wnc travel guide 2015

Hike, Bike & Fish

Craft Breweries AND

Farm-to-Table Food

ART IN THE MOUNTAINS | GOLF | THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

www.WNCTravel.com2

Exit 100 off 74 82 Locust Drive, Waynesville NC

828.452.7276View our current inventory at www.smsh.co

WE HAVE A FULL SERVICE DEPARTMENTCall for an appointment

We carry a full line of apparel, accessories, and bike parts

Scan QR code for GPS location

WNCTravel 2015 3

Asheville Hendersonville Waynesville Valle Crucis Boone Winston-Salem, NCGreenville Columbia, SC Knoxville, TN MastStore.com

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The Womens BoutiqueWhere the Focus is You!

121 N MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE, NC(828) 452-3611

318 N MAIN ST. HENDERSONVILLE, NC(828) 595-9753

Special Occasionsand everyday fashions.

1978-07

for All Generations

8-07

North Carolinas International Folk Festival

WITH DANCERS & MUSICIANS FROM:Chile, Ecuador, Estonia,Bangladesh, French Canadian, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Cherokee,

US Philippines, Appalachian clogging & WNC Bluegrass bands

TICKETS & INFORMATION: 828-452-2997 | FOLKMOOTUSA.ORG

JULY 16TH - 26TH 2015

WHERE THE WORLD MEETS ON

MAIN STREET

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Theres a lot to do in theSmokies region of WesternNorth Carolina, so youlikely just wont get aroundto everything on the vacation bucket list. Buttheres always next time.

One of the most exciting and fast-growing industries in this region is craftbeer and farm-to-table dining. It seemsbrewers and chefs both homegrownand newbies from larger metropolitan

areas havediscovered theSmokies and areflocking here indroves.

No matter whereyou travel in thisregion, youre only a few miles from alocal craft brewery

(see page 14). These arent just rookie brewers learning their trade. No, brewmasters here are producingnationally award-winning ales, IPAs,porters, and more.

The dining scene is just as exciting.Gourmet restaurants making use ofmountain grown ingredients are finding aclientele hungry for innovation and quality food (see page 12).

For travelers and locals alike, that justmeans good things.

Of course, the mainstay of the Smokiesremains the outdoor adventure scene.That includes everything from crazykayakers and stand-up paddlers boltingdown whitewater rivers to mountainbikers and hikers who seek out just theright trail to suit their frame of mind. Andthe opening of the new fly fishingmuseum in Cherokee is a testament to the growing popularity of this region as adestination for anglers from across thenation and around the world.

Whatever your pleasure, we hope youfind it in the Smokies.

Scott McLeod, publisher

INSIDE:Food+DrinkFrom the farm to your plate

The Chefs Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Tapping your dreams

Andrews Brewing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16SELECTED RESTAURANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12WNC BREWERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16FARMERS & TAILGATE MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Art+CultureCrafting the future Dillsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24A brush with fate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Over the hills and far away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

PERFORMANCE VENUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20GALLERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24MUSEUMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Outdoors+RecreationThe Great Smoky Mountains National Park . . 38The Blue Ridge Parkway serves up

the best of the mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41SELECTED HIKES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42MOUNTAIN BIKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44GOLF COURSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48DISC GOLF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49TROUT FISHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

FYILocales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Editor/Publisher: Scott McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Director: Greg Boothroyd . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]mountainnews.comArt Director: Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] & Design: Travis Bumgardner . . . . . . [email protected] Moss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Writing/Photography:Garret K. Woodward . . . [email protected]:Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . [email protected] Burton . . . . . . . [email protected] Smalley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]:Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Bookkeeping:Amanda Singletary. . [email protected]

If youd like bulk copies of the WNC Travel Guide to distribute at your business, email your request to [email protected] or call Distribution Manager Scott Collier at

828.452.4251. Contents 2015/2016 The Smoky Mountain News. All rights reserved.

WNCTravel 2015 7

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828.452.7070GPS: 10 Balsam

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Western North Carolina is a region of small, vibrant downtowns. Each hasits own personality andhistory, so take the timeto get out of your carand meander, sit on abench, and just enjoyyour time in theseunique places. Waynesville

The social hub of Haywood County,Waynesville is a vibrant community, one thatembodies the culture and heritage of WesternNorth Carolina. The town is filled with artgalleries, cafs, farm-to-table and fine diningrestaurants, a classic cinema and four craftbreweries. Throughout the year, there arenumerous evening art strolls and Friday nightclogging on Main Street, with tens ofthousands flocking to the handful of annualstreet festivals (Church Street Arts & CraftsShow, Apple Harvest Festival). Adventurerscan access the legendary Blue Ridge Parkwayjust outside of town. Waynesville is also hometo Folkmoot USA, the Official North CarolinaInternational Folk Festival, which eachsummer brings together performance troupesfrom around the world to share their rhythmand dance styles.

www.downtownwaynesville.com

Maggie ValleyThe gateway to the picturesque

Cataloochee Valley section of the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park, MaggieValley offers 360-degree mountain viewsamid a commercial strip of restaurants, hotelsand shops. Located at the center of the town,the fairgrounds showcase several weekend

festivals, from motorcycle rallies tocelebrations of Southern Appalachian culture,up-and-coming country music acts to therollicking Hillbilly Woodstock. Head over tothe Wheel Through Time museum, home toone of the worlds rarest and most extensivecollections of vintage motorcycles andantique automobiles. Hovering high above thecommunity is the Cataloochee Ski Area andCataloochee Guest Ranch, both longtimeicons of what it means to truly soak in theessence of fun and family in the mountains.

www.maggievalley.org

Canton/ClydeThe face of blue-collar hard work and

southern grit, Canton is home to theEvergreen Packaging paper mill, a renownedcompany that is the heartbeat of the town anda economic stronghold for Western NorthCarolina. Heading into downtown, youll findlocal businesses, restaurants and shops. TheImperial is a fine-dining establishment onMain Street, where the social circles ofCanton converge. Around the corner is thelegendary Colonial Theatre, which presentsan annual Winter Concert Series featuringhometown group Balsam Range, the 2014International Bluegrass Music AssociationsEntertainer of the Year.

www.cantonnc.com

SylvaTake a stroll through downtown Sylva and

youll bear witness to a small mountain towndoing big things in Jackson County. Fromcafes, restaurants and bookstores to brew-eries, wine shops and artisan galleries, thenightlife options of this community has madeit a hot spot for the curious and intriguedafter 5 crowd. Situated on a high hill atopMain Street in the history Jackson CountyCourthouse and library, a societal centerpiecewith innumerable weekly programs, shows,demonstrations, readings and childrens activ-ities, all aimed at connecting the dots be-tween neighbors, business owners andvisitors alike. Jackson County also is the loca-tion of the Western North Carolina Fly FishingTrail, the first of its kind in the country, featur-ing 15 spots of big rivers, small streams, easyaccess and backcountry hike-ins.

www.mountainlovers.com

DillsboroThe art and craft capital of Western North

Carolina, Dillsboro houses numerous gal-leries,