Blue Ridge Explorer

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June is a prime time to visit the mountains of North Carolina. The footlights of summer theaters light up the evenings, and the spectacular rhododendrons on the mountainsides put on a daytime show unmatched anywhere.
Get Yours and GO! Start your visit to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area with the purchase of the new "Go Blue Ridge" Card, a multi-attraction pass that includes admission to over 20 of the most popular attractions in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area at one low price. Click here to learn more.
Much Ado About Theater There's something for everyone as the summer theater season kicks off... Click to learn more.	On the Road to the Rhodies French botanist and explorer Andre Michaux is credited with identifying and naming... Click to learn more.
Museums Without Walls The Asheville Urban Trail is not your ordinary museum. In fact, many wouldn't consider... Click to learn more.	Truly Unique Eating Just as with the unique music, crafts, and independent spirit of the people of the Blue Ridge National Heritage... Click to learn more.

Get Yours and GO! Start your visit to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area with the purchase of the new "Go Blue Ridge" Card, a multi-attraction pass that includes admission to over 20 of the most popular attractions in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area at one low price. The Go Blue Ridge Card comes with a pocket-sized, full-color guidebook filled with attraction locations, hours, descriptions, directions, maps and points of interest and can be purchased in 2, 3 and 5 calendar day increments. Once activated, the card is valid for access to the included attractions for the number of days purchased. The card is priced for adults at $79, $109, and $159 for 2, 3 or 5-day passes, respectively, and for kids at $49, $79, and $119. The Go Blue Ridge Card is available now online, and can be activated starting May 25. It’s a great way to customize a vacation while taking advantage of great savings on attractions, restaurants, stores and more throughout the entire Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.
Much Ado About Theater There's something for everyone as the summer theater season kicks off in communities large and small throughout the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Under the stars in open amphitheaters, visitors enjoy the long running history-based productions Unto These Hills in Cherokee, Horn in the West in Boone, and From This Day Forward in Valdese. Named as the State Theater of North Carolina, the Flat Rock Playhouse features year-round professional performances in its architecturally distinctive theater in Flat Rock. The Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is located across the street from the Playhouse. In Asheville, the North Carolina Stage Company, a relative newcomer on the region's theater scene, has received awards for its avante garde, high quality productions, and the Asheville Community Theater is in its 62nd season. Summer theater is a tradition at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, as is the Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone, which offers a variety of fine arts presentations in addition to theater. The Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville will present six classic productions between June and September. The Blowing Rock Stage Company will produce two original plays about local personalities among the nine dramas scheduled for this season - Moses Cone: The Denim King and Jan Karon's Journey to Mitford. At Mars Hill College, the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theater's (SART) productions have a special emphasis on plays that portray the rich culture and heritage of Appalachia and its people. Click here and scroll down to "Western Mountains" for a more comprehensive list of the region's major theaters. Photos courtesy NC Stage Company and Flat Rock Playhouse.
On the Road to the Rhodies French botanist and explorer Andre Michaux is credited with identifying and naming the Rhododendron catawbiense, commonly known as the Catawba Rhododendron or Purple Laurel, when he explored the mountains of North Carolina late in the 18th century. Found in the wild on the peaks of some of the highest mountains in the Southern Appalachians, this evergreen shrub turns entire mountainsides crimson at the peak of its blooming season, which usually occurs in mid-June. Great viewing sites: The Pink Beds, Graveyard Fields and Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and at Grandfather Mountain. Festivals: Bakersville Rhododendron Festival, June 22-23. Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival, June 23-24 at Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee, just across the North Carolina border. Cultivated rhododendron gardens: Biltmore Estate, Asheville. North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville. Asheville Botanical Gardens, Asheville. Haywood Arboretum and Horticultural Gardens on the campus of Haywood Community College, Waynesville Photos by Rich Stevenson, ncwaterfalls.com, and Vicki Dameron.
Museums Without Walls The Asheville Urban Trail is not your ordinary museum. In fact, many wouldn't consider it a museum at all. And yet, as you walk the outdoor Trail that leads to the thirty "stations" along the way, you will see exhibits and public art that interpret the history of the people and events that have given downtown Asheville its distinctive flair. The Trail is 1.7 miles long and takes roughly two hours to walk. Click here for details. In June, twelve exhibit panels placed in different storefronts around Asheville comprise a special "without walls" exhibit, The Family Store: A History of the Jewish Businesses of Downtown Asheville, 1880-1990. A map showing the locations of the panels will be included in the exhibit brochure, which will be available in June at Pack Place and other downtown locations. Click here to learn more. The Trail of Faith in Valdese is a fifteen station outdoor exhibit retracing the history of the Waldenses and the settlers who would eventually found the town of Valdese in 1893. The Oconaluftee IndianVillage is an outdoor living history exhibit of Cherokee life in 1750, and nearby in the river, the Talking Trees enchant visitors with their stories. Information about other historic and nature "museums without walls" walking tours is available through the Chambers of Commerce in Brevard, Burnsville, Crossnore, Highlands, Marion, Rutherfordton, Sylva, and Wilkesboro. Click here for a list of all Chambers of Commerce in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Photos courtesy Asheville Urban Trail and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Truly Unique Eating Just as with the unique music, crafts, and independent spirit of the people of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, visitors can find many truly unique eateries in the region. Here's a small sampling: Spirits Native American Restaurant, Asheville. Cherokee owned and operated, this restaurant on the Swannanoa River serves up authentic Cherokee dishes and wild game in a décor reminiscent of historic Cherokee buildings. 57 Alpha Café, Rutherford County Airport. Home of the "$100 Hamburger," (aviation slang for a private general aviation flight for the sole purpose of dining at a non-local airport) this little cafe is billed as The South's Favorite Fly-In Eatery. Stations' Inn Motorcycle Resort, Laurel Springs, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 248. This 1950s renovated motor lodge, restaurant and country store is a favorite stop for motorcyclists and people-watchers. Live entertainment on summer Sundays. River House Country Inn and Restaurant, on the North Fork of the New River, near West Jefferson. In addition to its elegant menu, the Inn is a center for music and drama, and during the summer, it holds "Sunday Salons" in the evening with music, a cash bar and a 3-4 course dinner.
Share this eNewsletter with a friend. Print this newsletter with images or as text only. Subscription Information: You are subscribed as %%EMAIL%%. To unsubscribe from this eNewsletter, please click here. This eNewsletter is provided by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. You have previously expressed an interest in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. We hope you will enjoy these eNewsletters about what to see and do in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Visit the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area website for more information. The Blue Ridge Explorer is not supported by paid advertising; events, businesses, and other resources included herein illustrate some aspect of interest to travelers to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. This is a post only email. Please do not reply to this message. For inquiries, send mail to Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, 134 Wright Brothers Way, Fletcher, NC 28732.