01/05/2026
Delighted to see this post. This has been a popular tourism initiative since it launched. Many thousands of brochures have been distributed and the blueway content is among the most popular portions of the tourism website.
After a recent short walk at the very end of the Jackson River Scenic Trail, wife Judy picked up a brochure available there from the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce.
She placed it in the car and I, thinking that I've probably read or seen just about every conceivable local brochure, just left it in the vehicle. Then yesterday, it was time to move and take out some things from the car and your editor looked it more closely.
The the title is "Alleghany Highlands Blueway," which I must admit, didn't mean a thing to me.
The subhead is "Paddle, Fish, Boat, Swim And Camp", which I immediately thought should have included the words "Hike or Walk," but that was just an aside.
INSIDE, however is a regional map with all sorts of great notes, easy-to-read tourism suggestions - a truly brilliant display of local amenities that every single local RESIDENT should know about and use, let alone tourists.
A PDF of it is available at https://alleghanyhighlandsblueway.com
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Many of our viewers and readers don't think of themselves as "salesmen", but in fact, your daily conversations are often, in part, that. When we talk about our home, it's one thing; when we correctly point out all that is available here, it's a form of salesmanship - one that effects everybody, because when folks visit here, they buy gasoline, stay at hotels, eat at local restaurants, buy all kinds of various services and much more.
These dollars, when taxed here, provide all sorts of benefits that are not immediately recognized by the general population.
Your editor asks you to consider viewing this brochure and downloading for future reference.
We're "all in this together," notes a well-known local official, which is truly OBVIOUS, but never-the-less smart.
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I packed up three bags of unsalted peanuts and keep them in my vehicle. I used one earlier this week at another trail, the nice one which runs along the Jackson River at the JR Sport Complex. There are some huge oaks and sycamores along the trail and the local squirrels will nearly greet you there, especially if you're armed with peanuts. I often toss them just off the trail (so that I'm not viewed as a litterer) but they are almost always gone when I come back up the trail to the parking lot to leave. It's only about a 1/4 mile walk - 1/2 mile round trip, but there is often wildlife to view, like ducks, geese, and often, what I call the "Dressler Turtles."
(It's yet another local asset that is "free" for us and you'll probably also run into folks you know, like another friend of mine who declared "Hi, but you don't recognize me, do you?" That's because he'd lost more than 80 pounds!)
All in a day here! By downloading the pdf, you may VERY EASILY pass that file along to all of your friends and others who may wish to share local experiences they just cannot easily get elsewhere. It's merely a thought for your consideration as we enter the new year of 2026.
