2011 Top Accolades for Asheville Area - and after just 2 months of the year!

Fodor's, of travel guide fame, has named Asheville the Top Destination in 2011 - outranking places such as the Amalfi Coast, Marrakesh, and Mozambique. Gorgeous scenery, art, music, and food and drink were among our area's big draws. We agree. Asheville is an incredibly wonderful place to visit.

But we encourage you to drive up into that beautiful scenery you are viewing from Asheville. Our historic hometown of Burnsville has just received its on "stardom" with online vacation specialists, Living Social Escapes, highlighting the historic and legendary NuWray Inn with its offer of "Comfort in the Carolinas." Over 800 purchases were made in the few days this was highlighted - and still 2 days are left as of this writing, in case you want to grab your own stay date. Mark Twain, Jimmy Carter, and Elvis Presley are just a few of the legends who have stayed in what WNC magazine calls the "Grand Dame." Southern Hospitality Magazine and TarHeel Travel with WRAL in Raleigh and Durham also highlighted it. (Links to highlights and video are given below.) But these are all places to visit.

THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN, outside of Asheville and off the Blue Ridge Parkway, is the place to live. Nestled in the South Toe River Valley on Celo Knob, this gated sanctuary setting puts you in the midst of the scenery you view from Asheville and just minutes from the NuWray Inn. Within the locally art-commissioned gate that reflects the profiles of our mountains: hone your fly-fishing skills at any of our several trout ponds before getting out on the big rivers all around us, build your endurance by hiking our manicured trails before hitting the nearby Appalachian Trail or any of the area's top-ranked hiking trails. Relax by the 30' waterfall, site of the planned Hidden Water Lodge, Pavilion and Lookout before heading out to the incredible Crabtree Falls and other plentiful waterfalls within minutes of us that attract tourists from all over the country. Enjoy fresh, organic food from our family farms and businesses in the area that supply some of Asheville's top-ranked restaurants and markets. Step outside your Cabin at Celo or custom-built mountain home and get out on and in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hike the trails, rock climb the mountains, swim/raft/tube/fly-fish the rivers, drive the acclaimed Blue Ridge Parkway or see the beauty of the area the old-fashioned way-on horseback, ride (or rent) your bike or motorcycle along the top-ranked 80 S scenic route of valleys/mountains/rivers, take a guided nature tour at Mt. Mitchell State Park. Some of America's most acclaimed natural beauty is here for you to enjoy - just outside the front door of your Cove at Celo Mountain home.

Visit North Carolina blog: "Asheville Named Top Place to Visit in 2011"
Fodor's: 21 Places We're Going to Visit in 2011
LivingSocial Escapes: Setting the Scene for Southern Comfort
WNC Magazine Feature: The Grand Dame
Tarheel Traveler - WRAL
Southern Hospitality Magazine

Gluten-free, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Complimentary Accommodations - What do these have in common in the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Answer: A tempting taste of two wonderful offerings - BAKE! and The Cove at Celo Mountain

Our hometown of Burnsville, NC - outside of Asheville and off the Blue Ridge Parkway is the home of "Smart Treat." You have seen (and probably indulged) in these delights - all gluten-free and most all vegan and dairy-free - in your local Whole Foods or other high-end "healthy food" stores. Locally, this purveyor of incredibly delicious quiches, breads, brownies, cakes, macaroons, foccacia, granola, ad infinitum, is called simply, BAKE!

Fly in or drive in to tour one of the most beautiful pristine, sanctuary settings imaginable for a second home, retirement home, getaway cabin, or new permanent home at The Cove at Celo Mountain. Tour this beautiful small holding replete with manicured hiking trails, 4 parks with cooking areas/fire pits, and handcrafted furniture in the seating areas along the trails; lean-to's for reading, dreaming, photographing, stargazing, or lying in a hammock; a campsite for homeowners, trout ponds, a custom tree house for children or grandchildren and more. Stay at our acclaimed historic B&B, complimentary for 3 days and 2 nights during March and April, 2011. For the pièce de résistance, owners are offering 40% off any estate lot to the next 2 purchasers.

On your drive from the historic bed-and-breakfast to The Cove at Celo Mountain, stop off and fill your picnic hamper with some locally made delectables. Add a thermos of your favorite tea or a bottle of wine to enjoy by the 30' waterfall -site of the planned Hidden Water Lodge, Pavilion and Lookout after your hike on the trails. Meet our preferred architect on-site for a complimentary consultation on your chosen estate lot, or meet with our preferred builder to discuss the beautifully appointed Cabin at Celo you have chosen or the wonderful Brookhaven on Ayles Creek with 2 levels of decks and a screened porch overlooking the creek that will be your gathering place for family and friends. Stay home and relax to the mesmerizing surround sound of creeks, streams and waterfalls and your own unique home theater showcasing long-range and short-range views of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains.

Delight your senses. Taste our local foods. See the beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Breathe the dream. Live the mountains.

For more information on BAKE!

Riddlefest 2011 - February 19th - Burnsville Town Center

Faithful Expressions: Mountain Roots of Spiritual and Gospel Music

Hometown legend Lesley Riddle was the genius behind much of the Carter family's repertoire of old blues, gospel and railroad tunes. This festival celebrates the roots of this music that had its genesis in the remote hollows of the southern Appalachians.

The following workshops are free and open to the public. There is a $10 charge for the evening concert.

• 10 am – noon - Shaped-note Singing and Southern Sacred Music, led by musician and performer, Laura Boosinger

• 1:00-2:30 - Spiritual Roots of Black Gospel Music, led by Tony McNeill, faculty member at Appalachian State University, with examples performed by members of the ASU Gospel Choir, which he conducts.

• 3:00-4:30 - Origins of Southern Gospel Music, led by Dan Boner and Lee Bidgood, faculty members at ETSU. This workshop will examine the evolution of traditional sacred Appalachian music into today’s gospel quartet. Musical examples will be performed by students from ETSU’s unique Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Program.

An evening concert, beginning at 7 p.m., will feature the same performers, including Laura Boosinger, Tony McNeill and the ASU Gospel Choir, and the ETSU Old Time Pride Band and Bluegrass Pride Band.

$10 tickets for the concert may be purchased at the door or in advance at the Burnsville Town Center (828-682-7209).

For more information: The Traditional Voices Group The Lesley Riddle Story

Around the corner from the Town Center is the Town Square office of The Cove at Celo Mountain. Let us take you to Tanglewood Hollow where the beautiful Cove at Celo Mountain is located. Spend time hiking the three miles of manicured trails which wind along Ayles Creek, waterfalls, and trout ponds. Stop off in one of our lean-to's to read, play your own music, or enjoy photography. You will want to see our newest Cabin at Celo, just completed, and Brookhaven, the spec home with upper and lower decks and a screened porch overlooking Ayles Creek. Walk up to the 30' cascading waterfall just up from the home and then end your visit at one of the 4 outdoor parks with cooking areas, fire pits, and handcrafted furniture. The natural beauty of this Blue Ridge area of the ancient Appalachians is even more celebrated than our soul-stirring music. Come enjoy the best of both this weekend. The mountains are calling.