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foothill towns
Anderson, SC
Chimney
Rock, NC
Clemson, SC
Columbus, NC
Gaffney, SC
Greenville,
SC
Hickory, NC
Lake Lure &
Rutherford County, NC
Morganton, NC
Mount
Airy, NC
Saluda, NC
Seneca, SC
Spartanburg, SC
Tryon, NC
Very Surry, NC
Books About The
Carolinas
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Meet me at The
Fishin’ Hole.
Most of us can
hum the theme
song from The
Andy Griffith
show, but did
you know it’s
got lyrics?
Before you visit
the Andy
Griffith Museum
in Mount Airy,
go to You Tube
and listen to
Andy sing this
iconic song.
It’ll make you
smile and set
the stage for a
great trip down
memory lane.
Photo courtesy of
NC Tourism
Play me some
mountain music.
The Earle
Theatre, in
downtown Mount
Airy, features
movies, the
Old-time Music
Heritage Hall,
clogging
lessons, jam
sessions and
dances. The
Surry Arts
Council keeps
the area’s music
and arts
heritage
accessible to
appreciative
visitors and
area residents.
Camping,
canoeing,
education,
events, fishing,
picnicking, rock
climbing,
trails... and
did we mention
the glorious
Pilot Mountain
view?
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Brimming with wineries,
outdoor adventures,
historic downtowns and
unique festivals, the
area is prime territory
for romantic getaways,
family reunions, and
off-the-beaten-path
vacations. Let’s begin
with the wineries. With
fourteen located in
Surry County, visitors
can spend a weekend
touring, tasting and
meeting people who enjoy
making great wine and
entertaining visitors
from all over the world
who come to see what
makes the Yadkin Valley
so unique.
McRitchie Winery &
Ciderworks offers wine
and hard cider, and
visitors learn about
their sustainable
philosophy. Elkin Creek
Vineyards is built on
property which housed an
old mill. Slightly Askew
Winery features local
juice, but wine from
elsewhere. Grassy Creek
Vineyard and Winery has
trails for walking, and
Brushy Mountain Winery
features wine from
locally farmed fruit.
Carolina Heritage
Vineyards is NC’s first
certified organic
vineyard and
solar-powered winery.
Shelton Vineyards is
NC’s largest winery with
an excellent chardonnay
and a super gift shop.
And that’s just the
first seven. (Read about
them all at
VerySurry.com.)
Even if you’re not a
wine connoisseur, the
tours are fun, the gift
shops filled with
collectibles, and the
scenery breathtaking. In
fact, scenery is another
reason to visit the
area. The Blue Ridge
Parkway can be accessed
from Surry County for
north or south bound
excursions.
The more active outdoors
enthusiast can go
cycling along bike
trails or back country
roads. The Scenic
Bikeway provides more
than 470 miles of bike
routes – fun for every
fitness level. Hiking
trails cater to weekend
warriors as well as
elite athletes. Historic
trails, state parks,
recreation areas and
greenways, plus hiking
in Pilot Mountain State
Park and Stone Mountain
State Park north of
Elkin offer great
options.
Less physical, but
equally enjoyable are
travels through historic
towns, stopping at old
mills or following the
routes of both Civil and
Revolutionary War
history. There are three
Civil War Trails in the
county, where soldiers
traveled to and from
historic forts, and
toward the Atlantic
Ocean.
These foothills have
always attracted
artists, including
painters, weavers and
potters. Two galleries
which feature the work
of local artists are The
Gallery Group in Mount
Airy and the Yadkin
Valley Craft Guild’s
Gallery Shop, in Elkin.
Elkin is an attractive,
sophisticated small town
with year-round
festivals, unique shops
and great restaurants.
Dobson is home to great
wineries, shops and
restaurants and Surry
Community College and
Viticulture center. The
town of Pilot Mountain
features great views, an
emphasis on outdoor
activities and lots of
festivals. And Mount
Airy, the birthplace of
the late Andy Griffith,
is simply filled with
Mayberry-themed
nostalgia, including
Floyd’s City Barber
Shop, the Old City Jail,
Snappy Lunch and Wally’s
Service Station.
For a
greater fix of your
favorite old sitcom, you
can spend the night in
Mr. Griffith’s boyhood
home, cruise town in a
vintage 1962 squad car
replica, take in a show
at the Andy Griffith
Playhouse, or peruse the
largest collection of
Andy Griffith
memorabilia at the Mount
Airy Visitors Center. Be
sure to schedule a visit
during the last week of
September when Mount
Airy rolls out the red
carpet for their annual
Mayberry Days festival.
But Mr. Griffith is not
the only celebrity to
emerge from Mount Airy.
The mountain town was
also home to the late
fiddle-strumming legend
Tommy Jarrell and
country music singer
Donna Fargo. This
musical heritage is
celebrated weekly with
bluegrass and old-time
music jam sessions and
live radio shows,
including the country’s
third longest running
live bluegrass radio
show, “Merry-Go-Round,”
and in an annual
fiddlers’ convention
each June.
When shopping sharpens
your appetite, locally
owned restaurants offer
warm welcomes, great
food, and even
entertainment (the
locals will invite you
to stop by the Good Life
Café on Thursday
evenings for live
music). For more upscale
dining, the bistro-style
Harvest Grill at Shelton
Vineyards serves fine
food and wine both
indoors and out. If an
after-dinner stroll
beckons you to spend
just one more night in
this endearing American
town, you can choose
from a variety of
hotels, including the
charming, English-style
Sobotta Manor (located
downtown, this bed and
breakfast welcomes each
new day with a
scrumptious,
three-course breakfast).
Situated in the
foothills of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, the
natural backdrop to
Surry County and its
towns is nothing less
than spectacular.
Imagine mountainsides
bathed in warm reds,
oranges and golds in
autumn, and lush, bright
greens each spring. The
scenery is truly a
photographer’s dream.
In Pilot Mountain State
Park (one of three state
parks in the area),
towering Pilot Mountain
draws one in as a beacon
in the night, just as it
did centuries ago when
Native Americans and
early European hunters
navigated their travels
by the bare rock face of
the mountain’s highest
pinnacle.
This is beautiful
country. With so much to
do and enjoy, you’ll
return time and again,
perhaps setting down
roots as so many others
have done. Take
advantage of the special
excursions, or go it
alone, with the help of
the Tourism Partnership
of Surry County. You
will love it here!
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By Gerald Sweitzer
When you think of small towns, Mount Airy is one that often comes to mind as a symbol of the friendly,
simple life we remember from the 1950s. It's the hometown of actor Andy Griffith, and
was the inspiration for his long-running TV series.
You can step back in time and visit
the famous landmarks mentioned on the show, order a pork chop sandwich from Snappy Lunch
on North Main, or stop by Floyd's Barbershop next door to get a haircut and catch the latest
local news.
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you will find mild winters,
ideal growing conditions for the 24 wineries in the area, and bluegrass and jam sessions every Saturday morning
in the downtown area.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is only about 20 minutes to the west. There are several local
cycling events, andsnow skiing is popular in nearby mountain ski resorts.
Festivals abound in Mount Airy, with several connected to the Mayberry and Andy Griffith TV series theme.
The Mayberry Days festival takes place from Sept. 27-27, 2009, and includes music, a prade, a pie and pork
chop eating contest, and celebrity impersonators and stars (now children of the cast) from the Andy Griffith Show.
Mount Airy is attracting boomers who are looking ahead for low cost retirment in a small town in the Carolinas.
With Winston-Salem N.C only 40 miles south, a modern hospital, medical school, university, and shopping are all
easily accessible.
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About the Author
Katherine Pettit
has worked as a writer,
magazine editor, printer
and public relations
consultant. The Columbia
resident has published
more than 350 articles
in magazines and
newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of
subjects including
travel, lifestyles,
business and management. |
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