Micro Guide: Beech Mountain, N.C.

By Marla Milling September 25, 2014

Beech Mountain

You’ve heard of a Rocky Mountain High—well let us introduce you to an East Coast High. With an elevation of 5,506 feet, the quaint town of Beech Mountain, N.C. is the highest spot east of the Rockies.

The population is only 350, but don’t let that fool you. The place hops year-round with as many as 5,000 visitors in the summer seeking a mild climate and great outdoor adventures like mountain biking. In the winter, that number rises to 10,000, as people make the trek for winter fun at Beech Mountain Resort.

Related Videos

Where to Play:

Beech Mountain Resort is the place to be if you love the thrill of racing down a snow covered mountain on skis or snowboards. While we love all the action, one of our favorite things at Beech is the 5506 Sky Bar at the top. They have food service as well as brews including the ones they brew.

The Beech Mountain Brewing Co. makes three distinct ales on-site: the 5506 Pale Ale, Cream Ale and Scotch Ale. The brewery helps the resort attract patrons even in warmer months, and we love the way they transform the ski lift in the summer to accommodate mountain bikers. They take out every other chair and add a lift just for the bikes. Makes it easy to race down the mountain and then get back on the lift for another go.

Where to Eat:

It may seem like a funny pick, but the downstairs deli of a general store lives up to its claim of “Best Breakfast in Beech Mountain.” Fred’s General Mercantile serves up a man-sized breakfast in the Backside Deli. Eggs are served to order along with plates heaping full of bacon, sausage, country ham, hash browns, grits and more. Fuel up for a long day on the slopes at Beech Mountain Resort.

Where to Sleep:

Chances are you’ll want to stay close to the action. Even if hitting the slopes isn’t your thing, renting a cozy cabin offers fun for all. Check out the offerings at Emerald Mountain Realty. Nostalgia buffs can spend a night in Dorothy’s House at the now-defunct Land of Oz Theme Park. Yes, really.

Of course, Cindy Keller, owner of Emerald Realty has rentals to house a group as well. Check out the Dream View Chalet, named for its incredible far range views. Situated atop a cliff, this 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home features the perfect home away from home.

Toss a log on the fire and kick back and enjoy your time in the mountains.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Travel

Denver Travel Guide: Where to Stay, What to Eat, and More

denver colorado travel guide city 1

Have you started planning your vacation? If you you’ve ever wanted to explore and visit Denver like a tourist (as long as you follow the health protocols imposed by the local authorities) we have you covered. Stay in a hotel (or Airbnb), try new restaurants, and venture outside the city to those must-visit attractions you always talk about but still haven’t visited. Here are a few of our favorite accommodations, restaurants, and excursions in Denver, Colorado.

Related Guides

Travel

Explore Jasper: An Essential Guide to Canada’s Most Epic National Park

jasper national park in the summer

From Zion to Yosemite to Grand Canyon National Park, the United States has a fair share of epic landscapes. But, with its own stretch of the Rockies, Canada just might have us beat. Even by Canadian standards, Jasper National Park -- the country’s largest -- is quite literally breathtaking. It’s one of 17 designated Dark Sky Preserves in Canada. Covering more than 4,200 square miles (11,000 square kilometers), it’s the second-largest such preserve in the world. Thanks to the town of the same name within the park, it’s also the most readily accessible preserve in the world. It’s no surprise that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Canada has taken great pains to ensure that the park is unsullied by traffic, pollution, and overdevelopment. All of which has ensured that it’s among the vastest, most pristine, most beautiful expanses of wilderness on the planet. For lovers of adventure, nature, and the outdoors, it’s damn-near heaven on earth. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your time in Jasper National Park.
Getting There
The good news is that Edmonton International Airport (the nearest major airport to Jasper National Park) is a relatively easy flight from almost anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Once on the ground, most travelers rent a car at the airport terminal and make the four-hour drive west to the town of Jasper. The scenery is sorely lacking for the first two hours, but the last half makes up for it with stunning mountain and river views all the way into town.
What to Do
To get the lay of the land, book a motorcycle sidecar tour with Jasper Motorcycle Tours. Passengers hop aboard a brand-new Harley Davidson -- either in the sidecar or seated just behind the driver -- for an open-air tour of the national park. We’d recommend at least the three-hour tour which cruises through the Canadian Rockies to Maligne Lake. For those with plenty of time to spare, the flagship Icefields Parkway Tour is a bucket-list-worthy way to experience one of the world’s top 10 greatest drives.

Travel

4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Bowling Green, Kentucky

Explore Mammoth Cave

It would be both easy and accurate to say "food and bourbon" when asked why you should visit Bowling Green, but that would be selling this southern Kentucky city of some 67,000 folks more than short. As I recently discovered during about the busiest 48 hours of my life, two days is barely enough to scratch the surface of Bowling Green, situated two hours south of Louisville and one hour north of Nashville. I recommend you spend at least a long weekend, visit when the weather is mild, and plan for plenty of downtime as you digest and sweat out some of the liquor.

I came (proverbially) crashing into Bowling Green by way of the Nashville airport in late spring, and after a 20-minute turnaround in my hotel room (in a surprisingly pleasant Courtyard by Marriott with a decent beer selection at the bar), it was off for more food, fast cars, outdoor adventure, and cultural whirlwind than I usually experience in a month, if not a season.