About Watauga County, NC

1. Have a tall margarita on the deck at Canyons and watch the sunset - best view in the "High Country".

2. Walk downtown Blowing Rock and check out all of the unique shops. While you're there spring for some ice cream at Kilwin's.

3. Catch a play by the Blowing Rock Stage Company at the Hayes Performing Arts Center. Many times they have traveling acts as well (music, comedy, dance etc.) Always worthwhile and the venue is beautiful.

4. Go fishing at Grandfather Trout Farm. Rods are provided and bait and tackle are free! You only pay for what you catch... and they'll even clean 'em for ya. Can't beat that!

5. Go tubing. There are several local outfitters that will set you up, drop you off and pick you up. It's a great way to relax on a sunny day. We always put in on the New River in Todd but there are several other runs as well...depending on how high the water is.

6. Hike around Bass Lake. There's a nice flat walking loop around the lake that's .8 miles. There are also other trails to take once you get there.

7. If you want to make it a nice half day trip. Hike from Bass lake up to Moses Cone Manor. You can tour the 13,000 square foot estate and check out the Parkway Craft Center that has found its home there. (Moses Cone was a "prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist"...in a nutshell). If you want to drive up to the home instead of walking it's mile post 194.1 off of the Parkway.

8. Go to the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis.

9. Grab lunch at the Ham Shoppe on the way there or back on the corner of 105 and Broadstone Road. Great sandwich shop with no frills overlooking the Watauga River.

10. Tweetsie Railroad - If you have kids it's a no brainer. What's more fun than a "wild west" theme park. Tweetsie is open May-October.

11. After that, you'll want someone to watch the kids while you go out to eat at the Gamekeeper, a local and visitor favorite tucked away between Boone and Blowing Rock on Shulls Mill road. The eclectic mountain cuisine on their seasonal menu has just about any kind of wild game you can think of. There are vegetarian selections as well. It's sure to be a dining experience that you will remember.

12. Scream Time Zip Line in Vilas...this one speaks for itself?

13. Go gem mining.

14. Check out Mystery Hill if you have kids...it's hard to explain so just go and see for yourself what the mystery is.

15. "The Blowing Rock" is definitely worth seeing. You pay six dollars for adults and one dollar for kids. They have trails and an observation deck...the view is really something to behold; I don't know where a better one is except maybe the top of Mt. Mitchell (highest peak east of the Mississippi).

16. The Dragonfly Theatre has movies for cheap, it's laid back seating, and you can order beer and food. They sometimes have kids movies during the day.

17. If you're really getting desperate and it's a rainy day, we do have a TJ Maxx in Boone now (behind the mall). You could browse around there for deals or hit up Shoppes on the Parkway outlet mall located on 321 as you're coming into Blowing Rock (from Boone).

18. On the other hand if it's a nice day just cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are plenty of places to pull off and have a picnic. Go to the Blowing Rock Market for a deli sandwich and a bottle of wine.

19. Take the Parkway North towards Sparta and tour the Omni Cattle farm located between mile markers 264 and 265. I don't particularly love cows but these Highland Cattle are so awesome. Go to their site and click on their pictures. They would be more than happy to give you a tour if you call ahead.

20. Another no brainer is Grandfather Mountain. The famous Mile High Bridge, Hiking Trails, and small zoo make this a perfect way to spend a day. If you go in April (with someone who lives here) it's only one dollar.

21. Walk dogs at the Watauga County Humane Society. Fun for the kids, fun for the dogs.

22. Buy a cheep fishing rod and go throw a line in one of our many streams. You can also plan a guided tour. Make sure you check the regulations on the NC Wildlife Website and have a current fishing license.

23. Appalachian State always has cultural events going on as well from student concerts and plays to acts that they bring in like symphony's and dance concerts.

24. If it's football season, definitely go see a football game. ASU fell short this past season the 3 years before, they were the National champs!

25. If you want to play golf, the Boone Golf Club is open to the public.

26. Boone Bowling

27. Bo's right down the mountain in Lenoir has food, an arcade, bowling, pool...and drinks. Brand new nice clean facility, I highly recommend it. (20 or 25 minutes from Blowing Rock).

28. The Library and the Children's Playhouse in Boone always have fun things to do with kids.

29. Art in the Park in the summers is always fun in Blowing Rock if you don't mind the crowd.

30. I know I'm writing a lot about food and drinks, but my absolute favorite place to eat in Blowing Rock is Bistro Roca. It's tucked away on a side street...get directions, but you can't beat the atmosphere. They have a unique menu with a wide range of selections and pricing. You can go all out with their unique entrees or just get a personal wood fired oven pizza and a salad. Whatever is on special is always good.

31. There's a disc golf course in West Jefferson. If you don't have discs of your own, you really just need a putter, mid-range and driver to get started. Get them new or used at Play it Again Sports in Boone off of Howard Street.

32. In the winter go skiing or snowboarding at Sugar, Beech or Appalachian Ski Mountain. If you're clumsy like me you might be better off snow tubing at Hawksnest snow tubing park in Seven Devils.

33. Go horseback riding.

34. If you aren't scared of heights climb the Footsloggers Tower outside of their store in Boone. If you don't like heights, get some coffee at Espresso News next door and watch your friends climb...best coffee in town in my opinion.

35. My favorite place for lunch in Boone - Reid's Cafe. It's a small, intimate gourmet deli with local/organic fare. It's reasonably priced with great cappuccino's and an even better beer and wine selections. I'm not much of a desert person but their home made deserts are to die for! The historic building formerly known as the "Old Jailhouse" is located on Water Street downtown.

36. Watauga Lake is located about 40 minutes from Boone just over the Tennessee line. There are a wide range of water activities to choose from at one of their many marinas.

37. In the summer's there's free music on the lawn of the Jones House downtown Boone.

38. Horn in the West - (an outdoor drama put on by locals and equity talent in the summer).

39. Daniel Boone Inn... It's like dinner at your Grandma's house on a Sunday. I'm not going to say any more about it, just go eat there!

40. Woodlands BBQ. Picnic tables, live music, good BBQ also a kids menu. Try the house wings! For an entree I never get anything other than the chop pork plate with double slaw, fries and fried okra. (Full bar as well).

41. I hear the Tapas bar (Zudza's) in Banner Elk is absolutely amazing but I can't get my husband to go with me. He's just not a mini servings kind of guy.

42. Another fine dining option in Banner Elk is the Louisiana Purchase. Cajun/Americana theme dishes and one of the largest wine lists in North Carolina. Seasonal menu and lots of local food included in the dishes (at least the last time I went).

43. The Lee's McRae Performing Arts Department does fantastic summer stock musicals. Check their site to see what's coming up.

44. Canoeing or Kayaking is a great way to spend a day in the summer. Wahoo's does guided tours for this as well as white water rafting.

45. Boone Saloon and Canyons are great places to see live music on the weekends. Stick to Canyons if you want a slightly older crowd.

46. Can't forget to mention "Taco Tuesdays" at Boone Saloon. $1.25 beef, chicken or veggie burger taco's and a great beer selection.

47. Go caving. I'm too scared to so let me know how it is.

48. Westglow spa if you want to relax and get a facial/massage etc.

49. Drive up to Howard's Knob in Boone. (If you go past Earthfare on King Street make a right onto Cherry Street and you should see signs. Amazing view of the city.

50. Browse around at the local Subaru dealership on 105 extension to find your mountain dream car...everybody has one... lol.

51. The general store in Todd (out hwy 194 from Boone) has live Bluegrass music on Saturdays in the summer.

52. On a hot day, jump in a swimming hole. There are two good ones, the first is down from the 105 Dam and the other is called "Snake Pit" out towards Tennessee. Click on this link for directions to both.

53. I almost forgot, my favorite place for gifts and fun home accessories is Neaco's in Downtown Blowing Rock.

54. The Glen Burney Fall's trail is definitely a moderate to strenuous but there's a big payoff at the end. The trail starts downtown Blowing Rock.

55. Jimmy Smith Park in Boone...watch this video on it.

56. For a night in, you can get movies for a dollar at any of the Red Boxes in town. (Lowe's Food, Ingle's and Harris Teeter all have them).

57. Julian Price Park has trails, camping and canoeing and it's just outside of Blowing Rock down hwy 221.

58. Linville Gorge has mountain biking, camping, hiking and backpacking trails and waterfalls.

60. Grandfather mountain profile trail. From what I understand if you do the whole trail it's moderate to strenuous and takes about 5 hours but you can also just do the beginning section if you want a more leisurely hike.

61. If you don't mind getting really far off the beaten path there's a state off roading park in Collettesville.

62. Fun N' Wheels off of 105 in Boone has go carts, bumper cars and an arcade.

63. Boone has several different city parks each with different amenities.

64. See a concert at the Convocation Center at ASU. They bring in big names such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson and Charlie Daniels.

65.The park in downtown Blowing Rock also has tennis and basketball courts and a mini rock wall, jungle gym and swing sets for the kids.

66. Paint your own pottery at Paint Your Wings in Boone at New Market Center.

67. Finally, if you're thinking about moving here or buying a second home, give me a call or check out my website and email me. I'd love to show you around the area!

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More about Blowing Rock

More About Boone

Boone has a wonderful NAHB Green Building Committee. I'm so thrilled to see people in this area coming together to make something happen. I'm just trying to keep up with everything that they're doing. Now, more than ever, it's relevant to the real estate industry. They have a great website with a blog, local resources, and upcoming events. A fun event to check out if you're in the area is Green Drinks at Boone Saloon every first and third Thursdays at 5:30. It's an informal laid back gathering for anyone interested in networking and brainstorming.

Often times before Green Drinks, the group will hold walk through's of homes that are built in the area with "green" elements. I finished my EcoBroker designation recently and am currently facing the "now what? stage" of my green journey. Seeing the actual elements that were discussed in class put into practice really helped solidify some otherwise abstract concepts.

The beautiful home located just outside of Boone features radiant heating throughout. One thing that I think is really unique is that much of the wood used on the project was salvaged from trees that were cleared off of the lot. Some of the furniture, if it wasn't already second hand, was also made from reclaimed wood. There were some passive solar elements as well, mainly consisting of dark slate on the floor of the sunroom. Other aspects were dual flush toilets, energy star appliances and rain water collectors. These are just a few highlights. Next time I'm at a walk through I'll be sure to take better notes so that I can elaborate.

The project is working on getting classified as a NC Healthy Built Home. If you're not familiar with that certification it is a unique program. The way it works is that there is an extensive checklist made up of all different building practices and you can pick and choose which ones you want to use. The final product is scored by a point system. There are 4 different levels of certification: certified, bronze, silver and gold. (I hope I've explained that right. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong).

" A Healthy Built Home is a comfortable, healthy and affordable home that reduces energy and water usage and protects the environment. Building materials and processes are selected to reduce pollution and the waste of natural resources both during the manufacturing and construction phases and throughout the life of the home." -NC Healthy Built Homes Website

Sun Room

Master Bath

You guessed it, it's that time again. The Blue Ridge Food and Wine Festival will be held Downtown Blowing Rock this year. The festival starts Thursday, April 16th with "Uncork" the festival at the Meadowbrook Inn.

Friday is full of fun activities. A Downtown Scavenger Hunt will go on all day. Also, there will be different cooking and wine seminars throughout the day such as "pairing cheese and wine" and "wine making 101". See the schedule for exact times, locations and pricing. Friday evening, John McEwen (of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fame) will be gracing the halls of the Hayes Performing Arts Center. There's also a downtown Gallery Stroll and a VIP Wine Gala. Another highlight is the Late Night Pastry Party with Carla Lyons Hall (Top Chef Finalist) at Crippen’s Restaurant.

Saturday is always the big day of the festival starting with the preliminary rounds of the Fire on the Rock Chef's Challenge. This is an exciting event featuring local chef's competing for the title. The "Grand Tasting" also takes place on Saturday. There will be tons of North Carolina wines featured as well as others from around the world. I'm hoping for a nice weekend with all of the outdoor activities that are planned. The Grand Tasting will be held on the corner of Main and Maple and is 45 dollars at the door. The Downtown Scavenger Hunt continues Saturday as well.

As if the weekend isn't action packed enough, Sunday is the final round of the Fire on the Rock Chef's Challenge. There will also be Champagne Brunches at local restaurants (the list of locations will come out later).

Trying to park downtown will be crazy so there will be a shuttle running from Shoppes on the Parkway to the Arts Center to Downtown. I would highly recommend it.

As you can see, there's definitely something for everyone whether you just want to come for tasting, food, classes and meet and greet or great entertainment. I'm looking forward to the tasting on Saturday myself. Cross your fingers for beautiful weather.

After a long gorgeous weekend to start off the month of April, Old Man Winter is about to strike again. That's what April is all about up here in the High Country. We go from 70 degrees and sunny to 25 degrees with a blizzard and winds howling in 24 hours time. The spring teaser is a cycle that takes some getting used to. On one hand,it brings a much needed reprieve from the long winter months. On the other, it strikes back again so hard that it's depressing because you realize there's at least a month till it's time to pack up the parkas and open up the house for good. Usually you can count on being safe by the 2nd week in May.

Trout fishing opened this past Saturday. Blowing Rock marked the event with the annual Trout Derby. We had some friends and family over to cast out a few lines in the creek and grill out some dogs. It was a perfect day to enjoy the outdoors. I'm glad we enjoyed it while we could because as we speak, not even a whole day later, I'm starting to see flurries out of my office window.

The forecast on Ray's Weather says that we're supposed to get 1-3 inches by Wednesday morning with 3-7 inches in the higher elevations towards Tennessee. The temperatures will be in the 20's to 30's until Thursday and then warming just a touch. Easter Weekend looks like it's going to be pretty messy and rainy but possibly looking up on Easter Sunday. You'll still have to bundle the kids up for Egg Hunting but hopefully the rain will hold off.

The sky was ominous this morning so I snapped a few pictures. Here are two taken in the same spot but 180 degrees difference. The first is the last little patch of blue sky disappearing. The second one is the dark front moving in. I'll post up some more pictures once I can get out and get some of the snow. Cross your fingers it's the last one but that's probably just wishful thinking for this beach girl.

I thought I'd post up pictures of this awesome listing that our firm has in Blowing Rock.

The pictures really don't do it justice but I figured I'd put it out there anyway. The stonework is incredable!

Features include: heated tile floors in the bathroom, radiant heat throughout, wired for music and security throughout, elevator, teak flooring, fireplaces on all 3 levels, fountains and water features...the works.

I had an open house there a couple weeks ago. It was a beautiful day and I had a wonderful turnout. I didn't sell the house that day (not that I expected to) but met a lot of buyers as well as friendly neighbors. I'd call that a good day.

Located on Main Street in Historic Downtown Blowing Rock, NC.

Kitchen

My Open House Helper