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I have heard Blowing Rock is great with shops, etc...and I have been to Asheville and Hendersonville (with my girlfriends).
My boys liked Asheville because we went to The Biltmore. And they liked Boone because we went skiing and have friends there.
But can you recommend places to go WITH kids? Particularly boys??? I know a day of quaint shops will set me on edge and they will be bored to tears. What else is there to do if you go up just for the day?
How about gemstone mining? (OK, so a lot of those buckets of gems were planted there...), but my kids always thought it was a fun time sifting through the buckets of dirt to "find" something special.
Those are all some great ideas above. We can never get our fill of the NC moutains...so that is why last summer we rented a cabin for a week (and it still was not enough time).
I would say of all the places we went to, and all of the things that we did...for some reason my kids had the best time at Grandfather Mountain.
I have heard Blowing Rock is great with shops, etc...and I have been to Asheville and Hendersonville (with my girlfriends).
My boys liked Asheville because we went to The Biltmore. And they liked Boone because we went skiing and have friends there.
But can you recommend places to go WITH kids? Particularly boys??? I know a day of quaint shops will set me on edge and they will be bored to tears. What else is there to do if you go up just for the day?
I know Hendersonville also has apple picking.
Other ideas?
Thanks,
Dawn
Hi Dawn, you knew I'd have an opinion, didn't you??? lol
Blowing Rock is adorable and quaint, but there is only so much to it. With kids two hours there is probably plenty. I would recommend you pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway right there on the edge of Blowing Rock and head south toward Grandfather Mountain.
On the way you can stop off at Julian Price Park. This is a great place to walk a trail around Price Lake, even rent a canoe if you want. This lake is formed by a stream called Boone Fork. It is actually named for Danial Boone's nephew who lived in the area in the 1800's. To see some waterfalls and hike along a beautiful stream, take the Boone Fork Trail in for a ways - the whole thing is over 4 miles long so you could just go as far as you want then turn around. There are many beaver in the area so if you go at least a half mile or so on this trail you can usually see a really neat beaver damn - your boys might like that.
Next door to Julian Price Park is Moses Cone Park. Moses Cone was a philanthropist who built a mansion there on property that overlooks the Blowing Rock area. The house is open and houses the Blue Ridge Craft Center - many beautiful works of art by North Carolina natives are on display and for sale there. It is worth the stop just to sit on the big front porch of the house and drink in the view.
Then you could continue south on the parkway to let your kids see the Linn Cove Viaduct. This 1100 ft + concrete bridge snakes around Grandfather Mountain - off the mountain - too cool. There is a visitor center where you can get out and learn about the bridge plus hike around and under it.
If you still have any time left in your day go on up to Grandfather Mt and see the bear and other wildlife they have in there natural exhibit. There are many neat trails there too if you want to stretch your legs some more. Hope you guys have fun!!
Oops, brain on overload....Moses Cone Park is closest to Blowing Rock, then you get to Julian Price Park
Last edited by lovesMountains; 04-20-2007 at 08:18 AM..
Lake Lure and Lake James State Park both offer canoe rentals for a few bucks, and the scenery is beautiful.
If you're driving on the Parkway, there are many water falls a short hike from the road if you are adventurous enough (I know my boys would be). Do a google search for Blue Ridge Parkway/waterfalls to get directions to some.
My 8 yr old son loved Linville Caverns, and jumping around in the creek right next to it as well.
In ther summer we plan to try out Sliding Rock near Brevard/Hendersonville, that might be up your alley.
Lake Lure and Lake James State Park both offer canoe rentals for a few bucks, and the scenery is beautiful.
If you're driving on the Parkway, there are many water falls a short hike from the road if you are adventurous enough (I know my boys would be). Do a google search for Blue Ridge Parkway/waterfalls to get directions to some.
My 8 yr old son loved Linville Caverns, and jumping around in the creek right next to it as well.
In ther summer we plan to try out Sliding Rock near Brevard/Hendersonville, that might be up your alley.
Up her ally, yes, but too far from Blowing Rock for the day (Sliding Rock). I highly recommend it in the heat of summer, the hottest day you can get. The water in the pool at the bottom of Sliding Rock is Titanic cold
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Greater Foscoe Gemstone Mining
