Blue Ridge Mountain Lodge

11/15/2024

11/11/2024

11/07/2024

10/30/2024

Winter is coming-Opening Day is November 29. Don’t miss your chance to save $140 on an adult unlimited season pass before November 1.

Learn more about our upgrades and pass sale here.👉
https://ow.ly/FKCZ50TSv4B

10/14/2024

Businesses & Restaurants in Blowing Rock are open and ready to welcome you back into town! Major routes into Blowing Rock are now fully open and are safe to travel.

The broader WNC community is still recovering from Hurricane Helene and impact to the area is significant. If you are visiting soon, we urge you to plan ahead and keep several things in mind:

- The Blue Ridge Parkway, local State Parks, and many local trails remain closed as damage assessments and repairs occur. A few major attractions are closed while they make repairs or direct their resources to relief efforts. Many fall festivals and events have been canceled- check our event listings for updates.

- Before traveling, check ahead with your lodging host. Many secondary roads are still under repair- full or partial closures are common. Stick to main routes and confirm their status before traveling. And please, respect the needs of our neighbors who have asked that visitors continue to stay away while they make important strides toward recovery.

- Shop and dine locally as much as you can- it makes significant impacts on the families who own our small businesses. Our shops, restaurants, and some of our local attractions are ready to welcome you!

All this to say: please visit thoughtfully. Visitors are crucial to helping our small businesses recover and your support means everything to us. If you are postponing an in-person visit, consider purchasing gift cards from our local businesses as a meaningful way to show your support at this time. If you are looking for additional ways to help, we hope you will contribute to one of the many organizations working to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.

The spirit of the NC High Country is strong, and we stand together in support of those affected by this storm. We are deeply grateful to all those helping western NC- all the work, the contributions, and the kindness. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to support Blowing Rock during this difficult time. It has been heartening and overwhelming in the best way.

Head over to blowingrock.com/helene/ to read our full statement regarding travel and additional resources on ways to support WNC ⬆️

10/09/2024

I'm happy to announce that the Blue Ridge Mountain Lodge is fully operational, and I can't wait to welcome you!

All utilities (water, power, and Wifi) have been restored to the property. The water from the tap has even been tested and certified safe to drink.

The conditions in Western North Carolina created by Hurricane Helene have been extremely challenging. Some areas were hit harder than others, and I’m grateful to report that many areas, including ours, were mostly spared from significant damage.

For the month of October, I’ve offered the Lodge to a team of workers assisting in the relief effort.

The next few weeks will bring rapid recovery to the area. If you are considering a return to the Lodge, you'll not only enjoy a peaceful getaway and the company of your friends and family, but you'll also be helping support local businesses that are bouncing back during a time that’s usually peak tourism season.

Our property is still a great place for gathering —whether it's making s'mores around the fire pit, soaking in the two new hot tubs, chatting in the spacious living rooms, or sharing dinner together in the dining room.

Nearby attractions like Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock are open for business, and more will be reopening in the coming days and weeks.

I felt very positive after seeing this video of a drive-through in Blowing Rock, taken last Friday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lVXxlB4z14

I’m confident that the region will recover stronger than ever. We hope to host you soon!

Blowing Rock, NC After Hurricane Helene: As beautiful as always see open stores and open restaurantsThis is a quick...

10/04/2024

Thank you to everyone in the local area for your support! We are at the point that the Boone PD is asking for a pause on item donations so that they get a chance to work through those donations! That's great news!
We will need continued support in the coming weeks, but for now they are good! The outpouring of support over the past few days has been tremendous and much appreciated!

County, the Town of Boone, Appalachian State University, and partners are collaborating to keep our community informed about Hurricane Helene's impacts and the resources available for relief. Continue to check this post for updates.

FOR EMERGENCIES, CALL 911.

DONATIONS: WEEKEND PAUSE ON UNSCHEDULED DELIVERIES: We thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support for Watauga County and neighboring communities. We are fortunate to have had an abundance of supplies donated to multiple partners across our county. With that said, we request that you please PAUSE any unscheduled deliveries to Watauga County sites throughout this weekend, Oct. 5 and 6, to give our partners time to work through our donation stock, reassess current needs and update our distribution plans. Your efforts have been critical to helping us meet immediate needs — please know that our community will continue to need your support in the weeks and months to come. One of the best ways for you to help support our communities now and in the future is by donating to relief funds. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please consider the following donation sites:

- Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation: boonechamber.com/foundation
- App State Disaster Relief Fund: appstate.edu
- North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund: nc.gov/donate

NON-EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS:
- 828-268-6200 Boone Town Hall: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, hours subject to change.
- 828-263-4178 Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps Non-Emergency Call Center (for non-urgent inquiries and reports related to storm impacts): 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily, leave a message after hours.
- 828-262-2000 Appalachian State University’s Main Line: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

CURFEW: Beginning Oct. 1, 2024, and until further notice, the curfew in place for Watauga County, Town of Blowing Rock and Town of Boone is from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., due to severely compromised roads and ongoing emergency operations in Watauga County.

URGENT CARE: Urgent Care Services (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday – Friday): 261 Longvue Drive, Boone, NC 28607

RESOURCES (Food, Water, Volunteer & Donation Options, Health Care, Children’s Resources, Debris Cleanup, etc.):
- Boone and Watauga County Resources and Services: townofboone.net/hurricanehelenerecovery
- Watauga County Resource Information - Boone Area Chamber of Commerce: boonechamber.com/news/official-watauga-county-resource-information
- App State Disaster Relief Resources: appstate.edu
- UNC Health Appalachian Community and Employee Resources: apprhs.org

SHELTER:
- Red Cross Emergency Shelter for students and community members, Holmes Convocation Center, 111 Rivers St. Call about pet restrictions.
- Anyone in need of shelter should call 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767).

FEMA ASSISTANCE FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS:
IMPORTANT: DOCUMENT YOUR DAMAGES NOW! Photograph damage and items you have to throw away. Homeowners and renters in Watauga County can apply for assistance through FEMA. Use disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app, or call 1 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for assistance. More information can be found at governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/09/29/how-apply-fema-assistance-after-hurricane-helene
We have FEMA assistance on the ground in Watauga County. Jake Kwiatkowski is our liaison officer. You can reach out to the call center with questions. 828-263-4178

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF: Disaster Unemployment Assistance can be applied for here: des.nc.gov/dua

SHOWERS
- The Care Collective, 584 State Farm Rd Suite 104, Boone: Call 828-406-4344 to schedule, or walk-ins welcomed. Shampoo/Conditioner/Soap/Towel available. Handicapped-accessible shower available. Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; Sunday 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Walmart, Boone: 11 a.m to 4 p.m Daily, Shower Trailer, Bring Towels and Hygiene Supplies
- 180 Float Spa, 249 Kimberly Dr, Boone: Walk-in available Wednesday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; call 828-832-8180 if appointment is needed
- Fairfield Inn, 2060 Blowing Rock Rd., Boone: There is a room available for the public to take showers. Please ask at the front desk.
- Perkinsville Baptist Church, 274 Jefferson Rd., Boone: Available Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Valle Crucis Conference Center, 146 Skiles Way, Banner Elk: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for hot showers, hot coffee, charging stations, a cell signal (but no Wi-Fi yet), and hot meals. Toiletries and towels also available.
- Bethel Baptist Church now has community care centers available for public use between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. There are shower and toilet trailers available.
- Fairgrounds Raceway, 748 Roby Greene Rd, Boone: Showers available after 5 p.m.; please bring your own items.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: The Town of Boone, Watauga County and App State have experienced a large volume of requests for volunteer information and an influx of volunteers traveling to the area. While we are extremely grateful, we ask all individuals NOT TO TRAVEL TO THE AREA FOR NOW unless you are part of a coordinated volunteer effort, such as the ones listed below. Consider donating to relief funds instead. Find more info at the resource links above and at boonechamber.com.

VOLUNTEER:
- Samaritan’s Purse: spvolunteer.org
- Appalachian Medical Reserve Corps: https://forms.gle/AaKy78d2pL7V2sNk7
- Down Home NC: facebook.com/DownHomeNC and instagram.com/downhomenc/
- American Red Cross: volunteerconnection.redcross.org/

This list of resources is subject to change. Many organizations and individuals are also providing resources for our community, and we are unable to provide an exhaustive list of all these resources. We, as a community, want to thank everyone for their patience and their willingness to help their neighbors!

10/03/2024

The Lodge is available between now and Oct. 31.

We would like to provide housing for a (very) large displaced family or a group involved in the relief effort. It's a too big for a standard sized family so I'm looking for someone who can make good use of the space.

As a reminder, there are 9 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. There are 15 beds and one air mattress.

We will discount the price by more than half for displaced families or people helping out.

Send me a message here on Facebook, or email me at [email protected]

Welcome to the Blue Ridge Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk, North Carolina!

10/03/2024

We have finally dug ourselves out of the mud! Our back patio is clean now. The hot tubs will be serviced and in operation soon.

10/02/2024

We have water! Although the pump station doesn't have power yet, the good people at the Mill Ridge HOA have put a generator in place to help pump water to reach the Lodge as well as other houses in the community.

And the Internet is up, as well, so we can see the progress of the work in real time.

We're still working on clearing the mud in the backyard, and the cleaning team is hard at work inside the property.

We have had many cancellations for October and are looking to see how we can use the empty Lodge to help out the community for the month of October.

10/01/2024

Good morning! The team is working hard on clearing all the mud from the backyard. It will take another day or two but they are making great progress.

The property still does not have water. We're still hoping that power is restored to the pump station soon so that we can get water to the house.

Internet is still down at the property.

Thank you for all of your emails and support!

09/30/2024

Thank you to all of your who reached out after Hurricane Helene came through town.

The damage has been tremendous, and I personally know people whose houses have been completely destroyed by the storm.

So far, it seems that we are extremely fortunate in that damage was minor. The roof is leaking in a few places, and a lot of mud washed down the mountain down to the back patio.

I currently have my handymen and cleaners working as quickly as they can to clean everything up and I am optimistic to have it rent-ready in a few days.

Power has been restored, but water is still not running. The community relies on a pump to supply water to the houses. Since power is on at the Lodge, I feel optimistic that it will be restored to the pump house soon.

Access to the Lodge is possible, but some roads are managing one lane of traffic.

I will continue to post updates here for those interested.

09/24/2024

Join us this Saturday at 2 p.m. for our Annual Oyster Roast Celebration! 🎉 Enjoy live music in the taproom from up-and-coming artist Jack Wharff and the To***co Flatts. We’ll have an inflatable for the kids, fire pits to keep warm, and it’s the last day for scenic lift rides, disc golf, and mountain biking.

Menu Highlights:

🦪 Steamed Oysters: $1.50 each

🍚 Crawfish Étouffée: $18 for a large portion over rice

🍤 Peel-and-Eat Shrimp: $18 a pound, served with lemon, drawn butter, and cocktail sauce

🥣 Homemade Clam Chowder: $5 for a cup, $8 for a bowl

Not an oyster fan? No problem. The full taproom menu will be available. Don’t miss out on the fun!

09/23/2024

09/19/2024

09/17/2024