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Why hasn't anyone mentioned Abingdon, VA??? It's a wonderful rural small city, just a short hop from JC and Bristol. Taxes are lower than TN or NC.
I'd live there in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself.
I have lived in or near Boone for the last 9 years with addresses in Mountain City, TN, West Jefferson, NC Lenoir, NC (currently) and of course, Boone. Boone has a LOT to offer (including traffic in and near downtown). The education is great from pre-school to University. The Watauga County schools are excellent, and the new ratings for the state just came out.
I just noticed today that SEARS is moving into the mall!! That makes Sears, Macy's, Penny's, and TJ Maxx along with a Panetti Bread Co., and other typical mall shops. We now have nearly everything you could want from the chain restaurant POV, and decent fine dining is just a few minutes away in Blowing Rock and Banner Elk.
Serious shopping is only 45 mins away in Hickory. The only thing we don't have yet that I miss is a Barne's and Nobles! The Wal-Mart, while not being a superstore is beginning an expansion project in March that will include a grocery section (finally!) and probably a tire & lube garage. Too bad you've already ruled out WNC. Taxes and all, it's a pretty cool place to live . . .
Speaking of cool, it's about 18 outside right now, the wind is blowing and I can feel the cold air coming in every crack! My wood stove is in the dining room where it is about 85 degrees, the living room is a livable 72, but my bedroom (where I am typing right now is a cool 62 degrees! As the wood stove burns lower, by about 6 or 7 am it will be 52 in my bedroom!! But 11 outside, so I'm happy! LOL I would love an insulated house right about now! OH! and it's snowing! We got no snow last night, it hopped right over us to the east, but we're getting a dusting tonight. When I left Blowing Rock this afternoon they had about 2 inches on the ground, while Boone had 4 and Beech Mtn in Avery Co., had 8. I'm sure all locations will double todays totals by morning.
One thing that JC and eastern TN doesn't have is skiing! Though it's not too far a drive to either Beech or over to the Smokies.
Oh, and BTW, I am a FL native, one branch of my family goes back NINE generations in North FL (The Minorcan Colony that still exists near Mayport). If I never see FL again, I will die a happy woman! Unfortunately, I still have family in and near JAX. Bummer.
Good luck with your move . . . I totally understand the need for a change. Ask yourself this question: If the world (or our corner called the USA) for some reason descended into chaos, where would you like to ride it out with your family? That's the place you should be.
Blessings!
Tracey
(Not saying at all that this would happen, purely hypothetical of course, lol! Did I hear someone say that Solar Max will be about 2012!???? HA HA ha, um, errr . . . hmmmmmm. Time for bed!)
Why hasn't anyone mentioned Abingdon, VA??? It's a wonderful rural small city, just a short hop from JC and Bristol. ... and decent fine dining is just a few minutes away in Blowing Rock and Banner Elk.
Serious shopping is only 45 mins away in Hickory. .
How far a drive is Blowing Rock/Banner Elk from Abingdon, Va??? ~*~ Painted Lady
How far a drive is Blowing Rock/Banner Elk from Abingdon, Va??? ~*~ Painted Lady
US Hwy 58 cuts through there, the Jeb Stuart Highway. Great for Bikers! 58 goes through the Cherokee National Forest and is near the Mt. Rogers Recreation area. (You can see 3 states from Mt. Rogers and White Top) Much more primitive than the Parkway with a totally different culture than Valle Crucis/Boone area. Your pipes may actually be welcome up there! lol That area of VA is stunningly beautiful. The town of Damascus is nearby, the head of the Virginia Creeper Trail.
The distance to Boone/ Banner Elk/ Blowing Rock is not a matter of distance, but of terrain. Depending on which way you go, Abingdon east to Mtn City is FIVE mph for much of the drive, about 30 miles of it. I'm not kidding. Hwy 421 cuts across TWO sections of the eastern divide, the Iron Mountains, then where the Appalachian Trail comes down. MAJOR multiple switchbacks. Most people take that drive once and say NO MORE!! I drove it every day from Mtn City to Briistol for a year. One 8 mile stretch takes 30 minutes to drive. There's another way across that's longer but better, I THINK it's Hwy 90. In any case it's still a really long way. people who live up there rarely ever drive to Boone. I haven't beem over there since the premeir of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King! (The best movie theatre in the world is in Abingdon!)
And I was right . . . in spite of feeding the fire at 6 this morning, and in spite of the heater going full blast in my bedroom, it's 55 degrees in here!! Is is any wonder I don't get out of bed until 10 am!? LOL Going to feed the wood stove, y'all have a cozy day!
US Hwy 58 cuts through there, the Jeb Stuart Highway. Great for Bikers! 58 goes through the Cherokee National Forest and is near the Mt. Rogers Recreation area. (You can see 3 states from Mt. Rogers and White Top) Much more primitive than the Parkway with a totally different culture than Valle Crucis/Boone area. Your pipes may actually be welcome up there! lol That area of VA is stunningly beautiful. The town of Damascus is nearby, the head of the Virginia Creeper Trail.
The distance to Boone/ Banner Elk/ Blowing Rock is not a matter of distance, but of terrain. Depending on which way you go, Abingdon east to Mtn City is FIVE mph for much of the drive, about 30 miles of it. I'm not kidding. Hwy 421 cuts across TWO sections of the eastern divide, the Iron Mountains, then where the Appalachian Trail comes down. MAJOR multiple switchbacks. Most people take that drive once and say NO MORE!! I drove it every day from Mtn City to Briistol for a year. One 8 mile stretch takes 30 minutes to drive. There's another way across that's longer but better, I THINK it's Hwy 90. In any case it's still a really long way. people who live up there rarely ever drive to Boone. I haven't beem over there since the premeir of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King! (The best movie theatre in the world is in Abingdon!)
And I was right . . . in spite of feeding the fire at 6 this morning, and in spite of the heater going full blast in my bedroom, it's 55 degrees in here!! Is is any wonder I don't get out of bed until 10 am!? LOL Going to feed the wood stove, y'all have a cozy day!
Bbbbbllessings!
Tracey
So how far is Abington from the Blue Ridge Parkway?? That is important to us. ~*~ Painted Lady
The Parkway is 57 miles from downtown Abingdon, about an hour and a half. There is a really nice "round robin" trip I call The Three State Tour. I like to take my visiting friends on this drive.
If you start in Abingdon, you'll ride south on US-421, through Mountain City, TN, all the way to Boone, stopping downtown for the Mast General Store, then continuing down 421 to the intersection of Old 421 (can't miss it, huge intersection . . . unless it's foggy!) and hopping on the Parkway just up the road in Deep Gap. Taking the Parkway north you could go as far as you want before you hop off and head back, but for a day trip, get off at Laurel Springs and do a little sightseeing/shopping/lunch there. Then head north on NC 18 to NC-113, Flint Hill Rd. Continue north on Flint Hill all the way to VA 58. You'll cross the New River (VERY spectacular there, near white water rafting sites) and turn left (west) on 58. VA 58 will take you through the foothills and mountains of southern VA, through the Cherokee National Forest, parallel to the Virginia Creeper Trail, through White Top past Mt Rogers (Wild ponies and awesome camping and trails at Mt. Rogers Rec. area) and ultimately back to Abingdon.
BTW, through the Cherokee Nat. Forest, you can just pull off the road and camp pretty much wherever you want, and also hike the Virginia Creeper Trail. There are tons of little pull offs with primitive campsites just off the highway.
Don't get "hung up" on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a well developed National Park, beautiful, but very "touristy." You go north, south, north again, south again . . . after awhile it gets pretty routine. Doing routes like the one outlined above, will always thrill you with something different around every curve. For me, it was a lifelong dream to live in the highcountry, and I remember how thrilling it was for me as a child to travel the parkway, It's still gorgeous, and I use it occasionally now, but it has become just one part of my commute, another way to get from point A to B. (I'll be glad when the bridge at Goshen Creek is finished!)
The Parkway is accessible from anywhere in the Tri-State area. The 1 1/2 hr drive to get to it is just as beautiful as the actual Parkway, and gives you the chance to tour other areas of the tri-state region while you're at it. Not only that, the distance, and the fact that you're not on it every day ensures that you will never take it for granted! Those breathtaking views will stay fresh, and it will always be a treat when you get over there.
When you come up to visit be sure to check out the area of NE TN called Shady Valley (above Mountain City), and Damascus and Abingdon, VA as well as the areas in NC that you're interested in. You may just be surprised at what you'll find!
*ducking for cover and looking around* hoping they don't throw barbs as I bring up again that we love to ride on the BRP w/our motorcycles. We do love to ride off the beaten path too...... that is how we found Valle Crucis. I loved the snakey windy road up the mountain overlooking the Valley. But that is all I can safely say on that subject. ~*~ Painted Lady ps...I will look up Shady Valley and Damascus too.
DON'T MISS Watauga Lake!!!! Hwy 67 from Mountain City west towards Elizabethton (pronounced properly: 'Liz-a-BETH-ton, lol). OR US 321 from Boone to 67 and take a left. The Appalachian Trail intersects the Hwy and follows the far side of the lake to Watauga Dam. Absolutely stunningly beautiful. The dam/lake flooded nearby Butler, TN. I think the history is on Wikipedia and I'm sure there are lots of pics online . . . Picasa Web Albums - JeffChow - Best of the AT
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You would LOVE Abingdon!
~*~ Painted Lady ps...I will look up Shady Valley and Damascus too.
