blog @ Mountain View Lodge » West Jefferson

Art in West Jefferson

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:28:06 +0000

West Jefferson is a charming town just 20 minutes northeast of our cabins Blue Ridge Parkway. A trip to the R.T. Morgan Art Gallery is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Sculpture by R.T. Morgan

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm. R.T. Morgan has devoted most of his life to the creation of one and two dimensional art. Camille Morgan is a glass artist who stretches the boundaries of what can be done with glass. Their gallery is full of their own work and that of artists from around the country, some of whom are internationally recognized.

Visit the R.T. Morgan Art Gallery in the heart of downtown West Jefferson, where you’ll find several good restaurants and many nice shops. It makes a great outing from our NC vacation cabins.

Visit the Frescoes

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:24:11 +0000

The next time you are staying at our Glendale Springs vacation cabins, take time to visit the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. When in West Jefferson, stop by St. Mary’s. Also known as the Church of the Frescoes, these lovely little churches are home to four impressive frescoes by artist Ben Long.

Detail from fresco in Holy Trinity Church

Ben Long has had a long, distinguished career. He learned the art of frescoes while an apprentice of Maestro Pietro Annigoni in Florence, Italy, where he worked for almost eight years.

In 2001, Mr. Long was awarded the prestigious Arthur Ross Award for Excellence in the Classical Tradition. His frescoes can be seen throughout the United States and in Italy.

So take a little time to see these frescoes during your next trip to our Blue Ridge Parkway cabins. It’s the next best thing to traveling to Italy.

Holiday Events Near Glendale Springs Cabins

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:57:21 +0000

There are several fun holiday events coming up near our NC vacation cabins. These, along with the recent snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is putting us all in a festive mood.

The first snows of the season have fallen on Grandfather Mountain

On November 27, West Jefferson will host its second annual Hometown Christmas with the lighting of the Ashe County tree. The word on the street is that Santa will come into town on an antique fire engine, and there will be cider and singing for all. Please read the previous blog post, dated Nov. 9, to learn more about West Jefferson.

Not far from our Blue Ridge Mountains cabins there’ll be an annual Christmas Show at Boone Mall November 27-29. You’ll find art from around the country – maybe you’ll find the perfect gift for a friend.

A scenic drive to Sparta on Saturday Nov. 28 will reward you with the annual Christmas parade down Main Street, starting at 2pm. This is a great excuse to check out the delightfully quaint town of Sparta. Or head to the Sparta Fairgrounds on Dec. 5 for the Christmas Craft Fair.

Finally, drive about an hour southwest of the cabins to historic Valle Crucis for their Fireside Tour on December 6, 2009 (1pm – 6pm). This is a self-guided tour that will lead you down country roads to restaurants, gift shops, art galleries and churches. Once you arrive at a stop on the tour, you’ll be invited to sit by a roaring fire and enjoy a warm drink and a tasty tidbit or two. This is great incentive to stop at a shop you might otherwise have missed.