After my husband returned home from deployment, it was time for a fun filled family vacation. As I pondered where to go, I thought about how badly I needed a break from this Florida heat. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Jacksonville and its beaches, but I wanted to have fun without sweating so much! Is this possible without spending a fortune on plane tickets? Definitely!
There are several mountain getaway spots in Georgia and South Carolina, but I am most familiar with the North Carolina mountains. I’m a born and raised Carolina girl and attended Appalachian State University located in the mountains of North Carolina in the town of Boone. I was excited to share this beautiful area with my girls, so we packed the car and headed to western North Carolina, specifically Blowing Rock.
We went the last week of July and the weather was perfect.We mostly wore shorts and t-shirts with jackets some mornings and evenings. On a cloudy day you will need long pants, even in the summer. Blowing Rock is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, averages highs of 69 degrees, and is a seven-hour drive from Jacksonville. (If a seven-hour drive with your kids makes you cringe, check out Jessica’s “Road Trippin” post from our archives.)
I highly recommend Chetola Resort, a family friendly resort in Blowing Rock. When we visited, they were offering the third night free, so be sure to check out their packages. I have nothing bad to say about Chetola. We stayed in a condo so we had a kitchen, washer/dryer and didn’t have to sleep in the same room as our girls.
Chetola offers one, two, three, and four bedroom condos and a lodge if you prefer more of a hotel type room at a cheaper rate. The resort has an indoor pool complete with pool noodles and floats, hot tub, steam room, spa, playground, fitness room, lake with fishing and paddle boats, running/walking trails, tennis courts, a restaurant, and babysitters and camps if you want a little kid-free time while on vacation.
Have I sold you yet? If not, Blowing Rock and the surrounding cities offer a plethora of family activities and delicious kid friendly restaurants. Here are a few of my favorites!
Tweetsie Railroad – This is a preschooler’s dream amusement park. It’s small enough that we didn’t even take a stroller, but has enough to keep you busy for most of the day. Tweetsie has many rides that my two and five-year-old rode by themselves and several that we rode with them. If your kids love trains and cowboys this is the place for them. Tweetsie offers rides, shows, a petting zoo where you can feed the animals, gold panning, gem mines, games, arcades, face painting, shops, and restaurants. We spent one day at Tweetsie but my girls asked to go every day that we were in Blowing Rock.
Grandfather Mountain – From Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain is a scenic 30-minute drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Your family can walk across the mile high swinging bridge (not scary, both my girls walked across), see animals, visit the museum, fudge and ice cream shop, and hike to split rock.
Julian Price Memorial Park – Located along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Price Park is a huge park great for picnics and letting the little ones play in streams and hop from rock to rock. The park also offers hiking trails, canoe rentals, a dock and lake access for fishing, and a campground.
Memorial Park Playground – Located in downtown Blowing Rock, this park has a huge playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, and horse shoes. Didn’t bring a basketball? No problem, just ask for one at the free equipment rental stand. We took a blanket and had a nice picnic before playing.
Mast General Store – There are several locations, but the closest stores to Blowing Rock are in Valle Crucis and Boone. I enjoy going to the Boone store because it’s next to my college so I can also walk around the campus. This general store has something for everyone. To name a few, they sell clothes and shoes mostly for outdoor adventures, kitchen gadgets, home décor, unique toys that remind me of my childhood, and best of all they have the Candy Barrel attached that sells all the old fashioned candy by weight. Our girls played with the toys in the store while we browsed around, then they chose candy, we bought a Coke in those really cold glass bottles like in the old days and sat outside on a bench and enjoyed our purchases.
Shopping Downtown – I enjoy walking around downtown Blowing Rock and Boone and browsing the shops. My favorites are mostly in Boone such as Farmer’s Hardware, Farmer’s Backside, Boone Drug, and Footsloggers. Blowing Rock has many shops on Main Street ranging from upscale boutiques, antiques, clothing shops, gift shops, and Kilwins for the kids.
Yummy Kid Friendly Restaurants – I use Urban Spoon and Trip Advisor to research restaurants before going on any vacation. A lot has changed in the area since my college days, but there are some great restaurants that have stayed the same and I hit them first when I visit.
My all time favorites are Woodlands Barbecue, Boone Bagelry, The Dan’l Boone Inn, and Black Cat Burrito. Lyla’s favorite was the Dan’l Boone Inn. It’s definitely a tourist attraction and we waited in line on a Wednesday. They serve a family style dinner and bring fried chicken and country style steak with all the fixin’s to your table and you get dessert at the end. We discovered a new restaurant that is now on my favorites list called Coyote Kitchen. Try one of their “boats.” My husband ordered the Taos boat and it was so delicious I’ve actually tried to copy the recipe at home.
Some of you are saying, “But Liz, summer is almost over.” But I can tell you there is not a bad time to visit Blowing Rock. Fall is a popular time to see the magnificent display of Fall colors. There is actually a peak week when people flock to the mountains to see the leaves at their best. If you enjoy snow, go in the Winter and take your kids tubing or skiing. The NC mountains are a great place to learn to ski. I learned to ski at Appalachian Ski Mountain when I was little.
What family vacations have you enjoyed that you would suggest to other Jacksonville families?
Liz!!! You let the secret out of the bag!!
Love BR, but have to disagree, I’m deathly afraid of the swinging bridge! 🙂
My parents live in Morganton and we spend a week or so with them every summer. We’ve done everything you mentioned. We love Grandfather Mt but it nearly gives my dad a heart attack when my kids and I venture too close to the edge on the rocks! You should take your family up for Merlefest in April at Wilkes CC. Lots of fun!
Thanks for the recommendation Steph. I’ll add it to my list. We also visited Asheville and loved it but didn’t take the kids. Ever been there? We don’t venture too far off the bridge at Grandfather Mtn and I hold the kids hands tightly. Same goes for the chair lift at Tweetsie. 🙂