GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES WESTERN N.C. SCENIC DRIVES FEATURED ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY MAP

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley announced today that Western North Carolina is featured in four scenic drives as part of a major tourism map produced collaboratively by the National Geographic Society, the Appalachian Regional Commission and the N.C. Commerce Department’s Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development.

“This tourism map will be included in the April issue of National Geographic magazine and will reach more than 865,000 subscribers nationwide,” said Easley.  “It is an excellent way to highlight the natural beauty, culture and heritage of Western North Carolina.”

There are two drives exclusively in North Carolina, “High Country Backroads” and “Waterfall Byway/Whitewater Way.”  In addition, the piece showcases the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Southern Highroads Trail, with routes that wind through parts of our state.  Along these backroads an array of attractions are highlighted, from natural wonders to craft schools and heritage sites.

More than 30 North Carolina sites are noted along the featured routes.  Sites on the High Country Backroads drive include: Grandfather Mountain, Daniel Boone Native Gardens, Mast General Store, Ashe County Cheese Factory, Ashe County Arts Council, Todd General Store, Ashe County Frescoes, Appalachian State University, Tweetsie Railroad, The Blowing Rock and Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.

Sites on the Waterfall Byway/Whitewater Way drive include: Toxaway Falls, Cullasaja Falls, Whitewater Falls, Cherokee County Historical Museum, John C. Campbell Folk School, Ft. Hembree Wayside, Clay County Historical & Arts Museum, Scottish Tartans Museum & Heritage Center, Nikwasi Mound, Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum, Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls, Whiteside Mountain, Silver Run Falls, High Hampton Inn and Gorges State Park.

The Blue Ridge Parkway drive features: Northwest Trading Post, Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Museum of North Carolina Minerals, Grandfather Mountain, Folk Art Center, Mt. Pisgah, Pisgah Inn and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Southern Highroads Trail features: Nantahala National Forest, John C. Campbell Folk School, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Whiteside Mountain Cliffs and Waterfalls.

The North Carolina sites are part of an ongoing partnership between the Appalachian Regional Commission and National Geographic to promote Appalachia as a tourism destination.  The N.C. Division of Tourism teamed with North Carolina’s Appalachian Regional Commission program and other tourism organizations to provide funding that allowed the map to be distributed to a nationwide audience.  Staff from the Division of Tourism also worked to identify routes for the project.

###