Today’s post is brought to you by Madi Barker, an awesome Appalachian State University student who has a passion for the Boone, NC area.  Madi’s Instagram photos are always absolutely amazing, as she captures the true essence of coming to school at App State.  Below are 6 Things Only An Appstate Student Can Get – in no particular order.  Leave your favorite things in the comments section below.  Enjoy!

1) The Great Outdoors-

One thing that is so great about Boone is that it is nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This gives students endless possibilities of experiencing the outdoors. Whether it’s hiking off the parkway to Rough Ridge, jumping off Trash Can Falls, visiting Grandfather Mountain, or hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail, App State students have amazing opportunities to get outside and explore! Speaking of the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is one of the top 10 most beautiful drives in America and it is less than 30 minutes from campus!

2) The Wild Weather-

One thing almost any App Student would say is that the weather is crazy! In Boone, it is entirely possible to experience most of the four seasons in the span of one week… maybe even a day! It could be sunny and 60 degrees one day (t-shirt and flip flop weather for most Boonies) with the chance of snow the following weekend. I’ve learned over the years to never leave your home without an umbrella or rain jacket and to wear lots of layers you can take off or put on throughout the day… because a sunny morning in Boone doesn’t mean it can’t spontaneously start raining!

3) Sanford Life-

If the sun’s out, the hammocks and slacklines are out. App State students definitely know how to hang out and relax. On a nice day in Boone, you won’t catch a lot of students in class… many will be on Sanford Mall lying on the grass, climbing trees, stacking hammocks one on top of the other, throwing a frisbee, trying to walk across a bouncing slackline between two trees… you name it!

4) Beer, beer, and more beer-

One thing that is cool about App State is the Fermentation Science program. Students learn how to make beer and wine and the best part about it is that it’s all local! Boone has many microbreweries that emphasize drinking local and supporting the sustainability of the community. Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB), for example, has multiple philanthropic programs and events that help raise awareness for local nonprofits. App State students are able to partake in these events and become an active role in the community while pursuing a degree in fermentation.

5) A stroll down King Street-

Historic King Street has great art and even better food for App State students to experience. The first Friday of every month is “Art Crawl” where people can listen to live music, admire local artwork, and even do wine tastings. What more could a college student ask for? Also down King Street are amazing local restaurants. As a college student, I love discovering small places tucked away that have amazing food instead of picking from a wide selection of chain restaurants. As cheesy as this may sound, App students have a great opportunity to experience community through local art and local foods, whether it’s biting into a “White Trash” Black Cat burrito or pondering the authorial intentions of art works in the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.