The writer was hosted.
Andrews, North Carolina, is a little town near Asheville, NC and full of big surprises.
Here in the Appalachians of western North Carolina, you’ll be amazed to find a record and book store filled with outsider art that draws fans from around the country and a fine dining restaurant owned by a top chef who’s building a regional reputation.
Located 90 miles southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, and 130 miles north of Atlanta, Andrews’ beauty and charm have attracted diverse people over the years, drawn by the green, misty mountains, the fast-flowing rivers, and a sense of adventure.
You can camp or stay at the town’s Quality Inn, which has reasonable rates. There are so many cool things to do and see here that a Top 10 list is too short, so here are the 11 best things to do in Andrews, North Carolina.
Ride the Tail of the Dragon in Andrews, NC
One of the most exciting parts about Andrews is getting there on U.S. 129. Driving south from Knoxville, Tennessee, you’ll encounter a curvy road known as The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap.
This road has 318 curves in 11 miles and is considered one of the country’s top destinations for motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts. You have to be careful, because the turns are tight, and you may need Dramamine if you’re a car passenger.
But the beautiful mountain views of the Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains are spectacular.
Explore the Nantahala National Forest
Andrews is next to the Nantahala National Forest, the largest of four national forests in North Carolina. It has 531,148 acres, with elevations as high as 5,800 at Lone Bald.
Nantahala is a Cherokee word meaning “land of the noonday sun.” When you’re in the Nantahala Gorge, the sun only reaches the valley floor at midday, and the Nantahala River stays cool and pristine year-round.
The forest offers opportunities for kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, camping, mountain biking, and climbing, or just sitting down on a rock to watch the river flow.
There are multiple waterfalls to visit, including the Bridal Veil and Glen Falls, and trails for all levels of skill and energy.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, bald eagles, river otters, and white-tailed deer are forest natives, so keep your camera ready, and your food supplies out of reach.
Twenty White-Water Rafting Rapids to Choose From
The Nantahala River is popular for boating – canoeing, kayaking, and white-water rafting – through the forest. Rentals and guided tours range from $27 to $50 from multiple local providers. You can also bring your own watercraft to explore the area.
This rafting river is dam-controlled and pulls its water from the bottom of Nantahala Lake, running until it empties into the Little Tennessee River at Fontana Lake. You can try a variety of intensities – from mild to scary wild. The most intense section includes the Nantahala Falls. Twenty rapids are named, including “Patton’s Run,” “Surfers,” “Whirlpool,” and “The Bump.”
Pedal the Andrews Valley Rail Trail
Want to try a view of the mountains more intimate than from a car, and drier than a white water trip? Try a scenic pedal-operated rail tour.
The Andrews Valley Rail Tour lets you pedal on five miles of railroad tracks to see the Great Smoky Mountains, forests, rivers, and wildlife, crossing historic open-deck railroad bridges. You can also see a tunnel carved by Southern Railway workers in the 19th century.
If you want an overhead view of the Nantahala Gorge, try a zipline via the Nantahala Outdoor Center in nearby Bryson City.
Go to Dean’s for Music and Art
If you’re tired of biking, rafting, or railroad pedaling, it’s time to browse Dean’s. This renowned music, art, and consignment shop is located at 962 Main Street in downtown Andrews.
Dean Williams’ shop is filled floor to ceiling with his unique paintings for sale, and there are bins of vinyl, CDs, and books, along with antiques and other oddities. There’s bluegrass, of course, along with rap, rock, funk, soul, jazz, classical and R&B.
Dean knows his merchandise, and musicians from around the country come to chat and buy.
His store also serves as a gallery for unique folk art – among the items for sale during a recent visit was a stringed instrument made from a roasting pan, and another made from a cigar box.
Taste the Local Wines
You’ve seen the hills, so get a taste of what grows on them. Fern Crest Winery is located on the crest of a hill in the Snowbird Mountains in Cherokee County, and the vineyard is located on a steep slope just below it.
All the wines are named after ferns, and they all sound like poetry – Elkhorn White, Mountain Wood Red, and Appalachian Pink Rose. The tasting room at 1060 Main Street in Andrews boasts of being both child- and dog-friendly, though you should reserve the wine tasting for the human grownups.
Visit a Brewery on Main Street
If you’re in the mood for beer rather than wine, Hoppy Trout Brewing Company at 911 Main Street in Andrews offers one-of-a-kind styles made primarily for its taproom and restaurant.
Brewmaster Tom Rodeck makes small-batch brews that include a hearty oatmeal stout, a blonde ale, and in the fall, a pumpkin variety. You can come in for a 32 or 64-ounce “growler” to bring back to the campsite or hotel room, or stay and enjoy homemade pizza.
On its website, Hoppy Trout has a quote from Frank Sinatra that reflects a beer-loving philosophy: “I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.”
Try Fine Dining at Sage
Set in an old hotel at 983 Main Street, Sage Elevated Dining is the creation of chef Steven Lash, who has worked in some of the top kitchens in Atlanta.
He describes his bill of fare as “inspired American cuisine,” combining fine dining with local southern influence inspired by his mom’s cooking, his extensive travel, and his passion for the outdoors.
An example is his take on the southern favorite, fried green tomatoes. He coats them with tempura batter and tops them with crab meat, or his scallops with brown butter sage spoonbread.
He has a terrific wine list and dessert list, including a crème brûlée with fresh fruit you won’t want to share. Sage in Andrews may be the site of one of your life’s best meals.
Rock Out to Live Music
Andrews offers a few options for live music. In the spring of 2023, it got a new 300-person music venue – the Blue Stage at 889 Main Street, which also holds an art gallery. This fall it hosted an “Andrews Idol” contest for local singers.
There’s also the more established “Jimmy’s Pick n Grin” Music Hall at 220 Country Hearth Lane, which hosts local bands and has a big wooden dance floor for buck dancing.
Created by musician Steve Jordan, son of the late singer/musician Jimmy Jordan, the place is reminiscent of Bob’s Country Bunker from the movie “The Blues Brothers” — the one that offers two kinds of music, country AND western.
Jimmy’s holds an outdoor bluegrass festival in June. Country music is in the region’s land and water – a six-mile stretch of U.S. 129 is named after star Ronnie Milsap, born in nearby Robbinsville.
Find Appalachian Antiques
You can bring home some Appalachian memories by shopping in Nancy’s Treasures, an antique store at 983 Main Street in Andrews.
Friendly Nancy Purser has an eye for unique and beautiful bits of the past – beribboned velvet hats, antique glass lamps, library card catalogs, flower-patterned china, colorful vases, hand-stitched quilts, black-and-white photographs of early 20th-century ladies, and mysterious old tools.
If you’re looking for a flour sifter or the kind of iron that has to be heated on a stovetop, this is the place to explore.
Learn about the Trail of Tears
Andrews is also the site of some sad American history. Cherokee County was the origin point of the infamous “Trail of Tears.” U.S. soldiers forcibly removed members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Chocktaw nations from their homes in the Southeastern United States. They were driven into the territory west of the Mississippi River, starting in the 1830s.
A lovely, restful riverside park in downtown Andrews recounts this story on historic plaques for visitors to read and reflect on.
