If you’ve read the books of Jan Karon, you’ve already visited the village of Blowing Rock. Like the fictional Mitford in Karon’s novels, Blowing Rock summers are filled with band concerts and art shows on the village green, and the main street is lined with shops and gardens. Karon, the author of At Home in Mitford and its many sequels, is a resident of the mountain village and will be on hand – along with many dedicated readers – for a week in September when Blowing Rock celebrates the first annual Mitford Days.
Today, Blowing Rock is a year-round resort, but retains its small-town charm. It’s convenient, too. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the edge of town, making this a good base for day trips north or south along the nation’s most popular scenic byway.
Just over the ridge, the university town of Boone, home of Appalachian State University, offers every modern amenity, plus a helping of culture.
Add great shopping, scenic waterfalls plus lots of trout and you have enough action to fill a weekend or longer vacation.
Grandfather Mountain ( www.grandfather.com )
The late Hugh Morton inherited Grandfather Mountain in 1952, and devoted his life to protecting its unique ecology while making its attractions accessible to the public. He built a road to the top, and a hanging bridge, the country’s highest at one mile above sea level. Later additions include a state-of-the-art visitor center with exhibits of local flora and fauna and the finest collection of North Carolina minerals anywhere – including a gigantic emerald and a gold nugget so big it looks fake. Outside, natural habitats house black bear, golden and bald eagles, deer, river otters, and Eastern cougars, one of North America’s most endangered animals. Visit in July to see the country’s largest Highland Games, a tribute to Morton’s Scottish heritage.
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The Mile High Swinging Bridge was built in 1952 and renovated in 1999. The bridge rests 5,300 feet above sea level and 80 feet above ground. Photo by Hugh Morton. |
Tweetsie Railroad (www.tweetsie.com)
Generations of Southerners remember their first ride on the Tweetsie Railroad. Now they take their children and grandchildren to this memorable theme park between Blowing Rock and Boone. A ski lift takes visitors to the top of a small mountain where a deer park and gold panning entertain all ages. On the way down, kid-size rides line the trail. But what people remember forever is the 3-mile ride on the authentic train pulled by a steam-engine. The Wild-West show leaves kids thrilled, and adults laughing, at the antics of Indians, cowboys and moonshiners before the Marshal restores law and order. Don’t put off a visit to Tweetsie. This Carolina tradition may lose its lease in 2010.
Mast General Stores (www.mastgeneralstore.com)
Locals still gather around the pot-bellied stove at Mast where a slice of Americana is preserved. The original Mast Store in Valle Crucis, dating from 1883, is cited on the National Register of Historic Places as “one of the best remaining examples of an old, country general store.” Stop by for a soda and browse the wide range of merchandise, “a little of a lot,” including traditional local items such as bonnets, herbal
cure-alls, and “gout rockers.”
The Blowing Rock (www.theblowingrock.com)
“Grandfather” Grover Robbins opened the first attraction in the area in 1933, naming it for the persistent updraft that sweeps up Grandfather Gorge past some of the oldest rock on the continent. The view is unsurpassed and kids love the story of an Indian maiden, sort of a local Pocahontas.
Linville Falls & Gorge Wilderness Area
A beautiful hike leads through stands of mountain laurel to one of the state’s most stunning waterfalls. This is the must-do hike in an area that abounds with options for an active vacation. River rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, caving, rock climbing, bouldering and horseback riding are all popular activities. Adventure Sports magazine recently ranked the area among the top four North American destinations for adventure travel.
On rainy days, visitors take refuge in the spectacular Linville Caverns, North Carolina’s only limestone caves, or try to figure out the gravity-defying optical illusions at Mystery Hill.
The area’s resorts, hotels and B&B’s provide a wide variety of accommodations suited to every travel style. Looking for pampering in a historic setting? Head for Westglow Spa, located in the hills above Blowing Rock. It offers accommodations in a Victorian mansion furnished in antique luxury combined with an ultra-modern spa, equipped with every amenity and service.
Hound Ears Lodge & Club is popular with golfers. Its course is one of the most scenic in the mountains.
For a romantic getaway, book one of the pool suites at the Meadowbrook Inn, centrally located in Blowing Rock. Each suite has a stairway that leads downstairs to its own pool, so private that you can enjoy it au naturel.
Just outside Boone, the lovingly restored 1875 Lovill House is one of the area’s premiere B&Bs. Lavish breakfasts make a great beginning for days spent exploring the mountains, or just lazing in a hammock on the Inn’s broad veranda.
Julian Price Park, a national park campground located a few miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, provides plenty of
low-cost campsites, with many interpretive programs, but few amenities such as showers.
Dining options are just as varied. You can “eat in the rough” at Woodlands Barbecue & Pickin’ Parlor where meals arrive on pig-shaped platters and banjo and fiddle players entertain every night.
If you prefer a place with a nice wine list, visit the award-winning dining rooms at Crippens Country Inn & Restaurant or the Inn at Ragged Gardens. Both inns occupy historic buildings right in the heart of Blowing Rock.
Spend a relaxing afternoon roaming the village’s Main Street, shopping for gifts and antiques, and looking for signs of Mitford. Bob Timberlake has a gallery here, among many eclectic shops. If bargains are your thing, nearby Tanger Shoppes on the Parkway and the Tanner Factory Store sell brand names at up to 70% off.
In the evenings, enjoy performing arts at the area’s theaters. The Blowing Rock Stage Company offers a full season including Golf: The Musical this summer at the new Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center. In Boone, Horn in the West is one of the nation’s highest rated outdoor dramas and Appalachian State’s An Appalachian Summer series fills the month of July with music and dance performances of
international caliber.
Find out more at www.blowingrock.com www.mitforddays.com and www.highcountryhost.comwww.highcountryhost.com
