There are so many places and things to see and do when on vacation in Transylvania County. Here’s a list of our top five favorite things to do. The list is in no particular order.
-
Music at 185 King Street
For listening to a huge variety of live music in a comfortable small, acoustically-correct venue we like to go to 185 King Street in the Lumberyard Art’s district. There is a ton of local musical talent in Brevard, any of whom you might find playing at 185 and the sounds range from Blue’s to Country to Rock n Roll. 185 King Street is a private club but there is non-member pricing for live performances. 185 King Street is also a sport’s bar and Jackson (the owner) is a huge fan of Carolina Panthers and Carolina Tar Heels. Well, I’ll just let Jackson tell you about his place.
2. Underground Salvage Co.
A fascinating place to wander through is the local salvage warehouse owned by our friends, Tim and Nancy Hall. Located at 228 West French Broad Street in some of the old Brevard Lumber warehouses, The Hall’s have all manner of cool old stuff to decorate with or to re-purpose for your home. If you lack the re-purposing gene, don’t worry, Tim refurbishes and re-purposes items and his creations are available for sale at the warehouse. This is the kind of place even I like and I HATE shopping! You can get a taste of the neat inventory they have by glancing at their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/undergroundsalvageco/
3. Transylvania Farmers Market
For fresh, local produce head to the Farmers Market. All the items have to be made or grown within 100 miles of Brevard so it offers the real deal. It is an easily walkable market so if one vendor is really busy when you make your first pass, likely you’ll find an opening on your second or third swing through. It is a perfect opportunity to do some people watching too.
Skip breakfast and taste some of the local food vendor fare. For instance, Wild Indigo Catering is always putting their tasty twist on some seasonal, organic items. I understand their biscuits are pretty delicious too.
https://www.facebook.com/TransylvaniaFarmersMarket
4. Biking in Dupont or Pisgah
I am not what I consider a “real” mountain biker, since sailing across sharp, jutting rocks and tearing through mud is not my thing. I like to bike without competing with cars, therefore, I ride a mountain bike. I don’t want to hassle with bike racks either- I can hop on my bike and ride straight into Dupont from our house which is ideal. I love the wider trails and more flowing terrain of Dupont. Dru, on the other hand, is your more typical mountain biker- he likes the technical turns and steeper hills- so he is more of a Pisgah fan. Either location is fun and beautiful, it just depends on what kind of ride you like.
5. Driving our scenic roads
When we need some less active “chill time” we lean toward a drive through the mountains.
- Drive the hairpin turns of Caesers Head (Route 276)
- Take Route 64 up to catch the flowing, scenic Blue Ridge Parkway
- Take a side gravel road in the Pisgah and see where you end up
- Make your way toward Cashiers and HighlandsFor those who like real directions, the NC Dept of Transportation has a comprehensive scenic byway list done by regions. Have fun exploring. https://www.ncdot.gov/download/travel/scenic_byways.pdf