Spotlight: Banner Elk, NC
Nestled high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina's High Country is the uber-popular small resort village, Banner Elk. This quaint town was established and built in 1848. Besides being called the "Ski Capital of the South," the area is rich in geography and history. It offers sites for leisurely exploration to outdoor activities, which will physically challenge those looking for adventure.
Fly in from out of state and land at one of the nearby regional airports. In less than two hours, you'll arrive at this bustling community.
Banner Elk has plenty to offer for an entire vacation or an extended weekend. Not interested in sightseeing right away? Well, if you're like me, starting by simply relaxing can be a perfect alternative to enjoy serene and peaceful moments. I love to breathe in the clean, cool mountain air and clear my head from outside noise and congested city living. When I'm ready to venture out, I know there are plenty of nearby areas and things to do for a few hours or the entire day.
10 Great Reasons to Visit Banner Elk
1. RECREATION
This area is known for skiing, rafting, trekking to waterfalls, and sightseeing in all seasons. The magnificence of peak fall color draws thousands of visitors to the Blue Ridge Mountains in all its glory. Golf is a massive draw with champion courses, including the private Elk River Club and the public Linville Land Harbor Golf Club. Rock climbing is a favorite activity for those who love a daring adventure. Wildcat Lake is reminiscent of an old-fashioned swimming hole, offering canoes and kayaks to use for free. If antiquing is your form of recreation, there are plenty of little shops to explore.
2. HISTORY
Cherokee Indians were the first inhabitants of Banner Elk who lived, hunted and fished in the surrounding area of the Elk River Valley. Martin L. Banner established the first permanent settlement with his 55 family members. The site then became known as Banner's Elk. Another historical figure who lived in the nearby town of Boone, was Daniel Boone, the famous American pioneer, and frontiersman. He spent much of his life there on hunting trips.
Photos were almost nonexistent of historical figures from that early settlement era. Life-size and stylized mannequins are used to depict early Cherokee life. Martin L. Banner stiffly posed for a photographic portrait. This is the only known painted portrait of Daniel Boone, done by Chester Harding, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
3. AREA WILDLIFE
The Wildlife Habitats at Grandfather Mountain has seven vast spaces for visitors to see animals, including black bears and otters, in natural settings built around their native habitat. Birding is also a popular pastime. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to see the almost extinct Peregrine falcon nesting.
4. HEART-RACING ADVENTURE
The Mile High Swinging Bridge is America's highest suspension bridge at more than one mile in elevation, 228 feet long, and spans an 80-foot chasm. It has 360-degree panoramic views from Grandfather Mountain.
5. WINERIES + BREWERIES
It's always 5 o'clock somewhere! Suppose you want to taste local wines and beer. In that case, some of the area's vineyards include Linville Falls Winery and Grandfather Vineyard & Winery, the first wine-producing vineyard in the High Country. Both are dog-friendly with beautiful settings to enjoy wine by the glass or bottle with friends. Kettle Beerworks brewery is an area favorite with brewed on-site selections including IPA's, stouts, lagers, and porters made with tasty mountain water.
6. EDUCATION + ARTS
Appalachian State University consistently ranks among the best for the Southeast. Besides the school's academics, critical environmental research, and innovative sustainability coursework App State is home to the world-class Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the exhibitions, focusing on new and historically significant artwork featuring local, national, and internationally known artists. The Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition showcases contemporary works. An annual juried competition selects ten sculptures for exhibition in public settings.
Sculptor Hoss Haley, built this stylized erratic called Haley's Rest. It is 30-plus feet tall and made from 93% recycled steel. Initially broken from a substantial piece of bedrock, an erratic (a smaller piece) was moved by eroding glacier ice, softening its jagged edges, and proceeded on its own journey up to hundreds of miles. The scars and texture reveal the boulder's history, perhaps over thousands of years, as a record of its experience.
7. TIME TRAVEL
Start with the Mast General Store. It's what you would expect with its quality goods and friendly service. Opened in 1883, I immediately felt like I traveled back to another era with the store's design and layout. Remember barrels of 'penny candy'? And, there's flavorful honey produced from local bees to remember the mountains by. Flat Top Manor is in Blowing Rock and was the estate of Moses H. Cone. With 13,000 square feet and 23 rooms, he built it to replicate (on a much smaller scale) Asheville's Biltmore Estate. It was used to showcase his knowledge of scientific farming at the same time representing his accumulated wealth. There are period furnishings, farm tools, vintage clothing, photographs, and paintings to transport back in time.
8. SUGAR MOUNTAIN
This village in the Blue Ridge Mountains boasts the most popular visitor attractions for physical activity. The Sugar Mountain Ski Resort offers various trails for all levels of skiers, snowboarding, and tubing. There is also an outdoor ice rink on flat land. Downhill and cross-country biking can be enjoyed over 20 miles of maintained trails. Certainly, a way to raise the adrenaline!
9. THE MAST FARM INN
The Mast Farm Inn is a cozy 19th-century farmhouse converted into a charming B&B. It has seven stylish rooms in the main house, and there are four additional private historic cottages on the grounds. Across the road, there are vegetable gardens and a barn housing horses, mules, and goats. After the homemade breakfast, you'll want to take a hike in the nearby Pisgah National Forest to walk off the calories from the included and decadent breakfast.
10. ONLY IN BANNER ELK
Now, here is something worth planning your trip around. Since 1978 this hugely popular annual event has been held the third weekend of October. The wooly worm festival is something you won't see anywhere else. Like the badger seeing its shadow in February to predict early or late Spring, the color of the "wooly bear" caterpillar's thirteen stripes can be interpreted to predict the severity of the coming winter. Who knew? There's also a race with almost 1200 caterpillars entered to compete! On their mark, get set, CRAWL!
Banner Elk and the surrounding region will provide you with many memory-making moments. After immersing in Southern hospitality and the mountain lifestyle, this destination will be one you'll repeatedly travel to, guaranteed!
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