…
.jpg)
To Do:
Hawks Nest in Seven Devils for tubing!-They also offer zip lining in the summer which could be fun.
Appalachian Ski Resort-Small, but great for beginners. We stayed on the bunny slope, but it was an excellent intro to skiing for our kids and they can’t wait to go again sometime.
HIKE!- I just love a good hike. Number one, hiking is FREE! It’s great excercise, kids love it and in the mountains, there is usually a prize at the end in the form of an amazing view or a beautiful waterfall.
We enjoyed Linville Falls. It was icy when we went but on a normal day, it’s a super easy family hike and the falls are beautiful!
We also really liked the Crab Orchard in Valle Crucis. It was a little more strenuous with more uphill moments, but again, the view is worth the hike.
Mystery Hill-I’m still not sure if I feel this place was worth the price. We did the ultimate ticket so we basically did all they had to offer. This place has potential, but it’s a little outdated in my opinion and they could do so much more to spruce it up. The gravity room still blows my mind and our kids loved the entire thing. If you have a rainy day, maybe check this place out, but with everything else Boone has to offer, I’m not sure I’d suggest this on a nicer day when there are other options for things to do.
EAT:
We found the best burgers at a place called Red Cardinal near where we stayed. Seriously, the best!
The Peddlin’ Pig was really good BBQ and they had some great craft beer choices
There was a great beef jerky store in Valle Crucis that we found on the way to hike Crab Orchard.
They have jerky made of any and every animal basically but their regular ol’ local stuff was my favorite.
STAY:
We rented a cozy cabin for this trip which was a bit of a splurge for us, but SO worth it. It was nice to have a house to come back to after long days or a place to stay and just be cozy on rainy days.
It had a wood burning fireplace that we used the mess out of.
…
TIPS
I guess my biggest tips for the skiing portion are to rent your skis somewhere besides the resort. The lines are LONG at the ski resorts and you can almost always find a place near any of them to rent.
Rent a locker and wait until you get inside to put on the ski boots. We made the mistake of wearing them from the where we parked to the resort and it killed our feet. We saved on the locker fee, but it would have been worth it to rent one and save our feet instead.
We ended up on this very windy road on a super cloudy day between Boone and Blowing Rock. DO NOT take this road if you get car sick. I’m sure it would have been a beautiful view on a clear day and maybe that would have distracted me from the twists and turns. I got so sick to my stomach after this ride though. Maybe it was the way my husband took the curves, I’m not sure, but it got me about half way through.
.jpg)
