Hard to believe fall is here already. Weren't we just recently complaining about the heat? While the temps are still mild and the glorious color that is the very reason to travel in the fall is covering the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains of our North Carolina neighbor, consider a weekend (or weekday) trip to the high country, around five hours’ drive from the Grand Strand.

Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Beech Mountain are all relatively close to one another and the famous Blue Ridge Parkway is adjacent, beckoning to visitors year-round. In fact, traveling between these towns may be the best way to enjoy the fall foliage, especially from vantage points along the iconic Parkway. Why “weekday” travel, as opposed to “weekend” travel? The leaf-peeping crowds are much smaller Monday – Thursday and travel and accommodations are easier to find and also cheaper. But don’t completely discount the weekend either as many seasonal events are scheduled only on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the fall, crowds be damned.

A second consideration is our recommendation to travel in a well-maintained vehicle with good brakes. The mountain roads (especially up and down Beech Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, and parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway) are all nicely paved and in great shape, but the lanes can be narrow and not for the faint of heart. Once you’ve experienced the numerous hairpin turns, steep switchbacks, and elevations exceeding one mile, you’ll understand our council. You’re unlikely to run into snow or ice on the roads in October but it is possible. Sketchy driving conditions on the mountaintops are certainly possible from November through the winter.

Stretching from Maine to Georgia, The Appalachian Mountains are hundreds of millions of years old, dating back to Pangea and tectonic plate movement, with some exposed rocks over a billion years old, making the mountain range older than the rings of Saturn. The process that started the Appalachians’ creation is estimated to have begun 1.1 billion years ago.

There is something about these ancient Blue Ridge Mountains that have made them a spiritual Mecca and sacred place. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians still do, with many living on a reservation there. But to nearly all who visit, the mountains' haunting beauty is testament to the region’s enduring popularity. To the Cherokee, the mountains are known as the Shaconage (sha-con-ah-jay), the Land of the Blue Mist.

Beech Mountain

This mile-high mountain town hosts a well-known ski resort that starts its high season in late November (weather permitting), offering tubing, skiing, and snowboarding. The chair lifts are closed from September until opening day as the resort prepares for the winter season, but a drive up the mountain to access hiking and biking trails is well worth the trip. Find an Air BnB condo or Alpine chalet with wooded or stunning mountain views for a relaxing, rejuvenating fall stay.

With elevations around 5,400’, the Emerald Outback Trail Park on Beech Mountain is one of the highest multi-use trail systems east of the Rockies. Several of the well-marked trails are rated “easy” while others are advanced, so beware. Three scenic overlooks make the journey worth the effort.

Bear sightings are more common in the spring, but it’s possible, though unlikely, to encounter a black bear while hiking in the fall. Remember to avoid hiking alone, never leave food or food containers unattended, make noise, and carry EPA registered bear spray. If you do encounter a bear, back away slowly (never run) and make lots of noise, which we’re sure wouldn’t be an issue.

Hungry as a bear?

Several restaurants/bars and pizza shops are located at the summit of Beech Mountain, and if you’re visiting during ski season you’ll find even more bars, live music, and restaurants at the ski resort as well. Nearby Sugar Mountain and Appalachian Ski Mountain are the area’s other two ski resorts, though Beech is the highest in elevation among all the ski resorts in N.C. and in the eastern U.S.

The only real grocery store on Beech Mountain is Fred’s General Mercantile. It operates year-round as a general store selling hardware, groceries, sundries, shoes, clothing, beer and wine. A fabulous breakfast and lunch spot as well, Fred’s, in the tradition of the general stores of old, aims to be all things to all people. It opened in 1979 and is a must visit while on top of Beech.

Banner Elk

At the base of Beech Mountain, the charming small town of Banner Elk is home to Lees-McRae, a small four-year college established in 1900. The school offers theatrical and musical programs open to the public year-round. A half-dozen restaurants, charming parks, and plenty of community activities from farmers markets to outdoor concerts make Banner Elk a popular attraction in any season, but the annual Wooly Worm Festival (this year Oct 19-20) has bathed Banner Elk in the national spotlight since 1977. Some 10,000 visitors, 160 vendors and 1000 Wooly Worm “trainers” descend upon the sleepy village en masse each year. It seems the fuzzy prognosticators (not unlike Punxsutawney Phil) can predict the upcoming winter season based upon their rings of brown and black. Science has yet to prove this folklore, though many swear by it.

Boone

Named for American pioneer Daniel Boone, who once encamped in the area and whose descendants helped settle Boone, the city, incorporated in 1872, is the largest outside of Asheville, and is an unmistakable college town.

Boone is home to Appalachian State University, founded in 1899 and now enrolling some 21,000 students. Boone’s 20,000 residents (mostly) welcome the masses on any football home-game day when the town is buzzing. Boone’s King Street is filled with shops and restaurants, including Mast General Store. In nearby Valle Crucis, NC, the original Mast General Store (1883) stands as a fine example of a typical general store of its era and is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

The Tweetsie Railroad is a quaint, smallish, Wild West theme park just outside of Boone featuring a few rides, theatrical performances, a zoo, restaurant, and two authentic 100-year-old narrow gauge coal fired steam locomotives that once hauled timber and other goods around the nearby mountains. The trains now haul the park's guests on short excursions. The park's high season is in the summer, but programs on weekends throughout the falland winter include - The Ghost Train, September 20 - October 26 and the Tweetsie Christmas, select evenings November 29 - December 30.

Blowing Rock

Just 20 minutes south of Boone, and just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock’s charming downtown region is home to fine hotels, fine dining, casual fare, and countless retail stores featuring the works of local and regional artisans. From quirky to quaint, the shopping may be the real draw for its many visitors, but the nearby parks, trails, waterfalls, and fabulous inns, such as The Green Park Inn (1891) round out the offerings.

The newly opened design-forward Embers is a large boutique hotel with excellent dining options. It’s a wonderful place to sit and relax and consider the legend of Blowing Rock, an outcropping complete with an ancient story of a Native American couple worthy of a Shakespeare treatment. It seems the two young lovers from warring tribes met by the Blowing Rock. Torn between his love of the maiden and duty to his tribe, the Cherokee warrior jumped. The grief-stricken maiden prayed to the gods and a stiff breeze carried him back, unharmed, into her arms. The two spread their remarkable story throughout the lands and inspired peace between the tribes. The stiff breeze blows to this day, almost constantly. Those who’ve been in winter say the snow falls upside down in the constant updraft.

Of more recent historical value, the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park hosts serene walking trails, interpreters, and guided tours. The mansion (Cone Manor) was built in 1901 from textile fortunes and reflects life during the Gilded Age. The Manor was once the glory of a 3,600-acre estate, and still enchants visitors 123 years later. Now owned and operated by The National Park Service, this treasure of the Blue Ridge attracts visitors year-round, but especially in the fall.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

Finally, the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway is the longest linear park in the U.S. It is also said to be the most traveled national parkway in the U.S. each fall season. It runs through the heart of the southern Appalachians from Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, with a good stretch through western North Carolina. Easy on/offs with 272 scenic overlooks make this a well-traveled and worthwhile motorway. Beware, the roads are not maintained during the winter and sections are often closed, and on peak fall weekends it can be jam-packed and slow going.

Nearby

The Linville Gorge Wilderness offers caverns, 39 miles of hiking trails, stunning vistas, waterfalls and more. Nearby Watauga Lake, TN, is a mostly undeveloped, and therefore beautiful, large reservoir just over the Tennessee state line. Rent pontoon boats, fish, pack a picnic lunch, and stop at one (or both) area wineries.

Two hours from Boone, Asheville and its legendary art, music, and food scene is also home to The Biltmore Estate, fine dining, and hip entertainment options. Southeast of Asheville (also around two hours from Boone) Chimney Rock is one of the most visited natural attractions in the state, and at its peak affords a 75-mile panoramic view of the mountains and lovely Lake Lure below. Hike up or take an elevator to the top.

Fans of the Andy Griffith Show may want to visit Mt. Airy, Griffith’s birthplace and inspiration for the fictional Mayberry (around 1.5 hrs. from Boone). Visit Floyd’s Barbershop, an authentic re-creation of the Mayberry Courthouse, and the Andy Griffith Museum.

You really can’t miss in planning a fall trip to anywhere in Western or Northwest/Central North Carolina. The Five Bs of the region, however, offer diversity, history, breathtaking scenery, and plenty of nature and solitude for a romantic getaway, or enough to keep the entire family occupied for several crisp fall days. Autumnal glory awaits the traveler willing to make the journey.

The impacts of Hurricane Helene have devastated many of the regions referenced in this article. Travel to western NC at this time is not recommended until cleanup and power restoration efforts are further along. For those wishing to help in the recovery efforts, please visit nc.gov/donate