The High Country Host Blog » Blowing Rock

Snow Tubing At Hawksnest!

HighCountryHost — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:20:08 +0000

Our 20 Lane Snow Tubing Park has four different areas to snow tube; lanes are 400 – 1000 feet long.

Our 2 conveyor lifts take our snow tubers back to the top for more rides.

Hawksnest has 100% snow making and lighting on all lanes to provide the best possible conditions and fun for the whole family.

Snow tubing is a great outdoor activity for large groups of family, friends, students or church groups. Hawksnest has four different areas of snow tubing with different rollers and pitch. No experience or special skills are required. Please check out our list of “Things to Keep in Mind” which will give you ideas on clothing and weather related precautions. Reservations for groups are required for group discounts.

Also, don’t forget to enjoy our Coffee Bar, Carolina BBQ and Pizza before, during and after your tubing sessions!

Sessions are 1 hour and 45 minutes. Children must be 3 years old to snow tube. Holidays are December 21st to January 1st, January 17 & 18 & February 14 & 15. A liability waiver must be signed for each adult 18 and over.

For more, visit http://www.skihawk.com!

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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Mystery Hill – Over 50 Years of Family Entertainment

HighCountryHost — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:54:44 +0000

Each year, for over 50 years, guests come from all over the world and the United States to visit Mystery Hill. They are all compelled to come for various reasons; “My mother came here as a child,” “I remember coming here with my Grandfather,” “I drove by this place and just had to come and see what the mystery really was,” “I just can’t get this place out of my mind.”

No matter what the reason, they come back time and time again, bringing relatives and friends to experience the mystery of our “crooked house.” People do remember the remarkable defiance of gravity, where you can see a ball roll uphill, and where folks are pulled from an upright position to an uncanny standing angle of nearly 45°.

This strange phenomenon has been amusing and puzzling visitors to Mystery Hill for generations. Since there is a variety of things to see and do, no one leaves disappointed. Mystery is a family oriented “edutainment” center that offers fun for children ages 2 to 102. We welcome you to join us at any time of the year.

For more, visit http://mysteryhill-nc.com

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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Blowing Rock’s Winterfest, 2010!

HighCountryHost — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:53:44 +0000

Blowing Rock’s 12th annual Winterfest is Jan. 28-31. This four-day celebration of everything winter is packed with activities and events for day-trippers and overnight guests alike.

Winterfest begins Thursday evening with “WinterFeast,” hosted by The Manor House Restaurant at Chetola Resort. Culinary delights abound as the area’s fine restaurants come together for this once-a-year dining showcase. There are seatings at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Friday and Saturday activities include “shop ’till you drop” at downtown shops and the Tanger Outlet Shoppes on the Parkway, a charity wine auction & tasting, afternoon hayrides and a bonfire at dusk. There’s also a silent auction with items ranging from weekend stays at local hotels to clothing, dinners and jewelry.

he highlight of Winterfest is the Polar Plunge on Saturday morning. It features a contest of brave souls who jump into the icy waters of Chetola Lake while dressed in wacky costumes. Contestants vie for the coveted Golden Plunger Award, while spectators marvel at their lack of good sense.www.blowingrockwinterfest.com or call (877) 750-4636.

Other Winterfest activities include: an ice carving competition, chili cookoff, live music, pancake breakfast and a pet show.

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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Chetola’s Festival of Lights!

HighCountryHost — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:14:23 +0000

A holiday tradition in Blowing Rock, Chetola’s Festival of Lights features over 50,000 illuminations attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Drive around Chetola Lake and view glittering ice skaters, a nativity scene, Rudolph catching a “big fish” and much more. Over Friday and Saturday over Thanksgiving week-end , horse and carriage rides are offered around Chetola Lake from 5 pm to 9 pm.

The price is $15 per adult and $8 for children 12 and under. Cookie decorating will also be offered from 5 pm to 7 pm (free) and Santa will be visiting the Manor House Restaurant from 5 pm to 9 pm (free).

Festival of Lights runs through Blowing Rock Winterfest which ends on January 31, 2010.

For more information, contact 800-CHETOLA or visit www.chetola.com.

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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Downtown Blowing Rock’s Christmas in the Park & Lighting of the Town

HighCountryHost — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:36:03 +0000

Friday, November 27th, 2009!

Christmas in the Park & Lighting of the Town

Location: Downtown Blowing Rock

Call 828.295.5222 for more details!

Join us for visits with Santa, caroling in the park, hot chocolate, and ceremonial Lighting of the Town.

Visit: http://www.blowingrock.com

Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock offers an abundant array of adventure. From golf to horseback riding, whitewater rafting to canoeing, hiking, biking, rock climbing and fishing, there is something for every avid outdoor enthusiast.

Blowing Rock is also home to Appalachian Ski Mtn., a premiere ski resort in North Carolina, and to many popular spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway including Price Lake, Moses Cone Manor and more.

The History of Blowing Rock, NC

Before 1752, when Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg visited the Blowing Rock area, the windy cliffs of the area were home to the Cherokee and the Catawba Indian tribes, hostile to each other, and the basis for the story of “The “Blowing Rock”. Two star-crossed lovers, one from each tribe, were walking near The Rock when the reddening sky signaled to the brave that he must return to his tribal duty, and the maiden urged him to stay with her. His desperation in choosing between duty and love caused him to leap from the edge of the gorge toward the rocks below, while the maiden beseeched the Great Spirit to bring him back to her. The famous winds of the John’s River Gorge blew her lover back into her arms, and this legend about The Blowing Rock is still told today.

After the mid-eighteenth century, when the Scotch-Irish began to settle close to this area, the passes from southern Virginia into Kentucky attracted many colonists, farmers, hunters, and trappers who continued south to the mountains of North Carolina. The first family to settle in Blowing Rock were the Greenes who were established by the mid-1800’s on a site that would become the Green Park Hotel property. Other early settlers in Blowing Rock included the Hayes, Coffey, Bolick, Estes and Storie families. About this time, summer residents began to come up from Lenoir to enjoy the cool fresh air, magnificent mountain views and the wonders of nature.

As word traveled to other parts of the South about the merits of Blowing Rock, more visitors began to arrive, first camping out, and later taking rooms at boarding houses like the Hayes and Martin Houses on Main Street. When the space to accommodate guests proved too little, many homes turned into hotels, and the Watauga Hotel, built in 1884, added cottages in 1888; the Green Park Hotel opened in 1891 and was followed eight years later by the Blowing Rock Hotel. Walter Alexander touted the clean air and healthy environment of Blowing Rock, as he developed the Mayview area, opening the grand hotel, Mayview Manor in 1922.

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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Benefits of Joining The High Country Host

HighCountryHost — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:15:30 +0000

Don’t just take our word for it. Hear what others are saying about the benefits of joining The High Country Host…

“High Country Host does an excellent job of attracting visitors to our area through its marketing. Just as importantly, they do a great job of helping our visitors find lodging, shops, places to eat, and things to do to make their visit a success. Happy customers come back and they also tell their friends to come. All types of businesses need to be part of HCH’s marketing and service efforts.”
-Harris Prevost
Grandfather Mountain

“High Country Host’s ongoing efforts to attract visitors to our area has been remarkable. Through the creation and distribution of a resourceful guidebook, to the development of and continued achievements in the High Country Host website, to co-op advertising and joint marketing opportunities, Chetola enjoys the continued benefits of our marketing partnership with High Country Host.”
-Kent Tarbutton, Proprietor
Marcia Field, Marketing Director
Chetola Mountain Resort

“We are thoroughly satisfied members of High Country Host. Your organization far outshines any other similar service in Boone in promoting our bed & breakfast to visitors. As far as we’re concerned, we cannot afford NOT to be members! Thank you and your excellent staff for serving us since 1997.”
The Baird House
-Tom & Deede Hinson

For more info on The High Country of North Carolina, call (800) 438-7500, or visit www.MountainsofNC.com.

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The Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival – Begins in one week!!!

HighCountryHost — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:13:04 +0000

Presented by:

Join us in Blowing Rock for the 2009 Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival!

The art of wine is celebrated in mountain style during the 2009 Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival, April 16-19 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Featuring wineries from throughout NC, and fine cuisine created by Blowing Rock chefs, the Festival promises to please even the most discriminating palates. Be sure to make reservations for the Winemaker’s Dinners, and book your Lodging Package to complete your experience. Tickets are available online or at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.

For more info visit: BlueRidgeWineFestival.com where you can view a photo gallery, see a list of participating wineries, an event schedule, buy tickets, lodging information and much, much more!

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Blowing Rock, NC and the Arts!

HighCountryHost — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:29:28 +0000

Blowing Rock offers so many attractions, it’s hard to see them all in one trip. From popular attractions including The Blowing Rock, Tweetsie Railroad, Grandfather Mountain and Linville Caverns, there is something for all ages and tastes. Arts patrons will enjoy Hayes Performing Arts Center, featuring professional quality plays, musicals, concerts and more. In addition, Blowing Rock offers a variety of art and craft galleries, museums, festivals and events. The Blowing Rock area is also close to many apple orchards, Christmas tree farms and wineries.

Click on the links above for a list of attractions in the Blowing Rock area. For more information, call the Blowing Rock Visitor’s Center at 877-750-INFO or email us: info@visitblowingrock.com

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Things to do! From the Boone Chamber

HighCountryHost — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:43:28 +0000

You’ll find exciting attractions in Boone and all around the High Country. The region is the home of several “firsts”: North Carolina’s original family theme park Tweetsie Railroad, the state’s very first golf course, Linville Golf Club, the state’s oldest travel attraction The Blowing Rock, the state’s only public caverns Linville Caverns, the nation’s oldest Revolutionary War drama Horn in the West, and the world’s first privately-owned biosphere reserve Grandfather Mountain.

Click HERE For More!

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