Claudia Honeycutt had an idea. She’d just opened Mountain Time on Main Street in Burnsville, the quaint Yancey County town less than an hour northeast of Asheville, and was looking for the perfect artwork to represent her downtown shop’s tagline: Mountain Time is the Best Time. “I wanted a mural painted across the back wall that was bright, colorful, and depicted how beautiful our mountains are,” she says.
Claudia Honeycutt welcomes visitors to her Burnsville shop, Mountain Time on Main Street. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
In some places, that might require hiring a professional photographer to find just the right spot at just the right time of day. But those places don’t have sweeping mountain vistas around every corner like Burnsville does. “After taking a look at the space along my back wall, the muralists just walked out the door to the middle of the street and snapped a picture of the sunset,” Honeycutt remembers. “Anywhere you look, it’s simply beautiful. The mural serves as a daily reminder.”
From muralists to potters and glass blowers, artists find inspiration as well as respite in every mountain sunrise, dramatic waterfall, showy rhododendron bloom, and star-filled sky. So do vacationers as they spend a weekend living with the rhythms of nature. This year, as spring brings stretches of warm days and you feel drawn to breathe fresh mountain air, here’s how to plan a memory-filled weekend in Yancey County.
Detour to Shoal Creek Valley on your way to Burnsville and see the Center for Pioneer Life. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
From its home on Joe Young Road in Burnsville, the Center for Pioneer Life offers a glimpse into the history and culture that drives mountain life. The grounds alone — an 1847 log cabin, complete with a chicken coop, garden, blacksmith forge, corn crib, barn, and spring house — tell a rich story about the Southern Appalachian pioneers who settled this region. Enjoy a peaceful stroll around the grounds. If you have the time, hang out and watch demonstrations of traditional practices like weaving and canning. “Being there offers a sense for the traditions that have influenced us,” Honeycutt says. Check the center’s online calendar for demonstrations and classes you might want to take.
Next, check into your home away from home for the weekend. With boutique hotels, inns, and cozy rental properties, Burnsville offers a variety of accommodations to help you feel right at home.
After an afternoon at the historic farm, transition into modern-day mountain life as you unwind with a flight of beers at Homeplace Beer Company. The brewery’s restaurant, Hog Hollow Wood-Fired Pizzas, features thin, perfectly charred crusts as a base for savory specialties like the Popper Pie with herbed ricotta, jalapeño, bacon, and blackberry-chipotle drizzle.
Shop for hand-made ceramics by Carrie DeVee ceramics at Toe River Crafts. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
From Appalachian Java on Main Street, Honeycutt’s daughter, Julianna, greets coffee seekers with an array of freshly baked goods and specialty coffee drinks. “She started working there when she was 14 and fell in love with the business and our customers,” Honeycutt says. “I completely understood. People who come to vacation in Yancey County are an easy crowd to please and to be with because they’re here to relax — hike, enjoy nature, fish, visit the artists.”
After breakfast, spend the day exploring the county’s diverse arts community. Carrie DeVee is one of many local artists who find inspiration in Burnsville’s natural beauty. “Thanks to our proximity to Penland School of Craft, we are surrounded by so many talented artists,” DeVee says. “In fact, it is said Yancey County has more artists per capita than any other county in North Carolina.”
A talented ceramic artist, DeVee also serves as president of the Toe River Crafts artist co-op and gallery. “Although Hurricane Helene destroyed our original gallery, which had just reached its milestone 50th birthday, our team of working members has worked tirelessly to reimagine our space. It’s incredibly exciting to announce we’ll be reopening in April, which is when we traditionally reopen after our winter break.”
Toe River Crafts showcases art by painters, potters, mixed-media and textile artists, soap makers, candle makers, jewelry makers, photographers, and more. “Visitors love the whimsy, the sophistication, the fact that there’s something for all tastes and budgets,” DeVee says.
Watch artists like Robert Levin create hand-blown glass at Hearth Glass and Gallery. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
The same is true of Hearth Glass and Gallery, owned by Keikichi Littleton, granddaughter of Harvey K. Littleton who is recognized as the father of the studio glass movement. Littleton and her brother Tadayoshi invite visitors to watch artists work Tuesdays through Saturdays in their open-access studio. You can even sign up for a hands-on glassblowing class. The duo says it’s a good idea to book your session two to three weeks in advance.
Get an order of the poke nachos to share at Live Oak Gastropub. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
After your lesson, catch a matinee at the historic Parkway Playhouse, recognized as the oldest summer theater in North Carolina. Here, Yancey County’s talented community actors bring familiar stories to the stage. This season’s lineup includes productions like Sister Act, Annie, and Peter and the Starcatcher.
For dinner, Honeycutt is convinced that the food at Live Oak Gastropub is some of the best in the county. “The atmosphere is magical, complete with live music on the patio.”
While she says every dish is delicious, from the trout BLT to the Low Country shrimp and grits, Honeycutt’s personal favorite is the poke nachos starter — an artfully crafted tray of crispy wontons drizzled with avocado and sriracha aioli, soy-ginger glaze, serrano peppers, and cilantro, then topped with a generous helping of fresh sushi-grade tuna.
Take a seat under the 36-foot projection dome inside the Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
Allow nature to provide your after-dinner entertainment free of charge. At the Mayland Earth to Sky Park, the Bare Dark Sky Observatory and Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium is one of a few international dark sky parks open to the public 24 hours a day. Depending on the moon cycle, you may be able to catch a Community Viewing Night. Tickets are available for purchase in advance. It’s easy to see how visitors get starry eyed as they gaze through the custom-built Newtonian telescope that provides them with an unparalleled view of the moon, stars, and planets.
Originally established in 1833, The NuWray Hotel underwent a major renovation and is once again open to guests. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
North Carolina’s oldest continuously operating hotel was first built in 1833 as an eight-room log structure — part lodging, part tavern, part trading post. Today, the spectacularly renovated NuWray Hotel boasts 27 rooms, a full-service restaurant, and the Washroom Bar, a speakeasy-style venue centered around the building’s original washing machine.
Its original Carriage House Sundries serves as a café and bakery during the day, then transforms into a bar and lounge at night. Brunch includes breakfast classics, like biscuits and gravy, alongside flavorful handhelds, like the fried chicken sandwich and steak gyro. Dine in or create a picnic to-go.
Enjoy a relatively short hike to the cascades at Roaring Fork Falls. photograph by Sue Wasserman/Explore Burnsville
For an after-brunch meander, DeVee recommends Roaring Fork Falls Trail, a 1.3-mile roundtrip route that winds through the Pisgah National Forest, replete with dappled light, the calming sounds of Roaring Fork Creek, and an ever-changing menu of colorful, fairy-like wildflowers. An old, but sturdy wooden bridge leads visitors to the base of these wonderfully zigzagging falls. Plan about an hour for the out-and-back trip.
“Roaring Fork Falls appeals to hikers and meanderers of all abilities and ages,” DeVee says. “It’s one of my favorite falls to share with guests.”
Before you leave, get a cup of coffee and treats for your drive back home at Honeycutt’s Mountain Time Mercantile. The shelves are stocked with locally made pickles and jellies, honey, dressings, and dips, perfect to give as gifts or keep for yourself. After all, you deserve tasty treats, too.
“When you walk in, the first thing that hits you is the smell of our banana walnut bread, Appalachian Java’s claim to fame,” Honeycutt says. “We make all the breads and baked goods in-house every day. We serve oatmeal cream pies as big as your head and huge chocolate chip cookies.” Could there be a sweeter way to bring your weekend adventure to a close?
Ready to explore it for yourself? Click here to plan your visit.
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