Blowing Rock, NC: Attractions

1. Stroll through the village, the 321 business loop. There's a 4 or 5 block strip with cute gift shops, handcrafted items, tons of places to sit, an ice cream shoppe, etc. Right in the middle of the shops is Memorial Park, great for kids. The park also offers basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, swimming pool, and small pond. Walk across the street and you can hike the Glen Burney Trail, right there snuggled away in downtown.
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Pictured here: Shops at the Martin House. Tucked away in here is the candle shop I've mentioned before.
-Also tucked away at The Martin House is Tuckers on Main. Yes, honey, I spent a little time here. Tuckers is a coffee shop offering, sweet mercy, the Milky Way Latte. I had mine on ice. Tuckers offers internet services for a small fee, a big TV for free, always tuned to CNN or MSNBC or some such, and books and comfy chairs. But mostly, I like their sign. -

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2. Art in the Park. Or as some of say "Ahrt in the Pahrk, dahling." One Saturday each month, several artists set up tents in Memorial Park and sell their handmade goodies. Yeowsa. My favorite was the designer deerskin handbags by Vicki Love. We purchased a fabulous panorama of the mountains by Richard Ashford. And we admired the work of Marcus Thomas, click on his name and read his tremendous story.
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-3. Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway ambles all around Blowing Rock and Boone, easy on and off roads, fantastic views, great hikes. Take a day or two or three....
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--4. Of course, if you're visiting Blowing Rock, NC, you must visit THE Blowing Rock. (Yes, they call it "The" Blowing Rock, bringing to mind "The Donald" and causing me to shudder) The Blowing Rock is a tad bit disappointing. There is a $6 admission charge, great maps, decent info. and facilities, just not much to offer other than a great view. Here I am sitting on the blowing rock and it looks real cool, but you see the entire climb in the photo. That's it. About 10 steps up a hill. This is perhaps the only one of the famous "rocks with a view" that is easily accessible, which is probably the biggest draw of the place. This is a great attraction for those who can't walk or climb much. A nice, short gravel hike offers great views normally only seen from an arduous hike.
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5. Right off the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Moses Cone House. For some strange reason, I only have a photo of the back of the house. We went around front. We entered the house. We picnic'd on the grounds. We hiked to the cemetery. Why don't I have better photos? Perhaps I was too enthralled. You could spend a day here hiking, but most likely you'll only want a half day. Tours of the upstairs are on Saturdays by reservation only. There are stables nearby and I suspect there are great horse trails around and through here.

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6. Concerts on the Lawn. Jones House, Boone, NC. Boone is a five/ten minute drive away. There are Tanger outlets between Blowing Rock and Boone, worth a half day if you are into cement and consumerism and that sort of thing. But drive past the outlets and past Psssghetti's Italian Restaurant, and you'll find yourself in Boone. If you schedule it right, you can enjoy the cool of the evening listening to live music outside. Very nice. When the music ends, head on over to Murphy's and get their famous spinach artichoke pizza. It was magnificent.

Where to stay in Blowing Rock? May I suggest The Homestead Inn. It's right down in the village, 2 blocks off the main street shopping, an easy walk. Wonderful Innkeepers. Beautiful gardens, a fountain, a swing.... perfect, absolutely perfect.

Where to eat in Blowing Rock.