Ready to discover a great new town? Experience an easy bicycle trail? Maybe add to your state parks checklist? We’ve got a reliable source for great recommendations: the readers of this magazine!
Virginia Tourism Corp. | Sam Dean
The New River through Virginia and West Virginia was voted best paddling river in the region.
BEST MAIN-STREET LOCAL SHOPPING TOWN
1 Blowing Rock, NC
2 Waynesville, NC
2 Blue Ridge, GA
BEST ARTS TOWN
1 Asheville, NC
2 Blowing Rock, NC
3 Floyd, VA
BEST RETIREMENT TOWN
1 Hendersonville, NC
2 Brevard, NC
3 Roanoke, VA
3 Boone, NC
BEST REVITALIZED DOWNTOWN
1 Hendersonville, NC
2 Staunton, VA
3 Blue Ridge, GA
TOWN ON MY BUCKET LIST
VISITNC | Amplified Media
Asheville, North Carolina, took several top honors, including bucket-list town and river town.
1 Asheville, NC
2 Helen, GA
2 Boone, NC
BEST COLLEGE TOWN
1 Boone, NC
2 Blacksburg, VA
3 Charlottesville, VA
BEST WALKABLE TOWN
1 Blowing Rock, NC
2 Staunton, VA
3 Blue Ridge, GA
FRIENDLIEST TOWN
1 West Jefferson, NC
2 Hendersonville, NC
2 Floyd, VA
BEST FOODIE TOWN
1 Asheville, NC
2 Abingdon, VA
3 Boone, NC
BEST RIVER TOWN
1 Asheville, NC
2 Bryson City, NC
3 Helen, GA
BEST BIKING TRAIL
1 VA Creeper Trail, Damascus, VA
2 New River Trail State Park, Max Meadows, VA
3 Swamp Rabbit Trail, Greenville, SC
3 Roanoke River Greenway, Roanoke, VA
Sam Dean
The Virginia Creeper Trail was chosen as best biking trail.
BEST MOTORCYCLE ROUTE
1 Tail of the Dragon, Route 16, NC
2 Blue Ridge Parkway, NC-VA
3 Back of the Dragon, Route 16, VA
BEST FISHING LAKE
1 Smith Mountain Lake, VA
2 Watauga Lake, TN
3 Lake Lure, NC
BEST FISHING RIVER
1 New River, VA
2 James River, VA
3 Davidson River, Pisgah National Forest, NC
BEST PADDLING LAKE
1 Claytor Lake State Park, VA
2 Hungry Mother State Park, VA
3 Price Lake, Blowing Rock, NC
BEST PADDLING RIVER
1 New River, VA-WV
2 James River, VA
3 French Broad River, NC
BEST RAIL-TO-TRAIL SYSTEM
1 Virginia Creeper Trail, VA
2 New River Trail State Park, VA
3 Greenbrier River Trail, WV
BEST SWIMMING HOLE
1 Blue Hole Falls, Carter County, TN
2 Sliding Rock, Transylvania County, NC
FAVORITE WATERFALL
1 Cascade Falls, Giles County, VA
1 Crabtree Falls, Nelson County, VA
3 Linville Falls, McDowell County, NC
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION
1 The Nature Conservancy
BEST CAVERNS
ADOBESTOCK
Virginia’s Luray Caverns took top honors for such underground wonders.
1 Luray Caverns, Luray, VA
2 Linville Cavern, Marion, NC
3 Bristol Caverns, Bristol, TN
3 Dixie Caverns, Salem, VA
BEST GEM MINING
1 Franklin, NC
2 Emerald Village, Little Switzerland, NC
3 Dahlonega, GA
BEST HISTORIC ATTRACTION
1 Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
2 Monticello, Charlottesville, VA
3 Oconaluftee Village, Museum of the Cherokee, Cherokee, NC
BEST LOOP DRIVE ON A TANK OF GAS
1 Blue Ridge Parkway, NC-VA
2 Cades Cove, TN
BEST SCENIC TRAIN RIDE
1 Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Bryson City, NC
2 Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge, GA
3 Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV
BEST MUSEUM
1 Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC
1 Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton, VA
3 Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA
BEST THEME PARK
1 Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
2 Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, NC
Joshua Moore
Dollywood took home a first place win for Best Theme Park.
BEST PLACE TO HEAR MOUNTAIN MUSIC
1 Floyd Country Store, Floyd, VA
2 Galax, VA
3 Carter Family Fold, Hiltons, VA
BEST HISTORIC THEATER
1 Barter Theatre, Abingdon, VA
2 American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, VA
3 Lincoln Theatre, Marion, VA
3 Grandin Theatre, Roanoke, VA
BEST SPA
1 The Spa at Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC
2 The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, VA
2 The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
BEST PLACE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
1 Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
2 Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN
3 Asheville, NC
BEST ANTIQUING
1 Antique Tobacco Barn, Asheville, NC
BEST CRAFTS VENUE
1 Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, NC
BEST OUTLET SHOPPING
1 Tanger Outlets, Sevierville, TN
2 Tanger Outlets, Blowing Rock, NC
3 Asheville Outlets, Asheville, NC
BEST COUNTRY STORE
1 Mast General Store, original in Valle Crucis, NC (others in various locations)
2 Floyd Country Store, Floyd, VA
BEST FARMERS MARKET
1 WNC Farmers Market, Asheville, NC
2 Historic Roanoke City Market, Roanoke, VA
3 Staunton Farmers’ Market, Staunton, VA
BEST SOUTHERN COOKING
1 Dan’l Boone Inn, Boone, NC
2 The Dillard House, Dillard, GA
3 Southern Charm Restaurant, Blue Ridge, GA
3 Moose Café, Asheville, NC
Dan’l Boone Inn | Facebook
Breakfast fare at the Dan’l Boone Inn, winner for Southern Cooking.
BEST MOUNTAIN SPIRITS TRAIL
1 Route 151 Nelson County VA
BEST MOUNTAIN WINE TRAIL
1 Nelson 151 Craft Beverage Trail, Nelson County, VA
2 Monticello Wine Trail, Charlottesville, VA
3 Blue Ridge Parkway - Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia, VA
BEST MOUNTAIN BEER TRAIL
1 Nelson 151, Craft Beverage Trail, Nelson County, VA
BEST FAMILY DESTINATION
1 Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area/Dollywood, TN
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC/TN
3 Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, NC
BEST LUXURY RESORT
1 The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC
2 The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, VA
3 The Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, WV
BEST GOLF RESORT
1 Primland Resort, Meadows of Dan, VA
2 The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, VA
3 Wintergreen Resort, Nellysford, VA
3 The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
BEST ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW
1 Virginia Highlands Festival, Abingdon, VA
2 Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, Crozet, VA
2 Arts in the Park, Blue Ridge, GA
BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL
1 FloydFest, Floyd, VA
2 Old Fiddlers’ Convention, Galax, VA
3 MerleFest, Wilkesboro, NC
BEST FALL FESTIVAL (NON-MUSIC FOCUS)
1 Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk, NC
2 NC Apple Festival, Hendersonville, NC
3 Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, Ferrum, VA
BEST QUIRKY FESTIVAL
1 Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk, NC
2 Queen City Mischief & Magic, Staunton, VA
3 Appalachian Trail Days Festival, Damascus, VA
BEST HOLIDAY FESTIVAL
1 Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas, Pigeon Forge, TN
2 Dickens of a Christmas, Roanoke, VA
3 Wintertide, Highland County, VA
3 Bristol Light Festival, Bristol, TN/VA
3 Blowing Rock WinterFest, Blowing Rock, NC
3 Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC