Category: Blog

Blowing Rock Art & Sculpture Trail

The Art & Sculpture Trail meanders through Blowing Rock, stopping at all of the installations that have popped up over the years making the town more beautiful and interesting. In addition to numerous galleries and the first-class Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock is home to a growing collection of art that can be enjoyed by strolling through town. See conceptual and portrait sculpture, outdoor murals, carvings, and paintings on a self-guided tour.

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Holiday Dining In Blowing Rock

Are you planning to spend your Christmas Holiday in Blowing Rock? The Christmas week is a great time for family celebration in Blowing Rock. Go skiing or ice skating at Appalachian Ski Mountain, enjoy small town charm in the village, stay in a unique inn or cabin, and take in the crisp winter air and scenes.

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Blowing Rock Voted Best Mountain Getaway and Best Downtown

NC Tripping, the go-to website and social media resource for North Carolina travel, has announced the winners of their third-annual Best of North Carolina (Best of NC). After tallying thousands of votes, Blowing Rock came out on top in two categories! Blowing Rock was voted Best Mountain Getaway in North Carolina AND the Best Downtown in North Carolina by NC Tripping’s readers and social media followers. Additionally, Blowing Rock’s Tweetsie Railroad was voted as the runner up for Best Family-Friendly Attraction, and Blowing Rock was a finalist for Best Dog-Friendly Destination. Folks can find the pick for Best Breakfast in neighboring Boone, the Best Winery in nearby Foscoe, and the Best Trail and Most Beautiful Waterfall (Linville Falls selected for both) in the local area. Thousands of website readers and social media followers nominated and voted for destinations and local businesses in 4 main categories, including: • Getaways • Outdoors • Food and Drink • Community To see all the 2023 winners, visit www.nctripping.com/best-of-north-carolina-2023 NC Tripping announced contest winners on its website, social media, and to email newsletter subscribers. One participant was also chosen to receive a $100 gift card to a business of their choosing. “We’re so grateful to our readers and followers forparticipating. Most importantly, our thanks goes out to the local businesses and destinations that make this state such an ideal place to live in and visit,” explained Carl Hedinger, co-founder of NC Tripping. The fourth-annual Best of NC tentatively planned for November 2024 and more info is available at nctripping.com/best-of-north-carolina. About NC Tripping NC Tripping is a website and social media brand focused on North Carolina travel and things to do in all 100 counties. Based in Durham, the family-run company has published hundreds of travel guides and two books that cover destinations from the mountains to the sea. For travel inspiration and sponsorship opportunities, visit nctripping.com and follow @nctripping on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. December 14, 2023

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Blue Ridge Parkway announces Blowing Rock sledding hill closure due to unsafe conditions

Heavy traffic and safety concerns necessitate closure of popular, but unofficial, sledding hill at Sandy Flat Gap.  Blue Ridge Parkway officials announced today that the area locally known as “Sled Hill,” near milepost 294.5, is closed effective immediately to all winter activities including sledding, tubing, skiing, and snowboarding.  The hill is located at the intersection of Shulls Mill Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  In addition to the hill closure, parking is prohibited along the nearby Parkway administrative access road and portions of Shulls Mill Road within park boundaries.   “The growing popularity of winter recreation activities in this area unfortunately can no longer be accommodated. The area was not designed for snow play or a high level of pedestrian use, and these activities, combined with roadside parking, have created a dangerous situation for park visitors,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “In recent years staff have witnessed multiple near misses of adults and children with passing vehicles due to unsafe conditions, high volumes of traffic, and poor sight lines. While we know that this will be disappointing to many of our winter visitors, we must take this action in the interest of visitor safety.”   In the coming days, park staff will install closure fencing and signage in the area, and anyone found not in compliance with the closure order may be cited. BLOWING ROCK, NC – December 13, 2023 Looking for downhill fun? Try tubing at Hawksnest Tubing or Sugar Mountain. Or see our list of sledding locations here.   –NPS– www.nps.gov/blri www.Facebook.com/BlueRidgeNPS www.Twitter.com/BlueRidgeNPS www.Instagram.com/BlueRidgeNPS https://npgallery.nps.gov/BLRI

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Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is a time for family, friends, and good cheer! Many of us are also thinking of others, particularly those who may be struggling. If you’re wondering how you can offer a helping hand, here are some local organizations helping us all give back this Holiday Season.

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Blowing Rock Voted a Top Adventure Town by Blue Ridge Outdoors Readers

Over 24,000 votes poured in to Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine’s thirteenth annual Top Adventure Towns contest, presented by LOWA. From 100 adventure hubs across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, readers narrowed down nominees in four different categories: tiny town (population less than 3,000), small town (population 3,001-16,000), mid-sized town (population 16,001-75,000), and large town (population 75,001+). This year, readers selected Blowing Rock, N.C. (tiny town), Bedford, Va. (small town), Boone, N.C. (mid-sized town), and Roanoke, Va. (large town), as their favorites. All four will be featured in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ adventure towns coverage in the magazine’s November issue, hitting stands now. “Blowing Rock is pleased to be recognized as a top adventure destination,” says Tracy Brown, Executive Director of the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority. “Our local adventure experience is second to none, with unique landscapes and incredible recreation providers. The fact that our neighbor Boone was also selected as a favorite really highlights the experience this region can offer to adventure enthusiasts.” All 100 towns in the contest received tremendous support from readers across the region. The field was stacked with well-known outdoor hubs, from tiny towns to major metropolises, featuring a mix of mountain biking meccas, whitewater oases, climbing paradises, and hiking nirvanas. The runners-up ineach category in 2023 were Damascus, Va., and Floyd, Va. (tiny town), Abingdon, Va., and Lexington, Va. (small town), Charlottesville, Va., and Bristol, Tenn. (mid-sized town), and Asheville, N.C., and Lynchburg, Va. (large town). “As we navigate a post-pandemic world, we are thrilled by the enduring fascination with the outdoors and our readers’ rekindled passion for adventure,” says Leah Woody, Publisher of Blue Ridge Outdoors. “Join us in celebrating this renewal of spirit through the Top Adventure Towns contest, where we shine a spotlight on the rich variety of outdoor destinations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Together, let’s inspire travelers from all walks of life to experience the incredible beauty of our region and the vibrant communities that call it home.” For more information, contact Blue Ridge Outdoors, associate publisher Katie Hartwell at katie@blueridgeoutdoors.com / 434-825-5823 or editor Jedd Ferris at jedd@blueridgeoutdoors.com.

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Fall Color Update: October 31, 2023

Today is our last day of Daily Fall Photos for the season. We still have some leaves hanging on here and there, but predominantly the color has moved on to lower elevations. It has been a long season with color starting in late September and changing throughout the month of October.

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