Hickory, NC

Burning to see more of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Burns boys decided to take a side Burns trip to Burnsville, NC, which celebrates North Carolinian and hero of the War of 1812, Otway Burns. We then headed to the Hickory Aviation Museum and its fine collection of aircraft. We finished the afternoon with a trip to the Hickory Museum of Art and a stop in downtown Hickory.

A Side Burns Trip

We like a dumb joke. With a bit of time in the morning and a desire to go deeper into the mountains and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, I devised a route that would take us through Burnsville, a little town not too far out of our way with some good breakfast options.

Hickory Aviation Museum

We approached Hickory from the west, stopping first at the Hickory Aviation Museum, located at the Hickory Regional Airport. The museum has a collection of memorabilia from World War II to the present day, but the highlight is the outdoor flight line of about 20 aircraft on display.

*P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, 1959*

*T-33 Shooting Star training aircraft, 1948*

*F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber, 1955*

*F-4B Phantom II interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber, 1958*

*F-14D Tomcat interceptor and multi-role combat aircraft, 1970*

*EA-6B Prowler, electronic warfare, 1968*

Hickory Museum of Art

We drove into the center of town and paid a visit to the Hickory Museum of Art, a modest collection largely featuring special exhibitions and folk art.

Downtown Hickory

After our late breakfast in Burnsville, we were ready for a quick bite at the Olde Hickory Tap Room, decorated with hundreds of tankards above the bar.

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