A High Country Long Weekend

Autumn in North Carolina’s High Country feels like something out of a dream. The reds and oranges of the deciduous trees set the sky on fire in an otherwise steady sea of green pines and moss. Daniel and I were fortunate enough to spend a few days during peak leaf season this October, and below are our recommendations on how to spend your long weekend in this stunning area.

Day One: Blue Ridge Parkway and Julian Price Memorial Park Hike

No autumn trip to North Carolina’s High Country is complete without a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. During leaf peeping season, you’ll need to arrive on the parkway early and bring plenty of patience, as you should expect long lines and slow-moving cars. Take advantage of the leisurely drive to soak up all the beauty the Blue Ridge Parkway has to offer, including the Linn Cove Viaduct’s extraordinary views of both nature and man’s engineering prowess.

Our recommendation for hiking is Julian Price Memorial Park. Daniel grew up hiking this park with his family and it was wonderful to visit this scenic location for which he has such fond memories. For those who are avid campers, the park hosts 129 tent sites and 68 RV sites, which can be booked easily online. Although we didn’t camp overnight, we did the Boone Fork Trail, a 5.2-mile loop with fantastic views of Bee Tree Creek, the surrounding mountain range, and Hebron Falls. The hike down to Hebron Falls only adds about half a mile to the standard loop trail and is worth every additional step (skip to the 1:04 mark in the linked video).

Day Two: West Jefferson and Echota Easement

For your second day in the High Country, be sure to take a short drive to West Jefferson. Daniel’s grandmother lived in this once quaint and now bustling town. He spent many holidays and summers in West Jefferson, and I loved the chance to experience this town with him. We’re convinced you’ll love it, too. 

Fun fact: his grandmother’s former home is now home to the chief winemaker for Old Barn Winery, so it’s no surprise that we recommend making this your first stop on the drive into town. During our visit, Daniel, his father, Jerry, and I sampled hand-crafted wines in three separate flights. Daniel elected for reds, of which his favorites included Ray’s Red and Railroad Red, all staying true to the dry and tannin-forward style. I sampled the whites, which had some lingering sweetness on the palate, with a few off-dry styles that would make for great “porch-sippers” in the summer. Jerry and Sarah, Daniel’s mom, shared the “fall flight”, which showcased Old Barn’s fruit wines and a cherry mead. Sarah particularly loved the “Bluebeary” wine, described aptly by Old Barn as, “Estate-grown blueberries that were fermented and blended with Petite Verdot will remind you of a special treat growing up in the mountains.” We couldn’t agree more. We crowned our time at the winery with a walk through the tree farm and vineyards, soaking in the crisp autumn weather and beautiful afternoon.

After the winery, head on into town to take a walk around downtown, and don’t miss the Ashe County Cheese Factory. Pause by the viewing room to watch cheese get made and then turn your sights across the street to the store, where you can pick out some locally made cheese and other snacks.

Once we concluded our walk around town, we mosied over for dinner and beer at New River Brewing, one of Jerry’s favorites. Their newly revamped menu is extensive, with something for everyone (especially those that like smoked meats and NC BBQ)! For those with a hefty appetite, we recommend trying “The Man Cave” – a delicious delicacy of mac & cheese with tots, smoked ham, pulled pork, baked beans, and loads of homemade BBQ sauce. For drinks, do not miss their hard lemonade and save room for a glass of the Creamsicle Moon, which will remind you of creamsicle sodas from your childhood.

Day Three: Banner Elk, Seven Devils, and Tweetsie

We had the fortunate timing of being in the High Country during Banner Elk’s Woolly Worm Festival. This autumn festival has been going strong for 45 years and features woolly worm races along with a huge arts and crafts fair. The town itself also has many great attractions worth checking out, such as Bella’s Breakfast and Lunch, which gives a good ol’ diner feel with quality breakfast. Also of note, Banner Elk features two local wineries – Banner Elk and Grandfather Mountain – each offering award-winning wines with breathtaking views of the High Country. 

To get your hike on in this area, we recommend Otter Falls Trail in Seven Devils. This short trail is steep, to put it mildly! The falls and the connecting creek offer a great outing for those young and old. We saw many families and couples out walking their dogs on this one-mile out-and-back hike. 

Finishing the evening off strong, we elected to relive a childhood favorite for Daniel and Sarah– Tweetsie Railroad. Both Sarah and Jerry have cherished recollections of bringing Daniel to this old-timey amusement park when he was young. Since we were visiting during an October evening, we got to experience Tweetsie’s Ghost Train and Haunted Houses, which feature werewolves, Bigfoot, and all sorts of things that go bump in the night. These are kid-friendly attractions, though, so families will love their time here. After our ride on the Ghost Train, we hit up the Fudge Shop for a sweet treat before riding a few of the classic theme park rides Tweetsie offers up for adrenaline-seekers.

Day Four: Boone and Blowing Rock

For your final day, take in both Boone and Blowing Rock, which are just a few short minutes’ drive from one another. We hopped back and forth between the two with little issue.

To start your day off right, get a good breakfast at Sunny Rock, a classic joint that brings in quite the crowd, but is well worth a short wait! Don’t forget to cap off your meal with a pancake, at least to share. From there, take a tour of the town and The Blowing Rock, North Carolina’s oldest travel attraction. 

For Boone, home of Appalachian State University, take a walk down the bustling college main street and visit Mast General Store. The store features outdoor wear, toys, candy, and old-timey glass sodas. Listen to the nostalgic hiss of the carbonation as you open one! The next must-see, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, is a short drive from Main Street. The founders of this brewery are two cousins who have brought their German heritage and their passion for beer, the environment, and the outdoors to life with crisp Blondes, hoppy IPAs, and refreshing ciders. Although we typically prefer sours and lighter fare, we were incredibly impressed with the Mountain Delight Brunch Stout, brewed with pastries, coffee, and flavored with cocoa nibs. The result is brought to life with a little bit of nitro. 

We drove back up to Blowing Rock to end the day by catching the sun setting behind Grandfather Mountain, where we plan to camp and hike during our next trip to the area. There is never a shortage of things to do in the High Country, and while there’s never enough time to fit in everything, we know you’ll enjoy your trip as much as we loved ours.

Update: We’ve been getting some questions regarding the aerial footage from our highlights video (linked above). None of this is stock footage–we actually purchased a DJI Air 2S drone to help us add some pop to our travel videos, and we absolutely love it. It’s very beginner friendly, the battery life is outstanding, and the 4k gimbal video camera is (we hope you’ll agree) spectacular. Reach out if you have questions!

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