Splendor Right Outside Your Door
Published Mar 23, 2009
As programs director for the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Rob Bell is paid to promote the blessings of Western North Carolina.
But perhaps the biggest endorsement Bell can give is his own biography. After years living in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, Bell scouted the country for a new home that was affordable and vibrant, and small but active.
He chose Asheville, N.C.
“The prospect of living in a small city with great quality of life was the draw,” he says, adding that he found everything he hoped for.
For many North Carolinians, the western part of the state is synonymous with a desirable lifestyle, where nature’s rugged delights mix with culture and art.
The stunning landscapes in Western North Carolina transform a simple car ride. Interstate 40, for example, offers spellbinding views as it reaches over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Even better is the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile road that doubles as a national park – which may seem a nonsensical combination until you witness the parkway’s jaw-dropping vistas.
Of course the true treasures go to those who leave their vehicles to camp, hike, bike, kayak, hang glide, or whatever else they want to do in one of America’s great outdoor destinations.
Still, it’s not just the bounty of natural blessings that make Western North Carolina stand out. Nestled amidst the mountains, Boone and Asheville provide cultural and urban sophistication to rival many larger cities across the country.
The music scene is lively, with all genres represented and get-togethers a common occurrence.
“It’s part of the fabric of people’s lives,” says Bell, who plays banjo, guitar and fiddle.
The annual MerleFest, the country’s largest folk and bluegrass festival, brings tens of thousands of people to Wilkesboro each year to see the genre’s biggest stars.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are also home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian, which maintains the history, culture, arts and crafts, and festivals of their tribe and is a major force for economic development.
The combination is a magnet for people who want a certain lifestyle.
“I meet a lot of people who have actively sought out this area to live,” says Penn Dameron, executive director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.
Story by Sam Scott
Photo by Ian Curcio
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