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Flying out tomorrow for my first interview, then on to Charlotte and driving up to Boone the next day. Anything that I shouldnt miss while in Boone? I wont have alot of time for myself but can scrape out a couple hours on Saturday for some sightseeing.
Flying out tomorrow for my first interview, then on to Charlotte and driving up to Boone the next day. Anything that I shouldnt miss while in Boone? I wont have alot of time for myself but can scrape out a couple hours on Saturday for some sightseeing.
If you are coming up the mountain from Charlotte on Hwy 321, you will come up through Lenoir. Then you will climb the mountain until you are in Blowing Rock. DON'T SPEED. We have a new female police officer, and she hands out tickets if you fart sideways, I heard. Go see the village, because it is really a cute town. Lots of cute shops and all the tourist buy ice cream and sit on the park bench. When you get back on Hwy.321 towards Boone, you will see the exit for The Blue Ridge Parkway, also, Don't Speed, go South towards Linville. You will see the Cone Manor House, worth stopping at. They have the Folk Art Center there, and there are tons of hiking trails all around. Something you can do at another time when you have more time. Then I would get back on The Parkway, continue south, and you will come to Price Lake. There is another smaller lake before Price. If you have time, continue to Grandfather Mtn. so you can cross the Viaduct. If you haven't been to the mountains up here, it will take your breath away, that is if the weather is good. If it is foggy, or rainy, don't get on the Parkway. Good Luck on the interview. There is a football game Saturday night in Boone, so probably going to be full of people. Have fun and let us know how it went. If you need anything else, just let us know.
Things you should see while in Boone.. Blue Ridge Parkway pick it up between Boone and Blowing Rock, and go about 15 miles either direction for stunning views, pastor settings.. Wonderful thing is - that's the way the area is, not just on the Parkway.. Life is good, sweet, slow, community is strong. Schools are incredible, especially Blowing Rock and Hardin Park for younger ones.. My family is about to move away, not by choice.. as a matter of fact, in a few weeks, we will likely be putting our home up for rent, for a year or so.. Keep us abreast of how things go!
Well I saw Boone and even though the weather was terrible the whole time I was there, It was still a pretty awesome place.
People seemed genuine and nice. My hotel was without power for about 30 mins when I got there and after the power came on the fire alarm went off until the fire department showed up to turn it off. You could tell the girl working the front desk was getting a little frazzled as there were about 20-30 people from the red cross in the lobby trying to check in. Nobody got frustrated, snappy or crass with her and everyone just seemed to go with the flow and shrug it off as "stuff happens".
Anyway, from my perspective the interviews went well. Everyone I met seemed friendly and concerned with my success. The school suprised me with the resources they have available and the quality of students. The other big thing that caught my attention was that every person I spoke with that had children commented on the quality of the school system.
One mom/professor relayed to me a terrible life changing event that happened soon after she moved to Boone and then told me how everyone in the department rallied around to support her and her entire family through the ordeal even though, at that point, they barely knew her.
Anyway, I didnt bring my wife with me, but I told her that I could definitely see us living and raising a family there. A realtor took me around a little on saturday and he was FULL of great information about the area. I am looking to rent and he doesnt handle rentals but still took over an hour of his time and gas to drive me around and tell me about areas, what to look for, what to avoid, etc.
I really have to stop thinking about it now and move on to the other campus visits I have scheduled because I have to dedicate the same energy to those. In my mind, ASU/Boone is definitely among the front runners and I hope to hear something positive from them soon. Then it will be a flurry of activity to find a place close in to rent. *cross some fingers for me*
Location: Lots of sun and palm trees with occasional hurricane :)
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I started reading this thread and couldn't wait to see if the OP had come back to Miami yet and hear his thoughts (or read).
I was just in that area last week for the first time. Spent 5 days in Blowing Rock and just doing all the regular, touristy, sightseeing lifestyle. I was a tourist so I played the role. We did SO much. Non-stop driving, walking, pictures, eating (very expensive to eat out over there).
I am also from Miami and the thing that got me the most was the STEEP, WINDING, almost perpendicular curves and how the locals drive fairly fast. My heart was always in my throat. Walking? I was huffing and puffing out of breath the whole time. Boy, do I need to exercise! How do the locals walk uphill like nothing? Bike ride uphill!!! ??? We even saw a bike race UP to Grandfather Mountain!
I thought Blowing Rock was really nice. I thought Boone was very commercialized. Traffic? None by Miami standards.
Speaking of bi-racial family. I know it doesn't matter and it shouldn't matter BUT we actually noticed how very few black people we saw in western NC. It caught our attention. We spent the last two days of our week in Charlotte and that, to me, was just like any big city. I liked it and thought that was a pretty diverse place, more like what I'm used to and I'm definitely going back.
Goodbye Miami......what other places are you looking at? Where in Miami do you live now?
Other place include Tampa, couple spots in Mass and Rock Hill, SC. I have yet to visit the one in SC, but one of the spots in Mass was really really nice as well, but a tad expensive.
My wife wants seasons, and we both want good schools for our daughter. So far, with SC yet to be visited, Boone is near the top of the heap.
I live in the Palmetto Bay area in Miami vpcats. How about you?
VPCats, sounds like you got roped into eating at the touristy places, which can be quite expensive (and aren't even the best food in the area.)
My dad used to joke that Boone was the only place he knew where you always walked uphill. It felt true sometimes, but you really do get used to it.
You're correct that it's not a very diverse population, racially. That's always been true. Not sure why, but I also never heard of nor wittnessed any problems in the area based on race. You'd find eastern NC more diverse. (Charlotte, IMHO, is just plain boring. Like you said, like any other city anywhere else. Some people love it, though.)
I was in Boone nearly six years. I'd move back tomorrow if I could! Unfortunately, my obligations are in another part of the country these days.
GoodbyeMiami, I don't know if you'll return to this site, but I also grew up in Miami. I bought outside of Boone in 1992 (before it got so popular and expensive) when I was still working for the Dade County Public Schools. When I sold that place, I moved to Ashe County (summer home) because I could no longer afford the Boone area. I'm not recommending Ashe to you because it is a far more conservative area, and the people--who are exceptionally kind--might not welcome a bi-racial family.
One word of warning if you move to a small town in NC: don't ever mention how "we did it in Florida". Just as we Floridians tend to resent northerners, midwesterners, etc. who moved to Florida and cause a spike in house prices, North Carolinians feel the same way about Floridians. Let's face it; we're leaving/left Miami because we don't like it. No one wants us to bring the bad Miami habits with us. (I still lock all my doors because I lived in Miami.) Because of Miami, I have a burglar alarm in my current Florida house, but I don't have one in Ashe County.
I'm trying to get my Florida house ready to sell. I plan to make NC my primary residence as soon as I can. My sister tells me I won't be able to stand the winters, but my attitude is what's the difference in staying inside during the winter in NC and staying inside during the winter in NC?
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To Boone on Saturday
Go see the village, because it is really a cute town. Lots of cute shops and all the tourist buy ice cream and sit on the park bench. When you get back on Hwy.321 towards Boone, you will see the exit for The Blue Ridge Parkway, also, Don't Speed, go South towards Linville. You will see the Cone Manor House, worth stopping at. They have the Folk Art Center there, and there are tons of hiking trails all around. Something you can do at another time when you have more time. Then I would get back on The Parkway, continue south, and you will come to Price Lake. There is another smaller lake before Price. If you have time, continue to Grandfather Mtn. so you can cross the Viaduct. If you haven't been to the mountains up here, it will take your breath away, that is if the weather is good. If it is foggy, or rainy, don't get on the Parkway. Good Luck on the interview. There is a football game Saturday night in Boone, so probably going to be full of people. Have fun and let us know how it went. If you need anything else, just let us know.
