My top hometown to visit

Hometowns bring back nostalgia of childhoods and simplicity. Sometimes they bring back sad memories. It is always in the eyes of the beholder. I have more than one hometown, per say, but the one I truly call home is deep in the mountains of North Carolina. A small quaint town called Banner Elk. My heart hurts, and trills at the same time for such a beautiful destination I get to call home.

You see, it’s not just the rugged beauty, but the people I grew to love. A place where everyone knows your name, and you feel welcomed. All a part of that southern hospitality.

Growing up we had the corner grocery we went to daily to get just basic essentials . We also got our candy, soda and fun things that children enjoy . It was a daily thing, and the owner was always there, greeting everyone with a smile. They would ask about our family, and sharing any good news in with the township. Never a sad face, always just the soft eyes, round face, and pretty curled hair that I always remember.

This was a one stop light town, no matter how many out of town visitors frequented in the summer months.

Banner Elk is known for its one and only stoplight. It comes to a T. You can either go left or you can right. Plain, and simple, either direction, you can expect a drive like a rattle snake with the hiccups, but always breathtakingly beautiful, and well worth the scenic drive.

There are several nice restaurants in the town square, as this is a hidden destination area. No high rises, apartment buildings nor fast food . No strip malls and no fancy salons or spas. Just several privately owned, destination style, farm to table restaurants . Some have gone over the years, sadly, and some have persevered, thankfully. Wonderful food that delights the eyes and the palettes alike, with every kind of styles to tempt your tastebuds. These places popped up over the years, in the 1980’s, the ski resorts were there, and we were the town at the bottom of Beech Mountain. Many chefs over the years, took their savings and opened their delectable food dreams here .

It has grown over the years in style, but the rustic feel has never strayed away.

You see, Banner Elk has two ski resorts within a few miles, and several home developments. It is the beauty in the summer, that calls us. The Highland Games in July, the Blue Ridge Parkway, wineries, artwork, mountain escapes like Grandfather Mountain, and beautiful shops to just ramble in and out of.

In the winter, the skiers and snowboarders come from all over to enjoy the mountains and frigid beauty while floating along the powdering fluff. In the Fall, we have the Wooly Worm outdoor festival and many great events, as many come to enjoy the painted beauty of Mother Nature. There is just not a season, that doesn’t take your breath away. That is what brings many of us to reside, and the people are the ones that make it impossible to be anywhere else. Yes, there are many hidden home developments, and some golf courses here that many have built over the years, but our long term visitors (or shall I say six month residents) they love it here, and they get it. That is all we ask, respect it, love it, enjoy it with us, and “Just BE”.

There is that wonderful old Italian lady at the local Italian Bistro, always cooking, because she loves to cook. She is everyone’s grandmother, everyone’s mom. She welcomes with loving arms many a teenager looking for work, and extra love. She teaches them to cook, feeds them, and makes every teen starving for love feel important and truly loved. Every day she is there with her daughters, cooking and just talking to the visitors coming in and out of the door. No one truly wiser, the absolutely amazing woman they have just met. After they leave , they just know, she makes them feel special. Everyone leaves with a smile over the good food . It’s the warm smiles and conversations over a cup of espresso that makes these visits unforgettable.

Let’s not forget about Sophie at the local quickie mart. Always there, every night, a kind smile to everyone leaving from work at the restaurants ,and the local college kids. She knows everyone by name, and never forgets a face. No matter the weather, she is there, as reliable as the day is long. Remember, this is the town, where everyone knows your name, and you are never forgotten. It is the people of this town that make B.E so very special.

This beautiful town is a hidden gem with so much beauty, the views capture your heart and the perfect 75 degree weather in the summer tickles your arms. Every day in the summer months it rains a bit, like a lush rainforest, but it never deters a golfer from hitting the greens and his getting his swings in. It may get bustling and hectic during the summer, or ski weekends in the winter, but one cannot ignore the fresh beauty, the gorgeous waterfalls, and many other breathtaking places to capture on their cameras. There are also so many waterfalls, lush greenery, bubbling creeks, and there may be any given day in the Fall where a bumbling black bear may be spotted slowly making his way across the narrow two lane road ,forcing everyone to stop and fumble for their cameras . Not a care in their worlds, they are just leisurely walking along looking for their next place to nap. You may even have the curious ones who may just end up on your front porch, peering into your kitchen windows. No worries, No big deal, he is just another part of Mother Nature, and a very well received resident of the community …. With not a care in the world.

There are times we pass an old faded barn, and have to stop for a picture. Simple reminders of the past and the history she holds . Times of old , though still reminding us of what we have and how far we’ve come.

Although times have changed, I go back often to enjoy the beauty before it ‘s all replaced with modern age technology in an ever changing, fast paced world . The many that visit here year over year, get it.

They understand it .

The ones that stay,embrace the ideals of simplicity and small town heritage .

Though some of us grew up and moved away, there are the many that left and returned to the place they once called home. Not much has changed and for that I am grateful.

All because beauty, simplicity, God’s given gift, and Mother Nature continue to call us. We accept the life of a vacation town, so we may enjoy the life that has been set before us.

A calm enjoyment and a relaxed life that cannot be replicated. We only hope they understand, and truly embrace the expanse of great beauty here , as much as we do.

The most important thing to the town folks, is keeping it beautiful and simplistic, for themselves and for the visitors who seek this small piece of simple natures .

Because Mother Nature takes center stage, franchises aren’t a part of the fixture and high tech is reserved for the nearby cities . It is a delicate balance gleefully embraced by the residents and the year round visitors . They simply do not want to be commercialized like the neighboring and nearby cities.

My heart relaxes once I’m in B.E.

I am home, and I’m welcomed with open and familiar loving arms. I am remembered, and I am not important, but I feel I mean something to them . It is a feeling everyone wants, but is not always acquired .

To feel relevant, appreciated, and enjoyment of great conversations, and to inhale the statuesque beauty of Beech Mountain ,or the smell of the summer rain . You feel rejuvenated in natures indescribable ways. There is so much to do there, and yet so little, as this is not a big city entertaining big city ways. This is BE.

Just BE is the mantra, for when you leave, your life feels aligned once again, and your spirit recentered.

Some days, you may go to the local winery and just relax on the grass with a glass of wine, while listening to songs from a local acoustic musician . Other days , you may take a walk around the pond by the college and feed the ducks. Or jump rocks in the cold creek bed below.

Frankly, I find days of going to the waterfalls rather adventurous , yet bringing a calm and peaceful feeling that rejuvenates my spirit.

Sitting a mile atop of Beech Mountain, tucked deep in the woods rests the once thriving adventureland park , The Land of Oz . Although full time operation hasn’t been seen for many years, it opens periodically for special engagements, attracting visitors from all over , eager to stroll down the infamous Yellow Brick Road . Walking and enjoying the attractions reminiscent of yesteryear .

Although the paint is now aged and faded , the memories of a childhood is just as vivid as the colors they once were.

So much grandeur in such a humble little place.

As the day darkens , we are painted a gorgeous sunset, and because of all this in a single day, Banner Elk is the small American Home Town to visit with the biggest heart.

My hometown.