Glyn and I try to visit the NC mountains in the summer in part to escape the heat of the flatlands of the eastern part of the state! Last week we had the chance to visit Boone and surrounding area for a few days. The temperatures were great with 50s at night and 70s each day. Birding in the area is good and the Boone Greenway which runs along the South Fork of the New River from east to west through Boone offers a good sampling of birds in the area. There are many access points, but my favorite is off east hwy 421 onto New River Hills rd and to the trail entry. This is an easy access and well kept trail that offers great birding. I spent about 3 hours on one morning capturing photos of the birds I saw along the trail. There were many Goldfinch in the open areas and seeing around 15 other species made for a good day. See pictures below.
We spent several days exploring the scenery in the area, visiting Valle Crusis where Glyn bought a nice pottery serving tray. We also visited St. Johns Episcopal Church nearby. The church was founded in 1862 and is a must see if you are in the area. We spent a few hours in Blowing Rock where a mandatory visit to the shops occurred with some urging from Glyn. A few miles from Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway we visited the Julian Price Park and the Moses Cone Memorial Park, both of which are adjacent along the Parkway and offer thousands of acres of trails for hiking and birding. I plan to visit these trails on my next trip to the area!!
There are many great restaurants in the area. We ate dinner one night at our favorite in Blowing Rock, the Bistro Roca, which is a little off the main street, but well worth finding for really good food! We also had dinner one evening at the Timberlake Restaurant located at the beautiful Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock. We highly recommend this very pleasant dining experience. This was our first time here and will be one of our favorites! The entrance to the Resort offers a trip around Bass Lake which the Lodge and dining room overlooks . There were a pair of White Swans with 3 chicks swimming in the lake. See pics below. Other dining spots included the Savannah Oyster Bar in Blowing Rock which we rated as fair to good, and the Storie Street Grill on Main street in BR, which is excellent for lunch or dinner. A great trip to a cool summer escape!! See photos below!
We spent several days exploring the scenery in the area, visiting Valle Crusis where Glyn bought a nice pottery serving tray. We also visited St. Johns Episcopal Church nearby. The church was founded in 1862 and is a must see if you are in the area. We spent a few hours in Blowing Rock where a mandatory visit to the shops occurred with some urging from Glyn. A few miles from Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway we visited the Julian Price Park and the Moses Cone Memorial Park, both of which are adjacent along the Parkway and offer thousands of acres of trails for hiking and birding. I plan to visit these trails on my next trip to the area!!
There are many great restaurants in the area. We ate dinner one night at our favorite in Blowing Rock, the Bistro Roca, which is a little off the main street, but well worth finding for really good food! We also had dinner one evening at the Timberlake Restaurant located at the beautiful Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock. We highly recommend this very pleasant dining experience. This was our first time here and will be one of our favorites! The entrance to the Resort offers a trip around Bass Lake which the Lodge and dining room overlooks . There were a pair of White Swans with 3 chicks swimming in the lake. See pics below. Other dining spots included the Savannah Oyster Bar in Blowing Rock which we rated as fair to good, and the Storie Street Grill on Main street in BR, which is excellent for lunch or dinner. A great trip to a cool summer escape!! See photos below!
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