Raise your hand if your job has you stressed out and you feel like you just need a break from it all. If that sounds like you, you might benefit from a mini vacation in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Not only will the scenery take your breath away, but the laid-back atmosphere can help all that stress seem miles away.
And if you really need a break, you should know that the cell signal is really weak in the mountains, which will force you take a much-needed vacation from your phone and emails also.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Switzerland Inn in Little Switzerland, NC. This little-known town makes for a perfect escape! The resort area is clean, quiet, and affordable! There are two restaurants and a pub on the resort grounds. Every evening they light the fire pits which serve as a place for visitors to sit and relax or to socialize.
There are also a handful of gift shops on the grounds and an ice cream parlor. The staff are extremely friendly and they really do everything they can to make sure your stay is nothing short of wonderful.
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is home to one of the highest peaks on the east coast. It also has a swinging bridge that is 5280 ft in elevation. The bridge is 228 feet in length and spans an 80-foot chasm. You can take stairs to the bridge or use the elevator.
After crossing the bridge, you can choose to walk out on a rocky ledge to the edge of the mountain. While I did see some children doing this, I would not recommend taking small children out on the ledge. Going out there is at your own risk, but it does afford you some incredible views.
Grandfather Mountain is also home to several animal habitats, however, it seemed like many of the animals are only out during certain times of the day, so you may want to check the schedule before you visit. Grandfather mountain also has many trails that you can hike as well.
Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney Rock State Park is famous for its granite rock formation that is 315 feet high. You can climb the stairs to the top of Chimney Rock or you can take the elevator that brings you to a viewing deck close to the top. If you wish to climb to the top of Chimney Rock, there are still a few stairs from the viewing deck to the top. You can purchase your tickets online prior to your visit. (Click here to visit their site)
Make sure you take a look at the closing times for the park gates. After the gates close, you’ll still have an hour and a half inside the park, but you have to be inside before the gates close. And they are very punctual! We got there 3 minutes after closing the first time we visited, and the gates were completely shut and locked by the time arrived.
Hike to Hickory Nut Falls
Chimney Rock has many hiking trails that you can explore. They range in difficulty from easy to strenuous and also vary in length. One of the easiest ones is the trail that leads you to Hickory Nut falls. The trail starts at the edge of the lower parking lot and continues through the woods. I believe the trail is listed as easy but there are parts that are a little more difficult due to the elevation climb. If it’s hot outside, it can add to the difficulty level.
The trail is an out and back that is 1.5 miles to reach the falls. There is definitely one spot on the trail where you think that you must be getting close. From that spot, it’s about another 10 minute hike. As we were coming back, we encountered other hikers in that exact spot that felt the same way and asked us if they were almost there.
The waterfall itself is 404 feet and is one of the highest waterfall in the eastern US. It is truly beautiful and well worth the hike. On a hot summer day, you can even take off your shoes and wade in the water at the base of the falls.
Explore the town of Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock has the look and feel of a small mining town. It truly feels like you have stepped back in time. You can visit the small souvenir shops, grab some ice cream, and make your way down to the gemstone mine. Follow a small trail down towards the French Broad river and you’ll come across massive boulders that you can climb and even have picnics on.
Lake Lure
If you’ve ever seen Dirty Dancing, this area might look a little familiar to you. Parts of the movie were filmed by this lake. In particular, the famous scene where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey are practicing their lift in the lake was filmed here.
Lake Lure offers a sandy beach with both swimming areas and a small water park with water slides. There is also a Dirty Dancing festival in September of every year. There’s plenty of dancing involved and a lake lifting competition to get you in the spirit. (Bonus: You can get a great aerial view of the lake from the top of chimney rock.)
While in Lake Lure, we ate in the nearby Lake House Restaurant Bar and Grill. The parking lot was packed! It seemed like it was a very popular spot. They have both indoor seating and an outdoor patio.
We chose the patio so we could eat by the lakeside and watch the sunset. While it did afford us some amazing views, we had to fight off a ton of flies once our food arrived. For this reason only, I would choose to eat indoors. The food was really good and very reasonably priced.
Blowing Rock
If you keep driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll come across an exit for Blowing Rock. The town is named for the Blowing Rock itself, an overlook where the wind blows upwards and the snow falls upside down. The town is a pretty little mountain town full of many different types of shops, many of which are in historical buildings.
Linville Falls Winery
If you’re in the area, you can visit Linville Falls Winery. You can do one of three different tastings. I did the white tasting and my husband did the fortified wine tasting. We shared the glasses so that we both got to taste each sampling. Every glass had a generous pour and you get to take a souvenir glass home with you.
For just $10, it was a very good deal! After doing the tasting, we each purchased a full glass of our favorite one and enjoyed it outside. The winery allows you to tour the vineyard on your own if you want to see the grapes up close.
Hike Linville Falls
Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll find the exit for Linville Falls. The hike to the upper falls is a fairly short and easy trail. From the upper falls, you can hike a little bit further to the lower falls. Hiking to both of them and back to the beginning of the trail is less than 2.5 miles.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 2 states and runs 469 miles in length. You can jump on the parkway from Little Switzerland and take it towards Boone. There are several pull off spots along the way which allow you to safely pull over to take photos. Some of the spots have a short hike to scenic overlooks.
This was the case with the Beacon Heights Overlook. The trail is a mile out and back and leads to one of the prettiest overlooks along the parkway. You’ll definitely want hiking boots on this trail. There are a lot of tree roots along the trail so be sure to watch your step.
Asheville
You could spend an entire weekend vacation in just Asheville, NC itself. The most popular spot to visit here is of course the famous Biltmore Estate. You can do both guided and on your own tours of the Estate. Biltmore Estate also offers gardens, walking trails, fly fishing, horseback riding, falconry and many other activities.
There is also a winery in the Antler Hill Village on the grounds that offers tastings as well. Biltmore Village, just outside of the Estate grounds is full of unique shops and restaurants. Asheville itself is also a college town and the downtown area has many cute shops as well.
It’s also home to 38 different breweries. You can visit the full listing of breweries here.
Driving Tips
Expect delays when driving. Many of the roads in the mountains are full of endless curves and they usually have a very low speed limit. As there are very few roads in the mountains, all types of vehicles use these roads to commute.
Larger vehicles tend to go even slower than the posted speed limit. We were behind a logging truck for approximately 20 miles and were only able to go 5 mph for most of it. So even if a map tells you it’s only 30 miles between point A and point B, expect it to take you well over an hour or more to get there.
My best advice is to not cram too much into each day. That way you can allow for both driving delays, and extra sight seeing, should you find something else you want to explore along the way. After all, you are on vacation!
Whether you just need a couple’s getaway or a quick family vacation, the mountains of NC have activities for everyone. There’s so much to do, you’ll have to keep coming back to explore it all!
Pingback: Hello Again! — Lynn Blakley