A Weekend Retreat to the Mountains
This has been a long, cold, wet winter. I am not a cold-weather person; I am more of a beach girl. Warmer weather, more daylight hours, flowers, greenery. The bare branches, grey skies, and dismal, dreary days take a toll on my spirit and mood. After almost a complete year of working from home and months of being indoors due to the weather, it was time for a change. I needed four different walls to look at. My husband and I headed west.
Growing up a beach girl, I haven’t spent much time in the Western part of our great state, so I welcomed the idea of visiting a new town out west. We decided to visit Boone, a small college town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We found the most adorable boutique hotel located in Downtown Boone, nestled between local shops and restaurants.
Hidden Gem
I cannot say enough about the Horton Hotel. I was impressed with this hotel from the moment we walked in. The décor was chic and modern but also very warm and inviting. Check-in was simple, and we were soon settling into our room. We had the pleasure of staying two nights, and due to the last-minute reservation change on our part, we had to change rooms the second night, so we were able to experience two of the 16 rooms offered at this hotel.
The room we stayed in the first night overlooked the main street, had exposed brick walls, chandeliers, and a claw-foot bathtub. After the long car ride, the hot bath was amazing. They even provided a fizzy bath bomb.
After we rested from the long drive, we walked a few short blocks to Vidalia. We enjoy trying new restaurants when we travel; it is one thing I look forward to most when traveling. Vidalia wine bar is a locally owned restaurant that focuses on North Carolina products and locally sourced produce. I highly recommend trying their signature salad that included my favorite; pickled okra. The yellowfin tuna was prepared to perfection; the presentation was lovely, I almost didn’t want to disturb it. After dinner, we leisurely strolled back to the hotel and called it a night.
A Day on the Trails
The hotel offered a free artisan breakfast each morning, consisting of your choice of bread, yogurt, granola, hard-boiled egg, and your choice of coffee or tea. Once we were all fueled up, we headed out for some hiking.
We drove to Linville Falls to hike and see the waterfalls. It was a beautiful day, we really lucked out, and the rain stayed away. The trails were relatively easy to hike, there were some steep inclines along the way, but we managed. The tougher trails had steep steps and handrails, which helped this aging woman.
It was partly cloudy, so it made picture taking much easier. I brought along my camera to capture the beauty of the woods and the falls, allowing me to experiment with the camera settings. The waterfalls were beautiful. I enjoyed playing around with the shutter speed to change the appearance of the flowing water.
After spending a few hours exploring the trails and viewing the falls, we headed out to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at some of the overlooks to stare in awe of the gorgeous landscapes. The camera really doesn’t capture the beauty and depth of the views. You can see why they call them “The Blue Ridge Mountains.”
Spending the day outdoors in nature and observing the beauty of the mountains was just what I needed to recharge my batteries. Being inside all winter can really be a downer.
An Afternoon in Downtown Boone
When we returned to Boone, we found a place for lunch that was just a few doors down from the hotel. Macado’s has an extensive menu consisting of your typical pub appetizers and bar food such as nachos, burgers, sandwiches. It was quite an impressive list of sandwiches, wraps, and clubs.
After eating, we spent some time on King Street, visiting some shops and picking up some souvenirs. For some reason, we have really been into stickers lately. We bought stickers at almost every shop we went into. The local business owners were amiable and happy to engage in conversation.
A Relaxed Itinerary
After a day of walking and still full from lunch, we spent the next few hours resting. When we returned to the hotel, we were eager to see what our room would look like for the second night of our stay. The staff moved our things from one room to another, so the transition was seamless. Our second room offered the same charm and comfort as the first room; only this room did not have the exposed brick or the tub.
We realized we needed to grab a bite to eat before everything closed. It was Sunday night, and we didn’t expect places to be open very late. We found a restaurant that was just a few blocks away that was open for another hour. The Lost Providence Brewing Co. was brightly lit and had fun music playing. There were several TVs located above the bar and a large copper pizza oven. We opted to share a charcuterie board since we were still full from our late lunch at the pub. Best decision. This board was in a class all of its own; it wasn’t the kind of charcuterie board you would expect at a brewing pub. This particular charcuterie board will be the standard for all future charcuterie boards.
Time to head home
Overall, our experience in Boone was ideal. The weather was great, which allowed us to explore some of the trails in the mountains and stroll along the streets of downtown Boone. The food was delicious; the people were friendly, the beds were comfy. I certainly hope we can visit again in another season and experience a totally different landscape full of flowers and blue skies, or in the fall when the leaves change to vibrant reds and orange.
It is always nice to get away and see new sights. Two nights out of town was the perfect amount of time to reset and refresh. Now to plan our next adventure….hopefully somewhere beachy.
For more trip destinations, check out these posts: Baltimore, Key West, and Savannah.
