Summertime

When you live in this area year round, you can't help but breathe a sigh of relief when summer finally arrives.  Especially after the winter we had.  It seems we've gone from a bitterly cold winter to a scathingly hot summer.  While temperatures here are generally 10-15 degrees cooler than the big cities and small towns off the mountain, you must keep in mind that most folks up here don't have air conditioning.  Sure, offices and businesses have A/C, but most homes do not.  The Reserve condos most certainly have A/C!  But again, my home does not.  So when it's 85 degrees and the humidity is hanging in the air, I'm sweating.  This has it's good and bad points.  The good is that it forces us out of our homes to explore our beautiful area first hand.  After all, it's cooler outside (even if it IS 85 degrees) than it is in our homes.

What is there to do in ski country during the summer months?  Hiking, biking, rock climbing, canoeing, white water rafting, fishing, picnicking, and swimming (we have gorgeous waterfalls and swim holes tucked into places all over the High Country).  There's also festivals that happen throughout the area all summer long and into the fall season.  Tweetsie RR is great for the kids as well as feeding the bears at Grandfather Mountain.  We also have local theatre productions at Lees-McRae College and the Appalachian Summer Festival at ASU.  My favorite part is all of the free music.  Banner Elk know has music and socializing two nights a week.  On Wednesday, head on down to the only stop light in town.  Tucked into the courtyard on the right you'll find a gathering of folks enjoying themselves (young and old alike).  This is a brand new event which is hosted by Sorento's, The Bayou, and Vivo restaurants.  On Thursday evening is a free concert in the Banner Elk park which starts at 6:30pm (food vendors are on sight if you get hungry...cash only sales).  On Friday, head on over to the Valle Crucis park (right behind the Mast General Store Annex) for another free concert which starts at 7pm. All three of these weekly events are free and family friendly!

What's the bad part of the hot summer?  Forgetting your sunscreen and getting caught in an afternoon rain shower.  So what are you waiting for?  Get on up here and enjoy yourselves.