Why We Call It Home: Our Ultimate Polk County Favorites

If you were to look at a map of Western North Carolina, you might gloss right over Polk County. As the fifth smallest county in the state, it’s a hidden gem that isn't widely known. So, how exactly did our family end up here?
Our Southern journey actually started back in 2014. My husband and I were desperate to trade the brutal Illinois snow shoveling and sky-high property taxes for something better. My job initially brought us to the Charlotte area, which was a great starting point for our family with two kids and one dog.
But in the wake of COVID, we felt a strong pull toward a quieter life—and we knew we needed to buy a home before the market got out of hand. We wanted a relaxing environment away from the crowds. We stumbled upon Polk County while researching schools and were amazed to find that this tiny county was the #2 school district in the state. That sealed the deal.

Fast forward five years, and we are so incredibly grateful we made the leap. We've fallen completely in love with this area, and we’ve decided it’s finally time to share our little slice of the Foothills with the world. Instead of a traditional ranked list, I’m just going to share a few of our absolute favorite spots (Because it's almost impossible to rank them all) and this isn't even all of the amazing things you can find in Polk County:

• Tryon International Equestrian Center: This place was one of the first that we explored because it was only 10 minutes from our house. What drew us in was all the activities for families and people of all ages. We loved being able to stop by from time to time and watch the exhilarating horse competitions. They also have Saturday Night Lights in the summer and the best thing is there's a carousel there that's free to ride. They have now expanded and there's even a CrossFit gym there, along with a saloon with axe throwing, darts, and more. (25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC 28756)
• The Wineries (Parker-Binns Vineyard, Mountain Brook Vineyard, Overmountain Vineyard): Our tours take you to these amazing wineries. What drew us to them is that all of them are run by families. Each spot has its own uniqueness and atmosphere. And if we ever need a date night away from the kids, we were able to do that at Overmountain Vineyard. We also cherished the memories of an Easter egg hunt at Parker-Binns. (Parker-Binns: 393 Lulu Ln, Mill Spring, NC 28756; Mountain Brook: 731 Phillips Dairy Rd, Tryon, NC 28782; Overmountain: 2012 Sandy Plains Rd, Tryon, NC 28782)
• Tryon Little Theater - There are some special community theaters that put on shows to entertain the community. If you are lucky enough to be here during one of their shows, I would strongly suggest checking them out. They also provide a free summer theater program that allow kids from 8-18 to participate in a great musical process from auditions to being on stage at the Tryon Fine Arts Center. These kids form lasting friendships and it's a very special place. (516 S Trade St, Tryon, NC 28782)
• Tryon Fine Arts Center - Speaking of Tryon Fine Arts Center, this is a historic building that has been around since 1946. This amazing 315 seat auditorium houses many events, including a comics and art expo. This amazing building provides many events to the event and also summer camp for kids specializing in art and theater, along with music classes through PacJAM. (34 Melrose Ave, Tryon, NC 28782)
• Tryon Theatre - If you would like something to do on the weekends and want to catch a show, Tryon Theatre shows first run shows as well as oldies but goodies. It has an upstairs that 21+ can go to and they have couches up there and a great experience. (45 S Trade St, Tryon, NC 28782)
  
• Mountain Page Theater - Located in Saluda, this intimate community theater is dedicated to enriching the lives of local children through its after-school Yak program. Catching a show here guarantees a fantastic atmosphere, complete with the unique option to elevate your theatrical experience by reserving a high-top table with a curated charcuterie board. (1303 Mountain Page Rd, Saluda, NC 28773)
  
• Chimney Rock - Chimney Rock is only about 30 minutes from Polk County and offer a fantastic view of the towns. They provide the option of going up to the top with stairs or elevator. The people who run this care a great deal about Chimney Rock and the amount of events and things to do is too long to even list it all - from music to the Animal Discovery Den, there's something for everyone here.  (174 Chimney Rock Park Rd., Chimney Rock, NC 28720)
  
• So many waterfalls and trails - It's impossible to name all of the amazing trails that are around Polk County or the water falls. We will deep dive into this in a later blog post!
  

If you are ever in Polk County NC, we would be happy to show you around and customize a tour to your liking. Let us share this special place with you. We will also continue to look at more Polk County NC in future blog posts.