Winter Wonderland of Hickory, NC

Santa wants world peace for Christmas!

Advent has begun and Christmas is right around the corner.....are you prepared? In trying to get myself  into the yuletide spirit, my friend, Frankie and I sat on Santa's lap while Mrs. Santa snapped the photo.

Downtown Hickory was alive with carolers last night. Clayter-Kaye Theater Works serenaded the many young (and old) waiting to sit on Santa's lap to whisper gift ideas for his naughty & nice list. After the young finished the Christmas carols, a local duet, Ashera, sang in the brisk weather in front of the Hickory Wine Shoppe while Wilson Farms filled their tractors with visitors supplied with sheet music and drove them around filling the streets with sweet noels. A horse drawn carriage swept through the city delighting the passerby. Union Square was illuminated with spirit and light.

Carolina Theater hosted the Footcandle Film Society's monthly movie night featuring "You'll Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" by Woodie Allen for the low price of $5. Check out the group's website for information on next month's showing.

If you haven't gotten your Christmas tree yet, get over to St Aloysius Catholic Church where the youth are selling top-notch Fraser firs freshly cut from the neighboring mountains. They are selling trees right on Hwy 127 which splits the city, so it will be hard to miss them or their great prices!

Get out there and dress your homes to prepare for Christmas! It will be here before you know it!

Autumn Daze...

We're back online in WNC! Our hiatus through the real estate season has ended and I have time to write once again about our fair city and what is going on in it. Thanks for waiting!

The weather in Hickory, NC is just gorgeous after we've become accustomed to the cooler temps, shorter days and the DST change. 60s during the day and 40s at night, low humidity and bright sunny skies, Perfect! I love western North Carolina just for this.

Lo and behold, the holiday season is quickly approaching. Downtown Hickory invites everyone to the Christmas tree lighting Friday, November 19th on Union Square. Our mayor, the ever-popular, Rudy Wright, will hit the switch for the lights on the tree. Music from Rick Cline and Nathan Hefner will fill the crisp air while Mr. and Mrs. Claus meet and greet one and all starting at 6:30 pm next Friday evening. You don't want to miss this!


Taste Full Beans plans their 10 year anniversary on Thursday, November 18th starting at 6 pm with wine, food, coffee and entertainment at 7 from the Lost Jewels of Ghawazee, a local belly dancing troupe. Edgar and DW have filled our cups with opulent coffees and teas, our plates with scrumptious foods while we've admired the works of local artists for a decade. Foothills Painters displays their works now for their Holiday Show and Sale through December 4th. Each month, Taste Full Beans, also, hosts Poetry Hickory on the 2nd Tuesday at 6:30 pm with Scott Owens as facilitator of native NC writers. There is usually an "open mike" session following the guest speaker. Come out and see what you're missing.

The fall foliage is peaking now in Hickory, though disappointing from lack of rain, it is still magnificent at dawn and dusk. Come take a look at Western NC this season!

Lake Rhodhiss

Let's take a look at Lake Rhodhiss and its waterfront communities; Harbor Ridge, Doe Run, Hays Mill Landing, Broadwater, Paradise Harbor and The Settings at Lake Rhodhiss.

Lake Rhodhiss, located on the county line between Caldwell and Burke, was created from the Catawba River in 1925. The hydroelectric dam is 65 ft high and 1500 ft long. Situated between lakes James and Hickory, Rhodhiss offers 90 miles of shoreline on just over 3000 acres. The high water mark is 995.1 feet above sea level and supplies needed water to the nearby cities of Morganton, Lenoir, Granite Falls and Valdese.

Much less developed than Lake Hickory,

What Do We Love @ Hickory, NC?

We love our Lake Hickory! With the weather warming, we have big plans on how we are going to use it.

• Fishing: Largemouth bass, catfish, crappie are commonplace here. Stripers, 30 pounders, are caught on our lake! Seine for shad and bait your hook. Up in the back coves, fisherman quietly troll for prized catches. Duke Energy's Wittenburg Access, on the main channel just West of Hwy 127 bridge, has tournaments in the evenings a couple days a week. Stop and ask for dates/times.

• Boating: Pontoons, the boat of choice,

Catawba Valley Destinations

The Catawba Valley has a wide assortment of "must-see" destinations besides the Catawba River System and the Hickory Furniture Mart. Let's take a look at a few....

The History of Hickory

Hickory, NC is located in the foothills of Western North Carolina one hour from the mountains cities of Blowing Rock and Boone, one hour from Charlotte's International Airport and one hour from Winston-Salem. You can be at the Outer Banks is