The first things I notice are clear blue skies and the lack of taillights on the two-lane road. I am driving into West Jefferson, NC on Hwy 221. My window is down and a mountainside of aromatic Fraser fir trees skims by on my left. On my right a small herd of buffalo graze the hillside beside a placid lake.
I check to see if this is a leftover set from Last of the Mohicans. But my directions fail to mention that. Just that I am headed into Ashe County, wedged into the top-most northwestern corner of North Carolina, bordering Tennessee and Virginia. It’s been a 3-hour drive from downtown Raleigh, but well worth it as the Friday afternoon air is sweet with blossoms and plants waking up to a late mountain spring and the high clouds to the east, hovering over the Blue Ridge Parkway, are headed out of the area. To the west, only a spectacular sunset awaits as I make the turn off the highway and head toward downtown West Jefferson.
I search for dinner and find myself torn between Frasers – an upscale bistro style restaurant with a lively pub – and the choice of driving out to the Glendale Springs Inn – a beautiful turn of the century farmhouse serving a full dinner menu and a large selection of wine.
It’s still early, however, so I park the car and settle into a smart little café called T. Gray’s. A jazz trio is melting the air and the place is filling up with singles. Clearly, this is one of the local watering holes. Other options for nightlife include Frasers Pub with live music – usually classical guitar or R&B, or a neat little place called Bohemia, where you can get a local wine to go with your bluegrass or Celtic music.
So many choices – so little time. And there’s still the "where to stay?" question. To name just two: there’s Buffalo Tavern Bed & Breakfast, a quaint four-bedroom inn with a beautiful view of Bluff Mountain. Run by a retired professor, Innkeeper "Doc" Adams keeps guests entertained with stories amidst the opulence of this 100-plus year-old way station on an old buffalo trail.
And, River House Country Inn, featuring a mile of riverfront on the New River, 180 acres surrounded by mountains & hiking trails, eight beautiful rooms, three spacious cabins close by, and a plentiful breakfast included in the price of the room.
To fill your weekend with activities, Ashe County provides many options. The best hiking is Mount Jefferson State Park, which looms high above the area (elevation 4,400 feet.) You can check out the Summit Trail or the Rhododendron Trail to breathtaking overlooks. These hikes are rated moderate to strenuous but the views are worth the effort!
You can also visit another state park, this one at the river level: the New River State Park has a first-class, brand-new Visitors Center loaded with exhibits and things to do. Here you’ll enjoy the beauty of out-of-the way rugged hillsides, pastoral meadows and bucolic farmlands that surround the New River.
The New River flows 320 miles north through Virginia and into West Virginia, and a float trip up the New River provides beautifully scenic vistas. Formed prior to the uplifting of the Appalachian Mountains, the New River is second only to the Nile as the oldest river in the world. Because of shallow, gentle waters, the river is ideal for canoeing, kayaking and tubing, while the opportunity for occasional minor rapids adds just a bit of excitement to the trip. Higher water levels occur during May and June. August and September are low-flow periods. Canoes, kayaks and tubes may be rented through local outfitters. Try Riverside Canoe and Tube Rentals if you’d like to canoe or tube on the historic New River. And be sure and check out the Riverside General Store. On weekends, owner Bryan Morrison provides plenty of good food, music and down-home fellowship on the banks of the New River.
