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My grandchildren (ages 15, 12 and 9) will be visiting us from New England in February. Thinking of heading to Boone from the Raleigh area for a couple of days. Any recommendations for areas where we could snow tube? Also would greatly appreciate alternative suggestions for some things to do/activities in your beautiful part of NC.
Well, I'm in Chapel Hill, but I'll chime in. Hawksnest is the biggest snow tubing place. They also have ziplines which sound incredibly cold in winter to me, but apparently some people like 'em. Another smaller place is Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing. I think with kids that age, though, I might try out Hawksnest. I have not been there, but we did take our kids to Jonas Ridge a few years ago and it was perfect when they were younger. They allow you to chain the tubes together (hold onto each other's tubes and go down together) which was perfect for my cautious kids (they were 8 & 10), but for older kids who aren't overly cautious Hawksnest might be a bigger and better experience. If any of them are interested in other winter sports like skiing or snowboarding or ice skating Sugar Mt and Beech Mt offer those and Sugar also offers tubing.
Sugar Mountain has tubing but if you're not planning on doing any skiing Hawksnest is better for just tubing. However, you should definitely consider skiing, any of the mountains in the area are great and they all have beginner lessons. I think Beech has the best ice skating experience and they also have the lowest prices for lift tickets.
If the weather isn't too bad, consider a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, there are several short and not too difficult hiking trails that are easily accessible. The Foggy Mountain Gem Mine might be a fun experience for the younger kids. Definitely check out the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. And there are a lot of great restaurants in Boone and Blowing Rock, with the Dan'l Boone Inn being the most popular stop for visitors.
Depending on the exact day, there may be plays or concerts happening at Appalachian State. The Turchin Center is always interesting as well. Just...don't go to see a basketball game. You'll be thoroughly disappointed.
One thing to keep in mind about the Blue Ridge Parkway in the winter is that they do not plow the roadway, so if there has been "weather," certain sections may be closed. With the storm last week that had high winds, there were trees down along parts of the Parkway along with requisite closings.
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