Category: Blowing Rock

The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock

Despite approaching the end of October, it is still very much autumn here in the Boone area. The fall leaves on the trees are still very much a wonder to behold. It is a wonderful activity to do while we still need to keep our social distance. 

In the Boone and Blowing Rock area, there are plenty of places to view the fall colors on the mountain. In addition to being able to view the mountainside forest from the town of Blowing Rock, on the roads entering and exiting the town there are beautiful overlooks to take pictures from them. 

Grandfather Mountain is another wonderful place to view the fall colors. You do need to make an appointment ahead of time to visit due to the pandemic

Beech Mountain, while well known as a ski resort, also has trails to walk to enjoy the scenery throughout October, and guided tours on Wednesday and Fridays. The ski resort itself is scheduled to open November 21.

William Kradel Leave a comment on The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Outdoor Fun Tags , , ,

Socially Distanced Fun in Blowing Rock

One of the most quaint and also fun places to visit in the High Country of North Carolina is Blowing Rock near Boone. Fortunately, Blowing Rock has plenty of ways to relax and have fun while maintaining social distancing.
The Glen Burney Waterfall trail located near Main Street. It is a slightly under 2 mile walk with plenty of photo opportunities as there are multiple small waterfalls along the trail.
For even more trails to explore, about 5 miles outside of town is Moses Cone Park. The park has 25 miles of former carriage tracks with trail lengths between a half mile and 3 miles. All of the trails are gravelled and flat as well so are very relaxing.
There are many restaurants in Blowing Rock as well which are open to outdoor patio seating. A couple of these include The Speckled Trout on Main Street has a wide variety of fish with added local ingredients. At nearby Chetola Resort is Timberlake’s Restaurant which is a beautiful restaurant with an equally beautiful outdoor patio overlooking a small lake. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Socially Distanced Fun in Blowing Rock Blowing Rock, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Restaurants Tags , ,

Blowing Rock Winterfest January 23-26

The last week of January provides a great deal of excitement at Blowing Rock as it is the annual Winterfest at Blowing Rock!

On Thursday January 23, at the Front Porch Eats is a wonderful buffet of frozen treats. Included is the WinterBEAST! A very unique sundae with waffles, bananas, syrup, shaved chocolate, your choice of ice cream topped with sprinkles. 

Also on Thursday at 4pm is the start of the tomahawk throwing contest. Taking place over 3 days, you can enjoy watching the tossing while also enjoying beer from the Appalachian Mountain Brewery on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday January 24 there is much relaxing to be had with events such as the Ice Stroll and WinterCraft, an outdoor handmade market. In the evening they also will be playing jazz and at the Blowing Rock School auditorium will be a Friday Night Concert.

On Saturday January 25 there hayrides in downtown Blowing Rock throughout the day. Starting at noon, in memorial park there will be an ice carving demonstration. In the evening they will have bonfires and s’mores at the Chetola Resort.

On Sunday January 26 the main attraction will be the WinterPaws Dog Show at the Blowing Rock Elementary School Gym.

These events and much more can be found at https://blowingrockwinterfest.com/event/winterpaws-dog-show/

William Kradel Leave a comment on Blowing Rock Winterfest January 23-26 Blowing Rock, Outdoor Fun Tags , ,

Fishing in the Boone Area 2020

For fishing enthusiasts, the Boone area is rich in a wide variety of places to fish. You can visit https://www.ncwildlife.org/ to get info on regulations for fishing in the area. 

Just outside the pristine town of Blowing Rock is Bass Lake. Lined with rhododendron and mountain laurel, the lake offers a 1.7 mile loop which is great for fishing and hiking.

Another fishing spot which is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Price Lake. In addition to its plentiful fishing spots, they also offer fishing tackle rentals and sell bait. You can also rent canoes and kayaks to take out onto the lake when you want to take a break.

Also near the Blue Ridge Parkway is Trout Lake. In addition to fishing, Trout Lake also has a 1 mile  pathway with plenty of wildlife. The lake is set in a hemlock-dominated cove forest with ancient conifers and thickets of rhododendron which makes it a wonderful place to enjoy a day of fishing. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Fishing in the Boone Area 2020 Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking