Hampton Inn and Suites - Cashiers Sapphire Valley

Greetings Fellow Motorcyclists! Our friends at The Hampton Inn and Suites of the Cashiers/Sapphire Valley in North Carolina are offering an exclusive offer to stay in their private mountain retreat by staying with them before March 31st, 2012.

Their fabulous Mid-Winter Valley Special is meant to lift your spirits and remedy cabin fever. The special price offer is $79/night (Friday to Saturday) and $69/night (Sunday to Thursday). The price includes all applicable taxes and the standard hotel amenities. The only way to get the special rate is to call the hotel directly at 828-743-4545 and ask for the Winter Valley Special!

The area boasts several warmer days for riding your motorcycle in late winter and early spring as it is in the lower elevations on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 40 miles south of Asheville, NC. Our Wild Dam Waterfall Loop goes right in front of Hampton Inn and Suites and makes for a great starting point for a tour through the “Land of Waterfalls.” Situated right off of Hwy 64 East in Sapphire, NC, the curvy mountainous ride will please in and of itself.

You’ll enjoy beautiful and comfortable rooms and suites with modern convenience in a quaint mountain setting at the Hampton Inn and Suites. Standard king or queen rooms are available, as well as king and queen studios and suites. Many rooms have mountain views! All rooms have microwave and mini-fridge, free wireless Internet access, coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. There is also a complimentary hot breakfast and beverages; indoor pool and whirlpool; fitness room; Business Center and meeting facilities.

This Sunday, the Staples Center in Los Angeles becomes the focal point of the entertainment world, when music’s top artists are celebrated at the 54th Annual GRAMMY© Awards. Several of the artists nominated for these prestigious awards will grace the stages of MerleFest 25 this spring, continuing a twenty-five year tradition of bringing music’s most talented performers to Wilkesboro, N.C., for one of the country’s premier music festivals.

MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s Hardware and slated for April 26-29, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson – who himself is the recipient of seven Grammys. Doc will share the MerleFest stages with the following 2011 Grammy nominees: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the Original Lineup (nominated for “Best Instrumental Composition”), Vince Gill (nominated for “Best Country Song”), Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Jim Lauderdale (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Steep Canyon Rangers (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Tedeschi Trucks Band (nominated for “Best Blues Album”) and artist Chris Thile, performing with the Punch Brothers at MerleFest 25 (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”).

Of course, MerleFest 25 boasts the talents of many artists who have already received that most prestigious of music awards. Besides Fleck (12-time Grammy recipient), Gill (15-time Grammy recipient), Lauderdale (three-time Grammy recipient), Tedeschi Trucks Band and Thile (two-time Grammy recipient), other Grammy honorees include Sam Bush (three-time Grammy recipient), John Hammond, David Holt (four-time Grammy recipient), Jerry Douglas (12-time Grammy recipient), Los Lobos (three-time Grammy recipient), Nashville Bluegrass Band (six-time Grammy recipient),  Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart (five-time Grammy recipient) and dobroist Tut Taylor.

Of special note in Grammy history is MerleFest 25 performer Alison Krauss, whose 26 prior wins makes her the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.

In addition to its stellar roster of Grammy-nominated performers, MerleFest has also become known for spontaneous moments, collaborations and last-minute performance additions. To keep up with any additional changes and additions to this year’s lineup – even during the festival – MerleFest encourages fans to sign up for the e-newsletter and to follow the festival through Facebook and Twitter. Links are available at www.merlefest.org.

Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012.

With over 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an excellent entertainment value. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls “traditional plus” music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian regional plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.” The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

With the addition of two renowned roots music groups – Los Lobos, considered by critics and fans as one of America’s most distinctive and original bands, and Assembly of Dust, known for their stellar live performances from Bonnaroo to Carnegie Hall – MerleFest 25, presented by  Lowe’s Hardware, firms up another diverse, crowd-pleasing collection of performers for the festival’s 2012 lineup. Los Lobos will perform on Friday, April 27, delivering the closing performance of the evening, and Assembly of Dust will perform on various stages on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29.

Slated for April 26 – 29, 2012, MerleFest will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson.

Over the years, MerleFest has become known for spontaneous moments, collaborations and last-minute performance additions. To keep up with any additional changes and additions to this year’s lineup – even during the festival – MerleFest encourages fans to sign up for the e-newsletter and to follow the festival through Facebook and Twitter. Links are available at www.merlefest.org.

Rolling Stone magazine has said that, “With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos.” Now in their 38th year of making music, the three-time Grammy-winning band is still creating inventive and inspiring music. Though they may have come to the attention of many with their huge hit “La Bamba,” Los Lobos’ rich musicality has continued to evolve and expand with each project and with each tour. Drawing equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, this internationally renowned group of performers delivers a graceful, gritty sound that never strays from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the band. About their most recent album, the Grammy-nominated Tin Can Trust, NPR’s Ken Tucker said, “Los Lobos is a master of creating moods, of summoning up a setting and putting you in the center of it. From the band’s major-label debut Will The Wolf Survive to Tin Can Trust, the band has always sung about people who take their pleasures where they can find them and who lead rich imaginative lives.

All Music has described the New York-based Assembly of Dust as “melding the deep grooves of blues and R&B with guitar work that recalls J. J. Cale and Little Feat.” AOD’s 2011 release Found Sound represents a “behind the curtain” look at a band that has gained notoriety as a studio/live performance hybrid. The energy captured on Found Sound represents what fans from coast to coast have known for years: music’s best kept secret may have just been found.

Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012.

With over 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an excellent entertainment value. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls “traditional plus” music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian regional plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.” The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

Floyd Fandango

If the true definition of ‘Fandango’ is a lively dance done in triple time, then Floyd Fandango, a weekend-long Independence Day celebration, is not too far off the mark. This unique event, which is held annually off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, Virginia, has garnered somewhat of a cult following since its 2004 inception. Unorthodox festivities are often the headline, including past performances by Junior Brown playing under an Italian carnival tent with snake charmers and a trained dog show, and other carnival-themed attractions. This year’s attendees can expect an equally solid roster of non-traditional entertainment and merriments.

Upon arrival at the pristine mountain venue, located at milepost 170.5 off the beautiful, and non-commercial, Blue Ridge Parkway, attendees exchange a ticket for a commemorative wine or beer glass and wooden pogs for beer tasting (wine tastings are free throughout the day). Meander along a shady garden path, past a small stage of string musicians, and onto the main field- a 40-acre expanse culminating with a jaw-dropping, timber framed stage set against the tree-lined backdrop of Rock Castle Gorge. Set up a chair or shade tent and relax to the alt-country sounds of the aptly-chosen band These United States and Big Easy musical favorite Anders Osborne, both opening acts for headliner JJ Grey and Mofro, a southern-born crooner with a large southwest Virginia following.

Two large covered tents feature wine tastings on one side of the field and beer tastings on the other, with a competition for ‘best in show,’ ‘people’s choice’ and ‘judges choice,’ as well as best red wine, best white wine, and best light, medium, and dark beer. This year’s event showcases over 50 vintages of wine from local favorites Chateau Morisette, Villa Appalaccia and AmRhein wineries, as well as Cooper Vineyards, Davis Valley, Fincastle, Horton, Mattaponi, and Rockbridge vineyards. Craft beer options include Long Trail Brewing, Highland Brewery, Starr Hill, Blue Mountain Brewery, Breckenridge Brewing, Bull and Bones Brewhaus, Crispin Hard Apple Cider, Foothills Brewing, Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, Old Dominion, River Company, Stillwater Artisanal Brewing Company, and Woodchuck Hard Cider.

With the 4th of July falling on a Monday, there’s no reason to rush back to school or work – weekend tickets include on-site camping and a low-key, high-octane Saturday night party, held after hours for those with a weekend camping ticket, extending the fun until midnight. All told, Floyd Fandango shares many of the attributes that might be used to describe the beverages it showcases- lively, full-bodied, and with a hint of blush.

For tickets or more information on this fine event, visit www.floydfandango.com or call 1-888-VAFESTS

FloydFest

2011 marks the 10-year anniversary of an event that has become a model for the independent, grassroots, multi-genre family friendly outdoor music festival. In the way of marketing imagery, this anniversary edition of FloydFest X, the experience is aptly named.

The “X”, according to spokespersons for the Floyd, Virginia based Production Company, Across-The-Way-Productions, stands for all things ‘X’ (eXcept ‘X-rated’). It is eXponential, that ticket sales for the festival are hovering at 100% over last year, trending to an early sell-out for an event that started in 2002 with 3,000 people on a farm off the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, Virginia.

It is ‘eXtraordinary’ that the aforementioned parkway locale gives the venue a breathtaking beauty. Watching performers on the custom timber framed Dreaming Creek main stage against a backdrop of trees and stars, with not a commercial building or vehicle in sight is a near-spiritual experience for anyone attending.

The 2011 line-up could be called ‘eXtreme’. It’s being touted as the “best of a decade” and includes these performers: Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Taj Mahal, The Tony Rice Unit, The David Grisman Sextet, Peter Rowan’s Bluegrass Band, Railroad Earth, North Mississippi All Stars, Sam Bush Band, Hot Tuna Electric and Acoustic, Del McCoury Band, Cyro Baptista & Beat the Donkey, Toubab Krewe, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and many more.

With over one hundred bands showcased on nine uniquely different performance stages and spanning Wednesday through Sunday, it could also be named ‘FloydFest the eXtended version’.

You can’t forget ‘X marks the spot’ – FloydFest X offers as much diversity in the non-musical arena as it does within it. Children are well occupied in a safe and central ‘Children’s Universe’ that features open-mic performances, stage entertainment, waterslide, martial arts workshops, free trapeze lessons, and a gaming tent. Alternative-trending adults (and those just looking for a great massage) will thrill at the array of workshops and variants of therapy from tai chi to qigong. Food offerings range from organic vegetarian to brick oven pizza to gator bites, solar smoothies, homemade doughnuts, local coffee, Virginia wines and craft beer including Magic Hat, Starr Hill and Foothills Brewing. Over 100 regional artisans offer a selection of superior products from handcrafted moccasins to instruments, clothes, jewelry and fine art.

‘EXponential, eXtreme, eXtended, FloydFest X is definitely shaping up to be all that it proclaims- basically the music eXperience of the summer.

For more information, please visit www.floydfest.com.