The Story:
I was talking with a friend recently about my getting my travel blog up and going. He asked about what and where I was blogging about. To this point it's just about national and international places that I've traveled to and he asked me a why haven't I wrote a post about where I live and work; Blowing Rock, NC. I had honestly just not thought about it. Hopefully, some of the information provided will help guide anyone who is interested in travel to the High Country of North Carolina.
I've lived and worked in Boone and Blowing Rock, NC for the past 8 years. I must say that this is a beautiful place and has so much to offer to the "extended stay" and/or "overnight" guest. From outdoor adventurer to spa seeker or theater junkie to college sports fanatic, there is a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. I will try to provide links to as many places as I can. Also, I know I will miss places that I shouldn't but hey... I have to leave some adventure for you to find on your own right? :)
Here are some pictures from over the years... I'll add more on a separate entry at some point.
So where is Boone/Blowing Rock?
So lets get started.The First Question I always ask when traveling is, "How am I going to get there?" Getting to Boone and Blowing rock is pretty straight forward if your traveling on the road. If you're traveling from eastern NC, you would travel I-40 to just past Winston-Salem and then merge on to N 421 which will bring you right into Boone. From Boone, at the big intersection (with the two story Wendy's) turn left on to S 321 and that will lead you into Blowing Rock. If you are traveling from the South (i.e. Charlotte, Atlanta, etc.) You will probably want to come in on N 321 in which you will run into Blowing Rock first then Boone. The same goes from SE Tennessee or Asheville, NC, except you'll be traveling E I-40 until you reach N 321. If you are traveling from NE Tennessee, you will most likely come on on S 421 or S 321. The closest International Airports are CLT (Charlotte-Douglas), PTI (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point), and TRI (Johnson City, TN). Boone and Blowing Rock have small local air ports for private and non commercial planes.
Whats the Location like? Weather? Topography?
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| Grandfather Mountain |
Well, Boone, and Blowing Rock are located in what is known as the "High Country" of North Carolina. At the heart of the Appalachian Mountains is Grandfather Mountain which has been identified as one of the oldest mountains in the world. It's pretty cool and we will talk about that later. The elevation for both cities is estimated between 3300ft and 3600ft. As far as Climate goes, you will here this statement a lot around here: "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes... it will change." The
weather is truly a mystery here although I can say this, you will not find a more beautiful place to spend your summer than in the High Country of NC. It rarely gets over 90 degrees in the summer but there are regular afternoon thunder storms that will drowned you but be over in a few minutes. haha. I was told by a friend that lived here before I moved to Boone, "Always carry two umbrellas with you. One small one for when you have no idea it's going to rain and you have to make a run for it and a big one for when you know it's going to rain and others forgot theirs so they can share with you." Winter is also a mystery. Of the 8 years I've lived here half have been incredibly harsh with a foot or more of snow. The other 4 years have had very mild winters... it's honestly luck of the draw which is always interesting for ski trip planners.
The populations of Boone and Blowing Rock are distinctly different both in number and culture. Boone is home to Appalachian State University and is a "College town" whose numbers double between August and May each year. ASU is the life blood of the Boone Community and provides a third to half of the cities total population at any given point. There is a Downtown Business District for both Boone and Blowing Rock that is usually lively all year round. However, Blowing Rock is a "Resort Community" with a more diverse and focused downtown area. In the Summer both cities are filled with both in and out of state travelers looking for cooler summer temps or an outdoor adventure and in the winter the same is true but rather with people looking for Skiing adventures. One season that you will not want to miss though, is Fall. Normally the peak of the leaf changing season is the second or third weekend in October... It is truly a sight to behold and one no doubt you will never forget.
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| View from Thunder Hill Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway |
Where to stay?
As you would guess there are numerous chain/budget hotels (Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hampton Inn, Best Western, etc) in Boone but that isn't the case in Blowing Rock. There is only one chain hotel there, Holiday Inn. The pricing of the Hotels and Inn's, as in most places, are dependent upon season which is usually goes from May - December (In Season) and January - April (Out of Season). In this section I'd like to highlight a few hotels/inn's that I feel would be of interest to you. The first is
Meadowbrook Inn and Suites. The 63 room hotel is a favorite for community, state and regional events and conferences as well as a great spot for weddings and receptions of any size. Its great for one night stays or extended vacations. Its walking distance to and from the downtown district and really good local eateries which we will talk about in a few minutes. Friendly Staff and really clean Guest rooms will assure you have a great stay here.
Crestwood Resort and Spa is also another location that you will want to look into. The biggest feature here is the view. They have 15 rooms in the main Inn and four Villas and four Cottages that can be rented by room or unit. This place truly has one of the most if not the most spectacular mountain views in the area. For that reason is it a hot spot for weddings in the summer and fall each year. As you could gather from their name, Crestwood also houses a
Spa and an award winning Restaurant called
The Table. Similar to Crestwood but on a grander scale is
Westglow Resort and Spa. They are a much smaller and concentrated lodging but also have a
Spa and
Restaurant. Here are some other places/links that may be of interest to you:
Chetola Resort,
The Inn at Ragged Gardens,
The Village Inns,
Blowing Rock Area Cabin Rentals.
Where to Eat?
If there is one thing that this area has, it is amazing restaurants. From fine dinning to home style local favorites you can have your choice of eats and treats in both Boone and Blowing Rock. Here's the list, though it is in no way conclusive...
Fine Dinning:
Local Favorites:
What is there to do?
Well, there are actually a ton of things to do in this area and for me to try and fit them all here on this blog post would be a great undertaking. My best advise for visiting the High Country of NC is to just come and explore. The people here are friendly and accommodating to tourist and visitors. For this section, I"m going to be posting links to several activities listed on other sites.
Well, this is enough to wet your appetite I would hope. There is so much more that, like I said, just needs to be discovered. A trip to the High Country of NC is something that you will not regret and will probably be on your calendar for many years to come...
