Asheville hosts HardLox Jewish Food and Heritage Festival

October 16   HardLox  Jewish Food and Heritage Festival    Great traditional Jewish food, Israeli dancing, crafts, a Kids Zone, klezmer music and lots more. Have your name written in Hebrew, discover the Torah, learn about Jewish holidays and festivals, and join in the singing and dancing.

Every Jewish organization in the Asheville area will be represented with many providing interactive educational opportunities to learn about our people and our Jewish heritage and culture. Come eat the delicious Jewish foods and stay for the day to enjoy klezmer music, Israeli folk dancing, Kids zone, crafts, and more.

Get a link for this Festival and other Asheville events, lodging visitor information HERE.

NC Fall Leaf Color Report: Grandfather Mountain Native

A picture really is worth a thousand words:

Photo taken on Grandfather Mountain by photographer Helen Moss Davis

For more information about Grandfather Mountain and other NC Parks click HERE.

Tweetsie Railroad Season Pass Special - limited time offer

Purchase Your 2012 Season Pass and Use it in 2011!

2012 Tweetsie Railroad Golden Rail Season Passes are on sale now. Purchase yours this month and save up to $15 on each pass…plus 2012 season passes are valid for Wild West daytime admission in October 2011!

2012 SEASON PASS SPECIAL PRICING:
Adult $70 (regular $85)
Child $50 (regular $60)
Be sure to mark your calendar for next season’s opening day on April 13, 2012.

2012 Pass is not valid for 2011 Ghost Train, but is valid for all our 2012 special events including 2012 Ghost Train!

Get a direct link for this special and other NC specials and discounts for Attractions, NC lodging, outdoor activities and more - CLICK HERE.

NC fall Leaf Color Report: 10-12-11

October 12, 2011:  NC Fall Color has reached peak on Grandfather Mountain and at the highest elevations in the High Country. The upcoming weekend should see peaks in other areas with broad color continuing throughout the end of October and perhaps November in the lowest elevations.

"This year has been a real guessing game with respect to how brilliant and intense the colors will be, but based on the drive I took on Saturday, I’d say this year’s colors rank 9 on a scale of 10, where 10 is the best it can be. So, if you want to see some great fall foliage, this is the year to do it!" said Howie Neufeld, Ph.D. and "The Fall Color Guy" - also Professor of Plant Physiology at Appalachian State University in Boone NC.

In Asheville NC color is still building with dogwoods, Virginia creeper, sourwoods and maples starting to turn, but up on the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Pisgah, there is much more color, including a lot of trees that turn yellow (magnolias, birches, hickories, striped maple).  This year there are plenty of bright reds mixed in with the yellows and oranges, making for a very vibrant color scene. Leaves on the Parkway around Asheville should peak this coming weekend.

Highlands NC color is spectacular with still a fair bit of green, but healthy doses of bright oranges, reds, and yellows mixed in. Birches, red maples, dogwoods, buckeyes, and sassafras are all lovely! Virginia Creepers are highlighting bare rock faces and numerous tree trunks with their deep red leaves. At lower elevations in the area colors are still moving toward their peak.

In the Franklin NC area,  the hills are still mostly green, but are turning color rapidly, especially high up. However, oaks and many hickories aren't turning much yet, which means most hillslopes are still mostly green with some spots and strips of color.

There is still plenty of availability in NC cabins and vacation rentals to enjoy  the beauty of the fal color in the mountains. CLICK HERE for a list.