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Joseph Leonard Barnes

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There is something exciting about the words "High Country". They give me goose bumps in the same way my heart flutters when I see a baby smile or I see an exceptional sunset blazing across the sky. I'm not sure who first expressed the Western Mountains of North Carolina in those terms but the phrase has stuck. Not only has High Country come to describe this rich earth and exquisite sky, it has also become a symbol of a wonderful laid-back mountain lifestyle. However, High Country doesn't mean a backward, sleepy, dull rural place where nothing much goes on. Life on the mountains is far from it.

The High Country is a thriving culturally rich community where arts, music and social life abound. For sure the High Country is a place where you can enjoy cool summer nights and mild winters, but it also offers as exciting a variety of recreational opportunities as you would find anywhere across the country. We can boast of three Community ski resorts, top-notch higher education facilities in Appalachian State University and Lees-McRae College, the Hayes Community Center for theater, Museums, the famous Horn of the West outdoor summer theater, and our own 1800's Tweetsie Railroad Amusement Park, just to name a few. Of special note is the annual Horse Show in Blowing Rock and the very popular Tour of Homes in Boone and in Blowing Rock.

Our restaurants are known for miles around as some of the very finest. The Broyhill Inn and Conference Center, Red Onion, Casa Rustica, Bistro Rocco, Corner Palette, Stonewalls and Best Cellar are just a few that come to mind. Spending a night or a week can be wonderful with so many terrific hotels, inns and B&Bs, such as The Inn At Ragged Gardens, Crippens Country Inn, Maple Lodge, Gideon Ridge Inn, and Azalea Gardens for example. The High Country also offers hundreds of rentals by the week, month or season, too.

Art is just one aspect of the High Country, but one that I am most excited about. The High Country offers art lovers an exciting variety of musical and visual arts that are centrally located within our communities and towns. It is no wonder that the High County is looked upon as one of the new art centers of America.

Western North Carolina's exquisite mountain air quality and beauty are just the icing on the cake. Being a part of the High Country makes us all proud and content deep inside our beings. Not only have we traveled far to taste the sweet nectar of the exhilarating air, many of the visitors over the years have remained here and become a part of the fabric of Appalachia. A large number of current High Country families grew up here, attending local schools from elementary through college. That alone gives testimony to this area's attractiveness. In fact many members of our communities can trace their ancestors back to the very first pioneers who planted crops, built cabins and raised their children in these hills. The rest of us are enjoying the fruits of their heritage.

Photo of “No. 12”

The High Country