Wow !!! I think that to be an officer you have got to have allot of Patience... I think that…read moreeverybody in Jail Deserves to be in Jail. Most people are Criminals and need to be Punished.

Came for the ID/fingerprint services…read more Parking is a challenge, and I had to do a few laps to find a street meter spot. First floor on the left, the ID folks were quick and friendly. I needed some fingerprinting done fast, and they were able to supply the fingerprint cards as well as the printing services. This was really nice, as obtaining cards from an organization often takes a looooong time or costs a bit (often as much as the printing). I was in and out in about 15 minutes total. Cash only.

We had our first visit this evening to Biltmore. Considered America's Largest Home, this National…read moreHistoric Landmark and Vanderbilt home is decked out for the holidays, with Christmas trees, decorations, carolers and musicians. We had a timed ticket for 7:30, so we hung out in the shops until our appointed time. We were given audio wands and followed the signage. Even though there were a large amount of people, it is an enormous house with over 250 rooms and we never felt crammed. There were lots of stairs and we took the magnificent marble staircase up, and we also went down to the basement, through a stone tunnel and past an indoor pool and bowling alley. Our energy flagged about the time we were down in the kitchens. There are no bathrooms to use on the tour, you'll find them out by the shops. My favorite rooms were the Winter Garden, the Banquet Hall and the Library. There were roaring fireplaces in almost all of the rooms, and at this time of year, December, some of the rooms were cold and the basement was quite warm. I think winter is one of the best times to view Biltmore as George Vanderbilt opened the house for the holidays for friends and family to enjoy.

Biltmore Estate, what an amazing place to visit and explore. Coming in the gate and you get that…read morefirst veiw of the grandness of this estate. It feels like looking at a castle. We came during the Christmas season so we were able to see the estate decorated beautifully with Christmas trees throughout the entire estate. There was a Christmas tree and almost every room of the house. This was my second time here, but it still has that wow effect when you're walking throughout the estate in every room. You get a feel of what it must've been like to live in that era with all the extravagant amenities that they had.

I'm sorry, I'm from New York State, and North Carolina, your library system SUCKS. Southern culture…read moreis more than "To Kill a Mockingbird." Anybody ever heard of a man called William Faulkner? Carson McCullers? Ring a bell? Walker Percy, one of the best American novelists EVER imho? This is an urban library- an urban library in a hip relevant very cool unique city, but when it comes to their library we're talking Harlequin romances in giant print. If you're really community-oriented and intellectual- as this city posits itself, the library should be so much more. It should be a cultural hub. Anyway, I find this library has a relative paucity of material. It needs to expand its section of classics. And for a city that calls itself progressive, how about some progressive literature? Thomas Pinketty, make the New York Times available. How about books on climate change, homesteading, crafting, DIY, farming, animal care, bicycling, Christianity, environmental concerns, Appalachian music, Appalachian culture, animals and plants of the region, history of the region, tourism, the Vanderbilts, the Biltmore Estate, the French Broad River, the Scots-Irish, the American South, the fight for civil rights equality, auto repair, mountain ecology, the Baptist religion, Hee Haw, the Scottish ballad tradition, snake handling, forestry, the Cherokee, Dolly Parton, Mount Mitchell, folk legends, Andrew Jackson, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, the Appalachian Trail, fiddling, clogging, kilts, rodeos, classic cars, logging, But, no. Harlequin romances in giant print, some third-rate hand-me-down same ol' same ol' pablum/fodder. It's like stale standards of the cathedral of general political correctness. Anyway, this is one of the few aspects of Western Carolina that makes me miss my NY roots.

Love our local library system. Stop cutting their budget!!! Pay some taxes folks!!! Jeez this is…read moreAmerica!!! Thomas Jefferson espoused virtues of books and education for the masses. When libraries are laying off because of budget cuts, we miss opportunities for real early child development and a chance at community. Stop being skinflits!!!! Love the library!!!!!

Located on a busy stretch of College Street near the courthouse and city hall, this marker points…read moreout the history of this post-Civil War educational institution. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Established in 1887 to educate African Americans in western N.C. Emerged as residential preparatory school for Black women. Was 1/3 mil east until 1974." There is more information online. It began as the Industrial School on College Street, established by missionaries L. M. and Ann Pease, and was later operated by the Women's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Renamed Allen Industrial Home School in 1897, it served students from across western North Carolina and beyond, with half of its graduates attending college by the 1950s. Notable alumni include musician Nina Simone and NASA scientist Dr. Christine Darden; the school closed in 1974 due to declining enrollment. It is marker number P-101 and it was erected in 2023 by North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 1296 of 2025 - 4441 in North Carolina - 24848 overall]

When I first moved to Asheville (lived there for 7 years) I was fascinated by the Monteford…read moreneighborhood with this Historic cemetery nearby. I took a stroll there and came upon Thomas Wolfe's gravestone. "The mountains were his masters. They rimmed in life. They were the cup of reality, beyond growth, beyond struggle and death. They were his absolute unity in the midst of eternal change." Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel

What a lovely place for a walk! Beautiful homes, many that have been restored to B&B's, are…read moreeverywhere. The Queen Anne style homes are my favorite! Check out Riverside Cemetery where Thomas Wolfe is buried. We miss the Montford Park Players who put on the outdoor Shakespeare Festival. Due to Covid they've been shut down. It's a really fun evening so let's hope they'll be back next year. We will definitely be there for that! Definitely recommend a walk around on a beautiful Fall day!

At the center of the town square that is next to the county courthouse, I was sure that this was…read moregoing to be another Confederate memorial. Well, it's not. It's WAY better than that. Otway Burns is honored here with both a statue and the town's name because of his legacy as a naval hero and his support for western representation in state politics. A celebrated privateer during the War of 1812, Burns commanded the schooner Snap Dragon and captured numerous British vessels, earning national recognition. After the war, he served in the North Carolina General Assembly, where he advocated for increased political representation for the North Carolina's western counties. This stance resonated so deeply with mountain communities that the newly established town in Yancey County was named Burnsville in 1834. The statue in the town square, donated by his grandson in 1909, commemorates his service and symbolizes the enduring respect held for his contributions to both state and country. The statue is made of copper. It depicts him standing upright in a commanding pose, dressed in 19th-century naval attire with a long coat and high boots. His right arm is raised, pointing forward, symbolizing leadership and vision. The plaque on the plinth reads, "He guarded well our seas, let our mountains honor him." [Review 1226 of 2025 - 4411 in North Carolina - 24778 overall]

The Otway Burns Statue is located on the square in Downtown Burnsville. It is a nice tribute to the…read moreman the town was named after. It is a copper statue on a granite block. I became familiar with Otway Burns while in Beaufort, NC. So before visiting this statue I wondered why there was a monument for him in Burnsville, NC. Burns was a war hero, privateer, ship builder and legislator from Swansboro, NC. His last act as a politician was to allow Western North Carolina more representation in the state by a vote of thirty-one to thirty. So this was the town's way to honor what he did for them. The inscription reads: "Otway Burns, born in Onslow County N.C. 1775. Died at Portsmouth N.C. 1850. Sailor-Soldier-Statesmen. North Carolina's foremost son in the War of 1812-15. For him, this town is named. He guarded well our seas, let our mountains honor him."

This is my home library and I love it. The people that work there are great and the environment is…read morevery relaxing. It nostalgic and charming. I'm thankful for the people that make it what it is.

Doesn't matter which Haywood County library you go to, don't plan to sit and read. The librarians…read moreare all loud and have a lot to say. You can hear them from any corner of the library. The old days of being shushed are long gone. Plenty to check out, but check out and GO.

Detoured off I-40 because of the hurricane damage, we're passing through Newport where we stopped…read moreto check out their courthouse. Cocke County dates back to 1797 when the Tennessee General Assembly created it from Jefferson County, naming it in honor of William Cocke, a Revolutionary War soldier who supported the establishment of the State of Franklin, helped write Tennessee's first state constitution, and served as one of the state's initial U.S. senators. Initially, the county seat was in the home of John Gilliland, the son of the original settler. In 1828, a new brick courthouse was built. Fire destroyed that courthouse in 1876 and the government was moved. The current structure was built in 1930 in a New-Classical Colonial Revival style. It is three stories with a flat roof line. The interior is based on the cruciform, with the interior hallways on the first story intersecting at the center of the building and creating a central lobby from which access to the staircase which ascends to the second story. The original dual staircases has metal balusters. On the second story is a lobby outside of the courtroom, which is located in the center of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County Chancery Court, County General Sessions Court and County Juvenile Court of the 4th Judicial District. There is a parking lot nearby. Check for reserved spots before parking! [Review 2383 of 2024 - 568 in Tennessee - 23397 overall]