Ah! The aptly named village of Blowing Rock, where there really is a rock and where the breezes really do blow. Here, you can while away the day by strolling Main Street and poking your head in the many charming shops or by sitting in the park and enjoying a treat from one of the many eateries sprinkled about town. (Frankly, when I visit Blowing Rock, I’m always torn about whether I should just go directly to Kilwin’s to eat fudge.)
What’s best about Blowing Rock? Excellent question, that. The Blue Ridge Parkway is close by, and Moses Cone Memorial Park offers lots of walking trails. Judging from the smiling faces, however, the town’s best attribute may be that it has shaped itself into one of western North Carolina’s premier shopping areas, where you might find any treasure your heart desires. Really! Antiques, art, housewares, clothing, jewelry, crafts—you can probably find it in or near Blowing Rock.
Though summer is admittedly the best time to visit Blowing Rock—where else can you so thoroughly escape the summer heat?—the town is enjoyable in any season, winter included. In fact, some of my most pleasant trips have been in the seasons when the crowds weren’t out.
Where to Stay
So many bed-and-breakfasts and lodges call Blowing Rock home that you may have to visit here several weekends to sample them all. The Inn at Ragged Gardens (828-295-9703; www.ragged-gardens.com) and the Maple Lodge Inn (828-295-3331; www.maplelodge.net) are conveniently located in town. If you’d like a magnificent view, stay at Gideon Ridge Inn (828-295-3644; www.ridge-inn.com).
Where to Eat
Whether you want a sumptuous meal or a bowl of soup or a salad, you can find something to please your taste buds in Blowing Rock. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed many a meal at the Blowing Rock Café. If you’re curious about what the town was like before visitors discovered it, step inside Sonny’s Grill (which, incidentally, was the inspiration for the Main Street Grill in Jan Karon’s Mitford novels). For some western North Carolina barbecue, visit Woodlands Barbecue on U.S. 321 Bypass. For a more upscale meal, try the Speckled Trout Café. For a sumptuous dinner, Crippen’s is a must. You’ll probably need reservations; call 877-295-3487.
Ways to While Away the Day
Antiques
If you like looking for antiques, Blowing Rock is a good place to go. At last count, 10 antiques shops called the town home. Most are downtown within an easy walk of each other. A few are out on the bypass. Whether you want an Oriental rug from Hanna’s or English-inspired collectibles from Carriage Trade Antiques or something French from Provence et d’ailleurs, you can probably find it in Blowing Rock.
Step into St. Mary’s of the Hills Episcopal Church on the south end of Main Street to see Elliot Daingerfield’s painting Madonna of the Hills. Daingerfield, whose work hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery in Washington, had a summer home in Blowing Rock.
Horses
Blowing Rock Stables, located on U.S. 221 South, offers guided trail rides inside Moses Cone Memorial Park. The horses are calm enough for kids to ride. A fee is charged. For more information, call 828-295-7847.
Kid Stuff
Kids of all ages love Tweetsie Railroad, an amusement park centered around a steam-powered locomotive with a history. Tweetsie began operation in 1881 for the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad Company, which mountain humorists dubbed the “Eat Taters & Wear No Clothes” Railroad. Local folk called the train Tweetsie because of its shrill tweet-tweet whistle echoing through the hills. The park has a petting zoo, rides, and other entertainment. It’s open from mid-May to October. An admission fee is charged. For more information, call 800-526-5740 or visit www.tweetsie.com.
Mystery Hill—where water flows uphill!—will also keep the kids entertained for the day. On the grounds is the Appalachian Heritage Museum, the former home of B. B. and D. D. Doughtery, the founders of Appalachian State University. The museum contains 50,000-plus Native American artifacts. The complex is located on U.S. 321 north of Blowing Rock. An admission fee is charged. For more information, call 828-264-2792 or visit www.mysteryhill-nc.com.
Museums
Flat Top Manor, the centerpiece of Moses Cone Memorial Park, isn’t exactly a museum, given that it’s full of wonderful handicrafts by artisans of the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild, but if you’re interested in seeing a well-preserved summer house, put this on your must-see list. Though the house isn’t as grand as Biltmore, the view from the front portico is one of the best in the state.
Outdoors
Hiking
Both Moses Cone Memorial Park and Julian Price Memorial Park are perfect for doing a little hiking. Moses Cone Memorial Park contains a network of trails, thanks to Cone’s hobby of road building. (A textile baron by trade, Cone worked hard to make sure that when wife Bertha rode about the property in her carriage, she wouldn’t be bounced too much.) You can walk the grounds as much as you please. Trails range from the easy, mile-long Trout Lake Trail to the moderate, 2.8-mile Flat Top Mountain Carriage Trail and the 5.1-mile Rich Mountain Carriage Trail. Pick up a map at the National Park Service desk in Flat Top Manor or in Footsloggers in downtown Blowing Rock. For a relatively easy leg-stretcher, try the 2.5-mile Price Lake Trail in Julian Price Memorial Park. If you go at twilight, you may see muskrats, turtles, and maybe even a raccoon. For more mileage, the moderately strenuous 4.9-mile Boone Fork Trail is hard to beat. The trail passes next to the park’s picnic ground. Look for gnawed stumps indicating beaver activity and boggy areas that signify old lake beds. Watch, too, as Boone Fork transforms itself from a pleasant little creek into a river filled with huge boulders.
Mountain Biking
Want to combine a moderate mountain-bike ride with a scenic mountain drive? Then try pedaling Lower China Creek Loop, a 4.4-mile ride near Upton. In downtown Blowing Rock, turn onto Johns River Road. Drive about 3.2 miles to an unmarked pull-off on the right. The pull-off is next to F.R. 4071, which is also unmarked. The ride begins at 1,750 feet, climbs to 2,000 feet, and then drops. Though it’s short, it does have some rocky, technical sections. Be aware that the trail crosses Thunderhole Creek six times. Several dirt trails intersect the Forest Service road; be sure to keep to the left each time.
Picnicking
Few places in the mountains are as pleasant for a picnic lunch or an afternoon or evening cookout as the picnic ground at Julian Price Memorial Park. The restrooms at the park are open from mid-May through October. Stake your claim to a table early, as this area is popular. Kids of all ages will enjoy cooling their feet in the creek that burbles through the picnic ground.
Tidbits
North Carolina has many wellnamed newspapers, but none has a title as delightfully quirky as Blowing Rock’s. The name? The Blowing Rocket.
Performing Arts
The Blowing Rock Stage Company, home to professional summer stock theater since 1986, provides the perfect way to spend an evening. Performances are offered from mid-June to August. Recent productions have included My Way, Grace and Glorie, and Dangerous Obsession. For more information, call 828-295-9627 or visit www.blowingrockstage.com.
Scenic Drive
Of course, you can cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway. But for something different, drive south on U.S. 221 from Blowing Rock to Linville. You’ll pass Elliot Daingerfield’s home, Westglow, home today to Westglow Spa. Watch for apple orchards and the back entrance to Moses Cone Memorial Park along the way. On the return trip, if you feel you’ve had enough time in the car and aren’t quite ready to reenter Blowing Rock, you can quickly visit the park by using the Blowing Rock entrance. Also, if you really like scenic mountain drives, invest in a copy of Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads by Carolyn Sakowski.
Shopping
Take the comfy shoes and plot your strategy carefully. Should you start at the north end of town? At the south end? Or at the Tanger Outlet Mall on U.S. 321 Bypass just outside town? Tough question. But it really won’t matter, since you can find treasures in just about any direction.
Spa
One of the classiest spas in the state is located in Blowing Rock. To indulge, visit Westglow Spa. You’ll come away feeling like a brand-new person. For more information, call 800-562-0807 or visit www.westglow.com.
Other Points of Interest
Blowing Rock gets it name from a magnificent rock outcropping that overlooks the Johns River Valley 3,000 feet below. The rock has a tale of heartbreak associated with it. The tale also explains a curious phenomenon: wind that blows upward. Seems a pair of Indian lovers came to the rock to ponder their circumstances, and the young man, torn between duty and love, hurled himself off the rock. The maiden prayed that the wind would blow him back to her. Miraculously, it did, and to this day, the wind blows upward against the rock. The Blowing Rock is open from March to December. An admission fee is charged. For more information, call 828-295-7111 or visit www.theblowingrock.com.
Blowing Rock is full of charming old buildings—and a waterfall. If you don’t want to venture out of town but do want to walk a little bit, mosey over to the visitor center and pick up a brochure that details a self-guided walking tour throughout town. At the very least, step inside the Blowing Rock Library while you’re downtown. To find the waterfall, walk to Annie Cannon Park and look for trail information just beyond the information board.
Festivals/Events
More Resources
The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce can be reached by calling 800-295-7851 or 828-295-7851 or by visiting www.blowingrock.com.
See the “Weekend with Yosef” and “Weekend with Your Grandfather” chapters for other nearby activities.
