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.

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.]

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!

We were running a bit early for our motel check-in in Morganton, so we decided to dive off…read moreInterstate 40, and see what the little town Valdese was all about. It is located in Burke County, less than 10 miles East of Morganton, and has a total population of less than 5,000. One of the largest Waldensian congregations in the United States founded the town in 1893. The town was settled by immigrants from the Cottian Alps in the Piedmont region of Italy. The small, historic downtown section could be a poster child for quaint - it is clean, loaded with charm (almost all the "store fronts" were decorated for Halloween, flowers, etc), a beautiful church with a side garden and fountain, the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread emanating from a family owned bakery on the hill, and a feeling of 1950's serenity was all around. We walked around the three or four blocks (both sides), sat on a bench in the sun, wandered into a retro '50s diner called Myra's, had a great soft serve ice cream cone, and one bite of a bad hot dog - good times x2!

Went to the Children's Park today October 25. Had a large group and was so disappointed that the…read morerestrooms were locked. Why would they be locked during nice weather? No one could enjoy the park under those circumstances. Why would a park be open if the bathrooms were locked. Unbelievable and no excuse for that. As a tax payer and resident of Valdese I am very disappointed. Valdese do a better job!!

Family is so friendly and they took our picture for us with the tree and even posted it on their FB…read morepage. Very very nice people and glad we found this place. Most other places in the area say they are open but when you drive 20 miles you find out they are closed. Will be back next year. Thanks for a nice memory. The only other thing we would like is some other varieties of tress but NC only seems to have the Fraser furs. IN CT we had a huge selection of varieties . LOve that we can bring our dog next year

Drove to Old Fort to get access to the Point Lookout trail on old highway 70. The town is mostly…read morehome to the Ethan Allen furniture factory... Really strong odor of varnish and adhesives near there. Honestly not much more to the town. There was a Hardee's and there were a couple other fast food places and gas stations. They do have some nice old brick buildings as you enter town coming from Asheville. The freight train tracks run right through the middle of town. It would probably be nice to visit on a Friday when the town hosts a weekly music festival that draws performers from the local area. It was a several mile long winding mountain road drive to get to the trail head. The trail is a nice hike or bike ride on paved road, about 3.5 mi long one-way.

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.

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.