060 Green Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6056 Grassy Cove Top . . . . . . . . . . . 6055 Sam Knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6055 Cold Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6030 Shining Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6010 Balsam Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6000 Big Butt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6000

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Jackson COUNTY

Cashiers, Cullowhee, Dillsboro & Sylva

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Jackson County, which includes the county seat town of Sylva and the high-altitude village of Cashiers, has some of Western North Carolina’s most spectacular scenery.

The county was established in 1851 from parts of Haywood and Macon counties and named after President Andrew Jackson. The Tuckasegee River winds through the county, boasting some of the best trout fishing in the region. In fact, Jackson County is home to the only Fly Fishing Trail in the state. The trail map is available from the Chamber of Commerce and gives directions to some of the best spots to try and hook a prized trout.

Jackson is also home to part of the Nantahala National Forest, the largest of the four national forests located in the state. Nantahala is a Cherokee word for “land of the noonday sun,” and the Nantahala Gorge in adjoining Swain County is considered one of the top whitewater rivers in the East. National Geographic magazine called the river the number one water tourist destination in the country, and it attracts more than 250,000 paddlers a year. The 2013 World Freestyle Kayaking Championships was also recently held in the gorge at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Sylva has one of the most vibrant downtowns in all of Western North Carolina. It boasts an assortment of art galleries, furniture and clothing stores, restaurants, coffee shops, a bakery, breweries and more.

Mill Street — better known locally as Back Street, which is the other half of the one-way Main Street — is undergoing revitalization. It also provides access to the town’s bustling Farmers Market, open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, May through October. Sylva’s tree-lined streetscape, dotted with benches, provides visitors with an afternoon of easy walking. There is even an official 1.2-mile tree walk, featuring 44 of

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Jackson County is home to part of the Nantahala National Forest, the largest of the four national forests located in the state. The Tuckasegee River winds through the county, boasting some of the best trout fishing in the region.

the more than 50 species in Sylva, designated a Tree City USA. The Sylva Garden Club currently maintains the walk, which features a guidebook, map and small signs at the base of each tree indicating its common name. The walk officially begins in the shade of Bicentennial Park near the historic courthouse.

Speaking of the Jackson County Courthouse, it is often called the most photographed courthouse in the state. And why not, as it sits atop a knoll accessed by 107 steps. Those steps are what gives local highway N.C. 107 its name.

Adjacent to the courthouse is a library, historical museum and performance space.

What was the most beautiful courthouse in the state is now considered by some the most beautiful public library in the state.

Friday Night Live brings music to Sylva and Dillsboro with an ever-changing list of locations and bands. The popular Sylva After Dark gallery stroll is held on the first Friday of each month.

The Bridge Park Pavilion is a popular gathering place for events in downtown. The Scotts Creek Bridge conveniently connects the Bridge Park and Poteet Park.

Nearby Western Carolina University’s

Jackson COUNTY

Fine Arts Center and Museum has an excellent permanent collection and visiting exhibits, along with a great line-up of nationally-known performers. WCU also is home to the Mountain Heritage Center, which features exhibits, demonstrations and educational programs on mountain society, past and present, from the migration of the Scotch Irish people to basket making traditions.

A mysterious collection of Native American petroglyphs known as Judaculla Rock is located on Caney Fork Road off N.C. 107 between Cullowhee and Glenville Lake in Jackson County. In the late 19th century, Cherokee groups were known to have ceremonial assemblies around the rock.

Some say the rock is a map of a 1755 battle between the Cherokee and Indian rivals.

Archeologists who have perused the stone claim it was carved sometime in the Late Archaic Period about 5,900 to 3,200 years ago when evidence first appears of Native American societies forming mound societies, or towns.

The Village of Cashiers likes to boast of its location, perched on the highest plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina. There’s no doubt this singularly

unique geography is spectacularly beautiful, with hundreds of waterfalls, quiet lakes, stone mountains and rhododendron forests.

Cashiers (pronounced CASH-ers) is a true crossroads community, with four roads coming in from each of the cardinal directions serving as the only arteries in or out. At this crossroads is the Village Green, a commons area lined with shops with a stage that also hosts a full lineup of free performances.

You’ll find plenty of hikers and rock climbers amongst the permanent residents in the area. Panthertown Valley boasts 6,700 acres of sheer rock, waterfalls, and hiking and biking trails.

Cashiers also has excellent golfing and country clubs. High Hampton Inn and Country Club and Fairfield Sapphire Valley are full-service resorts that provide rooms, golfing, dining and other amenities. In the village proper, a walking trail leads shoppers to the many retail shops and restaurants.

Whitewater Falls, the tallest waterfall in the east, is 10 miles from Cashiers. The Zachary-Tolbert House is an 1840 Greek Revival estate house on the National Register of Historic Places built by one of the founders of Cashiers.

Jackson County is home to an array of natural and cultural attractions like the High Hampton Inn and Country Club in Cashiers (facing page, top), the Dillsboro Pottery Festival (facing page, bottom), and majestic waterfalls such as Whitewater Falls (left). The historic Jackson County Courthouse (above) is oft noted as being the most photographed courthouse in the state. HIGH HAMPTON PHOTO • MARK HASKETT PHOTOS

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Madison COUNTY Acclaimed Appalachian folk/bluegrass group The Trantham Family performs at a past Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival at Mars Hill College.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARS HILL COLLEGE

Mars Hill

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Located in a mostly rural, exceedingly picturesque part of Madison County, Mars Hill is a small town that’s big on mountain traditions.

There are 1,800 residents within the town limits, and 11,000 within a five-mile radius of downtown. Mars Hill sits close to Interstate 26, offering quick access to Asheville, which is 15 miles south. The state’s border with Tennessee is just 11 miles north.

The largest local institution, Mars Hill College, contributes much to the character of the town. A private liberal arts school with an enrollment of 1,200 students, the college is affiliated with two Baptist institutions. It was founded in 1856, making it one of the oldest educational facilities in Western North Carolina.

The college’s artistic and cultural offerings are considerable. The Rural Life Museum preserves and presents artifacts of traditional Appalachian communities, and the Weizenblatt Art Gallery shares both visiting exhibitions and student and staff works. The 1,800 seat Moore Auditorium hosts frequent concerts and other performances.

The Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, founded in 1975, has become one of

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the region’s top theater draws. The focus of its work is a summer season of five distinct productions, ranging from musicals to dramas to comedies, along with plays that highlight aspects of mountain heritage. The performances take place in one of the most historic buildings on campus, Owens Theatre, which also features student- and staff-written productions.

Mars Hill’s college’s dance team, the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, has won 18 national championships and helped preserve the practice of traditional mountain dancing.

In 2010, Mars Hill College spearheaded a partnership of local groups to promote a unique and overlooked part of the town’s history, the Anderson Rosenwald School, which served the county’s black elementary students from 1930 to 1965. Long in disrepair, the school is now being refurbished as a community center.

The college has also developed some renowned athletic programs. Its men’s crosscountry team has won many a title, and in 2011, the cycling team won the NCAA Division II national championship. Its indoor swimming pool is open to the public (for a small fee) during select, regularly scheduled hours each week, and the recently installed disc golf sanctuary is open as well.

The course, noted for its natural beauty and sloping design, traverses a mile-and-a-half circle around part of campus.

Mars Hill Recreation Park, which is operated by the town, offers more options for exercise, with tennis courts, a ball field, basketball courts, a playground and a public outdoor swimming pool.

Come winter, nearby Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is open for business. One of North Carolina’s top-rated slopes, Wolf Ridge welcomes visitors of any skill level. The resort recently expanded its operations, and now offers 82 acres of terrain for skiers and snowboarders.

The mountains around Mars Hill are also filled with music. The town’s most famous native was the late Bascom Lamar Lunsford, also known as the “Minstrel of the Appalachians.” Born in 1882, Lunsford was a folklorist and performer who spent decades collecting mountain stories and songs. To celebrate and continue his legacy, each October, Mars Hill College hosts the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival. The event features mountain music concerts, “picking circles” where anyone with a fiddle, guitar or banjo can join in to swap songs, dancing, storytelling and traditional crafting demonstrations.

From June through August, the town stages the Mars Hill Music & More Summer Series, a free monthly event that brings folks out for music and dancing.

Mars Hill College, contributes much to the character of the town. A private liberal arts school with an enrollment of 1,200 students, the college is affiliated with two Baptist institutions.

Throughout the year, the Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center’s 250-seat theater hosts musical performances ranging from the classical to the traditional.

Most commerce in Mars Hill is relatively small-scale, independent and local. The Mars Hill Merchants Coalition helps tout the benefits of shopping locally, which are amply demonstrated at the Madison County Farmers Market. Open Saturdays from April through October, the market features a cornucopia of locally grown fruits and vegetables, along with handmade preserves and mountain crafts.

Madison COUNTY

Marshall & Hot Springs

volunteers, the FBI’s unique mission is “to serve the community of Marshall and surrounding areas by providing a forum for curated collaborations, multidisciplinary performances” and function as “an investigative think tank for reimagining the relationship between traditional and avant-garde arts, and between the time-based arts and the natural sciences.”

Another of Marshall’s unconventional centers is the Prama Institute, a nonprofit holistic retreat just a mile from downtown.

Founded in 2005, the institute hosts workshops, seminars, yoga classes, spiritual gatherings and other events, as is available for rent. On the near horizon, it plans to expand into an eco-village with an organic farm.

The resort town of Hot Springs is also nestled next to the French Broad.

Though its resident population is only 650, the town’s numbers swell with visitors seeking relaxation and recreation.

Hot Springs got its name from one of the region’s extraordinary natural features: mineral springs with a temperature of more than 100 degrees.

The Hot Springs Resort & Spa maintains indoor and outdoor hot tubs that are fed by the springs, and also offers a full range of massage and body

Marshall and Hot Springs foster an easygoing lifestyle on the banks of the French Broad River.

Two small Madison County towns, Marshall and Hot Springs, have made the most of riverside living.

Marshall, population 800, is the county seat and sits on the banks of the French Broad River some 20 miles north of Asheville.

The area is rich with local history, as it was a key way station on the Buncombe Turnpike, an early trading route that ran from Tennessee though Western North Carolina to South Carolina.

Today, Marshall is an enclave of artists that’s in the midst of a renaissance. There are dozens of local galleries and studios, including the epicenter of local arts: Marshall High Studios, a former high school on Blannerhassett Island in the middle of the river that’s connected to downtown by a bridge.

The building, which dates to 1925, was renovated and reopened in 2007 as a home for 28 studios. In addition to hosting working artists who specialize in numerous different media, the 28,000-square-foot facility has regular classes, exhibitions and hosts performances.

Marshall’s Main Street offers other signs of the town’s unique blend of old and the new. There’s a bookstore and numerous cafes, galleries, antique shops and eateries. Hovering above it all is the historic, cupola-domed county courthouse, which was built in 1906 and designed by the famed architect Richard Sharp Smith.

One Main Street mainstay is The Depot, an old-timey general store. It’s a great community shopping spot that doubles as a performance venue on Friday nights, when local musicians strike up a soundtrack of traditional bluegrass and country music. Music can also be heard at the town’s regular French Broad Fridays, a series of free outdoor concerts.

Several other local institutions keep Marshall’s art scene humming.

The Madison County Arts Center, also on Main Street, presents regular exhibitions of both traditional and contemporary art.

A couple of blocks away is the French Broad Institute (Of Time & and the River), aka “The FBI,” which was opened in 2007 in a former Methodist church that was built back in 1912. Run by a collective of

The towns of Marshall and Hot Springs are known for their accessibility to both the Appalachian Trail and the French Broad River (left). Every year, the French Broad River Festival (above) combines a love of the outdoors with live music, craft beer and camping. DONATED PHOTO (LEFT) • GARRET K. WOODWARD PHOTO (ABOVE) treatments. Broadwing Farm Cabins also features spring-fed tubs.

The town itself is quite quaint, with one main drag that’s lined with cafes, coffee shops and gift stores.

Hot Springs’ real outdoor claim to fame, though, is its intimate relationship with the Appalachian Trail. The AT passes right through town. Each April, the town hosts the weekend-long Trailfest, a celebration of all things AT complete with live music, local foods and athletic events.

A few weeks after Trailfest, Hot Springs sponsors the annual French Broad River Festival, featuring an impressive roster of musical groups, whitewater and bike races, arts and crafts vendors and a kid’s village.

And in September 2011, the town added the French Broad Fall Fest to its calendar, a celebration of craft beer and live music.

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Polk COUNTY Polk County has long welcomed flatlanders to a higher altitude, offering foothills rich with history, culture, crafts, vast natural areas and unique culinary traditions.

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Downtown Saluda (top) sits at the top of the Saluda Grade, once the steepest railroad grade in the U.S. Morris the Horse (right) represents both Tryon’s equestrian and toymaking traditions.

MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

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Tryon & Saluda

Touted as the “First Peak of the Blue Ridge,” Polk County has long welcomed flatlanders to a higher altitude, offering foothills rich with history, culture, crafts, vast natural areas and unique culinary traditions.

Elevations in the county range from 300 feet to 3,200 feet. Most of Polk’s 20,000 residents live in or near the county’s three main towns – Columbus, Saluda and Tryon.

Columbus, the county seat, is a scenic small town dotted with historic houses and other noted buildings, such as the Polk County Courthouse, which has been preserved in all its 1859 splendor (and modernized a bit, of course).

Saluda is nestled in the mountains in the southeastern corner of the county, and in fact its borders stray over into neighboring Henderson County. The town is famous for sitting atop the Saluda Grade, once the steepest railroad grade in the United States. It is also well known for its charming town center, with a main street lined with cafés, restaurants, antique shops, art galleries and historic buildings like the M.A. Pace General Store, a hub of local

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commerce and community that recently celebrated its 112th birthday. Given its location, from Saluda it’s a quick to trip to other quaint and cultured mountain towns, like Brevard, Flat Rock and Hendersonville.

Tryon sits close to the border with South Carolina, and is located in what climate researchers call a “thermal belt.”

The result is that the town and its environs are generally free of dew and frost, making it an ideal area for certain types of agriculture not practiced widely in the mountains.

For example, with its three wineries, Polk is a pocket of Southern wine country.

Tryon has long been a haven for artists, crafters, musicians and writers. Back in the early 1900s, when Tryon was a small village, artists flocked in from Europe and major U.S. cities like Chicago and New York, establishing an informal creative colony. Today, the town’s art scene still thrives, with numerous studios, galleries, art schools and theaters.

The art of toy and craft making was an integral part of the town’s development. Tryon Toy-Makers and WoodCarvers operated from 1915 to 1940, cranking out small wooden figurines and toy animals. That’s why, at Tryon’s town center, you’ll find a larger than life replica of “Morris the Horse,” one of the company’s popular creations. While the company is long gone, crafting businesses still boom in Tryon, and the recently opened Tryon Toy-Maker’s House Museum pays tribute to the town’s handmade traditions.

Tryon has also taken recent steps to celebrate the legacy of its most famous native, the late jazz and soul great Nina Simone, who was born here in 1933. The heart of downtown features Nina Simone Plaza, home to a striking

event is sponsored by the bronze sculpture, dedicated in Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, 2010, of Simone playing piano which also stages horse shows keys suspended in midair. throughout the year. What’s Local volunteers are striving to more, the Foothills Equestrian preserve Simone’s childhood Nature Center offers regular home, and in the fall of 2012, a equestrian events at its 400group of her fans plans to stage arce facility in Tryon. the first annual Nina Simone May brings the Saluda Arts International Music Festival. and Music Festival, and in The Lanier Library, founded July, Saluda hosts the lively in 1905, which today is one of annual Coon Dog Day the country’s few private Festival, a bark-filled member-funded libraries still in celebration of the mountains’ existence, highlights Tryon’s favorite canine that includes a lively literary history. classic car show and parade.

Polk County is home to The Art Trek Tryon Studio dozens of parks and recreation Tours, held each July, showcase areas. In Saluda, the Green the town’s many artists, as does River Cove Recreation Area The Block House Steeplechase is the longest running event of its kind in the state.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM STEELE, B93.7 HAWK 'N TOM SHOW the Tryon Arts & Crafts Fall offers access points for fishing, Festival, in October. tubing, kayaking, canoeing and numerous summer camps.

On the food and drink front, each July, hiking. Tryon’s 50-acre public park, Harmon The county can rightly boast of hosting Tryon hosts the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival.

Field, sits next to the Pacolet River and some of the finest public events and festivals The event includes the state barbecue features wading areas, a playground, tennis in the region. In April, there’s the Block championship, featuring some 90 courts, a walking track, sports fields and House Steeplechase, a day of races that’s the competing teams. And several of the horse rings. There are scores of hiking trails, longest running steeplechase in North county’s wineries and vineyards host tours ranging from easy to moderate to strenuous, Carolina, now celebrating its 66th year. The and feature tasting rooms. in the county, and Polk is noted for its

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Yancey COUNTY

Burnsville

& Yancey County Yancey is an elevated county with some of the highest mountains to be found in Western North Carolina (and in the eastern U.S., for that matter). It makes sense, then, that the county offers living situations and outdoor experiences that go above and beyond the norm.

The county is bordered by Tennessee to the north and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail to the south. There are 11 townships in Yancey, the largest of which, Burnsville, is the county seat and has 1,700 residents. Located in the center of the county, Burnsville is 35 miles north of Asheville and 50 miles west of Johnson City, Tenn.

Just a few miles from Burnsville looms Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi, reaching to 6,684 feet above sea level. The mountain is surrounded by the 2,000-acre Mount Mitchell State Park, which is full of choice spots for hiking, camping, picnicking and outdoor education. Several trails of varying lengths lead to the summit of Mount Mitchell, where a recently built observation deck offers the perfect perch for high-altitude sightseeing. The summit can also be reached via a short, paved, ADA-accessible path. Halfway to the summit, the Park Restaurant serves up vittles with a view.

Flowing right by the park is the Toe River, which offers premium trout fishing and whitewater rafting.

In addition to its peaks and valleys, Yancey County is known for its extraordinarily rich artistic output.

The county boasts more that 400 full-time and 200 part-time working artists, including basket makers, glassblowers, metalsmiths, painters, paper makers, potters, quilters, sculptors and weavers.

Twice a year, the Toe River Arts Council sponsors the Toe River Studio Tours, as scores of local artists, from both Yancey and neighboring Mitchell County, open their studios for a free, up-close look inside the creative process. And each August, downtown Burnsville comes alive with local art at the Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, which has been celebrated for more than 50 years.

The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival is held in Burnsville each September. It started as a small gathering of authors and readers in 2005, and has blossomed into a full-fledged literary happening complete with readings, workshops, plays and seminars.

The event is free, and draws some of the regions most popular writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Y Yancey County is home to some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

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Nearby Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi, reaches 6,684 feet above sea level. The mountain is surrounded by a 2,000-acre state park.

The Nu-Wray Inn in Burnsville is the oldest lodging house in the region. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

The performing arts have a strong presence here as well. The Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville, founded in 1947, is the longest running community theater in North Carolina. It produces a wide range of performances, and has a special dramatic arts education program for children age 4 to 18.

A nonprofit group, the Burnsville Little Theatre, performs fundraising shows for various local nonprofits.

Another standout Burnsville’s institution is the Nu-Wray Inn, built in 1833. The oldest lodging house in the region, it’s hosted such notables as Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe and Elvis Presley. The inn is known both for its historic charms and its signature Southern breakfasts, with most menu items sourced from local farms.

The John Wesley McElroy House was built around the same time, in 1840, and also plays an active part in saluting Burnsville’s heritage. McElroy, a local businessman and lawyer (and later a Confederate brigadier general) constructed the 3,000-square-foot home as a mountain mansion for his wife, Catherine. In later years, the family of William Moore, a state senator and Union Army officer, took

residence in the home. In the early 1900s, it served as Burnsville’s first post office, before being abandoned and falling into disrepair over the decades. The home got a new lease on life in 1987, when a local historical association purchased it and established the Rush Ray Museum of Yancey County History.

Yancey is also home to one of the most unique communities in the South — Celo, a settlement and land trust founded in 1937.

There, some 40 families adhere to a loosely defined humanist ethic and help run a collective farm and the Arthur Morgan School, a progressive middle school with roots in Quaker values and the Montessori educational approach.

While mountain traditions run deep in Yancey, the county is making some key modern advancements of late. In late 2012, the main highway through the county, U.S. 19E, will be expanded from two lanes to four, aiding travel to and from the area. That said, there’s actually one less reason to drive out the county, thanks to a recent development: In a 2010 referendum, Burnsville residents OK’d alcohol sales, meaning Yancey is no longer a dry county.

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students of all ages to learn about the region’s unique biodiversity.

The headwaters of the French Broad River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, are located near Brevard. A few miles west of the town, the master guides at Headwaters Outfitters help residents and visitors alike take advantage of all the river has to offer. It’s a hot spot for tubing, canoeing, kayaking and fly fishing. Nearby, the Davidson River, another renowned trout-fishing destination, flows through the Pisgah National Forest.

There’s also plenty to enjoy in the heart of Brevard, a vibrant and walkable hub of independent shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs and eateries. Between April and December, the Fourth Friday Gallery Walks — a monthly celebration of local art, food, wine and music — offer an especially pleasant way

to peruse local businesses and get to know neighbors. More local arts are highlighted on the Scenic 276 South Fine Art & Craft Corridor — a 13-mile stretch of state road that showcases numerous galleries and studios.

It’s a rare town that can boast of hosting an equal number of barbecue joints and Asian restaurants — and just as many ice cream parlors — but in Brevard it’s true.

The Brevard Music Center has hosted noted performers for the past 75 years. Its signature event is the annual Brevard Music Festival, which spans seven summer weeks and features more than 80 different acts.

Local music aficionados also take in shows at Brevard College’s Paul Porter Center for the Performing Arts.

Contributing to the town’s special character is Brevard College, a small liberal

Brevard Being a small town doesn’t mean you can’t offer some of the finest charms Western North Carolina has to offer. Just ask the 7,600 residents of Brevard, the county seat of Transylvania County. The town has distinguished itself as an epicenter for nearby outdoor adventures, education, art and music.

Transylvania can justly claim to be “The Land of Waterfalls,” as some 250 waterfalls exist in the county. Some are relatively small and gentle. Others take big, breathtaking plunges into mountain pools. Looking Glass Falls, for example, drops 60 feet amid a stunning crop of boulders and is one of the most-photographed waterfalls in the country.

The wildly popular Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide where thousands of visitors slide down its long, slick surface into a 6-feet-deep pool at the bottom.

Remarkably, more than half of the land in Transylvania is publicly owned and protected, including 88,000 acres of Pisgah National Forest, the 10,000-acre DuPont State Park and the 7,600-acre Georges State Park.

Together, these offer myriad opportunities for biking, camping, climbing, hiking, horseback riding, paddling and sightseeing.

Another natural treasure, tucked within the Pisgah National Forest, is the Cradle of Forestry, site of the first forestry school in the United States. The national forest is also home to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, a state-run facility that hosts

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Brevard is a small mountain town with a large amount of character. Its downtown (above) is filled with a variety of restaurants and art galleries, such as the Number 7 Arts co-op (top, left).

MARGARET HESTER PHOTO (ABOVE) • SARAH E. KUCHARSKI PHOTO (TOP, LEFT)

Being a small town doesn’t mean you can’t offer some of the finest charms Western North Carolina has to offer.

Brevard has distinguished itself as an epicenter for outdoor adventure, education, art and music.

arts school founded in 1934 and located adjacent to downtown.

In March, the college hosts the worldtouring Banff Mountain Film Festival, a big-screen celebration of films and documentaries about life and sports in the wild. In May, the town pays tribute its signature furry creature with the White Squirrel Festival. White squirrels, you ask?

As it happens, the Brevard area is home to a rare concentration of, well, white squirrels.

The festival features a parade, free concerts, a “Squirrel Box Derby” and other, well, “nutty” amusements.

Come summer, Brevard’s Main Street becomes a prime place to cut a rug. Each Tuesday night, Old Time Street Dances are held to a soundtrack of live bluegrass.

Chimney Rock Off the beaten path, about 20 miles southeast of Asheville via Highway 74A, is a Western North Carolina community that enjoys spectacular views, an abundance of outdoor activities, a temperate climate and a unique ecosystem.

The expansive Hickory Nut Gorge, nestled between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains, feels like a land unto itself. The 14-mile mountain canyon is split by the Rocky Broad River, which ultimately flows into Lake Lure.

Four small townships are in the gorge: Gerton, Bat Cave, Chimney Rock Village and Lake Lure. Each has its own particular charms, but a common thread that benefits them all is the natural setting, which is famed for its biodiversity.

Hickory Nut George is home to 14 rare animal species and 36 rare plant species, and is a haven for biologists, geologists and birders. It’s teeming with streams and stunning rock formations, as well as Hickory Nut Falls, a waterfall with a 404-foot drop that’s one of the biggest in the region. The falls made a big splash on the big screen, serving at the setting for a fight scene in the 1992 film “The Last of the Mohicans.”

The crown jewel of the gorge is the 4,000-acre Chimney Rock State Park, home to a hulking granite monolith that the park is named after. A climb up the stairs to the top of 315-foot-tall Chimney Rock (or an elevator ride there) is rewarded with panoramic views to spots as far as 75 miles away.

The park has an extensive network of hiking trails and ample

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opportunities for bouldering and rock climbing. And impressive as it is, Chimney Rock isn’t even the high point. Other easily accessed features above the rock include the Opera Box, a stone enclosure with a broad opening where you can sit and take in the stunning sights, Devil’s Head, a menacing rock “face” perched over the gorge, and Exclamation Point, the park’s highest point, some 200 feet above Chimney Rock.

The park has a rich history that gives it appropriately deep ties to the region.

The land it sits on was bought and developed by a Missouri native, Lucius Moore, a doctor who was diagnosed with tuberculosis circa 1900. Moore moved here to clear his lungs with the mountain air, and went on to develop both the park and the nearby resort town of Lake Lure.

After being privately owned for more than a century, the site was purchased by the state of North Carolina in 2007 and is presently in the midst of major upgrades.

In August there’s the Race to the Rock, which is actually two races: a 5K run and a 25-mile bike race, both of which end at Chimney Rock. In September, there’s the weekend-long Flock to the Rock, a celebration of the area’s exemplary birding scene.

Nearby are the townships of Bat Cave and Chimney Rock Village.

In Bat Cave, the Old Cider Mill sells mountain crafts and curios, and, during apple season, fresh-pressed cider. In Chimney Rock Village, Bubba O’Leary’s General Store offers a trip back in time to an era before chain stores and strip malls.

Hickory Nut Gorge hosts a wide range of lodging options, from short-term cabin rentals to stately mountain inns.

The Hickory Nut Gorge features four small townships, each with its own particular charms.

Chimney Rock State Park (pictured) offers panoramic views up to 75 miles away in Western North Carolina. MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

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T Lake Lure

The town of Lake Lure and its namesake water feature date to the 1920s. That’s when Lucius Morse, a noted developer of his day, arranged to dam the Rocky Broad River and create the 720-acre lake that would be the centerpiece of a unique resort community Today, Morse’s vision lives on, and Lake Lure continues to provide a kind of laid-back luxury that’s in perfect tune its natural surroundings.

The mid-sized mountains of western Rutherford County are filled with forests, streams, striking vistas, stunning rock formations and gently winding roads and trails.

What’s more, Lake Lure features a large share of spacious homes ranging from the historic to the modern, from the somewhat rustic to the state-of-the-art.

With slightly more than 1,000 permanent residents, the community’s population surges to around 10,000 in summer and fall with small

Lake Lure provides a kind of laid-back luxury that’s in perfect tune its natural surroundings. The mountains of western Rutherford County are filled with forests, streams, striking vistas, stunning rock formations and winding roads and trails.

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waves of tourists, water-sports enthusiasts, and second-home owners.

The lake itself has much to offer, above and below the surface and along its 21 miles of shoreline. Permitted residents can launch from the nicely outfitted Lake Lure Marina to enjoy waterskiing, jet skiing, leisure cruising, speed boating, paddling and swimming. And Lake Lure’s clear mountain water is home to sizable stocks of blue gill, catfish and largemouth bass, making it a haven for anglers.

If parts of Lake Lure look familiar to firsttime visitors, it’s no surprise. The lake and several local properties were the prime shooting ground for a wildly popular movie, the 1987 romance “Dirty Dancing.” The film was set in the early 1960s, but even today, parts of Lake Lure feel like the lakeside stomping grounds of the two main characters, which were played by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. It’s a connection the town continues to celebrate with the annual Dirty Dancing Festival, launched in 2010 and held each September.

Also popular are Lake Lure’s longstanding annual events, including premier fireworks displays on the Fourth of July and the summertime Lure of the Dragons Race and Festival. The latter event brings “dragon boat” and other races to the lake, and raises money for local children’s charities. In May, there’s the Olympiad Fly Masters Tournament, hosted on both the lake and the Rocky Broad. In August, the Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad beckons

Lake Lure visitors and residents can enjoy outdoor activities such as swimming, water skiing, boating and fishing. MARGARET HESTER PHOTOS

athletes from around the nation for footraces, a triathlon and tournaments in golf, pickleball, swimming, water skiing, basketball and other sports.

A lesser known, smaller body of water is Bald Mountain Lake, which adjoins Lake Lure and is nestled in Rumbling Bald Resort. The resort’s residents and guests have access to a marina and a recreation center featuring a host of outdoor amusements and sports, food and drink, and swimming areas both in the lake and in inland artificial pools.

At Lake Lure, outdoor activities await at pretty much every door. There are three scenic golf courses: Lake Lure Golf Course is a nine-hole course owned by the town that was designed by the great golf architect Donald Ross in 1929, making it one of the first in Western North Carolina.

The two full-length, semi-private courses — Bald Mountain Golf Course and Apple Valley Golf Course — each offer a unique take on mountain golfing.

Lake Lure and its environs offer no shortage of other amusements and something for just about everybody.

Nearby Chimney Rock Park features

several hikes and unparalleled views. The mountain roads that weave around Lake Lure attract motorcyclists for cruises and rallies, and Cedar Creek Stables offers a trail-ride experiences if you’d rather let a horse trek you around the mountain coves.

No center of leisure would be complete without good options for wining and dining, and Lake Lure satisfies in this respect as well. Local eateries run from the mid-range to the upper crust. A favorite among locals and visitors alike is the Geneva Riverside Tiki Bar & Grille, where you can take in what the establishment calls its “Key West, open air feel” right next to the lake.

Life at Lake Lure is hospitable above all else, for the resident or the visitor. A rich offering of bed and breakfast options circle the lake, as do a number of motels, hotels and condos. A mainstay of Lake Lure lodging is the Lake Lure Inn & Spa, which was founded along with the town in 1927 and continues to keep pace with the lake and town’s ever-growing options for recreation and relaxation. Like the community it calls home, the inn is rife with reminders of Lake Lure’s engaging past, and updated with signs of the town’s exciting future.

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Calendar

Regional events Jan. 3-5 – Best of Our State. Grove Park Inn, Asheville. www.groveparkinn.com

Jan. 25 – Winter Warmer Beer Festival, Asheville. Celebrating craft beer from the southeast and beyond. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

The NC Mountain State Fair is held every year in Fletcher. The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands comes to Asheville twice each year.

Pictured: fused glass by Paula Marksbury.

NC MOUNTAIN STATE FAIR PHOTO ROBERT BATEY PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS CRAFT GUILD

Feb. 1-2 – Celtic Weekend, Grove Park Inn, Asheville. www.groveparkinn.com

Feb. 8 – Asheville Symphony.

Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Feb. 14 – Umphrey’s McGee with

April 12 – Asheville Symphony, Thomas

Moon Taxi, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

April 23-27 – Moogfest, Asheville.

Feb. 21 – STS9, Thomas Wolfe

Feb. 21-23 – Arts and Crafts

Music/electronic equipment festival around the city celebrating the life of the great inventor Bob Moog through technology, art and sound. www.moogfest.com

Conference, Grove Park Inn, Asheville. www.groveparkinn.com

May 8-11 – Lake Eden Arts Festival. Held

Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Feb. 22 – Darius Rucker, ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

March 7 – Celtic Woman, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

March 7-10 – Southern Conference Basketball Championships, ExploreAsheville.com Arena, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

March 8-10 – Comedy Classic Weekend at Grove Park Inn. 25th annual event features renowned comedians amid an intimate setting. www.groveparkinn.com

March 15 – Asheville Symphony: The American Four Seasons. Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Late Winter/Spring – Festival of Flowers at Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Enjoy the

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beauty of tulips, azaleas and countless flowers as spring takes over this historic site. www.biltmore.com

March 22 – Disney Junior Live! U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

March 25 – Harlem Globetrotters.

ExploreAsheville.com Arena. Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Early April – Do Tell Storyfest, Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown Theater. Listen to tales from rhymes to folk tales to history to modern personal stories from the region’s best performers. www.dotellfestival.org

April 10 – Mélange of the Mountains, Laurel Ridge Country Club, Waynesville.

Experience the culinary talent of some of Western North Carolina’s most regarded restaurants and vendors as area chefs compete in categories ranging from salad to seafood to dessert. www.haywood-nc.com

twice a year in Black Mountain, LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors.

Music, poetry, dancing, camping, kids activities and more. www.theleaf.com

May 10 – Asheville Symphony, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

May 15 – Menopause: The Musical, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville. www.uscellularcenterasheville.com

Memorial Day Weekend – Sandburg Folk Music Festival, Carl Sandburg Home, Flat Rock. www.nps.gov/carl

June 13-14 – Blue Ridge Barbecue and Music Festival, Tryon. Considered one of the most popular sanctioned barbecue competitions in the United States. All proceeds benefit the local chamber of commerce. www.blueridgebbqfestival.com

July 17-20 – Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. www.southernhighlandguild.org

first weekend in August at the event. www.folkheritage.org

Music, camping, kids activities and more.

Black Mountain. www.theleaf.com

Mid-Aug. – Sourwood Festival, Black

Oct. 19 – HardLox Festival, Pack Square,

Mountain. Music, dancing, arts and crafts, super food, kid’s rides and games, face painting and more in a no alcohol environment, along with gourmet sourwood honey. www.sourwoodfestival.com

Asheville. Jewish food and entertainment. www.hardloxjewishfestival.org

Aug. 16 – Blue Ridge Breakaway, Lake

Oct. 24-26 – Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit, Asheville. World-class music festival featuring the finest in electronic music. www.mountainoasisfestival.com

Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. An annual cycling event in support of the initiatives of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. www.blueridgebreakaway.com

Labor Day Weekend – Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluksa. Two nights of the finest traditional music and dancing in the region. www.smokymountainfolkfestival.com

Sept. 5-15 – The NC Mountain State Fair, Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher. Celebrating mountain traditions with rides, exhibits, art, food, concerts and more. www.mountainfair.org

Mid-Sept. – Mountain Song Festival, July 18-27 – Folkmoot USA, Waynesville.

Two-week international dance and music festival. Headquartered in Haywood County; events held at venues throughout Western North Carolina. www.folkmootusa.org

July 31-Aug. 2 – Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville.

Since 1928, mountain fiddlers, banjo pickers, dulcimer sweepers, dancers, balladeers and others have gathered the

Brevard Music Center. Food, local artists, children’s activities, nature exhibits and more. www.mountainsongfestival.com

Oct. 16-19 – Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. www.southernhighlandguild.org

Oct. 16-19 – Lake Eden Arts Festival. Held twice a year in Black Mountain, LEAF aims to connect cultures and create community through music and art in the great outdoors.

Early November-Jan. 1 – Christmas at Biltmore Estate. The grand estate puts on a show every holiday season with lighting, lit fireplaces inside, special musical performances and other events. www.biltmore.com/visit/calendar/holiday.asp

SHINDIG ON THE GREEN

Month of December – Dillsboro Luminaries & Lights. Jackson County town is lit with luminaries, stores host open houses, Santa, children’s activities, buggy rides, music. www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html

Mid-November-Jan. 2 – National June 28; July 5, 12 & 19; Aug. 9, 16, 23 & 30 – Pack Square Park, Asheville. Free traditional music concerts held outdoors in downtown. www.folkheritage.org

Gingerbread House Competition viewing at the Grove Park Inn. Walk through the inn and see hundreds of intricate gingerbread creations and the award winners. www.groveparkinn.com

Dec. 31 – First Night Asheville.

Entertainment, games, fireworks in an alcohol-free atmosphere. www.ashevilleparks.org

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Information

DISTANCES (IN MILES)

Getting started CLIMATE January February March April May June July August September October November December

Avg. High Avg. Low Avg. Precip.

46 27 3.07 50 29 3.19 58 36 3.83 67 44 3.16 74 52 3.53 81 60 3.24 84 64 2.97 83 62 3.34 77 56 3.01 68 45 2.40 58 37 2.93 50 30 2.59

VOTER REGISTRATION Buncombe County 35 Woodfin St., Asheville • 828-250-4200

Haywood County 1233 N. Main St., Waynesville • 828-452-6633

Henderson County 75 E. Central Ave., Hendersonville • 828-697-4970

Jackson County 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva • 828-586-7538

Madison County 5707 Hwy. 25-70, Marshall • 828-649-3731

Polk County 40 Courthouse St., Columbus • 828-894-8181

Transylvania County 221 S. Gaston St., Brevard • 828-884-3114

Yancey County 225 W. Main St., Burnsville • 828-682-3950

DRIVERS LICENSE Buncombe County 85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • 828-252-8526 1624 Patton Ave., Asheville • 828-251-6065

Haywood County 290 Lee Road, Clyde • 828-627-6969

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Asheville Hendersonville Weaverville Waynesville Brevard Asheville Airport 15 12 22 36 20 Greenville/ 80 59 60 100 56 Spartanburg, SC Charlotte, NC 124 111 138 153 132 Knoxville, TN 129 144 123 112 152 Columbia, SC 158 137 165 178 157 Atlanta, GA 208 187 215 169 183 Raleigh, NC 251 275 260 279 283 Charleston, SC 268 247 275 288 267 Myrtle Beach, SC 302 281 309 322 301 Savannah, GA 314 293 321 335 314 Wilmington, NC 360 339 366 380 359 Washington, DC 471 495 463 500 503 Orlando, FL 584 563 591 604 583 New York City, NY 691 714 682 719 722 Miami, FL 794 773 801 815 793

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME Asheville City Buncombe County Haywood County Henderson County Madison County North Carolina United States

2000 $33,091 $36,795 $34,029 $38,385 $31,065 $39,257 $42,257

Henderson County 125 Baystone Drive, Hendersonville 828-692-6915

Jackson County 876 Skyland Drive, Sylva • 828-586-5413

Madison County 164 N. Main St., Marshall • 828-649-2248

2008 $39,906 $43,805 $39,042 $46,047 $38,077 $46,574 $52,029

2012 $42,333 $44,206 $42,089 $46,503 $38,658 $46,450 $53,046

Madison County 133 S. Main St., Marshall • 828-649-3528

Transylvania County 69 New Hendersonville Hwy., Pisgah Forest 828-883-3251

Yancey County 14 Town Square, Burnsville • 828-682-2312

Polk County 130 Ward St., Columbus, • 828-692-6915

Transylvania County 50 Commerce St., Brevard • 828-883-2070

Yancey County 116 N. Main St., Burnsville • 828-682-9619

TAX OFFICES Buncombe County 828-250-4910 buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Tax

Haywood County 828-452-6734 • haywoodnc.net

VEHICLE REGISTRATION Buncombe County 85 Tunnel Road, Asheville • 828-252-8526 780 Hendersonville Road, Asheville 828-667-2104

Haywood County 478 Champion Drive, Canton • 828-646-3406 80 Waynesville Plaza, Waynesville • 828-452-1577

Henderson County 145 Four Seasons Mall, Hendersonville 828-692-0648

Jackson County 454 E. Main St., Sylva • 828-586-3886

Henderson County 828-697-4870 • hendersoncountync.org/ca

Jackson County 828-586-7541 • jacksonnc.org/tax-collector

Madison County 828-649-3402 madisoncounty.org/-tax

Polk County 828-894-8954 polknc.org/departments/taxassessor

Transylvania County 828-884-3200 transylvaniacounty.org/tax-administration Yancey County 828-682-2198 yanceycountync.gov

PROPERTY TAXES Buncombe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.569 Asheville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.42 Biltmore Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.33 Black Mountain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.365 Montreat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.37 Weaverville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.375 Woodfin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.265

Haywood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.5413 Canton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.58 Clyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.43 Maggie Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.39 Waynesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.4082

Henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.5136 Flat Rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.084 Fletcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.225 Hendersonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.41 Laurel Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.36 Mills River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.0224 Saluda (in Henderson) . . . . . . . . . . $0.55

Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.28 Dillsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.21 Forest Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.15 Highlands (in Jackson) . . . . . . . . . $0.135 Sylva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.30 Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.05

Madison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.5175 Hot Springs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.51 Mars Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.47 Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.49

Polk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.52 Columbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.35 Saluda (in Polk) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.54 Tryon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.4778

Rutherford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.607 Lake Lure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.246

Transylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.4369 Brevard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.4325 Yancey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.45 Burnsville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.50

Helpful links ELECTRICITY Duke Energy duke-energy.com Haywood EMC haywoodemc.com Progress Energy progress-energy.com

NATURAL GAS Progress Energy progress-energy.com PSNC Energy psncenergy.com/en

PUBLIC UTILITIES City of Asheville Water Resources ashevillenc.gov/departments/water

Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County msdbc.org City of Asheville Sanitation ashevillenc.gov/departments/sanitation

Henderson County Utilities hendersoncountync.org

CABLE/INTERNET/ PHONE AT&T att.com Charter Communications charter.com DirecTV directv.com Mountain Area Information Network main.nc.us

StarBand starband.com TDS Telecom tdstelecom.com Verizon verizon.com

AIRPORTS Asheville Regional Airport flyavl.com Hendersonville Airport hendersonvilleairport.com

TRAINS Amtrak amtrak.com Great Smoky Mountains Railroad gsmr.com

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Buncombe County Transportation buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Transportation

CITY/COUNTY GOVERNMENTS Buncombe County buncombecounty.org Asheville ashevillenc.gov Barnardsville barnardsville.com Biltmore Forest

Brevard/Transylvania brevardncchamber.org Cashiers Area cashiers-nc.com Carolina Foothills polkchamber.org Downtown Waynesville Association downtownwaynesville.com

Haywood County haywood-nc.com Henderson County hendersoncountychamber.org

Jackson County mountainlovers.com Madison County madisoncounty-nc.com Maggie Valley maggievalley.org Polk County polkchambernc.com Saluda Business Association saluda.com Yancey County yanceychamber.com

TOURISM Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority exploreasheville.com

Cashiers cashiersnc.com Dillsboro Merchants Association visitdillsboro.org

Haywood County Tourism Development Authority visitncsmokies.com

Henderson County Travel and Tourism historichendersonville.org

Jackson County Travel and Tourism mountainlovers.com

Lake Lure Tourism rutherfordtourism.com Madison County visitmadisoncounty.com Polk County nc-mountains.org Transylvania County Tourism visitwaterfalls.com

Weaverville Tourism visitweaverville.com Yancey County visityancey.com

biltmoreforesttownhall.homestead.com

Black Mountain townofblackmountain.com Fletcher fletchernc.org Montreat townofmontreat.org Weaverville weavervillenc.org Haywood County haywoodnc.net Canton cantonnc.com Clyde townofclyde.com Maggie Valley townofmaggievalley.com Waynesville townofwaynesville.org Henderson County hendersoncountync.org Flat Rock Village villageofflatrock.org Hendersonville cityofhendersonville.org Laurel Park laurelpark.org Jackson County jacksonnc.org Sylva townofsylva.org Madison County madisoncountync.org Hot Springs townofhotsprings.org Marshall townofmarshall.org Mars Hill townofmarshill.org Polk County polknc.org Columbus columbusnc.com Tryon tryon-nc.com Rutherford County rutherfordcountync.gov Lake Lure townoflakelure.com Transylvania County transylvaniacounty.org Brevard cityofbrevard.com Yancey County main.nc.us/yancey Burnsville townofburnsville.org

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE Asheville Area ashevillechamber.org Black Mountain-Swannanoa blackmountain.org

SCHOOLS Asheville City ashevillecityschools.net Buncombe County buncombe.k12.nc.us Haywood County haywood.k12.nc.us Henderson County henderson.k12.nc.us Jackson County jcps.k12.nc.us Madison County Schools madisonk12.net Polk County polk.k12.nc.us Transylvania County Schools tcsnc.org Yancey County Schools yanceync.net North Carolina Public Schools ncpublicschools.org

North Carolina School Report Cards ncreportcards.org

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Asheville Catholic School ashevillecatholic.org

Asheville Christian Academy acacademy.org

Asheville Montessori School ashevillemontessorischool.com

Asheville School ashevilleschool.org Bethel Baptist School bethelwarriors.org Carolina Day School cdschool.org Christ School christschool.org Emmanuel Lutheran School emmanuellutheranschool.org

Fletcher Academy fletcheracademy.com Hanger Hall School for Girls hangerhall.org

Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

119

Information

The Blue Banner thebluebanner.net The Mountaineer themountaineer.villagesoup.com

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

CONTINUED

Immaculata Catholic School immac.org Learning Community School thelearningcommunity.org

Mount Pisgah Academy pisgah.us Nazarene Christian School ashevillefirstnazarene.org

Rainbow Mountain Children’s School rmcs.org

Veritas Christian Academy veritasnc.org

CHARTER SCHOOLS ArtSpace Charter School artspacecharter.org

Brevard Academy brevard.teamcfa.org Evergreen Community Charter School evergreenccs.org

Francine Delany New School for Children fdnsc.net Summit Charter School summitschool.org The Mountain Community School tmcschool.org

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College abtech.edu Blue Ridge Community College blueridge.edu

Brevard College brevard.edu Haywood Community College haywood.edu

Mars Hill College mhc.edu Montreat College montreat.edu Shaw University Education Center shawuniversity.edu

South College southcollegenc.edu Southwestern Community College southwesterncc.edu

University of North Carolina-Asheville unca.edu

Warren Wilson College warren-wilson.edu Western Carolina University wcu.edu

LEARNING CENTERS Penland School of Crafts penland.org Osher Lifelong Learning Institute olliasheville.com

PUBLICATIONS Asheville Citizen-Times citizen-times.com Asheville Magazine ashevillemagazine.com Asheville Tribune thetribunepapers.com Black Mountain News blackmountainnews.com

Crossroads Chronicle crossroadschronicle.com

Hendersonville Times-News blueridgenow.com

Mountain Xpress mountainx.com

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Welcome Beverly-Hanks & ASSOCIATES

The Smoky Mountain News smokymountainnews.com

The Sylva Herald thesylvaherald.com The Transylvania Times transylvaniatimes.com

The Tryon Daily Bulletin

Mission Hospitals missionhospitals.org Pardee Hospital pardeehospital.org Park Ridge Hospital parkridgehealth.org Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care urgentcares.com

St. Luke’s Hospital saintlukeshospital.com Transylvania Regional Hospital trhospital.org

VA Medical Center asheville.va.gov

tryondailybulletin.com

Yancey County News yanceycountynews.com

MAGAZINES Blue Ridge Outdoors blueridgeoutdoors.com The Laurel of Asheville thelaurelofasheville.com

Smoky Mountain Living smliv.com Sophie Magazine sophiemagazine.com Verve Magazine vervemag.com WNC Magazine wncmagazine.com WNC Woman wnc-woman.com

TELEVISION STATIONS WYFF-TV 4 (NBC) Greenville • wyff4.com WLOS-TV 13 (ABC) Asheville • wlos.com WSPA-TV 7 (CBS) Greenville/Spartanburg • wspa.com

WYCW-TV 62 (The CW) Greenville/Spartanburg • carolinascw.com

WHNS-TV 21 (FOX) Greenville/Spartanburg • foxcarolina.com

AM RADIO STATIONS 570, WWNC news, radio • wwnc.com 880, WPEK news, talk • therevolution.com 920 WPTL country, news, talk • wptlradio.net 1230, WSKY Christian • wilkinsradio.com 1310, WISE sports, talk • 1310bigwise.com 1450, WHKP news, music • whkp.com

FM RADIO STATIONS 88.1, 95.3, WCQS NPR news, classic music wcqs.org

88.7, WNCW eclectic music, news • wncw.org 90.5, WWCU Western Carolina University wwcufm.com

92.5, WYFL Bible Broadcasting Network bbnradio.org

93.7, WFBC Top 40 • b937online.com 96.5, WOXL Lite rock • 965woxl.com 99.9, WKSF Kiss Country • 99kisscountry.com 103.5, MAIN-FM Community programming main-fm.org

105.1, WQNS Rock • 1051rocks.com 105.9, WTMT Rock • 1059themountain.com

MEDICAL CENTERS Asheville Specialty Hospital missionhospitals.org

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital spchospital.org

Care Partners Rehabilitation Hospital carepartners.org

Henderson County Red Cross hcredcross.org MedWest haymed.org

PLACES TO GO Biltmore Estate biltmore.com Blue Ridge Parkway blueridgeparkway.org Botanical Gardens at Asheville ashevillebotanicalgardens.org

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site nps.gov/carl/index.htm Cataloochee Valley elk wildlifesouth.com Cherokee North Carolina cherokee-nc.com Chimney Rock State Park chimneyrockpark.com

Dupont State Forest dupontforest.com Great Smoky Mountains National Park nps.gov/grsm

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad gsmr.com

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino harrahscherokee.com

Hot Springs hotspringsnc.org Maggie Valley maggievalley.org North Carolina Arboretum ncarboretum.org

Old Pressley Sapphire Mine oldpressleymine.com

Pack Place packplace.org Pisgah National Forest fs.usda.gov/nfsnc Smith McDowell House Museum wnchistory.org

Thomas Wolfe House wolfememorial.com Western North Carolina Nature Center wildwnc.org

TOURS Asheville Urban Trail romanticasheville.com

Asheville Historic Trolley Tours ashevilletrolleytours.com

Brews Cruise Brewery Tour brewscruise.com

Lazoom Tours of Asheville lazoomtours.com

Segway Tours movingsidewalktours.com Walking Tours of Historic Asheville history-at-hand.com

LIBRARIES Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library amyregionallibrary.org Buncombe County Public Libraries buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Library

Haywood County Public Library haywoodlibrary.org

Henderson County Public Library henderson.lib.nc.us

Jackson County Public Library fontanalib.org/sylva

Madison County Public Library madisoncountylibrary.org

Transylvania County Public Library library.transylvaniacounty.org

WHEN BEING A NOBODY JUST WON’T DO.

“

There are a lot of compliments we could give Rachel but two items stand out: First, Rachel was incredibly prompt with telephone and text messages. And second, Rachel made us feel like we were her only customer. That is a real asset in a business that is obviously busy and hectic.

We would certainly recommend Rachel to anyone we knew who is looking for a mortgage.

“

— Barbara & David Driscoll

S E R V I C E S

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Our Buyer Assurance program approaches everybody as if they’re a somebody. Giving them the special attention they need to become confident home buyers whether they’re buying their first or fourth property. Nobody should depend upon a long distance phone call to a far away land when applying for a mortgage.

With our personal attention and Buyer Assurance Program you can search for your home in confidence—the kind of confidence that only comes after being somebody with full loan approval.

Contact one of our dedicated loan officers and find how to be a somebody.

Downtown Asheville 828.254.7221

South Asheville 828.684.8999

North Asheville 828.251.1800

Hendersonville 828.697.0515

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Downtown Asheville 300 Executive Park 828.254.7221

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South Asheville 1 Town Square Boulevard 828.684.8999

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Hendersonville 512 North Main Street 828.697.0515

Lake Lure 109 Lake Lure Boulevard 828.625.8846

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