news-record.com

Satisfy your taste for adventure and down-home Southern cooking.

When in Thomasville, make sure you stop by the Big Chair.

But don't plan on taking a big sit.

It's for purely decorative purposes - unless you are a vice president or a celebrity and someone has arranged a really tall ladder for the three-story ascent.

"Anyone who had legally been on it has been photographed," said Khaki Rhodes, who lives in Thomasville, her hometown, and works at the visitors center.

The Big Chair — a replica of the Duncan Phyfe armchair and a landmark of the furniture town since 1921 — is just one of the things that makes Davidson County unique. Locals say this county of rural landscapes, mountains and forests will satisfy your adventuresome side.

But the fine folks will keep you here.

People move to Davidson County for the good schools and the low taxes, says county Commissioner Larry Allen.

Those people — Allen calls them "good ol', down-home Southern people" — love a good barbecue. And Davidson's got it.

"You've got two styles, and that's Eastern and Lexington," Allen said.

Lexington is famous for its vinegar-based barbecue, which locals celebrate at the annual fall festival.

When your belly is full and you are ready to relax, grab your fishing pole and get to the nearest body of water.

Check out High Rock Lake or Tuckertown Lake in the southern part of the county.

If you'd like to burn off those barbecue calories, maybe you should take a hike instead.

At Boone's Cave Park, just west of Lexington, you can hike among the North Carolina hardwood trees and wildflowers. You might just run into the country's largest cottonwood out there on the trails.

Then you can cool off by exploring the park's 80-foot-long cave, a spot safe for kids and adults.

Folk hero Daniel Boone and his family were said to have spent time in the area, park ranger Sean Bloom said.

"It is possible the family may have taken shelter in that cave," Bloom said.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com

Also in Davidson County:

DENTON

Population: 1,450

Incorporated: 1907

Named for: In 1878, two men petitioned for a post office. The U.S. Post Office provided a list of possible names. Residents chose Denton.

Government: The Town Council meets at 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month at Town Hall, 201 W. Salisbury St. 859-4231; www.denton-nc.us.

Elected officials: Mayor Scott Morris, 859-2888; Mayor Pro Tem Andy Morris, 859-4985; Deanna Grubb, 859-3968; Barbara Hogan, 859-4269; Stewart Sexton, 859-2605; William "Bill" Sigmon, 859-2114