Romantic escapes to the NC mountains
Head to western North Carolina any time of year to experience the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Soak in the relaxing vibes with a stay at a mountain inn or bed & breakfast as a destination itself, or as a jumping off spot to explore the area. Check out my article for recommendations for five amazing NC inns and B&B’s.
Lake Lure, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, is a great destination any time of year, but it’s especially fun to visit during the Annual Dirty Dancing Festival which will be held August 24th—25th of this year. I attended last year’s 8th Annual Dirty Dancing Festival which marked the 30th anniversary of the movie and definitely “had the time of my life”!
To read more about the Festival and what to do while visiting Lake Lure, check out my article at: TraveltheSouthBloggers.
From cricket tacos to fried chicken, handmade donuts and award-winning desserts, this small North Carolina mountain town is a foodie destination just waiting to be discovered.
Check out the story that was published in Allegiant’s in-flight magazine. Hendersonville’s Unexpected Food Finds.copy
Cricket Tacos are a hit at NeverBlue
Asheville, NC, skyline
With the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, the town of Asheville has morphed into more than just a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. This small mountain town, known as the “Paris of the South,” is a hotspot for farm-to-table restaurants, lively music, arts and crafts, upscale shopping and a wide variety of seasonal festivals.
Beech Mountain Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC
Are you psyched for the Winter Olympics? Want to try out some of those half-pipe tricks or finesse your figure skating jumps?
We’re lucky in North Carolina–we have both a beautiful coastline with sandy beaches and gorgeous sunsets, but also stunning mountains with waterfalls, autumn leaves and snow, providing lots of opportunity for all types of sports.
Check out my article for Allegiant’s in-flight magazine, Sunseeker, to read about Beech Mountain Ski Resort, a fantastic winter resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains where you can ski, snowboard, go snow tubing, ice skating and sledding. Then after a day on the slopes enjoy some craft beer and great food at one of the few breweries owned and operated by a ski area.
Hendersonville, NC, a small town near Asheville in the North Carolina mountains, will celebrate its inaugural Apple Country Cider Jam Saturday, April 22, which showcases eight hard cideries, two producers of nonalcoholic cider, two local wineries and music by the band Balsam Range, winner of 10 awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Henderson County is at the epicenter of NC’s burgeoning cider industry. The county produces 85 percent of the state’s apples and leads the way in hard cider production as well.
“We have world-class cider produced right here, and it all starts with our great apples,” says Mark Williams, executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County and event organizer. “The Cider Jam kicks off the whole season of apple production. It coincides with the apples in full bloom and promotes a product that can be enjoyed year-round.”
Festival cideries must be based in North Carolina and use apples sourced within the state. The eight hard cideries are: Bold Rock Hard Cider in Mills River; Bull City Ciderworks in Lexington and Durham; Crimson Ridge in Mills River; Flat Rock Ciderworks in Hendersonville; GoodRoad CiderWorks in Charlotte; Noble Cider in Asheville; The 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville; and Wallace Ciders from St. Paul Mountain Vineyards in Hendersonville.
Local producers Apple Wedge Packers & Cider and McConnell Farms will provide fresh, nonalcoholic cider varieties, while Burntshirt Vineyards of Hendersonville, will serve apple wine.
The Apple Country Cider Jam runs from 1-6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include tastings, souvenir cup and live music. Non-alcohol tickets are $10. Food will be available from local food trucks and downtown restaurants.
For info or to purchase tickets, visit www.CiderJamNC.com. For lodging and details about Hendersonville, go to www.VisitHendersonvilleNC.com or call (800) 828-4244.
(Photo by Sam Dean)
A Thriving Hard Cider Industry Exists in North Carolina
Bold Rock Hard Cider Tasting Room in River Mills, NC
While Asheville, N.C., is famous for its craft beers, an area just 30 minutes south is making a name for itself in the hard cider industry. The Hendersonville area, long known for its orchards, is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina and the seventh largest in the nation, thus making it a natural home for an emerging hard cider business. (continue this article which appeared in Allegiant’s in-flight May-July 2016 Sunseeker magazine by clicking on: cheers-hendersonville-style.
