- Barnardsville
- Pensacola
- Micaville
- Busick
Dates
August 7 – 9, 2025
Highlights
- Two nights lodging in the just-renovated, historic NuWray Hotel
- Burnsville’s charming square, shops, and the Parkway Playhouse
- Stunning drives on the slopes of the Black Mountains
- Art galleries and studios; lovely historic vestiges
Trip Description
Join our maiden voyage to lovely Burnsville, NC, idyllically nestled around the “town square.” On that town square is the just-refurbished and re-opened NuWray Hotel, which dates back to the mid-19th century. The square gives way to one of WNC’s cutest shopping districts, along East Main Street. Nearby is the celebrated Parkway Playhouse. All of these features figure into our parts-of-three-days spent in and around Burnsville. We’ll enjoy a performance at the Parkway Playhouse; our travelers can wander whimsically through the square and along Main Street; and we’ll all revel in the comforts of the updated and restored historic inn. We’ll also explore Burnsville’s outback: the towering Black Mountain Range that rises just south of town; and historic vestiges that hearken back to turn-of-the-century times, including the timber town of Pensacola (story on location), the Big Tom Wilson Toll Road (to Mt. Mitchell), and Grover Ray’s General Store. We’ll also visit galleries and at least one studio of the many artists who call Yancey County home. This will be a great summertime get-away into the “shade” of NC’s highest mountains!
Featured Experiences
The NuWray
First built in 1833, the NuWray is North Carolina's oldest continuously operating hotel. With nearly 200 years of history behind it, the Grande Dame of Burnsville has undergone a full-scale restoration under new ownership, giving it the chance at another century of service. The hotel restoration is complete, including all-new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, with a sensitivity to historical and existing materials.
With twenty-six rooms with en-suite bathrooms, and a full-service restaurant giving a healthy nod to the NuWray's culinary history and regional traditions, we are looking forward to welcoming you through these historic doors once again.
What's Included
Comfortable transportation
Accommodation for 2 nights
Breakfast, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner
All touring per the itinerary
Guide and concierge service throughout the trip
Trip Price
$1,985 / person (double occupancy; single supplement, $250)
What's Not Included
Price does not include alcohol, other meals, or optional trip insurance.
..well-planned, from interesting and fun excursions planned each day, to comfortable lodging and transportation. Our trip leaders, Chumley and Khal, were impressive with their knowledge of each area we explored and gracious in their planning of every aspect of our trips.
Trip insurance safeguards your travel investment, your belongings, and most importantly, you. Though trip insurance is optional, we strongly encourage travelers to purchase trip insurance in the event you have to cancel or leave a trip for any reason. Please note, all trip participants should wait for confirmation from Explore Up Close that the trip has the minimum sign-up required to be a “go” before purchasing travel insurance. Please confirm with Explore Up Close before making any additional travel arrangements.
Once you have received confirmation from Explore Up Close, we recommend contacting a travel insurance provider directly to request a quote and compare pricing and features. You can find other providers that may fit your needs at www.insuremytrip.com, or we can gladly connect you with our travel agent.
This trip departs from Greenville / Spartanburg, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. If you live elsewhere, please contact us to discuss travel arrangements, and we will look forward to assisting you!
