Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

by ANDREW STRATTON

Historic Downtown Hendersonville and the Blue Ridge Mountain area of North Carolina have been a tourist destination for centuries. Whether you visit to shop, eat, or learn about the history of the area, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Article:

Whether you live in the area or are just planning a visit, you will find it an easy occupation to be a downtown Hendersonville tourist. Hendersonville is a city with roots stretching back centuries.

Hendersonville became an incorporated city in January of 1847. And to everyone’s pleasure, Hendersonville was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in March 1988.

You will find Hendersonville located at the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, approximately 26 miles south of Asheville, N.C. Hendersonville is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area of Western North Carolina where history and tourist attractions abound.

Hendersonville’s population is rather small with only about 12,000 people living within the city limits. However, the city is booming with historic sites, attractions, and places to explore. Because of the area has four distinctive seasons, yet mild temperatures in both winter and summer, it is a wonderful place to visit or to live year-round.

When you walk down Main Street Hendersonville you will notice it is a serpentine shaped street lined with overflowing flower boxes and trees of all shapes and sizes. Along Main Street you will find antique shops, restaurants, and specialty stores of all kinds. There is something to be found along Main Street for people of all ages to enjoy.

Throughout the year Historic Downtown Hendersonville hosts the North Carolina Apple Festival, an antique show, art shows, car shows, and various parades throughout the year. Hendersonville shows off its traditional southern hometown charm through these special events. The friendly local residents are always welcoming to other locals and visitors alike.

Located on North Main Street you will find The Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County. The museum hosts special traveling exhibits from around the world and specializes in local Geodes. You can even purchase a Geode for yourself and they will crack it open and reveal its inner wonders for you! There is no admission fee for the museum though it is considered appropriate to leave a small donation to help support the museum.

Located in the same area as The Mineral & Lapidary Museum you will find the Henderson County Genealogical & Historical Society. This excellent resource library was founded in 1983 to aide researchers and historians on the history of North and South Carolina.

While visiting the museum and the Genealogical Society make sure you notice the McClintock Chime Clock attached to the Genealogical Society’s building. The clock is about 65 years old and is a unique sight not to be missed.

The Henderson County Curb Market is open for business Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, all along Main Street. This large farmer’s market offers only handcrafted items from local residents of the county. Here you will find produce, craft items, baked goods, and just about anything else you could possibly want to find at an open air market.

No tourist trek through Downtown Hendersonville is complete without a visit to the Hendersonville City Hall Building. The building was erected in 1928 and contains many interesting historic artifacts of the local area. Because three presidents were from North Carolina, (Andrew Jackson, James Knox Polk and Andrew Johnson) you will find statues and information on them located at the Hendersonville City Hall Building.

Whatever your pleasure, you are sure to find it in Historic Downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina. It is great to be a Downtown Hendersonville Tourist!

** About the author: Historic Downtown Hendersonville and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are residential havens for today’s families. Work with the experienced, local, real estate agents at Preferred Real Estate Center to find the perfect property to fit your needs. http://www.preferredrealestatecenter.com

** About the author HTML: Historic Downtown Hendersonville and the Blue Ridge Mountain area of North Carolina are residential havens for today’s families. Work with the experienced, local, real estate agents at Preferred Real Estate Center to find the perfect property to fit your needs.

by JOANN THOMPSON

Our first ride in the mountains of North Carolina was the most exciting trip I ever took. We rode our 1995 Anniversary Edition Goldwing from Orlando, Florida to Asheville, NC the latter part of September 1995 for the Wings over the Smokey Goldwing Rally.

Living in Orlando, Florida doesn’t prep you for weather outside of 90 degrees and humid. The first morning we awoke in Asheville it was 41 degrees and raining. Our hopes weren’t dashed! Heck no! We were so excited about being in the mountains on our new bike that I don’t think anything could have ruined our enthusiasm. What was missing however, were proper motorcycle accessories like good rain gear, warm leather jackets, or a proper motorcycle cover to protect the bike from these wet elements.

We outfitted ourselves as best we could with what we had and off we went. The first thing we wanted to do was ride the Blue Ridge Parkway, and so we did. I can’t emphasize the dreariness of the weather. Oh. . .so cold and Oh. . .so wet! I couldn’t stay off the CB or my camera. My adrenaline was running so high. To this day I apologize to our friends for burning up their ears while I was exclaiming about the scenery over here, the mountain over there, and generally telling them about everything they could see for themselves.

If you have never ridden the mountains of western North Carolina (regardless of the weather) you are missing a trip of a lifetime. The awesome natural beauty of the area knows no bounds!

We stayed in and around Asheville for 5 days. No, the weather never improved and we didn’t care. We rode everyday – about 200 to 300 miles – and enjoyed every minute of it. We now live in these wonderful mountains and have a 2007 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic and rest assured we have all the motorcycle gear we need. Our Classic didn’t come with a helmet to helmet intercom system, so we put that on the bike. Otherwise, we are set!

Mark & JoAnn Thompson www.CycleAccessoryStore.com