Emma Gallagher 
Blowing Rock is a quintessential little North Carolina mountain town with an upscale vibe, located right in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s one of our favorite places to visit in the North Carolina High Country, and it’s located about 1 mile off of the Blue Ridge Parkway (at Milepost 291.8). The first time … Read more
Though it’s nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and steeped in a long history, Downtown Boone NC has the vibe of a young, hip, and happening town. We live about 90 minutes from Boone, but try to visit every month to sample the great restaurants. We often spend a little time exploring Boone NC hiking trails on … Read more
The Southern Highland Craft Guild has been an advocate for high-quality crafts being made and sold in the southern Appalachian Mountains since the 1930s. Their mission is to ensure that generation after generation of locals and visitors alike continue to value both the traditional and modern arts and crafts of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally designed … Read more
In our experience, wildlife in the Smoky Mountains is both abundant and diverse, including amphibians, birds, large mammals, and reptiles. Some of the amazing animals in Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be rather secretive, living deep in the forests or hiding under rocks. Others will graze or hunt out in the open, … Read more
Looking for a relaxing weekend getaway in the mountains? There’s no shortage of resorts in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Whether you’re seeking rustic mountain resorts where you can get away from it all, fun-filled resorts with casinos and live music, or serene lakeside retreats, there are tons of options to … Read more
Stopping off in the North Carolina mountain town of Blowing Rock proved a perfect end to our weekend getaway at Julian Price Memorial Park. Before checking out some of the local breweries and restaurants, we wanted to earn our treat by hiking to Glen Burney Falls. We were pleasantly surprised to realize the trailhead was located … Read more
There are countless hiking trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and each offers a little something special. But the relatively short Rough Ridge hike ranks high among our personal favorites. Starting at the Rough Ridge Overlook (Milepost 302.8), this 1.5-mile Blue Ridge Parkway hike will have you crossing a bridge over a creek, standing atop … Read more
Visiting the Fontana Dam and Visitors Center was high on our list of things to do during our latest car camping trip around the Great Smoky Mountains. Having already spent several days camping in the Nantahala National Forest, the dam was an unmissable, stop-off on our way to campgrounds in Bryson City NC and Cherokee … Read more
On our latest Great Smoky Mountains camping trip, the Cherokee NC attraction I most looked forward to visiting was the Museum of the Cherokee People (formerly known as the Museum of the Cherokee Indian). I hoped the museum would give me some good background on the Cherokee people. It did not disappoint, and proved to … Read more
If you find yourself looking for fun things to do in Winston Salem NC, look no further than Reynolda Village. Of all the Winston-Salem attractions we’ve visited, Reynolda Village is definitely among our favorites. We could easily spend an entire weekend there shopping, dining at local restaurants, walking the historic grounds, taking in … Read more