This summer, Daniel and I escaped to the North Carolina mountains for a few weeks at his parents’ condo just outside Boone. From mid-July until August 1st, the mountains became our home, our office, and our playground. The time we spent there gave us everything—rest, adventure, family, and even a big surprise.
Settling In
On our first night, Daniel’s parents, Sarah and Jerry, were there to help us settle in—unpacking, getting our remote work setup in order, and capping it off with a nice dinner together. The next morning, we joined them for a walk around the community and got the low down on the condo and amenities before they headed home—leaving us with the quiet and beauty of the High Country.
During the workweeks that followed, we balanced our remote jobs with enjoying the condo’s amenities. Mornings, afternoons and evenings were filled with swims in the pool, workouts at the gym, and sunset soaks in the hot tub. We ate healthy, taking advantage of the grill on the deck, and kept things low key Monday through Thursday—saving our energy for long weekends of exploring.
Weekend One: Calloway Peak & Trout Lake
We kicked things off with a big one: a nine-mile hike to Calloway Peak, the highest point on Grandfather mountain, starting from the Boone Fork Trailhead on the Parkway. The trail had it all—ladders to climb, a 1970s plane wreck, and plenty of conversations with other hikers along the way. We even met a couple and their family that owned a home in the same community as Sarah and Jerry’s condo! At the top, we shared the summit with a few new friends, soaking in the view and watching the clouds roll by.
The next day was all about recovery: pool, hot tub, and relaxation. Then on Sunday we stretched our legs with something gentler, a two-mile walk around Trout Lake at Moses Cone. It was quiet, peaceful, and just what we needed before the next workweek.
Weekend Two: Music, Mountains, and Family
The following weekend stretched into a long one, beginning Thursday night with Banner Elk’s summer concert series for live music. We discovered Poncho y Jefe’s incredible tamales and treated ourselves to ice cream from BE Scooped—simple joys that set the tone for the days ahead.
On Friday, we hiked five miles up Rich Mountain and then treated ourselves to lunch and ice cream at Blowing Rock. We then spent the afternoon at Grandfather Mountain. The Mile-High Swinging Bridge gave us unbeatable views, and we even got up close and personal to Carolina, a 28-year-old female bear that calls the park home. We also made time to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, taking in the hazy blue views that the mountain range is known for. We then finished the evening with a sparkling wine flight from Grandfather Winery, surrounded by vineyards, friendly conversations and the occasional wondering puppy.
Saturday brought us to West Jefferson, where we met up with my parents at the farmers market. The farmers market, not only filled with local produce, but also arts and crafts from local makers and a bluegrass group that entertained us for hours. We continued on to do some window shopping at the stores around town and my parents bought me new hiking boots to replace my 13-year-old pair! After our shopping, we grabbed lunch at Boondocks Brewery and then headed to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. We adored the view from the many overlooks on Mount Jefferson and were able to see downtown West Jefferson from a whole different perspective! We capped off the day at Old Barn Winery, savoring the slow mountain pace and delicious wine slushes to cool off on the hot day.
The next morning, before seeing my parents off, we met for coffee at Bohemia Coffee House in West Jefferson. Once they headed home, Daniel and I tackled a foggy but fun 5-mile hike at Elk Knob State Park. The lack of views didn’t matter—we spent the hike imagining what it might be like to live in the mountains full-time. That afternoon and evening brought balance with a casual meal from Clean Eatz, courtesy of a gift card from Sarah, a local beer at Appalachian Mountain Brewing, yoga with High Country Yoga at Tweetsie Railroad, and a sunset hot tub soak.
The Final Week & A Big Surprise
Our last week in Boone was quiet, with summer showers keeping us mostly in the condo and its cozy amenities. But on Friday, before heading home, we set out for one final adventure: a 5-mile hike to Rough Ridge via the Tanawha Trail.
At the summit, with sweeping mountain views all around, Daniel surprised me by getting down on one knee. It was an intimate, breathtaking, and absolutely perfect proposal. After a few lovely moments to ourselves a kind hiker passing by offered to snap a few photos, giving us keepsakes of the moment, before we wandered to another viewpoint to take selfies of our own.
We hiked back down the trail floating on joy, and then celebrated with one last soak in the hot tub before cleaning up the condo and packing for our trip back to Raleigh.
Looking Back
Those two and a half weeks gave us the perfect mix of work and play, family time and time for just the two of us. We discovered new trails, ate good food, daydreamed about mountain living, and said yes to a new chapter together.
The High Country will always hold this memory for us—and it’s a place we’ll definitely return to, again and again.