Sometimes, smaller is better. That’s certainly the case with those comparatively little towns that offer an unexpectedly large amount of amenities, entertainment, and recreation for locals and visitors alike. Just what is it that makes a small town great? We found out by exploring 13 in Western North Carolina that share some characteristics—a population under 5,000, a pedestrian-friendly downtown, ample food and nightlife options—but possess unique attributes as well.

Written by Jonathan Ammons, Jon Elliston, Tim W. Jackson, Randy Johnson & Melissa Reardon

3. Burnsville {pop. 1,693}
Nearby Penland School of Crafts has certainly played a role in establishing the Burnsville area as a haven for high-caliber artisans. Many of their works can be found at The Design Gallery or at the Toe River Arts Council in downtown. Though if you want to explore more in depth, embark on TRAC’s biannual Studio Tour, held every June and December. And the Mt. Mitchell Craft Fair, which takes over Burnsville’s quaint town square and celebrates its 60th anniversary in June, offers even more opportunity to shop for local art and crafts.

Culturally speaking, the Parkway Playhouse presents top-notch theater productions, and the Appalachian Quilt Trails offer routes to roam the countryside and learn about historic and notable sights marked by hand-painted quilt squares. Writers can partake in the offerings as well at the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, held in September. And outdoor enthusiasts will love the town’s close proximity to Mt. Mitchell, accessible via the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Byway, which meanders through the lovely Toe River Valley.

There is also plenty on offer in downtown, with dozens of businesses scattered near the charming town square park. Shopping options include home accouterments at A Touch of Cass and 5,000 square feet of art and antiques at Menagerie Mercantile, while the list of restaurants ranges from pancake breakfasts and pulled-pork lunches at Pig & Grits to pub fare and pints at the local watering hole, Snap Dragon. Learn more at www.exploreburnsville.com.

—Melissa Reardon

Teams from across the country descended on Western North Carolina for the 2016 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. After years of dominance by Western locales, last year’s event was held here under a two-year contract with USA Cycling. This year’s edition Friday to Sunday, May 13-15,  saw top college athletes face off in Division I and Division II competition in Madison County and nearby Burnsville. Continue reading Cycling ‘Final Four’ returned to WNC →

In Burnsville – the only town and the county seat of Yancey County – you won’t find high-rise buildings, gridlock traffic and honking horns. What you’ll get in and around this small, mountain town are great riches in nature and art. Yancey is the most mountainous county in North Carolina, holding five of the highest peaks in eastern America, including Mt. Mitchell, which at 6,684 feet is the highest point east of the Mississippi. Amid these peaks are forests, nationally protected land and a host of small communities – and a population that is thick with artists. Scattered around the county, you will see the work of woodworkers, glass blowers, potters, metal-smiths, weavers, quilters, basket makers, painters and more. You will delight in places such as the downtown Burnsville Toe River Arts Council Gallery (www.toeriverarts.org) . Stop in at One of a Kind Art Gallery in nearby Micaville (wwwooakartgallery .com).

Call ahead to visit artists in their  studios/galleries. Many of them including potter Claudia Dunaway and mixed-media artist John Richards at Yummy Mud Puddle (www.yummymudpud dle.corn), as well as glass blower Rob Levin (www.robertlevin.com) – welcome visitors to enjoy a behind-the-scenes look and see their work. Plan ahead to take part in the Toe River Studio Tour held twice annually in June and December (www.toeriverarts.org/ studio-tour). Save a lazy afternoon to drive through the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Byway Quilt Trail (at www.quilttrailswnc. org, scroll down to “Trail Maps”).

Continue reading Take in the Views and the Arts on a Visit to Burnsville →

BURNSVILLE, N.C. – It’s Sunday morning, and the food just keeps on coming at the Terrell House Inn: pancakes with blueberries plus bacon and coffee. It’s all hot and fresh, just like the fruit served to guests of this historic home, lying less than a mile from the heart of the town square of Burnsville, N.C.

Mike and Laura Hoskins make it a point to make guests feel welcome at their home. But, it’s not like it used to be. And, well, perhaps any guest should be glad of that.That is, the rooms named “Ann” and “Patricia” once were not bedrooms at all, but screened-in porches.

And, wait – we’re not even onto the subject of the bathroom. –  ‘A real challenge’

You see, this is more than just another bed-and-breakfast. The Terrell House was once a dormitory for the Stanley McCormick School in the early 1900s, a place where young ladies came to live in this small mountain town.

“There were probably 12 or 13 girls – and one bathroom,” Mike Hoskins said, grinning. “It must have been a real challenge.”

In 1927, the Stanley McCormick School became the Carolina New College but soon closed in 1931 during the Great Depression. After that, what school bulletins had called a “Cottage for Young Women” became a private home. Then, finally, the 4,500-square-foot structure was converted into a bed-and-breakfast, thanks to renovations conducted in the 1990s by former owners John and Pat Terrell.

Today, overnight guests can choose from one of six spacious rooms – all with separate baths – in the renovated home along Burnsville’s Robertston Street, where the Terrell House faces the Stanley McCormick School’s former dining hall, a brick building now used as a Mason Lodge. Continue reading Bristol Harold Courier – Feb. 27, 2014 →