For Sale North Carolina Aidome w’ Basement

For Sale 34′ Concrete Aidome w’ Full Basement on 2.2 Acres

w’ Wood Burning Fireplace & Wrap-A-Round Deck - $160,000

OPTION: the price includes the dome and adjoining 2.2 acres; however,

if you are interested there are 2.0 contiguous areas which can be purchased.

at 3,400 ft elevation – one mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway

“Where Springtime Spends the Summer”

In Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountain’s Countryside 

(30 min from Marion, Burnsville & Spruce Pine NC)

One Hour From Asheville, NC.   12 miles from Mt. Mitchell State Park

1,092 sq.ft. Dome w’ 824 sq.ft. Basement for total 1,916 sq.ft.
Dome has two bedrooms and two baths.  Basement Has One Bedroom, One Bath,
Kitchenette, Family Room, Store Room & Mud Room/Utility Room

Wells Fargo Financing Available for this Dome. Click Here to See Details of Financing.

Call Glenda for info 321-693-8787 or Email [email protected]  

(use arrows above on right and left side of main picture to view other photos in the gallery)

Have you dreamed of living in an American Ingenuity (Ai) dome?  Are you tired of your state’s hot summers?  Desire investment property?  Then purchase this amazing dome to relax in the coolness of the 3,400 feet elevation of the North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, play golf two miles away at the four and one half star Mount Mitchell Golf Course  or trout fish at the nearby Black Mountain Campground.  When you are not enjoying the dome, rent out the dome to those wanting to hike the Blue Ridge Parkway trails,  view the gorgeous autumn foliage, visit the Parkway water falls, Mount Mitchell State Park or the surrounding quaint small towns and sights of Asheville - Biltmore Estate and its Gardens.   During the winter ski in Boone North Carolina.

Sit in tranquility on the decks, share morning coffee and the countryside views. Enjoy hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway trails, having picnics at the water falls, eating at local cafes in Little Switzerland, attending live theater performances in Asheville, skiing in Boone and becoming friends with the amazing local residents.  At the bottom of this article is a listing of some of the sights on the Blue Ridge Parkway and area attractions.

This finished North Carolina dome is an eleven hour drive from central Florida & New York City and is one mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway & the eastern continental divide, 30 minutes from Marion, Burnsville & Spruce Pine North Carolina and one hour from Asheville.  Within one half mile is a country general store and a fire station. The Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine is within 30 minutes.  The dome is nestled on the mountain side in the oaks and hemlocks. The dome’s incredible glassed high profile entryways and decks allow for quiet viewing of the spectacular North Carolina country side, mountains, flora and fauna.  Seen on the property: northern flying squirrel, saw-whet owl, white-tailed deer and gray fox.  Mount Mitchell State Park (1,946-acre park on the highest peak east of the Mississippi, with camping, hiking & panoramic views) is 12 miles away where bird watchers have recorded 91 species in the park. Birds more characteristic of New England and Canada—including winter wrens, slate-colored juncos, red crossbills and golden-crowned kinglets—nest at these high altitudes. Spring and summer bring the drumming of ruffed grouse. From the observation tower, visitors can often see peregrine falcons whipping past.

The 2015 property taxes were an unbelievable $735!

The dome was built from an American Ingenuity (Ai) concrete dome building kit.  We just received this Facebook question: and wanted to share it and our answer with you:  

Q:  Ai, just out of curiosity, how often do you have the sales like you have been having?  It’s an amazing deal and beings it will be a while before I could purchase, just curious if it’s once a year or more or less frequently?

A:  It is very unusual to have a finished Ai concrete dome for sale. So this is a rare opportunity for anyone desiring to purchase a finished American Ingenuity dome to do so instead of starting from scratch having to select property,  determine the floor plan layout, purchase building plans, obtain a building permit and build & finish the dome and its basement.  

Why Purchase a Home Built From an Aidome?

The geodesic dome was built from an American Ingenuity (Ai) dome building kit which consists of prefabricated triangle shaped panels and four foot tall riser panels. The dome’s exterior is fire resistant concrete reinforced with galvanized steel mesh and fibers. Its insulation is continuous R28 {seven inches of nontoxic expanded polystyrene (EPS)}. The dome panels contain no wood to interrupt the insulation, no wood for termites to eat and no wood to burn.  There is no roof to replace every 11-12 years.  The dome’s exterior walls are incredibly strong, resist tree impact and resist forest fires due to non-combustible concrete exterior.  The insulation results in the dome’s heating costs being 50% to 60% lower than a box shaped house.  Please scroll down to the bottom of this article to learn why the founder of American Ingenuity designed a dome with such wonderful features.

Quotes About The NC Dome

Sorry, the dome cannot be rented.  In the past when the dome was fully furnished, the owners rented the dome out so others could experience the dome and the beauty of North Carolina.   Here are quotes from two familes that rented the dome:

1. Feb 19, 2016 from Mr. Scott: “We have stayed in this dome 2 or 3 times over the years and it is beautiful. It has a wonderful feeling as soon as you walk in, very comfortable, nice view and extremely energy efficient!   We still plan to build our own dome and I hope we don’t break that 18 year persistence record!”
2. Feb 11, 2016 from Ms. B.W in north Georgia foothills: “Years ago, my daughter & I, and my two grandchildren rented this dome house for a long weekend.  It was a delightful experience, which I shall never forget. Nestled amid a natural wooded sector, far from commercialism, I recommend this home to get away from it all.  In the future, I hope to build one of these in my area.”

Why is a Geodesic Dome So Strong?

Geodesic domes are three-dimensional structures using stable triangles approximating spheres to create multiple load carrying paths from point of load to point of support. The triangle is the only arrangement of structural members that is stable within itself without requiring additional connections at the intersection points to prevent warping of the geometry.  In other words, apply pressure to one edge of a triangle, and that force is evenly distributed to the other two sides, which then transmit pressure to adjacent triangles. That cascading distribution of pressure is how geodesic domes efficiently distribute stress along the entire structure, much like the shell of an egg.   To view Ai’s web site click on www.aidomes.com   

Square Footage & Info
For the Concrete Dome w’ Basement Bedroom/Bath/Kitchenette/Family Room 

The 1,092 sq.ft. 34′ dome has a wood burning fireplace, two skylights and two magnificent glassed high profile entryways.  The 824 sq.ft. basement has separate area for a total square footage in the dome and basement of 1,916 sq.ft.  The basement walls were built on site from eight inch poured concrete with French drain installed. 

The custom built oak spiral stair case and railing around it and oak planks were sawed from red oak trees from the area.  Seventeen foot high vaulted ceilings are above the 150 sq.ft. dining room, 162 sq.ft. living room, both High Profile entryways, fireplace and the spiral stairs.

The dome’s first floor is 840 sq.ft. with one bedroom & one bath and second floor is 252 sq.ft. with one bedroom & one bath.  The first floor bath has tub/shower and second floor has bathroom with shower. Dome is accessed via spiral stairs from the basement or via exterior stairs or by walking around the dome.  The interior finish on the dome walls is hand troweled plaster over Georgia Pacific DensDeck drywall.  The skip troweled plaster results in a beautiful high low finish.   The DensDeck is not conventional sheet rock with paper facing.  It is moisture resistant, mold resistant drywall with fiberglass facing.

The Basement includes: one bedroom, full bath, Kitchenette with standard refrigerator & sink,  and family room.   The basement also has mud room/utility room, a store room with a 4′ wide by 3’4″ window and a  mud room with  2’10″x 2’10” window and 3′ wide door and laundry tub.  The family room, kitchenette, mud room, bathroom and hall way have ceramic tile.  The store room could be converted to a fourth bedroom.

The basement family room and kitchenette have ample light from 6’ sliding glass doors and a 3’10” x 3′ kitchen window.  All glass in the windows, skylights & sliding doors is double pane. Windows and sliding doors have vinyl frames. The dome first floor has two skylights and two high profile entryways. Each entryway contains 6 foot sliding glass doors. Above each of the sliding doors is double pane fixed glass – 2′ tall by 7’10” long.  In the kitchen there is a standard entryway with single door and 5′ x 2’9″ tall window.  The two bedrooms in the dome each have a window.

All dome interior walls and the dome & basement exterior walls were freshly painted in November 2015. There is a local Father/Son handy man team  who could be expected to handle the carpet and kitchen tile that you may want to replace and will do so with quality craftsmanship and at a very low, economical price.

The home Is all electric with well, septic tank and 250 gallon kerosene tank. The dome is heated with monitor heater fueled by kerosene.  Basement is unheated; however, an estimate from a local handy man indicates the installation of a Toyo Stove with a kerosene line run from the kerosene tank would cost under $4,000.  Or install mini-split ductless heating.

Wood Burning Fireplace

The dome’s wood burning fireplace hearth is 4’6″ long by one foot wide. The fireplace glass doors are 3’7″ long by 1’10” tall. Around the base of the fireplace tile is installed.  On site there are plenty of fallen branches to be cut up for fire wood.

The dome can be lived in year round or used as a vacation home and visited when desired.

Because the dome is located at 3,400 feet elevation, during the summer 85 degrees are high temps. In the hottest of summer months, fans were sufficient for cooling.   A great feature about the super-insulated dome is how it can be cooled by convection air movement.  In the summer when night time temps are below 70 degrees (which is nearly every night at 3,400 ft), open a window on the dome’s first floor and a window on the second floor. Due to convection currents, the cool night air lifts any warm air and exhausts it out the second floor window.  Then in the morning close the windows to trap the cool air in causing it to feel like an air conditioner was turned on during the day.

When lived in year round, in the winter the dome is heated by a monitor heater, fireplace and southern sun.  There is an exterior  250 gallon kerosene storage tank which fuels the heater.    During the winter the dome was kept warm because of the heat generated by the sunlight coming in the south facing glass area and the heater set at  68 degrees. (Winter used 200 gals of fuel)  Other times during the winter, the dome was heated by using the fireplace and the south facing sun.  How the dome is heated is up to the home owner.

Or instead of living year round in the dome, it can be used as a retreat from your state’s hot summers. If the dome is lived in as a summer vacation home and not in the winter, no fear going off and leaving the dome in the North Carolina winters. Conventional houses need their  furnace set at high temperatures to keep the building above freezing temps. However because the American Ingenuity dome has uninterrupted R28 insulation and reduced exterior surface area it can be heated and cooled for 50% to 60% less than conventional box shaped houses. This dome also has the advantage of having a south facing High Profile entryway which allows the sunlight to heat the dome. When the owners visited Florida in the winter, the monitor heater was set at 48 degrees causing the unheated basement to stay at 55 degrees. When they did not visit the dome in the winter only 100 gallons of kerosene was needed to keep the dome to 48 degrees.  About one half of the basement walls are completely back filled with a French Drain installed.

Location and Wrap-A-Round Deck and Two Other Decks 

The dome is accessed from I-40 or I-26 or the Blue Ridge Parkway to Highway 80 south.  A paved driveway off Hwy 80 south is 260 ft long and ten feet wide. The dome has three decks and exterior stairs. One deck off the basement is 12′ long x 6′ wide with railing which accesses sliding glass doors in the basement family room & kitchenette. The second floor deck is 42 feet long by 6 feet wide and accesses the dome’s dining room and the living room. The exterior stairs are 16 feet long by 3′ wide which leads to the 12′ 10″ long by 7’5″ wide deck off the kitchen entryway.  House is accessed either through the mud room door or the exterior stairs lead to a kitchen door or by walking around the dome.

Free With The Dome

Free with the dome are the following solid oak furniture: two end tables, coffee table, kitchen rolling cart, bar stool, coat stand, bench and two solid oak queen size headboards w’ frames.  Also free: kitchen appliances, love seat, sofa, two oak dressers, oak mirror, chrome & glass dining table with four swivel chairs and pressure treated wood two person deck chair with two end stands.

To Purchase This North Carolina Dome Built From Ai Dome Kit:
Financing Is Available Through Wells Fargo or Pay Cash

Sovann Kang of Wells Fargo has special financing for this North Carolina Concrete Dome for those who qualify. To view a Home Mortgage document showing interest rate, down payment amount, monthly mortgage payment, Click Here to See Details of Financing.

Sovann told us that Wells Fargo will now accept appraisals on comparables based on square footage, bedrooms and interior finishing qualities. Comparables no longer have to be based on domes built in that area! This is a huge advantage when trying to obtain any form of dome financing.  His info is Cell  253-376-0991;   email is [email protected]   

His info is:
Sovann Kang w’ Wells Fargo.  To view his web site, click on Loan  
New Construction Specialist, Buyouts & Refinancing Existing Domes – NMLS -R ID 275454
206-394-3911 (Office), 253-376-0991 (Mobile)
16400 Southcenter Pkwy, Ste. 410
Tukwila, WA 98188
Email: [email protected]  

Because acquiring financing for alternative housing can be difficult, consider hiring a mortgage broker to locate financing for you.  Even though a broker’s interest rate may be a little higher than a lender; you are living in a super-strong, super-energy efficient American Ingenuity dome saving money each month on your heating, cooling, maintenance and insurance costs.

Ai has learned about LightStream’s Anything Loan, a division of SunTrust Bank.  Not sure if they can assist you or not.   LightStream’s Anything Loan is a virtually paperless loan that will let you finance or refinance almost anything.  These loans are very customer friendly with these included features:

Fixed-interest rates range from 1.99% to 9.99%* APR with AutoPay
Loan amounts range from $5,000 to $100,000
No fees, down payment requirements or prepayment penalties
Apply online and receive a response within minutes during business hours
Unsecured, with no liens or collateral requirements for AnythingLoan. (Applicants that do not qualify for the AnythingLoan may qualify for our Secured Loan products).

Financing Alternatives: 

1. take out an equity line on property you own
2. obtain a personal loan from family or friends (offering them a higher interest rate than banks, etc. are offering on money markets certificates, etc.)

Aerial Mapping of the Area

To see an aerial view of the dome nestled in the forested pristine area, first click on  National Geographic Mapping  and enter the address 12811 State Highway 80 South, Busick NC.  Once that loads,  click on the tab Bird’s Eye View and scroll in on the white circle. The dome is painted light green but in the aerial view it looks white.  You can see that the dome is located in a natural forested area. The dome cannot be viewed close up; however, the aerial mapping allows you to scroll around and see the North Carolina pristine area the dome is located in.

The Google Car that syncs up the satellite data to the street view doesn’t go off the main highway in the country.  As a result through Google Map if you maneuver the cursor you can  see the 260′ paved driveway off  NC State Highway 80 South.  At the end of the driveway the dome sits back a bit on the right so the dome is not visible; however,  you can see that the driveway is right off  Highway 80. Please click on Google Mapping  to see the driveway & Hwy 80.   In Google Mapping to view the immediate area around the dome, Busick NC has to be entered for the address.  In the small town of Busick there is a general store and a fire station. The dome is one half mile past the fire station off State Highway 80. On Google Mapping the red marker named Busick is not the dome location but the small town of Busick’s location. To view the small town and the pristine area around it,  click on Busick NC.   With Google Mapping you can tour the country side around the dome.   When on the Google site, if you scroll to the left you will see the Mount Mitchell Golf Course and if you scroll to the right the Blue Ridge Parkway is visible. 

Dome is in the Blue Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Per Wikipedia, the Black Mountains are a mountain range in western North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Blacks are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States. The range takes its name from the dark appearance of the red spruce and Fraser fir trees on the upper slopes which contrasts with the brown (during winter) or lighter green (during the growing season) appearance of the deciduous trees at lower elevations. The Eastern Continental Divide, which runs along the eastern Blue Ridge crest, intersects the southern tip of the Black Mountain range.

The Black Mountains (named for the dark spruce trees in the area) are home to Mount Mitchell State Park, which protects the range’s highest summit and adjacent summits in the north-central section of the range. Much of the range is also protected by the Pisgah National Forest. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes along the range’s southern section, and is connected to the summit of Mount Mitchell by North Carolina Highway 128. The Black Mountains are mostly located in Yancey County, although the range’s southern and western extremes are part of Buncombe County.

Dome is Outstanding, Unique, Rare opportunity

As you will see in the area this property is an outstanding unique, rare opportunity to capitalize on the fantastic mountain views, not having to start from scratch to build a dome home, recreational facilities on the Parkway, close proximity to top class shops, restaurants and live theater in Asheville that we don’t believe you can find any where else in the country.

Option - Two Additional Acres

OPTION: the price includes the dome and adjoining acreage of 2.2 acres; however, if you are interested there are 2.0 contiguous areas which can be purchased  for additional cost.  The additional 2 acres are above the dome and have the same type of natural oaks, hemlocks and rhododendron as the dome’s 2.2 acres have.  After the paved road stops there is approx. 200 foot gravel road which accesses the well and ends at an area cleared for a turn around area or could be used as a garden. The two additional acres could be divided off and sold for home sites. The top one acre is flat and has a view of Mount Mitchell observation tower & Mt Mitchell State Park. The gravel road could be extended to access the additional acreage.

If this North Carolina dome is not the correct size for your family, consider purchasing an Ai dome building kit and building a dome on your property. On Ai’s web site you can sign up for a newsletter.  It keeps you informed about the  building kit discounts & special events. Ai is not a construction company. Since 1976 our company designs the building plans and manufacturers the prefab panels for the dome building kits.  Different times of the year there is a discount on the dome kit with the discount varying. The kits are purchased and are either assembled by the owner builder or by their builder. If desired the independent Kit Assembly Consultant can supervise the owner builder’s workers or the builder’s workers to get the dome kit assembled.

The Ai Dome is Ideal for a Vacation Home for Several Reasons:

• Unique design that results in a fun home to visit and possibly rent out the dome or the basement apartment when the property owners are not home.

• Dome nestles into a wooded setting without concern of a tree impact on concrete dome or that a forest fire will burn the concrete exterior. See Ai’s  tree impact link for info about 30” in diameter hickory tree falling on dome with dome suffering no damage. The concrete dome exterior is noncombustible so exterior is fire resistant. As a matter of fact all the materials in the dome prefab panel are noncombustible (concrete, galvanized steel, drywall and EPS).

• Super energy efficiency: The 7” Eps insulation is comparable to 11” of fiberglass batting and is not interrupted by wood. The dome walls and roof have 30% less surface area than a conventional house; expect heating and cooling costs to be 50% to 60% less than conventional housing. As a result during winter time, when you are not visiting your vacation dome, the dome requires very little heat to keep the water pipes from freezing.

To view photos of a Florida 34’ dome home and it’s electric bills, showing where it can be cool for less than $22 a month in the hot Florida summer months, click on 34’ dome. By the way it is even easier to heat an Ai dome than to cool one.

• Low Exterior Maintenance: The Ai dome has less exterior maintenance than a conventional framed house. The dome’s exterior is a shell of continuous concrete with incredible durability with nothing to rot, rust, warp, be eaten by termites or be damaged by fungus, molds and insects. The exterior concrete is primed and painted with no shingles or separate roofing to blow off in high winds. Normal maintenance is to pressure wash and paint every 4-6 years. The dome’s expanded polystyrene insulation will not shrink, deteriorate, absorb moisture or relinquish its R-value.

To view a video of the interior and exterior of the dome, click on YouTube Cabin Interior.  To view part of the cabin exterior, click on YouTube Cabin Exterior.

WHY PURCHASE  AN AMERICAN INGENUITY DOME KIT
& BUILD IT FOR YOUR NEW HOME?

Q: Why did the founder of American Ingenuity in 1975 decide on the dome shape for his commercial dome to be built in Melbourne Florida?  

A: The dome, or partial sphere, is a geometric form that encloses the greatest amount of volume with the least amount of surface area. Historically, massive domes constructed of stones, brick or concrete were common in ancient Greece and Rome. In modern times, Buckminster Fuller was the first to formulate geodesic principles for constructing a spherical surface by triangular subdivision. However nearly all of Fuller’s domes were built from wood framing with shingled roofs.

Ai’s founder, Michael Busick, did not want to build his Florida commercial dome out of wood and shingles because termites eat wood, hurricane force winds rip off shingles and a wood dome has an increased shingled roof area causing expensive reroofing costs every 11 or 12 years.  Instead Mr. Busick hired a University of Miami architectural professor, engineering students and director of the Florida Solar Energy Center to come up with building materials specifically to build the geodesic dome. The materials were concrete, mesh and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation. Back in 1976 the first Ai dome was built by propping up precut EPS panels, hand tying road mesh on the exterior of the EPS and guniting concrete on to the exterior.  Mr. Busick soon learned that guniting concrete over the entire exterior surface was a waste of concrete and labor.  This is why he invented Ai’s prefab panel and received a patent.  Building an Ai dome from prefab concrete panels makes construction easier than stick built construction or pumping concrete on to an airform and results in the dome exterior being strong and super-energy efficient.

The process of stacking the panels, overlapping/locking the steel mesh of adjacent panels and filling the panel seams with special fiber concrete, produces 1) the structural components of the home; 2) the finished concrete surface; and 3) installs all the R28 insulation.  Ai’s component panel building system is the most simplified way to build a commercial or residential building on the market today.  

During the past decade the buying public has experienced a substantial increase in the cost of construction, the cost of energy and the cost of borrowing. As a result, there has been increased interest in the use of technology to help address these concerns. In the last decade, many people have discovered that the dome design offers a viable solution.

As a building concept, geodesic dome construction translates into a highly comfortable and livable building that has a maximum of floor area enclosed by a minimum of materials. These features combine superior strength and cost-effectiveness in a single structure. In short, the building concept of a dome expands the range of simple and economic building options.

Manufactured domes are constructed using a triangular network to form a spherical shape. This method provides for a free span, self-supporting structure requiring no internal supports such as roof load bearing partition walls. This allows for maximum flexibility of floor plan design and utilization of interior space.

As an architectural form, the dome is one of the strongest structural forms devised and built by man. Domes that were built centuries ago enclose many of the great cathedrals of Europe. Domes are structurally superior to rectilinear enclosures. The partial sphere is an aerodynamic shape that is very stable in high winds and can withstand heavy snow loads. For these reasons, domes greatly exceed the structural requirements of the major building codes in the United States.  The interrupted R28 insulation causes cooling and heating bills to be 50% to 60% less than the same size conventional structure.  In the Ai dome there is no wood in or on the exterior shell to interrupt the insulation, to rot, or to burn or for termites to eat.  There is no roof to replace every 11-12 years. The exterior concrete is painted  4-5-6 years with breathable elastomeric paint.

One of the most exciting architectural environments ever designed, a dome brings its best attributes to your commercial or residential needs.  It delivers a rewarding living experience filled with warmth, light and open space to those who choose to build a dome.

Area information

1.  Annual Yancey County property taxes on the dome home and 4.2 acres are low - $735.  Yancey County government center’s official web site.
2. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is 30 minutes away in Spruce Pine and is part of the Mission Health System of North Carolina.  In Asheville there is an Asheville VA Medical Center and Mission Health System.  See below for a paragraph about Mission Health System.
3. When arranging to view the dome, check out Priceline’s Motel Listing for Burnsville NC or motels in Marion NC.
4. Town of Burnsville NC official web site.
5. City of Marion official web site.
6. Lowes Home Improvement store is 30 minutes away in Marion NC.  480 US 70 West, Marion, NC 28752. Phone:(828) 659-5960.
7. Town of Spruce Pine is 30 minutes away from the dome. Super Walmart Store is in Spruce Pine.
8. To view local schools, click on Yancey County School System.
9. Asheville North Carolina is one hour from the dome and has been ranked No. 12 Best Place To Live In America  because of its culture, sites, live theater,  gallery hopping, antique shopping, trekking along the Appalachian Trail and more.  Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s known for its vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the dome-topped Basilica of Saint Lawrence and the vast 19th-century Biltmore estate, displaying artwork by masters like Renoir. Its Downtown Art District is filled with galleries and museums, and in the nearby River Arts District, former factory buildings house artists’ studios.  However why live in the hustle, bustle of a large city, live in quietness and tranquility in this country side setting and visit Asheville at your convenience.  
10. For Dialysis Treatment Appointments call   800- 400-8331  to coordinate dialysis appointment.  Need to call at least 5 working days prior to appointment to make sure there is availability in location you desire.  DaVita Mayland Dialysis Center at 575 Altapass Hwy,  Spruce Pine, NC 28777-3012, 10 miles – 14 minutes from the Dome.   DaVita McDowell County Dialysis Center at 100 Spaulding Rd, Marion, NC 28752-5116 is  30 miles – 44 minutes from the Dome.
11. About Blue Ridge Regional Hospital:  (number 828-766-2900) is based in Spruce Pine, N.C., is a not-for-profit hospital and serves Mitchell, Yancey, lower Avery and upper McDowell counties. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital has provided excellent health care services for the region since 1955. Cleverley & Associates has recognized Blue Ridge Regional Hospital as a Community Value 5-Star Hospital for 10 consecutive years.
    1. Medical specialties offered by Blue Ridge include emergency services, OB services, critical care, rehabilitation services and fitness center, cancer services, orthopedics, general surgical services, pain management, pediatrics, family medicine, sleep disorders and wound care.  (For Dialysis contact independent
    2. In addition, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital offers clinics for the following specialties: allergy and asthma; cardiology, dermatology; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; ophthalmology and kidney care (nephrology).   Blue Ridge Regional Hospital employs 450 people.
    3. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is part of Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina.  Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates six hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, post-acute care provider CarePartners, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center.  Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in more than 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties.
    4. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health.

       Blue Ridge Parkway Sites & Area Attractions

The dome is one mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway’s mile marker 344.

YOUNGS’ MOUNTAIN MUSIC  A must to experience the local flavor and enjoy the mountain music.  Each Saturday night local talent and professionals get 30 minutes on stage and play banjo, fiddle, guitar, piano, etc.  Open 7pm-11pm, donations accepted.  Save room for homemade pie.  Sometimes in the summer, they have fish fries at dinner time.  Open year round.  Take Hwy 80 north to Micaville, turn right onto 19E and go 3 ½ - 4 miles.  Just after the Mitchell County sign, look for their flashing sign on the left.  The music hall is a ½ block north of the highway.

• THE TOWN OF BURNSVILLE  A quaint small town with a square, antique shops, gift shops, old timey hardware stores, gourmet luncheon restaurant, grocery store and more.  Off Highway 19.  Yancey County Chamber of Commerce.

• THE TOWN OF MARION  A small town with a Food Lion grocery store, ABC liquor store, Walmart and more.  Approx. 20 miles southeast of cabin.  South on Hwy 80, turn left onto Hwy 70.  McDowell County Chamber of Commerce. 

• WILLIAM EFFLER’S GENERAL STORE  Located in the little town of Busick.  This store has almost everything you may need and an abundance of charm.  During most seasons the produce is irresistible.

• LITTLE SIENNA RESTAURANT Located at the East end of Hwy 80 where it joins Hwy 70.  Delicious Italian Food.  Open year round. 828-724-9451.  2474 NC-226, Marion, NC 28752

• LITTLE SWITZERLAND RESTAURANT   Located at mile post 334 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Chalet Restaurant overlooking the scenic mountains of North Carolina serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Beer, wine, and mixed beverages are available.  Open end of April through first week in November?   1-828-765-2153 http://www.switzerlandinn.com/

• COACH HOUSE Seafood & Steak Restaurant  Go to the east end of Hwy 80, turn right onto Hwy 70W & proceed to the town of Black Mountain.  The restaurant is on the main road at 508 W. State St. Black Mountain, NC.   Phone: 828-669-4223.  Lunch Tues-Fri. Open Tues-Wed-Thurs 11am to 9pm, Fri 11am-9:30pm, Sat 3pm-9:30pm, Sun 11:30am-8pm, Closed Monday.  Beer available.  Excellent food at unheard of low prices.  Open year round. (This area offers lots of restaurants & shops).

• TROUT FARM  A trout farm is approx approx. 5 miles south on Hwy 80.  They provide the poles and bait and anyone can catch your limit.  May be closed for lack of water or after October.

• SWINGING BRIDGE  Going North on Hwy 80 just past the golf course, the first turn is to the left and the bridge is in the next right turn.  Check out the variety of river rocks near this wood bridge, some glitter with mineral Mica.  The river is named “South Toe”.

• HIKING TRAILS  Along the parkway and at many of the overlooks are hiking trails.  The first overlook south of Hwy 80 exit, has an excellent trail.  In route you will pass through the twin tunnels and get a look at the inside of the mountain.
• ALBERTS’ RESTAURANT(Gourmet Food)  Next to the Mount Mitchell golf course along Hwy 80 in Busick, NC.  Great view of Mt. Mitchell while you enjoy excellent food.  By reservation, call Albert or Sylvia Phone: 828-675-4691.
• MOUNT MITCHELL FOUR AND ONE HALF STAR GOLF COURSE & PRO SHOP  Open April thru November?  18 holes of golf including cart use:   7590 Hwy 80 South. Phone: 828-675-5454.  From their web site: The Mount Mitchell Golf Club offers a variety of challenges to the visiting golfer. The course is a four and one half star rating by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” North Carolina Magazine ranked Mount Mitchell in the top ten public courses in the state. It features bent grass from tee to green, is virtually flat, has a pristine river flowing through it and awesome views on every shot. Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, one hour from Asheville, Mount Mitchell Golf Club remains a favorite golfers’ haven.
• MOUNT MITCHELL GOLF CLUB RESTAURANT Open May thru October? Phone: 828-675-4911.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

• BILTMORE ESTATE (Located in Asheville)  Features America’s largest residence.  Open year round except Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years.  Beautiful Christmas displays. Phone: 800-411-3812 admission about $25 each person.

• THE BLOWING ROCK & CHIMNEY ROCK PARK  Two natural perches that provide striking views of the Southern Highlands.  Admission. Blowing Rock: 828-298-7111; Chimney Rock: 800-277-9611.

• GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN  Located near the town of Linville, featuring hiking trails, picnic areas, natural museum, theater.  Open year-round.  Admission: 800-468-7325.

• “HORN IN THE WEST” An outdoor drama stages in Boone each summer, portraying the struggle of rugged mountain settlers & their role in the American Revolution.  Admission: 828-264-2120.

• MAST GENERAL STORE   One of the best remaining examples of an old general store.  630 West King Street. Boone, NC 28607.  828-262-0000.

• RAFTING  This can be an exciting family experience on such area rivers as the French Broad, Nolichucky & Nantahala.  A good selection of outfitters includes Carolina Wilderness. Phone: 800-872-7437.

• SKIING  Boone, NC has Sugar Mountain., Beech Mountain.; and Wolf Laurel, NC has skiing.

MILE MARKER ATTRACTIONS…along the Blue Ridge Parkway 

240   Doughton Park Restaurant-(Bringer Cabin Historic Site)

293   Moses Cone Memorial Park-(Historic Site-Parkway Craft Center)

297   Julian Price Memorial Park

305   Line Cove Viaduct-Last link of Blue Ridge Pkwy-Visitor Center on south side

318   Linville Falls Visitor Ctr.-Waterfalls

331 Museum of NC Minerals Visitor Center

333   Little Switzerland-Across from the Post Office, downhill from the exit is a restaurant, used bookstore & more.

342   Crabtree Meadows-Restaurant, Picnic Area and Coffee Shop

344   Buck Creek Gap-(Hwy 80 intersection to Dome Cabin)-Hiking trail off the north side-  FACT: The Eastern Continental Divide passes through here.  A rain drop landing on one side will eventually flow into the Atlantic Ocean and the other side will flow into the Gulf.

344.5 Twin Tunnels

355    Mt. Mitchell State Park- Restaurant and Picnic Area- FACT: Mt. Mitchell is the highest elevation in eastern America, 6,684 ft.

364    Craggy Gardens Visitor Ctr.- Picnic Area and Waterfalls

384    Folk Art Center- Craft center, for programs call (828) 298-0495.

408    Mt. Pisgah- Beautiful hiking trails, Restaurant, Camp Store and Picnic Area

469    Great Smokey Mountains National Park