the lobby .
Each of the 40 rooms are decorated in a theme to evoke a small local business . Ours , for example , was a tribute to Red Rooster coffee shop . Amenities are high-end , and the hotel is walking distance to shopping , dining , and music venues .
The small town – fewer than 500 residents – has a deep history and broad culture . Recently , as in the 1970s , the town and county around were “ discovered ” by back-to-thelanders looking for a rural escape . These new residents were artists / artisans , some say “ hippies ”. They shaped the town ’ s culture , filling it with fine art , handcrafts , and rich music traditions .
One of the best venues for music here is The Floyd Country Store . Friday night , all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon a stage in the back show cases traditional Appalachian music . When music beckons , folks scramble to the dance floor to clog or two-step . Friday during our visit , we saw six different musical performances within three blocks , one in the Country Store , three busking streetside , a vocalist at Outer Space and a band inside Dogtown Roadhouse .
Saturday , we listened to musician Seph Custer play mandolin as part of a duo in the Country Store . We enjoyed his music enough see him change instruments and style that evening at the Dogtown Roadhouse . There we claimed a table , ate woodfired pizza , drank regional mead , and listened to Custer play lead guitar and sing . His three-hour bluesy rock set , accompanied by The Flatbreaks on bass and drums , included an eclectic mix of Jimmy Hendrix , The Doors , Cage the Elephant , Black Keys , Stevie Ray Vaughn , Stevie Wonder and more .
Between musical performances , I browsed a farm market as well as
galleries and boutiques . Travelling by motorcycle meant I could bring home nothing but photos and memories . Oh , but the temptations !
Sunday , we twisted our way uphill to the Parkway and crossed into North Carolina . There we visited three of the 48 wineries in North Carolina ’ s Yadkin Valley wine country . The wineries we visited ranged from charming boutique to expansive estate . They tend to specialise in dry and off-dry wines made from European vinifera and French-American hybrid grapes .
Shelton Vineyards , which opened in 1999 has a grand presence with roughly 300 acres surrounding a facility that includes a six-station tasting room , market , restaurant , patios as well as an organic chef ’ s garden and 70-plus acres of European grapes . The winemaker produces about 20 different wines from traditional varietals -- Sauvignon Blanc , Reisling , Chardonnay , Merlot ,
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