Exploring the Mountain *Gems* - Tryon, NC

As an extension to my previous post, WNC Mountain Road Trip!, this one discusses some of my personal favorite mountain towns.  If you're planning a day or weekend trip to our Blue Ridge Mountains, this will be a great start for places to explore.  Because this subject could go on and on, I will have to make multiple posts to cover WNC.  Please keep checking back in for updates to this theme!
In the next several posts, I plan to get into waterfalls, historic points of interest, mountain overlooks, great hikes, mountain bike trails, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, boating, motorcycling, shopping, dining, B&B's, and scenic drives.  Whew...
To keep with good blogging etiquette, I can't get too long winded in each article, so just as I said in my previous post, I encourage you to do a little online investigation for yourself!  Doing this will help you to learn more about the places you want to visit and experience, and will ultimately lead you into many more adventures!  Here I want to highlight some of my personal favorite mountain towns, some attractions in each one, and some of what to look for along the way!

If you come to NC via SC on I-26 West, the first town you'll come to is the *gem* that I live in, Tryon, NC.

My suggested route into town is, in lieu of the interstate, follow Hwy.176 from Spartanburg.  A wonderful preview to Tryon, you'll see Historic Spartanburg, Inman, Gramling, Campobello, and Landrum, South Carolina.  Each one of these towns have many charms, and if you are traveling from the south or east, this is the most sceninc route to follow.
As you come through Landrum, the last town in SC, you'll cross the NC state line and into Tryon, NC, "The Friendliest Town In The South!"  Here's a link to preview later to give you the history of the town (Tryon History), and the official town site (Town of Tryon).

Tryon is located just at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is tucked in midway between Asheville and Charlotte, NC, and Greenville and Spartanburg, SC.

Tryon is known for it's annual "Blockhouse Steeple Chase Horse Race," world class equestrian facilities on the outskirts, small town shops, great restaurants, outdoor activities, a very mild climate, and amazingly wonderful people!  The eclectic blend of human kind comes from the fact that people from around the globe come to this town to retire, have second homes, or generate inspiration for personal art ventures (painting, sculpting, acting, music).  The population is a variable patch work quilt, but it makes for an awesome environment!

If you have time to stay a few hours, or even a few days, I recommend researching from the links above (and more posted below).  If you only have time to pass through for a few hours, during lunch or dinner, here are my few suggestions.

For the most casual lunch or dinner, there can only be Side Street Pizza And Pasta! O.M.G.  There is really nothing else I can say! Do it.  This is my regular Friday night haunt, where I hang out at the bar chatting with Amanda (my fav' waitress) and Nicole (my fav' bartender).  All the menu items are EPIC, but my personal fav's are the Side Street Special Sub, The Heartstopper Pizza, and The Volcano Pizza, all equally awesome with an Antipasta House Salad (this side salad is big enough to feed four).  Oh, and the Side Street Wings are one of a kind, and good enough to make you wanna jump up and smack a bear in the head!

If you're looking to stay overnight, we have a nice host of B&B's, The Pine Crest Inn, The Mimosa Inn, Marilyn's Melrose Inn, and a few more nearby inns within 4 miles of Tryon.

If you do stay overnight, and it happens to be during the weekend, check out our local movie theater, The Tryon Theatre on South Trade St, right across from Side Street Pizza.  It is a quaint, old-time theater that has been operating since the 1930's showing first-run movies Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m. for $6, and a matinee on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. for $5.

Falling in line with the theater times, a more refined meal in a gorgeous mountain lake setting might be in order.  Try the Lake Lanier Tea House just outside Tryon, tucked in a forest right on scenic Lake Lanier.  The lake is split by Spartanburg and Greenville Counties of SC, with a small portion being in Polk County, NC.

To burn some calories after a day of shopping and dining in town, head west down Hwy.176 and 108 and turn onto Harmon Field Rd for a stroll about Harmon Field Park.  Here you'll find 4 horse rings, 140 horse stalls, 3 baseball fields, 2 soccer fields, 4 tennis courts, an open-air gym with basketball courts, playgorund, horseshoes, tetherball, putting green, walking trails, rental facilities, picnic shelters, grills, a concession stand, and the Pacolet River for floating and fishing.

If you're around on a Friday night, you may be able to catch some live music in Rogers Park on W Howard St in the amphitheatre, or check Explore Tryon for a wider range of many other things to do and see while you're here!

Finally, I hope that you would give me a call before you arrive in Tryon and spend some time with me high up on Hogback Mountain Rd! If I'm at home, my door is open to you. Give me a call and I would love to spend some time with you while you are in the area! Come sit and enjoy a nice, late afternoon mint tea on the deck, and consider staying overnight in my guest room and join me for a gourmet dinner at home, cooked with fresh ingredients grown here and / or bought at local farmers markets.  Whatever you decide to do while you're in the area, please let me know how I may make your visit the best it can be!