Inspired by a story about secluded towns, we set off from Linville on a sunny Sunday to see what we could find. Many of the “towns” we drove through were not much more than dots on the map, but the scenery was beautiful. Most of our drive was along gently rolling hills, at an elevation in the 2,500-2,800 range.

Much of our route ran along the border of NC and Virginia, and I’m going to start with our favorite of the day – our visit to “The Old Store” at Grassy Creek in Ashe County. Grassy Creek was the first rural Historic District to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Settled in the 1800s, it was once a thriving community of cattle and dairy farmers.  The wealthy Greer family settled and built up the area until just after World War I. When fortunes turned, the Greer family left in 1920 to pursue their dairy farming interests elsewhere. Grassy Creek settled into being a quiet agricultural area.  At one point, the American Electrical Power Company threatened to flood the area by building a dam on the New River. That caused some preservationists to swing into action.

There are 29 buildings and sub-buildings identified in the Historic District, and few have survived. But the restored Old Store is worth a visit. Built at the beginning of the twentieth century, it has served as a doctor’s office and post office as well as a general store.

Today, visitors will find a charming, comfortable store filled with a well-curated mix of North Carolina crafts, souvenirs, mountain foods, local nature publications, tasty treats, and a terrific selection of children’s gift items. On this visit, we chatted with Molly, an App State grad student who was minding the store. I bought some of the kids’ games and a great NC butterfly guide. Oh yeah, and potato chips!

Now refreshed and armed with Molly’s suggestions, we were back on the road.

We rode through Crumpler and a shady, windy road dotted with rental cabins. It’s known for its healing springs, which are common in this area. Passing lots of farm country, we tried to guess the crops. I’m only good for identifying corn and tobacco, but they also grow melons, potatoes, and much more. Christmas tree farming has also helped the area economically. I can also recognize those!

Around Eunice, the grass is as tall as the grazing goats, and in Piney Creek, the Meeting House looks like it anchors the community. Sparta is the big city here, and as the Alleghany County seat is where you can find a gas station or a Hardee’s for a well-deserved milkshake.

A church and free sharing box in Grassy Creek.

There was a big stink around the ironically named Glade Valley due to a large cattle concern. I’m not sure what type of business it is, but I sure wouldn’t want to live in the surrounding homes, downwind.

We went as far as Roaring Gap, where years ago we played a very pleasant round of golf (with some good friends) at the Olde Beau Golf Club. The Club is named for the owner’s dog, who is actually buried behind the green of the 15^th hole.

It was time to head back home to the High Country of Avery County.

Directions: To get to Grassy Creek and The Old Store, you can take 194 until it merges with 221 or 221 all the way out of Boone, and turn north on 16. Put the address in your GPS to make sure you find it. 710 Grassy Creek Road. You will wind in and out of Virginia, so don’t be surprised.

Of note: This is the first time I ever had ChatGPT design a driving itinerary for us. I instructed them to do it a variety of ways, and it all looked pretty organized until we got on the road. The order wasn’t really logical. They didn’t take into account some of the back roads, and AI was unaware that parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway were not open due to storm repairs. We were soon back to reading a real map, using GPS, and talking to real people.