Travel NC With Kids: July 2017

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Horn in the West Outdoor Drama in Boone, NC

Horn in the West Outdoor Drama in Boone NC © Katrena

Horn in the West is America's oldest Revolutionary War drama, depicting struggles faced by Daniel Boone and local settlers called "Regulators" as they fight for freedom from British authorities and Governor William Tryon. Many families and individuals find themselves involved in these battles, whether by choice or by circumstance.

Daniel Boone in Horn in the West 2017 © Katrena

I purchased tickets online for this show and found the system to work well. If you have children, you'll find the discounted rate at check-out. The online system allows you to select and purchase your chosen seats and print tickets at home.

Fun Things to Do in Boone NC © Katrena

Much of the action takes place in the center portion of the stage, but several scenes also occur on the sides near the front stage. The left side includes a revolving set that may change between scenes. The right side includes several fight scenes. The seating area slants upward as you walk away from the stage, so I would think any seat would provide a good view.

Fun Family Activities in Boone © Katrena

This show features multiple fight scenes. Although we were expecting some fight scenes, that first gunshot about made all of us jump out of our skin! The later fight scenes gave way to a bit more emotion as the audience began to learn more about the characters and connect with them.

Outdoor Drama in Watauga County NC © Katrena

Horn in the West also includes several dance numbers and singing. We arrived about 45 minutes before the start time and enjoyed a brief preview of singing by a few of the actors. We also met several of the young actors before the show. We were surprised to learn that many of the adult actors were from other states, as far away as Maine and Arkansas!

Learn About the Revolutionary War Through Theatre © Katrena

Several scenes were also funny! I loved the way many of the actors brought their characters to life and added their own flair to the part. The cast is quite large, and many of the actors played multiple roles with lots of quick changes in between.

Horn in the West in Boone © Katrena

The show delves into quite a few ethical dilemmas. For example, a dedicated British doctor came to the area to study smallpox only to realize that his teenage son had become sympathetic to the colonists and their cause. A preacher also had to take a long and hard look at whether or not he would bear arms.

Interesting Ways to Learn About History © Katrena

Some scenes also introduced Cherokee characters and their struggle to continue to live on the land native to their people. As smallpox ravaged many people in the area, these indigenous peoples were forced to ask for help from the very people who threatened their existence.

Meet and Greet at Horn in the West © Katrena

After the show, the audience was invited to come up onto stage and interact with the actors. I was impressed with how friendly these actors were after the show. They sell playbills/programs with information about some of the people involved with the show that the actors will gladly autograph!

Learn About Colonial Life at Horn in the West © Katrena

I think for me one of the take-home messages of this play was a greater appreciation for the sacrifices people made for our freedom. War is fraught with many tough decisions and much heartbreak. Reading about the Revolutionary War and looking at statistics does not bring history to life like seeing it acted out on stage.

Travel Ideas for Western North Carolina © Katrena

Those interested in learning more about this time in history may wish to visit the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum before the show. Visitors can visit various cabins set up to resemble a small community and learn about the history of the area and how settlers of the time would spend a typical day through interpreters in period clothing.

Outdoor Dramas in Western North Carolina © Katrena

Visit the Horn in the West official site for ticket information, directions, times, history, and more. Thanks for visiting Travel NC With Kids. You may also wish to read some of my other articles, including another outdoor drama in NC and nearby things to do such as:

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area - Beautiful View!

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area © Katrena

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, located between Jefferson and West Jefferson in Ashe County, offers visitors quite a few opportunities to see the surrounding areas from a higher elevation. The park can be seen from the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. There is no charge to enter this park. This destination was a planned stop for my crew on the way to Boone, North Carolina.

Hiking Trails Near West Jefferson, NC © Katrena

The park offers several hiking trails; those with mobility issues will be delighted to find that the road offers several viewing area overlooks that can be seen from beside the road. Please note that the climb in elevation can be pretty hard on a vehicle with a small engine. Mine has a 4-cylinder and only made it to the first parking area. If you are traveling with a heavy load or small engine or both (as I was), I highly recommend stopping in West Jefferson for a few hours to cool the engine before attempting the climb in the automobile.

Beautiful Hiking Trails at Mount Jefferson in NC © Katrena

The park rangers were awesome at Mount Jefferson. They were very welcoming, offered water for my radiator, gave us info and a map about the park trails, and were very nice to my daughters. We visited in early July and the weather was wonderful with temps in the 70s and 80s with much lower humidity than our home town.

Plants Along Hiking Trail at Mt Jefferson State Natural Area © Katrena

The folks working at Mount Jefferson did mention there had been some black bear activity a couple of days before our visit but that the bear had not approached any people. We opted not to take any food with us on the hike due to this information, deciding to only carry water bottles. No, we didn't see any bears while visiting the park. Black bears aren't typically aggressive like grizzly bears, but any time you visit a state park or any outdoor area, it is always best to respect nature and to be aware of your surroundings.

Sunrise Overlook at Mount Jefferson © Katrena

I'm not sure the name of the first trail - I believe it has recently been built. It started at the lower parking lot and Welcome Center and wound its way up to the Sunrise Overlook. The trail is easy to miss unless you know where to go; simply walk to the main park sign (see photo at the top of this article) across from the parking lot and the trail begins immediately behind the sign.

Sunrise Overlook at Mt Jefferson State Natural Area © Katrena

This first trail is fairly narrow, allowing for a single-file line, but it is well-maintained. Although the trail works its way up the mountain, much of the trail is pretty level as hikers walk for a while and then turn and go up a ways and then walk in the opposite direction, similar to the way roads are designed when climbing a mountain. The trail was shaded, and we saw some beautiful plants and some large snails - I wish I had thought to take some pictures of the snails!

The first trail ends at Sunrise Overlook, an area beside the road offering a pretty view of the area. There are several picnic tables at the overlook. This would be an ideal place for a picnic with a nice view. On the day we visited, there was very little traffic on the road and only a handful of hikers that we saw.

The other trail we traversed was Spur Trail. If you are standing at the Sunrise Overlook and turn your back to the view, you will find the trail head of Spur Trail directly across the road. This trail would also be easy to miss, but once you are on either of these trails, it is very easy to stay on the trail as they were marked and maintained. There was one place where the Spur Trail split - stay to the left if you want to go to Sunset Overlook.

The Spur Trail was very similar to the first trail. The vast majority of the trail was shaded, and it was also narrow, allowing for a single-file line. I think this one did not climb as much in elevation. There must have been a significant microburst or something as we could see a few trees that had been blown down on this second trail in one section.

Both trails included several steps made from stones, so these trails would not be a good choice for someone with mobility challenges or for a stroller, but you can opt to drive to the lookouts. We saw a pretty bird nest on this trail and some seed pods that looked sort of like starfish. The ranger would have likely been able to identify those seed pod, but I forgot to ask when we arrived back at the Welcome Center.

The second trail ended at Sunset Overlook, which was also flanked by a road; this one included a larger parking area. We saw a bench dedicated in memory to someone who must have been very special and also an information board. The view here was impressive and expansive as well.

Both of the trails were one-way paths, so we hiked the opposite direction to get back to the parking lot at the Welcome Center. We invested about two hours hiking while taking our time to stop and enjoy the scenery. I believe we only saw about the lower half of the park - several trails were above where we hiked that also had parking areas, picnic tables, and bathrooms fairly nearby. According to the web site, the trails are all moderate or strenuous.

If you would like a map, directions, hours, history, or to learn more about this area, visit the Mount Jefferson State Natural Area web site. They also offer events such as Painting in the Park, Backyard Pharmacy, and more at Mount Jefferson. If you are visiting NC State Parks, I highly recommend the NC State Parks passport program - children and adults can get a "passport" and get it stamped as you visit the various parks.

Thanks for visiting Travel NC With Kids! You may wish to read additional articles about other state parks we have visited such as: