West Jefferson For a Day

Enjoy a beautiful drive to West Jefferson, NC for the day.  Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwest North Carolina, and listed on the National Register of Historical Places - West Jefferson provides beautiful scenery, mountain breezes, and a sense of history.  We will be stopping at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, as well as Saint Mary's Church to see some of the most interesting examples of fresco painting in the country.  The contemporary frescoes were painted by Ben Long who studied under a Florentine master.  In downtown West Jefferson, you'll be free to enjoy time on your own for shopping, grab some lunch, or visit Ashe County Cheese for some of the best cheese produced in North Carolina.  You may even be lucky enough to see some cheese making in progress (depending on production schedule).  More than a dozen art galleries and specialty shops dot the streets of West Jefferson. We always stopped at Welch's Produce at some point during the tour, but in April 2026, the owner's of Welch's Produce announced they are retiring. If the stand opens under new management before the tour, we will still visit. At the end of an enjoyable afternoon in the mountains, we'll head for home. Arriving home approximately 6:30 PM.