Category: Tours

Banner Elk and Boone Travel Info for October 15 and 16

This weekend, October 15 and 16, at Banner Elk is the very popular Woolly Worm festival. Also this weekend we have the peak time for viewing the autumn colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the area.

Another event running this weekend in the same area is the Valle Fair at Valle Crucis. Both the fair and the Woolly Worm festival open at 9am both days.

All of these events going on at once means this will be a weekend with very high traffic congestion throughout the area. Most of the roads into and in both Banner Elk and Valle Crucis are only two lane roads so there will be heavy delays throughout as the events are very popular.

So make sure to leave much earlier than you’d expect to need to so as to account for the traffic. Also, bring along a lot of patience to get through the traffic. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Banner Elk and Boone Travel Info for October 15 and 16 Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Concerts and Events, Festival, Outdoor Fun, Tours, Vacation Rentals

Wildlife Habitat Daily Programs at Grandfather Mountain

This October, and every April through October, Grandfather Mountain offers a guided tour through the special Animal Habitats in the mountain park! These are great opportunities to see each wild animal active in their natural habitat close to the overlook of their habitat.

On Grandfather Mountain, many of the native species such as the bears, otters, and elk have very large, designated wildlife habitats which have large moats or retaining walls in designated viewing era for guests. During a normal day, the animals are not consistently visible as the habitats are very large. But that is different on certain hours each day.

Daily, at certain hours, a keeper will bring special scents or toys out to entice the animals to come closer to the viewing area for people to enjoy them. The keeper will then offer interesting facts about the different animals. This happens daily every half from 11am through 4pm at the different habitats.

There is no additional fee to enjoy these wildlife habitats. They are included with the price of admission. You do need to schedule visits to Grandfather Mountain ahead of time though.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Wildlife Habitat Daily Programs at Grandfather Mountain Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Tours

App State College Football Season Kickoff

College football is back! After some exciting Thursday night games, it is Appalachian State’s turn to kickoff the season with a great game against UNC tomorrow, Saturday, September 3 at noon. Here are some reminders for the game:

Traffic will be very, very heavy. So make sure to account for this when scheduling how long it will take to travel anywhere.

When driving, make sure to be even more aware of your surroundings. There will be more people than usual who are not as familiar with the area driving around so may make more sudden stops or turns.

If you are tailgating or watching the game make sure to assign a designated driver who is not drinking alcohol to make sure you are safe when driving home

William Kradel Leave a comment on App State College Football Season Kickoff Blowing Rock, Boone, Concerts and Events, Festival, Outdoor Fun, Tours

Enjoy Linville Caverns in Banner Elk!

This spring and summer, if you are looking for a unique family day trip, Linville Caverns fit that bill. They are the only show caverns in North Carolina and have been open for tours since the late 1930s.

The Linville Caverns are a limestone cave system which are open from Thursday through Monday each week from 9am – 5pm. Guided tours are offered on site and can’t be pre-booked. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for children 5-12 years old, and those 4 and under are free.

The guided tours include a tour guide giving the geological history of the caverns, as well as how different formations such as stalactites and stalagmites were formed. Also included, is descriptions of all of the life found in the caverns such as tricolored bats and little brown bats.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Enjoy Linville Caverns in Banner Elk! Banner Elk, Boone, Hiking, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Tours

Blowing Rock Winterfest 2022 January 27-30

As winter continues here in the Boone area, so do the fun winter activities! At the end of January, from 27-30. Thursday-Sunday. And it is packed full of ways to enjoy it no matter your age!

Some of the scheduled outdoor events include an ice carving demonstration on January 29th where experts show how they carve ice sculptures.

In the afternoon of all 4 days is a WinterHawk Tomahawk throwing competition tournament. It is a free event with both an adult and juniors’ division.

Throughout the entire town there also will be plenty of beautiful ice sculptures made by expert sculptors!

There are also some more indoor activities when you are looking to get out of the cold. On Saturday night between 6:30-8, there will be a concert by four different performers at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium.

Admission to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum is free during the event as well. A great place to warm up and learn about the history of the area.

You can find all of this and more at the annual Winterfest!

William Kradel Leave a comment on Blowing Rock Winterfest 2022 January 27-30 Blowing Rock, Boone, Concerts and Events, Festival, Outdoor Fun, Tours, Winter Activities

Unforgettable Vignanello garden tour in Lazio

Our villa in Lazio is a great place to discover and enjoy the water life – beachfront, mountains and lots of fresh air. However, if you also want to some some magnificent places of gardens, you’ll love the garden tour near our Lazio’s villa.

A rewarding half-day trip from Bolsena, this labyrinth of immaculately clipped box hedges has resisted the vagaries of garden fashion to come down to us unchanged from the early 17th century. Sounds quite attractive for you, isn’t it?

Hidden in the 12 parterres are the initials of the garden’s founder, Ottavia Orsini, and her sons. The current owner is simpatica Princess Claudia Ruspoli, personally guides visitors around the garden which she has restored and put into her work a lot of passion. Tours, which also take in her castle home, Castello Ruspoli, take place on Sundays from April to the end of October.

Groups can visit by appointment at other times too.

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