The Etta Baker Memorial is on the CoMMA Performing Arts Campus in Morganton, NC. The bronze…read morememorial was dedicated in 2017 to the Piedmont blues guitarist and Morganton resident. The performing arts center has plenty of free parking, and the memorial is located to the left of the building. Thomas Jay Warren was the sculptor for the bronze monument. The bronze sculpture has Miss Etta sitting and strumming her guitar. As an added touch for the memorial, her rose bushes were planted around the monument. Etta Baker played the guitar for almost 90 years, leaving her mark on the folk revival in the 1960s and inspiring other artists like Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal. She was initially taught by her dad, Boone Reid. He started teaching her when she was 2. Since she was too small to hold the guitar, it was laid flat on a bed, and she was taught where to place her fingers. As she grew, he taught her about the intricacies of mountain music and the blues. Her signature style was the two-finger picking, using her thumb for the bassline and her index finger for the melody. In 1936, she moved to Morganton, and she raised nine children. While she performed less publicly to focus on her family and job at Skyline Textile Company, she played and practiced every day. She was discovered while on vacation at Cone Mansion in Blowing Rock. Her father asked other folk artists to listen to her play. The chance encounter led to her recordings. Her first record was recorded in 1956, and she was given a $1.25 contract. She wasn't properly compensated for decades for "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians". In 1991, she received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She released albums later in life, including "One Dime Blues," and also collaborated with Taj Mahal. Etta kept touring and playing festivals into her 90's.

Spruce Pine get a nod from me because of two incredible businesses and a nice downtown that is…read moregetting more and more active. Please see all reviews on the Knife and Fork (one of the best restaurants in Western NC. ...no joke) and the Pizza Place/Dry County Brewery. Dry County Brewery and pizza is great. Fantastic pizza with local ingredients...and a really good set of brews. Unique stuff they make. The town misses a 5th star because most everything...great looking shops...is closed on Sunday. Thankfully Knife and Fork is open. But have never been in a shop. I am sure the Town manager is beside herself knowing that this place could be a great stopping point for tourists between Asheville and Boone, BUT...hard to get people to stop if its a ghost town on Sundays.

Union Square is an amazing part of Downtown Hickory. The German cannon is what I first spotted from…read more1918 to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers from WWI. Union Square is basically a pedestrian mall with historic buildings containing shops; restaurants; a community theatre; City Walk and a park. During my walk around, I noticed an amphitheater so it appears they have live music here on occasion. Saturday morning they were setting up a Farmers Market. There are plenty of parking lots but it is a busy place so still might be difficult to snag a spot. Although I've just been there three times so there is likely more parking areas I don't know about. I need to go back and explore more!

A great place to go and spend time. Plenty of restaurants/coffee shops and neat little shops. City…read moreWalk runs along the railroad tracks and overall, I love Union Square!

A few days of exploring Hickory and enjoying it. Hickory is located in Catawba County though…read moreneighboring Newton is the county seat. The origins of Hickory's name stems from a tavern made of logs beneath a hickory tree during the 1850s. The spot was known as "Hickory Tavern." In 1870, Hickory Tavern was established as a town. Three years later in 1873, the name was changed to the Town of Hickory, and in 1889 to the City of Hickory. Hickory is the home of Lenoir-Rhyne University, founded in 1891 by four Lutheran pastors. It remains a private Lutheran university with the motto "The truth shall set you free." The school has over 50 undergraduate majors and nearly 30 graduate programs. Hickory is home to one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in the United States that is still located and operated on the original site. Hickory White, formerly known as Hickory Manufacturing Company, was built in 1902 and has been in continuous operation ever since. During World War II, the factory made ammunition boxes for the U.S. military instead of furniture. Hickory was known in the years after World War II for the "Miracle of Hickory". In 1944 the area around Hickory (the Catawba Valley) became the center of one of the worst outbreaks of polio ever recorded. Residents who were then children recall summers of not being allowed to play outside or visit friends for fear of contracting the disease. Since local facilities were inadequate to treat the victims, the citizens of Hickory and the March of Dimes decided to build a hospital to care for the children of the region. From the time the decision was made until equipment, doctors, and patients were in a new facility, took less than 54 hours. Those events are memorialized at Miracle of Hickory park. And on that topic, many parks in Hickory. Lots of food. A dense downtown area with restaurants, shopping and coffee. Nice place! If you're looking for the mural I posted with my review of Hickory, it's on the side of 117 Government Avenue SW. [Review 15863 overall - 3081 in North Carolina - 1367 of 2021.]

The falls are pretty and peaceful. We walked to the bottom of the falls as well as a hike on the…read morehiking path to the swinging bridge.

I actually went 30 minutes out of my way to visit when I hiked South Mountains State Park and I…read morewasn't disappointed! A calm, beautiful spot for families, couples, and even a solo trek. There is a beautiful waterfall with a water area that you can swim in warmer months. An historic mill provides a nice flavor of previous times in the area. There are some trails in which you can walk around and enjoy the stream beauty. This is also great spot for a nice run. It is clean, well-maintained, and there are two really nice scenic overlooks. There are a few picnic areas.

The Johnny Bristol Mural is located on the side of Jones Drugs in Morganton, NC. The drug store's…read moredrive-thru lane is on the same wall, so I suggest paying close attention. I am thinking this is #29 or #30 of the North Carolina Musicians Trail Murals by Scott Nurkin. I haven't found an official list, so a lot of my discovery of these marvelous murals is by chance. So I may have found more of his murals than are officially on the trail. Scott Nurkin has been painting Musicians in their hometowns in North Carolina. So who was Johnny Bristol? He was born in Morganton, NC. He was a soul singer, songwriter and producer. But more importantly played a role in shaping the "Motown Sound." Before going to Motown, he sang Doo-Wop, jazz and gospel vocal harmonies in a youth group called The Red Jackets in Burke County, NC. One of Bristol's songs was dedicated to his hometown, titled Morganton, North Carolina. Bristol was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. His fingerprints are all over some of music's greatest hits. He produced Diana Ross and the Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together" and even sang background harmony. He co-wrote and produced Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love". He also wrote and produced for Gladys Knight & The Pips, Jermaine Jackson, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. When he left Motown, he launched a successful solo career and scored several R&B hits, including "Do It to My Mind", "You and I", "Leave My World", "My Guy / My Girl" (recorded with disco star Amii Stewart), and "Man Up in the Sky". Whether you are a die-hard Motown fan or just passing through Burke County, this vibrant wall is a beautiful tribute to a local legend and a must-see stop in downtown Morganton.

This striking art sculpture is located along west 6th Street next to the Newton-Conneover…read moreAuditorium. An appropriate place for a piece titled "Symphonic Gate". The artwork is by Greensboro sculptor Jim Gallucci and is made of galvanized and powder coated steel pipe. The central gate is on a pivot making the red gate spin 360 degrees. [Review 15421 overall, 925 of 2021, number 2971 in North Carolina.]

Mayberry revisited…read more I like Maiden. It reminds me of the fictional Mayberry of the 1960's. It's quite with a nice downtown lined with the main street lined with Churches, businesses although most are in re-purposed buidling that have been restored and beautiful houses, many of which are approaching 100 years old. Maiden is a walking town and people take advantage of it. People feel safe and like to go out for a nice walk at sundown when the air begins to cool off. If they don't do that, they like to sit on their big front porches and watch things go by. One thing of interest if Halloween. Every year at Halloween, they close off about a 10 block area for the trick-or-treaters and kids come for miles and are welcome even if they are not from the area. Kids and residents both enjoy themselves. Another facet about Maiden is their love for HS Football. Only in Texas and in Western PA and NE Ohio have I seen such a dedication to the local HS Team, the Maiden Blue Devils. My hometown which was Brevard, NC was like this back in the 50's and 60"s and it was a great place to grow up in. Unfortunately they have moved on but Maiden has been able to maintain that calm peaceful atmosphere that was so great back then.

Love it here. Love the school district have great neighbors! Very supportive town !!!read more