Category Archives: Summer Activities in the High Country

1861 Farmhouse

Marisa always looks forward to spending her birthday in Boone.  Our tradition was dinner at Twigs,but this year we decided to try something different. We settled on the 1861 Farmhouse, a wonderful Farm to Table restaurant/winery in Valle Crucis.  The place is outfitted in a very shabby chic style with mismatched furnishings, mismatched dinnerware and […]

At my age whitewater rafting should be a spectator sport

While on vacation at our Bearfoot Hideaway cabin in the mountains of North Carolina this summer, we decided to take a whitewater rafting excursion. It has been a particularly dry summer, and we were afraid that the water levels would be too low for the rafting trip. After a few phone calls to the rafting […]

Tweetsie Railroad – witness a train robbery

Tweetsie Railroad is one of the most sought after attractions in the High Country.   Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Steam Engine #12 was built in 1917. You can hop on board and have a real Wild West experience, complete with Cowboys & Indians and a ‘real’ train robbery! The Theme Park has […]

Watauga Lake

Spending the day on Watauga Lake is one of my favorite summertime activities.  We typically rent a pontoon boat for a little over $100 for the whole day.  The boats are equipped with radio and CD player.  A fully stocked picnic hamper and a stack of CDs makes the day perfect. The kids settled in for […]

Upper Creek Falls

Upper Creek Falls is a gorgeous series of falls and cascades in Burke County NC.  It is a short drive on Hwy 181 off the Blue Ridge Parkway MM 312.5.         A short hike from the parking area, you come to some impressive smooth rocks with water cascading over them. Do not […]

Virginia Creeper Bike Trail

The Virginia Creeper Bike Trail is an 18 mile trail along a former railroad track bed.   If you start at the top at Whitetop Station, the trail is mostly a gentle 5° downhill grade. There are a few companies that will rent you the mountain bikes and truck you up to the top of Whitetop.  […]

Julian Price Park

During our latest trip, we went out to the scenic Julian Price park to go canoeing and fishing. The lake was absolutely breathtaking! There was a quaint shop on the edge, where we bought “top of the line” bait. (Who knew fish liked corn?!) So, we geared up and set out on the pristine lake.  […]

Elk River Falls

Once in awhile, you happen upon a place that is such a perfect representation of an icon that you think eveyone knows about it.  We found the PERFECT summer swimming hole/waterfall! Elk River Falls is not well known to area visitors!  Which makes it a very special quiet place!  A short hike from the parking area, […]

Tubing down the New River

This summer has been brutally hot, so the family decided we would cool off by going tubing down the river by the cabin. The river was ice-cold, but once we got going, we couldn’t feel it anymore. The river was a bit slow and low, having been dry this season, but we had a great […]