Small-Town Gems of Western North Carolina

The husband-and-wife team of Al & Sunny Lockwood visited more than half a dozen small cities and towns across western North Carolina to compile a delightful travel guide to this fascinating part of the state. From Mt. Airy (the fictional Mayberry in Andy Griffith's television series) near the Virginia border to Dillsboro in the far western mountains, the two explored and described everything they encountered during their travels. Mt. Airy is also the site of the largest open-face quarry in the world, with its renowned white granite having been used for the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk, N.C. to Arlington Memorial Bridge across the Potomac, to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Other primary towns visited include Asheville, an arts and "foodie" mecca that's home to the world-famous Biltmore House and scores of other attractions, including some of the finest Art Deco architecture in the country.

Black Mountain, birthplace of the great rock and soul musician Roberta Flack, is also a popular destination for hikers, campers, and lovers of fine art, theater, and native craftsmanship, and was home to the renowned Black Mountain College, where such 20th-century giants as Buckminster Fuller and John Cage taught, learned, and shared their talents.

Brevard, the seat of Transylvania County known for its unique white squirrels, is home to dozens of beautiful waterfalls and of the renowned Brevard Music Center, as well as the birthplace of another renowned Black star, the late Moms Mabley.

Dillsboro, one of the smallest towns on the Lockwoods' travels, has been a tourist mecca for well over a century, with a thriving glass-blowing scene along with craftsmakers of baskets, ceramics, paintings, framed photographs, and woodblock art. It's also a destination for the Great Smoky Mountains Railway that carries visitors far into the mountains for tours and the fall leaf season.

Hendersonville, a retirement-friendly city that hosts the official State Theater of North Carolina, the Flat Rock Playhouse, as well as the wondrous angel referred to by Thomas Wolfe in his acclaimed first novel, Look Homeward, Angel.

As Al Lockwood says, "We want readers to feel like they're right beside us as we explore the heart of each small town."