Oh the places you can go....in western North Carolina!

Have you given North Carolina a thought recently? I have been priviledged to spend the majority of my life in western North Carolina. My wife spent several years on the east coast of North Carolina. While the wonderful beaches, light houses, and views are fantastic for the east coast, I am still proud to be a resident of the western part of North Carolina.

This past week, I finally took the plunge and created a Flickr account. I'm new at sharing personal photos, other than of home listings! And I still haven't dealved into creating videos for places like YouTube yet. But I am pretty proud of the places to go and things to see in western North Carolina.

If you have not had the pleasure of visiting western North Carolina, maybe these will inspire you to plan a trip. There are many other places and things that we have explored but didn't get enough photographs....like Tweetsie Railroad, Cherokee white water rafting, the mile high bridge, horseback riding trails, etc.

The first photo was taken at the National Gingerbread House Competition at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville NC. This is an annual competition and locals can visit the Inn to see all of the entries. The food network covers the event and the winners are announced on national TV. The Grove Park Inn is something to see by itself, but add in the gingerbread festivities and you have a blast! Asheville is cool this time of year, so you will want to sit in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling natural stone fireplaces!

My wife and I recently took family to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. This is America's largest home and is just filled with awe-inspiring architecture, furnishing, and floral design. It is really something to see this place decorated for Christmas, or to visit during the spring when they host their tulip festival in the gardens.

Grandfather Mountain - Well there is so much to see and do in this mountainous area. There is a place to visit wildlife specific to this region, like black bears and eagles. There are hiking trails and parks to stop and have a picnic.

After spending a day in this area, you will certainly want to come back and visit the mile high bridge! It is a bridge made of boards and rope railing literally suspended a mile high between two massive bolders that visitors are able to walk across! Brave the path if you dare! My wife and I ventured across the bridge and will never forget the view we saw below!

Another wonderful thing about western North Carolina is just taking a drive on the weekend. During one of our trips from Hickory to Blowing Rock, we stopped at this scene along the way. Talk about breathtaking scenery!

Yes, that's me in this picture! This was another place we stopped while driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway one afternoon. Can you think of many places better than this to relax for the afternoon?

Another wonderful thing about western North Carolina is the fall season! Many of the roads and overlooks have been designed to give you the perfect view of the blast of color that comes alive! It is a must see!

Theme park anyone? Located in Charlotte, Carowinds has a great theme park full of roller coasters, a water park, and plenty of activities. During October, the park is transformed into Scarowinds!

If you've learned anything about NC, you'll know we are a basketball state. Heard of the NCAA tournament? While my wife was attending UNC-Charlotte, the Bobcats came to town, replacing the Hornets, and have been a big hit ever since!

Hockey in western North Carolina? That's right. Located in Charlotte, NC, the Checkers are something great to see. Who doesn't love to see a good fight break out on the ice!

You know NC is famous for NASCAR! And we now have the NASCAR hall of fame to prove it! We took this picture during the Coca Cola 600 event a couple of years ago. I must admit, it was my first race. Who knew how loud those events are? My advise for those of you who have never attended one....bring some ear plugs!

You would know that with all of the mountains, western NC would likely have some beautiful caverns! The caverns in Linville, NC are amazing. The tour takes you to the deepest part of the cavern and then the lights are turned off so you can experience true darkness. Amazing experience!

This was just a quick photo we took during the ride home after visiting the caverns in Linville. It is just another example of how we are surrounded by beauty in this great state!

The NC Zoo is located in Asheboro, NC. You can see animals from aligators to monkeys, bears to flamingos! You will do lots of walking, so wear comfortable shoes. But it is definitely a trip worth taking!

Football season is also fully experienced in western North Carolina. The Panther Stadium is located in Charlotte, NC.

Every fall, a Renaissance Festival takes place in Concord, NC. You can see duals, jousting, eat a turkey leg, dress in the fashions of the time, and just have a good time with friends! That's us posing for a picture!

These last two pictures were taken at the same location during a day-trip my wife took from Hickory to Highlands, NC. The first waterfalls drops off into the second large waterfall.

Hopefully, those of you who have never visited western North Carolina will find something in this post that peaks your interest and inspires you to plan a trip. For those of you from this area, I'm sure you can attest to the wonderful place we live!

For more information, please visit Kevin Teeters Realty or check out my Flicker account for additional photos.