After living in this BEAUTIFUL place for 3 years, I finally feel like I have enough of an idea of ~what’s good~ around here to give you a little visitor’s guide! This area’s beauty is endless, the hikes are incredible, the food is delicious, and I feel so lucky to call it home.
UPDATE : since initially writing this post, our area has been severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Visitors are welcome again AND very needed as these small towns rely heavily on tourism!! However, please be very respectful while visiting and support allll our sweet small businesses! I would also encourage you to look on AllTrails before hiking for current updates on trail conditions before trekking out!
Our favorite hikes:
- Rough Ridge
- Roan Mountain
- Beacon Heights
- Linville Falls
- Glen Burney Falls
- Flat Top Lookout Tower
- Bass Lake Trail (great walk for kids!)
Our favorite local shopping:
- Mustard Seed Market (garden store and home decor)
- Mustard Seed Home Store
- Mast General Store Valle Crucis
- Brave Fox (children’s store)
- Common Good (home decor, clothing, art)
- Bee and Boxwood (home)
- High Country candle shop
- Footsloggers (outdoors)
- Speckled Trout Outfitters (outdoors and fishing)
- We also have LOTS of antique shops everywhere!!
Our favorite local restaurants:
- The Speckled Trout (American cuisine)
- Over Yonder (Southern) (Update: closed from Helene damage. But their sister restaurant is called Holloway Corner Kitchen. I haven’t been yet but have heard it is WONDERFUL.)
- Proper (Southern)
- Bistro Roca (American)
- Cafe Violette (French)
- Mint Indian Cuisine (Dane’s favorite)
- The Cardinal (burgers)
- Lost Province (pizza)
- Dan’l Boone inn (Southern family style)
- Melanie’s (breakfast/brunch)
Fun activities:
- Grandfather Mountain (swinging bridge and there’s a small “zoo”)
- Tweetsie Railroad
- Apple Hill Alpaca Farm
- Farmer’s Markets (seasonal)
- Doc Rocks Gem Mining
- The Blowing Rock lookout
- Hawksnest Snow Tubing (seasonal)
- Christmas Tree Farms (seasonal)
- Apple Orchards (seasonal)
