2012 Fall Color Preview
Reply
Point Lookout Greenway Trail in Old Fort
The Point Lookout Greenway is a 3.5-mile paved walking/biking trail near the Inn, in scenic McDowell County. The route used to be Highway 10, then Highway 70 {now called Old Highway 70}, and it was blocked off decades ago in this particular stretch from Ridgecrest to Old Fort. When it was the main highway, before the construction of Interstate 40, there was a gas station and restaurant, and a beautiful overlook.
Octoberfest Fall Festival in Old Fort, October 5-7
| Photo Credit: Old Fort Chamber of Commerce |
Old Fort holds an annual small-town festival the first weekend in October to celebrate the coming of fall to this part of North Carolina. If you like small town festivals, this one’s for you! This family-friendly three-day event, sponsored by the Old Fort Chamber of Commerce, features scores of local arts and crafts vendors and local business booths, great food, kids’ activities and rides, a climbing wall, and live entertainment, plus the annual rubber duckie race along Mill Creek behind the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center.
Chimney Rock Park Guided Hikes in October
| Photo Credit: Chimney Rock State Park |
Now here’s a great way to get outdoors and see some gorgeous fall color in our neck of the woods! Chimney Rock State Park, located 30 minutes south of the Inn on Mill Creek, is offering two “Off the Beaten Path” guided hikes in October:
Our 2012 Kiva Loans Continue
As participants in microloans through Kiva, we have a goal to help fund loans for 45 entrepreneurs in developing countries by the end of the year.
East of Asheville Studio Tour Returns in October
The East of Asheville Studio Tour (EAST) is an event where artists based in East Asheville, Fairview, Swannanoa and Black Mountain invite you to their studios to see where they create their art, and where you can browse and buy several different types of art and craft, ranging from painting to sculpture, woodworking to jewelry, glass to pottery and everything in between.
Blue Ridge Birding Weekend, September 7-9, 2012
Wicked Plants Exhibit at the NC Arborteum
If you’re into unique and interesting plants, here’s a rather unique and interesting exhibit to see while you’re in our neck of the woods — Wicked Plants — based on Amy Stewart’s best-selling book, Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Abraham Lincoln’s Mother and other Botanical Atrocities. The exhibit is showing at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville through September 3.
2012 Sourwood Festival is August 11-12
| 2012 Sourwood Festival logo by George White |
The 35th annual Sourwood Festival in Black Mountain is just one month away. {Can you believe the year is going by this fast?!} The Sourwood Festival is a big-time small town mountain festival, with 200 vendors that you can browse, handmade arts and crafts, music, great food, activities for kids, and honey, honey, honey.
Asheville Makes List of Affordable Summer Road Trips
Asheville and western North Carolina are often on top ten lists (top ten cities for art, top ten places to retire, top ten cities for beer lovers, and the list of lists goes on, and on, and on…). Now, Asheville has been recognized as one of ten affordable summer driving destinations by weather.com. Specifically, they give a shout out to the Atlanta-to-Asheville road trip, which is just under four hours.