I like old towns like this with a big grassy square, a monument to some historical dude named…read moreBurns, and some neat shops. It has a quilt shop on the square, some churches, an old historic inn that Elvis stayed at, a coffee house, some galleries, and a few places to eat that nook neat. Worth a stop if you are traveling through, but not a destination unless you are going for some big hiking at Mt. Mitchell or some of the other great outdoors places it has nearby. I'd stop here again.

The road from Asheville was finished last year and already the town is perking up with new…read morerestaurants and longer hours for some of the existing eating establishments. The Grapevine has really great women's clothing, Appalachain Java has nice food all the way until 8pm, Homeplace brewery has some kind of food truck each night, music, trivia, and great beer. Rescue Dog Cafe and Burnsville Donut Company are keeping East Main Street lively and well fed, and Garden Deli and Snapdragon are consistently good on the Town Square. Rad Dawgs and the ice cream parlor next to it are just plain fun. I'm addicted to the Gyrate taco there. Ye Olde Country store has quality deli items and mile high sandwiches. Main Street Shoes has really cute footwear and YummiYarns has a great selection of yarn for knitting, crochet, or weaving. Quilt and Code has quilting supplies on one side and computer help on the other. There's a terrific health food store, an outdoor living store that just opened, a music store, a couple galleries including one that is part of Toe River Arts Council, Dark Sky Wood handcrafted furniture, an outfitter store, Parkway Playhouse, Yancey Theater, a wine shop, a couple of antique stores, a pizza shop and the new Mountain Chef Bistro. NuWray Inn, the Terrell House, and Carolina Country Motel all offer accomadations. The Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Center can direct you to the History Museum and other points of interest. There's a Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings and free events for families and kids on the square on Saturday mornings during the summer. Also there is bargain shopping at New to You furniture, Felicity's Closet, Alexandra's Closet, and Barkin Basement. There is definitely plenty to keep you busy for a full day or more.

7/25/26 My husband…read moreand I like to go on a cave trip every year for our anniversary. This year, we traveled from Ohio to the Bristol area. We took a trip to Appalachian Caverns on the second day of our trip and it became the 28th cave/cavern that we have visited in the US. We loved our tour here and our tour guide Roger was great! He was so funny while having a great balance of knowledge to share. We heard so much new information while on the tour and loved hearing about the bat population. We also got to see two bats while walking through. The bridges over the water were our favorite part. So beautiful! We highly recommend stopping in for a tour!

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

Beautiful falls. Trail was good shape for healthy senior walking. Strenuous but not exhausting or…read moreunbearable. Everyone on trail & parking lot were polite & helpful

We enjoyed our hike - from car, to falls and back was a little over 3 miles. It is a great hike but…read morebring a walking stick to help navigate some of the rocky areas- you do cross a creek but the rocks were easy to cross without getting wet and were not slippery. On the way down you really tend to enjoy the views - because you aren't focused on getting to the end ;) my husband and I - are out of shape lol but it was not that bad of a hike - our daughter , who is an athlete had no issues - but there is a good 30 ye diff between us ha! I highly recommend spending a few hours enjoying nature ;)

Andrew Johnson is usually seen as one of America's lesser presidents. But the Tennesseans generally…read morehonor him as a great defender of the US Constitution. And President's Johnson's story is a true rags to riches story - literally, since he started his life as a poor tailor and ended up in the highest office of the United States. Andrew Johnson National History Site in Greeneville has four separate locations. You should start your visit at the Visitor Center, 101 N. College Street. In the Visitor Center is the gift shop, the presidential museum and Johnson's original 1830s tailor shop. You can also get tickets for the tour of Andrew Johnson Homestead there. In the museum you can also cast your vote if Johnson, who was the first President to be impeached, was guilty or not guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. (The Senate acquitted Johnson.) Across the street from the Visitor Center stands Andrew Johnson's Early Home. Andrew and his wife Eliza lived in this house until 1851, when they moved into the larger Homestead several blocks away. Early Home's exhibition tells the story of Johnson's early life from his impoverished childhood and as an apprentice to his arrival in Greeneville and entrance into politics. The Homestead is located at 209 S. Main St. and the only way to see it is to get your ticket at the Visitor Center and attend the guided tour. This was the home of Andrew Johnson before and after his presidency and also his children and grandchildren lived there. The tour also tells the story of the slaves of the Homestead and that they stayed with the Johnson family even after the emancipation. The final location is the National Cemetery at 121 Monument Ave. Andrew Johnson is buried atop the Monument Hill wrapped in a United States flag, with a copy of the Constitution resting beneath his head. For anyone who loves US history, trip to Greeneville, Tennessee is a must.

Very nice historical landmark in a quaint, beautiful town. On our way from NC to Knoxville we…read moredecided to stop and are glad we did. Like others, I didn't know much about President Johnson. I knew he had some difficulties, but his life is interesting. He went from being a tailor to the President. Life was hard back then, and he made the most of it. Very tumultuous time in our country. Nice gift shop and a lot of interesing things to see. We were there on a Sunday so most of the town was closed up. Great place to walk and enjoy the natural beauty.

Cool little piece of Lenoir history…read more You can go there and walk the grounds for free which I highly recommend. It's a beautiful area. If you pay the fee which was $7/person when we went then you will get a guided tour inside the house and learn about the history of William Lenoir, his family and the house he built. I think it's totally worth it if you are into that. Regardless if you do the tour or not it's definitely worth a quick stop to check it out if you are in the area.

Saw a gun and musket but my son got shot and now he looks like a crinkly raisin thanks to you…read more Pic below has his classic catchphrase

This is a brand new sculpture in downtown Asheville that is now dubbed 'The Buskers Corner'…read more As the plaque says this sculpture was inspired by Asheville's vibrant street musicians and lively drum circles. I really like what this sculpture encapsulates. The artists Chukk Bruursema and Ash Knight did a phenomenal job! Love that they incorporated the dog as Asheville is a dog town!! Stop by and check it out!

While visiting in the area we stopped at the Fort Watauga replica at the Sycamore Shoals State Park…read morein Elizabethton, TN near Johnson City, TN. It is located along the Watauga River. Fort Watauga, more properly Fort Caswell, was an American Revolutionary War fort that once stood at the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River in what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee. The fort was originally built in 1775-1776 by the area's frontier government, the Watauga Association, to help defend Watauga settlers from Native American (primarily Cherokee) attacks, which were in part instigated by the British. Fort Watauga was originally named Fort Caswell after North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Watauga Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park 1651 W. Elk Avenue Elizabethton, Tennessee FREE Park. Free to view and tour the Fort Watauga, and FREE to tour the Visitors Center. The visitors center was not open when we stopped there but we did walk around the Fort.

The Lincoln Theatre was opened in 1929 and its history is quite fascinating. My friends live in…read moreMarion and wanted me to see the local offerings. We went into the theater shop midday and they asked the lovely woman running the theater if we could have a tour? She was in the middle of getting ready for that night's Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in true sweet Southern hospitality, cheerfully let us in so we could look around and she could talk to us about the establishment. The theatre was lovingly restored in the 1980s by locals who turned it into a nonprofit. PBS broadcasts its Song of the Mountains show here monthly. The woman we spoke to was working on grants to bring in movies and other performances to the theater. It would be a great venue for all of the above. As I had an early flight home the next day, we didn't come back to see the show, but I truly believe this is a gem to be checked out in Marion.

Perfect venue in a small town, have seen great entertainment here! All seating has great views,…read moreprices are reasonable

The grounds are so beautiful and filled to the brim with nature; the house is ginormous but…read moregorgeous. The house is super big but the tours are super cool. You can see the kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and more. I'm not sure if Antler Village is a separate story, but we love it too! Service is good.

The Biltmore Estate is a large property owned by Vanderbilt family. The hotel however is run by…read moreinexperienced people. Restaurant staff were Rude and always pushed people around, talking to people in condescending manner. Drinks were poorly made. We did dinner at one restaurant in the park, it was mediocre. They need to have hotel experienced people run this place. Rooms were good but always sooooo cold. They charge 1200$/night but was not worth the experience. We were a group of 12 for 4 nights. All felt that we were not welcome. They probably live in plantation days. We brought some things for picnic so we can enjoy company. Every employee told us " there is no place to sit down in 200 acre property to have picnic together " because they wanted to push their restaurants but they were mediocre. We ended up going out in town for dinners most days after first night experience They were pushing the 14 min Luminare show for 75 $. Even the tram guy was so rude, would not let us sit in it without wrist band although we were just going for dinner at restaurant Sorry the review is not much positive but they need to improve service, attitude. Never again Biltmore. Big name poor service

Even if you have no idea who Thomas Wolfe was or what he wrote, if you have any interest in what…read morelife was like in an early-1900s boarding house, you should come here. I was interested because I had previously toured a Basque sheepherder boarding house in Boise, Idaho, and I was curious to see how it compared with a more traditional Southern boarding house. I had never heard of Thomas Wolfe or "Look Homeward, Angel" until I watched the movie and went on the guided tour. Now I want to read the book. The tour gives you a fascinating look at two very different sides of Asheville life during that era. If you couldn't afford to stay at a grand hotel such as the Grove Park Inn for around $5 a night, you could see what it was like to stay at the Old Kentucky Home, where at one point you could get a room and breakfast for around $8 a week. But one of the most interesting people I learned about wasn't Thomas Wolfe. It was his mother, Julia Wolfe. Julia came from poverty but had tremendous industry and business sense. She bought the Old Kentucky Home in 1906 and ran the boarding house for nearly 40 years, expanding it over time to 29 rooms. Our guide told us that she could be up before dawn preparing breakfast for the boarders, while Thomas remembered her still ironing after midnight. In addition to running the boarding house and raising a large family, she invested in real estate. I couldn't help comparing Julia with another remarkable woman I had learned about during my time in Asheville: Edith Vanderbilt. Their circumstances could hardly have been more different, but both impressed me with their intelligence, resilience, work ethic, and business sense. Edith helped preserve Biltmore after George Vanderbilt died, while Julia built and operated a successful boarding house and helped provide for her family largely through her own determination and work. I hadn't expected learning about these two strong women to become one of the most memorable parts of my visit to Asheville. The admission fee was only $8 for the guided tour. Tours were offered at 30 minutes past the hour through 4:30 p.m. when I visited. The movie was about 20 minutes, the guided house tour took about an hour, and you should allow additional time for the exhibits. I would plan on about 1 1/2 to 2 hours altogether. The exhibit and film are free if you don't want to do the tour. One thing that may be confusing when you arrive: although the historic house is on one side, you first need to go to the Visitor Center behind the house to pay admission, see the movie and exhibits, and meet for the guided tour. There is also a restroom in the Visitor Center. The house was closed Sundays, Mondays, and holidays when I visited, but check the website for the latest days, hours, tour times, and admission prices before going. I really enjoyed seeing what everyday life in an early-1900s boarding house was like, hearing about Thomas Wolfe's life even though I knew nothing about him when I arrived, and especially learning about Julia Wolfe. I went because I was curious about the house. I left wanting to read "Look Homeward, Angel" and with a profound admiration for the woman who ran it.

Excellent thing to see if you are into history. Or literature, or writers, or books. The museum is…read moreall about Thomas Wolfe and his life. Sit through the 22 minute video, it explains a lot. Lots of things to see and learn about here. They saw all of his books, and some other paraphernalia. You can do the House tour as well for a small fee. We opted out of that, but walked around the outside of the house instead. Very pretty old antebellum style house. I recommend this stop if you are in Asheville.