It's Fall Y'All!!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year :) From stoking up a campfire to enjoy the crackling flames to relaxing and enjoying the spectacular colors of our surrounding mountains, there is something for everyone with Fall in the High Country. 

Colors start to change at the higher elevations first, so plan your leaf viewing accordingly! Late September to the beginning of October will see color changes in elevations that are 5,000 feet above sea level and higher. 

Grandfather Mountain with its' Mile High Swinging Bridge, located in Linville has breathtaking views, some great hiking, and a wonderful nature museum. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway is always a great choice for breathtaking vistas and a scenic drive through the Fall colors. It offers a variety of hiking trails and picnic spots. 

Linville Falls located at milepost 316.3 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the perfect area for hiking, enjoying the scenic views and hiking to the stunning falls. The Falls have two different hiking trails. An easy trail leading to the upper Falls area and a more difficult trail leading to the larger lower Falls area. 

Kick off Fall in style with the Ashe County Museum of History - Autumn Leaf Festival - on Saturday, September 28th at the Museum. There will be historic demonstrations, children's activities, food, music, dancing and more! The Festival is free and open to everyone from 10 am to 2 pm. 

Stop in and eat at Shatley Springs Restaurant

Located just two miles from our cabins is the iconic Shatley Springs Restaurant. An Ashe County tradition that offers family style, country dining in a casual setting. 

Breakfast served at Shatley Springs is renown for being hearty and having traditional country food. Biscuits, all warm and fresh from the oven, crisp bacon, tasty sausage and fluffy eggs, along with pancakes, are just a few of the items offered. The offer a family style "all you can eat" option for $12.50 per person, or you can order off the menu - $4.95 to $6.50 per plate. They open at 7 am on the weekends, and we always suggest getting there early!

The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner as well. Renown for their fried chicken, the family style meal is $18.95 per person, or you can order off the menu for between $5.95 to $10.95. If you are a fan of fried chicken, it is well worth stopping in for lunch or dinner! 

Shatley Springs' history is very similar to our history here at Healing Springs in that the property was built around a natural spring discovered in 1890 by Martin Shatley.  Mr. Shatley testified to the curative powers of the spring and in the 1920's, cabins and a tearoom were built and the name was changed to Radium Springs as a result of a chemical analysis revealing a trace of Radium in the water. For a short time the water was bottled and sold; one truckload in 1927 brought a price of $840 for 600 gallons. The current owner, Lee McMillan has owned and operated the restaurant and cabins since 1958. 

People often ask if the water from Shatley Springs is the same as the water from Healing Springs? While the historical documents showing the analysis of the waters list similar minerals in both waters, they are not identical. Healing Springs was discovered in 1883 and for a long time had a sign on the spring house that said "the original Healing Springs". We always suggest that folks try the water from both springs and taste for themselves.