Cozy Vacation Rentals
After a good day of skiing there are very few things more relaxing than sitting down to enjoy good food and drinks. Beech Mountain provides all of this at the Mountain Brewing Co. Tamproom and Grill at the ski resort, which is open to all ages.
And on December 30 they have a special surprise: The Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano Night!
The dueling piano musicians entertain guests by taking song requests from the past 50 years in the style of a traditional piano bar. It’s fun for all ages.
While the Boone area is famous for its ski resorts, the resorts have a lot more to offer than just skiing. For instance, at the Sugar Mountain Ski Resort they have an ice skating rink!
Sugar Mountain has a very large 10,000 square foot outdoor skating rink in fact. It is located between the parking lot D and the Tubing Park.
There are plenty of amenities as well located near the skating rink. The Dave Nixon Pro Shop offers skate rentals so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own ice skates. Inside the Sugar Mountain Resort restaurant you can find a nice warm area to relax and have nice cocoa and a meal.
While in most parts of the South, autumn solely means a slightly cooler weather change, in the Boone area, it also means we are nearing the season for winter activities on the nearby ski mountains!
On many of the ski resorts, they offer more than just skiing, for instance on Sugar Mountain, they offer snowshoe guided tours. Starting on December 1, tours are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3pm. And on Saturday at 9am and 3pm. There is both an adults and children’s tour for those between the ages of 8-11. The tours are 1 hour.
With the changing of the season from summer to fall comes the wonderful colors of autumn too. What also comes with autumn of course is Oktoberfest! And Sugar Mountain in Boone is a wonderful place to enjoy it!
Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Resort from Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10. The festival will be open from 10 am to 5 pm both days. The festival is open for all ages and admission is free.
No Oktoberfest would be complete without music. From noon until 4pm each day, the Harbour Towne Fest Band with great Bavarian music.
On the ski area grounds, artisans and craftsmen will be selling a variety of their custom made wares. There also will be a wide variety of Bavarian inspired food to eat.
Merlefest 2021 is fast approaching, in fact it’s just next week! So what exactly is MerleFest?
MerleFest is a traditional music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the Wilkes Community College Campus.
The lineup this year includes singers and bands such as Mavis Staples, LeAnn Rimes, Balsamm Range, The Waybacks, Tony Emmanuel, and many, many more.
The festival takes place from September 16-19. 1 day tickets cost between $70-$90 depending on the day. The late night jam, which is the musical event that takes place between 10:30-12:30 nightly, costs $45.
Due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, proof of vaccination or proof of a negative Covid test within the last 72 hours is required to attend MerleFest.
In addition to its wonderful scenery and trails, Grandfather Mountain is also home to a large variety of birds to enjoy watching!
Because of the many different microclimates on Grandfather Mountain, over 200 species of birds can be found here! And 100 of those have documented breeding colonies.
One of the surprisingly effective places to watch birds is at the Nature Museum Restaurant. There are many bird feeders outside which the birds enjoy. Some of the birds which can be spotted include Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, and Juncos.
For woodland birds, the Profile Trail offers many opportunities to spot species such as Warblers, Louisiana Water Thrushes, and Scarlet Tangers.
On Black Rock Trail, there are plenty of birds which prefer high elevations. Some of these include Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, and Magnolia Warblers.
A special event in September is the annual southern migration of a variety of raptor species. Throughout the month, visitors can join trained staff to watch the migration and learn more about the passing eagles, peregrine falcons, and more raptor species.