Blowing Rock is thrilled to announce its designation as a Outdoor NC Trail Town and celebrate the launch of the Official North Carolina Trail Town Guide! Join us and Outdoor NC in celebrating 15 destinations across the state offering beautiful trails and championing efforts to encourage responsible travel and outdoor recreation.
Chetola Resort’s manager of fly-fishing and head guide Dustin Coffey was named the 2024 Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide of the Year on April 5 during the organization’s annual owners and partners meeting in Manchester, Vermont. Coffey calls the award the “heavyweight championship of the world for fly fishing guides.” It goes annually to the Orvis-endorsed guide who earns the highest customer satisfaction rating, while also excelling in the areas of conservation and recruitment of new people to the sport. Pete Kutzer, head fly-fishing instructor and endorsed operations manager at Orvis International, presented the honor to Coffey. Kutzer noted that Coffey not only received the best customers ratings, he also received the most customers ratings. “Dustin blew us out of the water,” Kutzer said. “He created a new standard for getting guest reviews.” Coffey, 44, began fishing with his grandfather at age five, and has 25 years of experience as a professional guide. He’s known for his friendliness, attention to detail, and ability to explain complicated fly-fishing techniques to everyday anglers, while making it fun and rewarding. Chetola is one of only two Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing lodges in North Carolina, and Coffey says the award is definitely a team effort. He gives credit to each of the resort’s guides and to his wife, Morgan Tarbutton, with whom he co-manages the fly-fishing program. A native of Western North Carolina, Coffey grew up just outside Blowing Rock in the small community of Globe. In addition to his work at Chetola Resort, Coffey is a member of Trout Unlimited and owner of Native Innovation Consulting, which provides consulting for land owners who are interested in fly fishing programs. Chetola Resort is a 78-acre mountain resort tucked between downtown Blowing Rock and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For information about fly-fishing guide service and lodging options, visit www.Chetola.com or call 800-243-8652. More information about Fishing, Hiking, Canoeing and other Outdoor Adventure experiences >>
Through this partnership with Black Folks Camp Too, the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority aims to promote more unity and inclusion in outdoor spaces and activities.
The 44th annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby will take place in Blowing Rock on Saturday, April 6, from sunrise to 4:00pm. Celebrating the opening of trout season, the Blowing Rock Trout Derby invites families to get out together to enjoy the outdoors and friendly competition. No entry fees are required. Fishing enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to come out for the Derby. “If you’re a seasoned fisherman, come by and help some of the younger anglers with your stories, bait suggestions, or just friendly support,” says Kim Rogers, a longtime coordinator of the Trout Derby. “We can’t wait to see everyone’s catch!” The casual nature of the Derby makes participation fun, and there are two ways to join in! For the Classic Tournament, simply catch a trout in Watauga County on April 6, and bring it to Blowing Rock to measure and enter it into the contest. No pre-registration is required for the Classic Tournament. The Catch and Release category, coordinated by Speckled Trout Outfitters, offers a more eco-conscious approach and a wider eligible area for fishing. Catch and Release participants must pick up an official tape measure before heading out to fish. Registration begins at 7am. Timestamped photos of trout caught in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties, with size shown by the official tape measure, are eligible for entry into the Catch and Release division. Participants will find the Derby Headquarters in a new location this year: at the picnic area at the Robbins Pool. Headquarters is where participants bring fish to be measured and registered and where folks register for the Catch and Release category. Steps from Headquarters, children are invited to fish in the lake at Broyhill Park. The lake is stocked in the days ahead of the event, and some of the fish are tagged for special prizes! Kids should also come by the Derby Headquarters early in the day to grab their free Derby bag and t-shirt before they run out. The North Carolina Wildlife Commission supports the Trout Derby with free “Fish for Fun” bags, including a tackle box, regulation book, bumper sticker, stringer, and bobber. The Trout Derby T-shirts commemorate the event and feature art from last year’s Art Contest winner. The 2024 poster and t-shirt features art by McLean Miller. Kids are invited to participate in the 2024 Art Contest; all supplies are provided! Families will want to head over to Speckled Trout Outfitters on Main Street to take part in the Art Contest. There’s more Trout Derby fun to enjoy at Speckled Trout Outfitters! They will be hosting activities in the outdoor space between the Outfitters shop and the Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop on Main Street. The Watauga Riverkeeper is partnering with this event and will have a tent set up, along with other sponsors and a few local breweries. Hula hoops and rods will be set out for anyone seeking to learn how to cast a fly rod! All activities, including the Art Contest area, begin at 10am. “Throughout the day, The Speckled Trout Outfitters will be hosting tents of some of our brands and breweries. One of our experienced guides will be available to educate anybody on casting and fly fishing tactics in our shared lot with the Speckled Trout Restaurant,” says Joel Brown of Speckled Trout Outfitters. “We will be a hub for all of your last minute fly and conventional needs inside our shop, or take a break over a beer!” Competition entries are accepted at Headquarters until 4pm. Entries are divided into three groups: Ages 16+, Ages 12-15, and Small Fry (ages 11 and under). The Awards Ceremony for both competition categories will be presented at Speckled Trout Outfitters; winners and prizes will be announced starting at 4:30pm. First-place winners in both competition categories will receive trophies. Great prizes for first-, second-, and third-place winners in both competitions include items like fishing and outdoor gear, gift certificates, and cash. There is plenty of free parking available at Broyhill Park, just off Clark Street, by the Derby Headquarters and kid’s fishing. Fishing licenses are not required at Broyhill Park, but anglers will need to have a current fishing license and obey posted fishing regulations in all other locations. This year’s Derby is in memory of Earl Trexler, one of the founders of the Blowing Rock Trout Derby. “He participated for 43 years in all kinds of ways,” says Kim. “From hosting the event for many years at his hardware store and raising awareness and funds for the Derby, to offering sage advice to beginner fisherman and sharing fantastic catch & release stories of the ones he put back so they could grow a little bigger! He was an incredible fly tyer and could be heard saying ‘Don’t forget to match the hatch!’” The Blowing Rock Trout Derby is sponsored and supported by over two dozen local businesses and organizations. Complete details on the Trout Derby can be found at BlowingRock.com/TroutDerby . For more information on local shopping, attractions, and lodging in Blowing Rock, browse this site or contact the information center at 828.295.4636.
Blowing Rock infrastructure is getting some much-needed upgrades! Main water and sewer lines are being replaced along Main Street in the downtown core now through Spring 2024. Key Takeaways: Access to businesses and activities on Main Street will remain open. Expect single-lane closures and potential travel/traffic delays. One full closure of Main Street is required in a residential section. Construction activity will be limited to Mon-Thurs when possible. About the Project: According to the contractor’s project page, “the existing and new water and sewer lines are located within the roadway. In order to complete replacement of these lines, the pavement on Main Street will be removed within the trench area. With the majority of this work occurring within the paved roadway, traffic control is required, and travel will be reduced to one lane during construction.” These single-lane closures will be controlled with automated flagging devices with barrier arms. While every effort will be made to reduce traffic impacts, some delays should be expected when driving through all downtown areas. Main Street Closure Details: One full closure of Main Street is required north of Chetola Resort. This closure will not prevent access to any businesses, but visitors to Chetola Resort, McCoy Minerals, and other north Main locations will need to access those places from the south end of Main Street. That simply means that downtown visitors, including school traffic, will need to access Main Street via Sunset Drive. This full closure of north Main Street from Chetola out to the US Highway 321 intersection will be active Monday mornings through Thursday evenings from February 12 through at least mid-April 2024. The road will be opened Friday mornings through the weekends. This closure is for 18-inch sewer line replacement. See area marked in red on full map below. Downtown Core Construction Work: Currently, sewer installation continues on Main Street between Chestnut Drive and Morris Street, along the parking spaces on the east side of Main Street. Sewer installation will progress north on the east side of Main Street toward US Hwy 221. Single-lane closures and lane shifts will be necessary during this construction. Sidewalk access for pedestrians will remain open throughout the project. Fridays of each work week will be reserved for clean-up (unless work days are lost through the week), with both traffic lanes and on-street parking reopening for each weekend. Starting in mid-March, water line installation will begin on the other side of Main Street, following the same method. This work will begin at Ginny Stevens Lane and continue north on Main Street through downtown. The west side of Main Street parking and the south bound lane will be utilized for water installation. Single-lane closures and lane shifts will be necessary during this construction as well. See this area marked in yellow on full map below. Additional Details: For information about additional parking areas off of Main Street, click here. Entire water and sewer project completion date is September 10, 2024. Please note that all dates listed are approximate and the timing of all construction activity is weather-dependent. More information about the project is available on the project website.
The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge in Blowing Rock, North Carolina is a 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Semifinalists are recognized as exemplary in their category; the top 5 in each award category will be announced as Nominees this spring. According to the James Beard Foundation’s website, the Outstanding Restaurant Award recognizes restaurants that “demonstrate consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to their broader community.” The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge has been a fine dining staple in Blowing Rock for many years. It has become known for thoughtfully crafted, locally-sourced fare and attentive service. Wide mountain views surround the intimate dining area. The restaurant is housed inside a rustically elegant inn, built in 1941 as a summer estate by the Lindau family, relatives of Moses and Bertha Cone. The Milner family purchased the establishment in 1984 and in 2000, Cobb and Cindy Milner opened The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge. “This honor is the result of many years of effort by our wonderful staff, from the kitchen, to the servers, cleaning staff and managers who made this all possible,” Cobb Milner said. “And especially our Executive Chef, Hunter Womble.” Womble became the Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge in 2014. As he has applied his creativity and vision, the restaurant’s reputation for exceptional experiences has grown. He is excited about this latest recognition for the restaurant. “There are so many incredible chefs and restaurants represented in these categories,” Womble said. “Just to be considered for this distinction really is an honor. We appreciate the show of confidence, as well as the consistent support from our local community over the years.” Community connection is especially valued by the team at The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge. “We couldn’t have reached such success without our local community including our farmers, suppliers, friends, and families who have given their time and expertise to helping our business shine,” Cindy Milner added. “Families have been with us for decades and shared their generations. We are ever grateful and humbled by that support.” The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge has been recognized with multiple accolades in the last several years. Just a few months ago, the Restaurant at Gideon Ridge received Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Award for the second year in a row. The online travel review giant ranked The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge as #2 Fine Dining Restaurant and #3 Date Night Restaurant in the United States, based on quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings. The restaurant is also currently recognized by Fodor’s Travel as a Fodor’s Choice selection. The 2024 James Beard Award Restaurant and Chef semifinalists are recognized across 22 categories. North Carolina’s rich culinary culture is well represented in the lists. Eleven other North Carolina restaurants and chefs join The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge as semifinalists across several categories. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, April 3, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 10. The 2024 James Beard Awards are presented by Capital One. Learn more about the James Beard Awards and see the full Semifinalist lists at jamesbeard.org. Get information and reservations for The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge at gideonridge.com. January 2024
NC Tripping, the go-to website and social media resource for North Carolina travel, has announced the winners of their third-annual Best of North Carolina (Best of NC). After tallying thousands of votes, Blowing Rock came out on top in two categories! Blowing Rock was voted Best Mountain Getaway in North Carolina AND the Best Downtown in North Carolina by NC Tripping’s readers and social media followers. Additionally, Blowing Rock’s Tweetsie Railroad was voted as the runner up for Best Family-Friendly Attraction, and Blowing Rock was a finalist for Best Dog-Friendly Destination. Folks can find the pick for Best Breakfast in neighboring Boone, the Best Winery in nearby Foscoe, and the Best Trail and Most Beautiful Waterfall (Linville Falls selected for both) in the local area. Thousands of website readers and social media followers nominated and voted for destinations and local businesses in 4 main categories, including: • Getaways • Outdoors • Food and Drink • Community To see all the 2023 winners, visit www.nctripping.com/best-of-north-carolina-2023 NC Tripping announced contest winners on its website, social media, and to email newsletter subscribers. One participant was also chosen to receive a $100 gift card to a business of their choosing. “We’re so grateful to our readers and followers forparticipating. Most importantly, our thanks goes out to the local businesses and destinations that make this state such an ideal place to live in and visit,” explained Carl Hedinger, co-founder of NC Tripping. The fourth-annual Best of NC tentatively planned for November 2024 and more info is available at nctripping.com/best-of-north-carolina. About NC Tripping NC Tripping is a website and social media brand focused on North Carolina travel and things to do in all 100 counties. Based in Durham, the family-run company has published hundreds of travel guides and two books that cover destinations from the mountains to the sea. For travel inspiration and sponsorship opportunities, visit nctripping.com and follow @nctripping on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. December 14, 2023
Heavy traffic and safety concerns necessitate closure of popular, but unofficial, sledding hill at Sandy Flat Gap. Blue Ridge Parkway officials announced today that the area locally known as “Sled Hill,” near milepost 294.5, is closed effective immediately to all winter activities including sledding, tubing, skiing, and snowboarding. The hill is located at the intersection of Shulls Mill Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway. In addition to the hill closure, parking is prohibited along the nearby Parkway administrative access road and portions of Shulls Mill Road within park boundaries. “The growing popularity of winter recreation activities in this area unfortunately can no longer be accommodated. The area was not designed for snow play or a high level of pedestrian use, and these activities, combined with roadside parking, have created a dangerous situation for park visitors,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “In recent years staff have witnessed multiple near misses of adults and children with passing vehicles due to unsafe conditions, high volumes of traffic, and poor sight lines. While we know that this will be disappointing to many of our winter visitors, we must take this action in the interest of visitor safety.” In the coming days, park staff will install closure fencing and signage in the area, and anyone found not in compliance with the closure order may be cited. BLOWING ROCK, NC – December 13, 2023 Looking for downhill fun? Try tubing at Hawksnest Tubing or Sugar Mountain. Or see our list of sledding locations here. –NPS– www.nps.gov/blri www.Facebook.com/BlueRidgeNPS www.Twitter.com/BlueRidgeNPS www.Instagram.com/BlueRidgeNPS https://npgallery.nps.gov/BLRI
Over 24,000 votes poured in to Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine’s thirteenth annual Top Adventure Towns contest, presented by LOWA. From 100 adventure hubs across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, readers narrowed down nominees in four different categories: tiny town (population less than 3,000), small town (population 3,001-16,000), mid-sized town (population 16,001-75,000), and large town (population 75,001+). This year, readers selected Blowing Rock, N.C. (tiny town), Bedford, Va. (small town), Boone, N.C. (mid-sized town), and Roanoke, Va. (large town), as their favorites. All four will be featured in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ adventure towns coverage in the magazine’s November issue, hitting stands now. “Blowing Rock is pleased to be recognized as a top adventure destination,” says Tracy Brown, Executive Director of the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority. “Our local adventure experience is second to none, with unique landscapes and incredible recreation providers. The fact that our neighbor Boone was also selected as a favorite really highlights the experience this region can offer to adventure enthusiasts.” All 100 towns in the contest received tremendous support from readers across the region. The field was stacked with well-known outdoor hubs, from tiny towns to major metropolises, featuring a mix of mountain biking meccas, whitewater oases, climbing paradises, and hiking nirvanas. The runners-up ineach category in 2023 were Damascus, Va., and Floyd, Va. (tiny town), Abingdon, Va., and Lexington, Va. (small town), Charlottesville, Va., and Bristol, Tenn. (mid-sized town), and Asheville, N.C., and Lynchburg, Va. (large town). “As we navigate a post-pandemic world, we are thrilled by the enduring fascination with the outdoors and our readers’ rekindled passion for adventure,” says Leah Woody, Publisher of Blue Ridge Outdoors. “Join us in celebrating this renewal of spirit through the Top Adventure Towns contest, where we shine a spotlight on the rich variety of outdoor destinations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Together, let’s inspire travelers from all walks of life to experience the incredible beauty of our region and the vibrant communities that call it home.” For more information, contact Blue Ridge Outdoors, associate publisher Katie Hartwell at [email protected] / 434-825-5823 or editor Jedd Ferris at [email protected].
For the second year in a row, Tripadvisor has named The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge in Blowing Rock a top dining destination. In their 2023 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards, the online travel review giant ranked The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge as #2 Fine Dining Restaurant and #3 Date Night Restaurant in the United States. It is the only North Carolina restaurant honored in either respective category this year. According to Tripadvisor, Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best is their highest honor. The award “takes into account the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings, and ranks the very best accommodations, destinations, beaches, attractions, restaurants, airlines, and experiences in specific categories and geographic areas, as rated and reviewed by travelers. Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best award winners are among the top 1% of listings on Tripadvisor.” The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge owners Cobb and Cindy Milner consider their staff as the recipients of the award and are thrilled to see their work recognized. “Our staff really cares about the people they are serving and that makes a huge difference,” says Cindy Milner. “We are so grateful for all the hard work that they do! This would never have happened without our team; they really are the Best of the Best.” The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge has been a fine dining staple in Blowing Rock for many years. It is known for locally-sourced fare, creatively and thoughtfully crafted. Stunning mountain views surround the intimate dining area. Dining staff is always attentive and well-acquainted with the flavors of each dish, able to offer friendly guidance on course selection and beverage pairings. Executive Chef Hunter Womble even takes time to personally greet each table whenever possible, making each guest feel welcome. “We couldn’t be more honored,” says Womble. “This award isn’t a competition or something decided by industry folks. Our diners felt strongly enough about their experience to write those reviews. That’s everything to our team because creating memorable experiences for our patrons is what we love to do.” Womble began working at The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge 11 years ago, becoming Executive Chef in 2014. Under his leadership, the restaurant’s positive reputation has steadily grown. In 2017 The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge was recognized in another review-based list: OpenTable’s Top 100 Most Scenic Restaurants in America. Two years later, it was included among OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in America. The restaurant is also currently recognized by Fodor’s Travel as a Fodor’s Choice selection. Reservations are required for dining at The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge, available at gideonridge.com on a rolling 2-week schedule. – October 2023. Photos courtesy of Restaurant at Gideon Ridge.
© 2024, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
