Banner Elk Living Blog
Things to Do in Banner Elk, NC | My Local’s Guide to Every Season
There's a running joke around here that you can get lost in Banner Elk, but only if you try really hard. We have exactly one stoplight. That's it. And yet within about fifteen minutes of that single light, you can ride an alpine coaster, hike to a mile-high suspension...
A Walk Through the Heart of Valle Crucis
River views, open green space, and a community that has kept this place going one donation at a time.There are places you visit because they are beautiful, and places that feel special because of the people who keep them going. Valle Crucis Community Park is both, and...
The Dog Days of Summer in Banner Elk
The dog days of summer have a whole different meaning up here. While the rest of the Southeast hides indoors, the High Country is handing out cool mornings, shady trails and creeks worth wading into, which makes it an easy place to bring your four-legged travel...
An Afternoon at Banner Elk Winery
SIP. SAVOR. STAY AWHILE.Some call it the nectar of the gods, the way the ancient Greeks did when they raised a glass to Dionysus. Some, like the French, pair it with every meal as naturally as bread finds butter. Here in the High Country, we have our own approach:...
The Barlow | Best RV Camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains
There's a certain kind of RV park most of us have quietly made peace with: gravel pads packed a little too close together, a bathhouse that's seen better days, and Wi-Fi that gives up the exact moment you need it. The Barlow is not that place. Tucked into the...
As the Summer Heat Rises, We Cool Down at Elk River Falls
When Banner Elk starts creeping into the upper 80s, locals all seem to get the same idea: head for the water. Today, that means Elk River Falls. Just 10 miles from the Eagles Nest community, it's one of those places that reminds you how simple a summer afternoon can...
Red, White & Banner Elk | Your 4th of July Weekend Guide
As we walked around Banner Elk this week, there was already a buzz in the air. People were out enjoying the brick-lined streets, dogs were running through the park, and flags were popping up along porches and storefronts. In just a few days, Banner Elk will transform...
Best Restaurants in Banner Elk, NC: 13 Local Favorites Ranked by Reviews
For a town of fewer than 1,500 year-round residents, Banner Elk has a restaurant scene that has no business being this good. Tucked between Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain at over 3,700 feet, our little town has quietly earned a reputation as the culinary capital of...
Bayou Banner Elk | Southern Charm with a Cajun Kick
There's a spot smack in the middle of The Village of Banner Elk where the menu tastes like a road trip from East Texas to the French Quarter, the deck doubles as a dog park (well-behaved ones, leashed up, please), and breakfast is still going strong long after most...
Summer at Beech Mountain Resort (North Carolina)
Most folks know Beech Mountain for its winters — the snow, the slopes, the fact that it's the highest incorporated town east of the Rockies. But there's a quieter truth that those of us nearby have known for a long time: summer up there might be even better. The...