OK...all you NC members...
- Thread starter ReefLady
- Start date
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Our grass is the greenest and hardest to mow than in YEARS right now. It looks good but I can almost HEAR it growing!
mps9506
Well-Known Member
Been raining a lot down this way to, cutting the grass twice a week right now, no irrigation either...
Anyhow, Teri you are gonna have a blast, I can't give much for pointers where to go, I just go hiking where I can up there. I more of a beach person, so if you guys come down to the coast next time I'll give you more info
Anyhow, Teri you are gonna have a blast, I can't give much for pointers where to go, I just go hiking where I can up there. I more of a beach person, so if you guys come down to the coast next time I'll give you more info
michelle9491
Member
Teri, When do you leave? I would definately suggest Linville Caverns, the kids would enjoy that. Yea, it's touristy but it really is neat to see. I have only been once, but want to go again. Same thing about Grandfather Mountain, you have to at least go once!
How old are your kids? This is kinda cheesy, but if you dont have any luck catching any trout on your own & really want to eat some, this maybe be an idea. (uh oh I do remember one of your kids doesnt like to eat fish) There is just nothing like eating fresh trout though. Yummy!!
North Carolina Trout Fishing
I really dont know much to do around that area, because I mainly go there to go snowboarding. As far as hiking & things that are dog friendly, Im sure the locals would be a big help. Al & jgking21 know all the places I do, but might be to far to for ya to travel to.
You can swing by here & clean my tanks too!!!
How old are your kids? This is kinda cheesy, but if you dont have any luck catching any trout on your own & really want to eat some, this maybe be an idea. (uh oh I do remember one of your kids doesnt like to eat fish) There is just nothing like eating fresh trout though. Yummy!!
North Carolina Trout Fishing
I really dont know much to do around that area, because I mainly go there to go snowboarding. As far as hiking & things that are dog friendly, Im sure the locals would be a big help. Al & jgking21 know all the places I do, but might be to far to for ya to travel to.
You can swing by here & clean my tanks too!!!
michelle9491
Member
Oh, yea, I'm sure you will be cooking while you are there, the best grocery stores there are Harris Teeter & Earth Fare.
Wow.....thank you all so much!
We'll probably do Linville caverns...or at least save it for a rainy day. My kids are 15 & 1/2 and 11 & 1/2, buy the youngest is the only one (besides me) who likes to fish (or eat fish, for that matter ~ you've got a good memory!). He snubbed his nose at the trout farm idea, LOL - wants to catch "real fish".
Thanks so much for the tips on the grocery stores...appreciate that.
May hit you up next year. Looking at ocean-front, dog-friendly (you guys are way more pet friendly than NH) -- maybe Tospail beach?
Anyway....counting down... 4 days until we leave (thurs). I think I am the only one looking forward to the 15 hour drive.
Thanks so much...
We'll probably do Linville caverns...or at least save it for a rainy day. My kids are 15 & 1/2 and 11 & 1/2, buy the youngest is the only one (besides me) who likes to fish (or eat fish, for that matter ~ you've got a good memory!). He snubbed his nose at the trout farm idea, LOL - wants to catch "real fish".
Thanks so much for the tips on the grocery stores...appreciate that.
May hit you up next year. Looking at ocean-front, dog-friendly (you guys are way more pet friendly than NH) -- maybe Tospail beach?
Anyway....counting down... 4 days until we leave (thurs). I think I am the only one looking forward to the 15 hour drive.
Thanks so much...
15 hour? Are you insane? OMG!!
The weather has been AMAZING Teri!!
I'll be "Sort of" over your way next weekend. I'll be at Lake Lure for a weeding that weekend. I can't remember how close that is to where you'll be but it may be worth a trip. Dirty Dancing was filmed there! ! ! !
The weather has been AMAZING Teri!!
I'll be "Sort of" over your way next weekend. I'll be at Lake Lure for a weeding that weekend. I can't remember how close that is to where you'll be but it may be worth a trip. Dirty Dancing was filmed there! ! ! !
LOL, it's not so bad. Only the 4 of us and the 2 labs in the truck. Thank goodness for 4-door crew cabs. ;-) We'll leave late evening (7-8pm), hubby will drive first to take us through the "yucky" travels...Mass, Hartford, across the Tapanzee (NY); probably into PA - the first 7 or 8 hours.
Then I'll take over, lucky me -- around 2am-ish...but I'm the night owl, and the second part is the "easier" part of the drive. We're leaving ourselves about 20 hours to make the trip, so *plenty* of time for stops, rests, stretches, etc.
I love to drive...could spend an entire vacation just driving and driving and seeing different stuff, so to me, it's almost the best part of the trip.
BC (before kids) we drove plenty of times straight through to FL (about 25 hours) in a Firebird...so this is a little better. LOL
Lake Lure is about 2 hrs from where we'll be (southwest). It definitely sounds like a beautiful area.
If you enjoy driving and scenery then you might want to look into Lake Lure. It's a "Fun" drive and the area is simply amazing to take in.
It's getting CLOSER
mps9506
Well-Known Member
If you enjoy driving and scenery then you might want to look into Lake Lure. It's a "Fun" drive and the area is simply amazing to take in.
It's getting CLOSER
I love that drive down the mountain along Lake Lure. I suspect it would be a blast in a sports car
I love driving through there in the fall, apples are my excuse to go.
Ahh yes! I can almost feel it and see it now! That's an awesome drive and like you said in a sports car WOWIE!! LOL!I love that drive down the mountain along Lake Lure. I suspect it would be a blast in a sports car
I love driving through there in the fall, apples are my excuse to go.
Saturday I'll be at Lake Lure "playing" on the beach across from the Inn (I'm sure it's got a better name than that but I don't know it). Saturday night is the rehersal hoop-la and Sunday is the wedding.
Teri I don't know about cell service exactly where you're staying but the majority of the Boone area has decent cell service.
It's VERY close now. Less than 48 hours no?
I must have been posting while you were. Got back about 2am last night. Remind me to never drive 950 miles in one day, in a truck with 2 kids and 2 dogs. LOL. We had a great time. I'll post more later about what we did/saw, right now gotta run out and run some errands.
Okay, back. It wasn't overly hot there - more of a summer than we've had here in NH though. Pretty much high 70's, low 80's all week. We drove back through 95-98f in VA - brutal.
Anyway, like I said, had a great week. The house was good - as much as I would have expected from an online rental. Clean, inside was very nice, outside needed some TLC. The house was down this crazy road which brought you 3,000 feet *down* a mountain (6.5 miles) to the house.
Let's see...what did we do...Blue Ridge Parkway (of course), Linville Gorge/Falls/Caverns, Elk River Falls (*great* swimming hole!), Grandfather mountain (spectacular), Blowing Rock (tourist ripoff), white water rafting on the Wautauga in TN (class I-III - fun stuff), Little Switzerland (what was that?), driving and re-driving Linn Cove Viadcut (awe-inspiring)...lot's of BBQ (super yummy), etc.
The bugs/snakes were a little creepy - I live in the "woods"but am not used to spiders as big as my hand, lizards running over my feet, and copperheads sunning on my steps. ;-)
It was a very peaceful, laid back place. We loved the locals we got to talk with -- so friendly -- so unlike New England. We were told we were "born southerners" (LOL), that most folks from the "Nawth" weren't as nice as we were. I'll take that as a compliment, even though you'd have to tie me down to get me to eat Okra. ;-) Had our share of adventure... hubby & my youngest "discovered" a nest of ground bees the first day there, hubby almost stepped on a Copperhead, we pulled a car off the side of our road with our tow rope --doesn't sound scary, but four more inches and he would have been skidding straight 2,000 feet down.
Had more than my fair share of crazy mountain switchback roads....1,000 feet up or down in less than a mile.
Spent a couple hours in the Mast General store in Valle Crucis...what a cool place. Fished for trout with the locals....that was cooler than cool.
In the end, we were glad to come home. The mountains are beautiful, but while more "vast", they really were not more beautiful than the mountains 2 hours from home. And there is so much more to do here within "reach". I think we are spoiled travelers....here we have the mountains 2 hours from us, and the beach less than an hour from us. What struck me was how much of a drive it was to do everything and anything. I guess that's part of the "quiet". But being the impatient New Englanders that we are, the long drives kinda wore on us. ;-) Seemed like it was 2 hours get anywhere.
Boone is a very cool (although very busy/trafficy) town. The old soda fountain at Boone drug is a step back in time. Pulling up to a gas station where the only magazine they sell is "Tractor Times" is cool. Buying fresh watermelons and locally grown peaches off the side of the road was the best.
I think the memories that will stick with me the most are the steep winding roads...lots and lots of scary hairpin turns and loops with me hanging on for dear life. ;-)
The scenery was fantastic. There can't be a better place to just "wind down". More than anything, I love the friendliness of the south. Our "neighbors" were actually excited to take my 11 yo out to fish. Everyone was willing to talk and tell us the best places to see. I'd recommend the area a 1,000 times over.
Next year, we're thinking of heading to the beach....prolly NC again, but we'll likely break up the trip. That drive was just brutal. ;-) Anyway...will be bugging 'ya'all' for info on the NC coast before long....maybe I am a born southerner. LOL
Thanks again for all the help & advice!
Anyway, like I said, had a great week. The house was good - as much as I would have expected from an online rental. Clean, inside was very nice, outside needed some TLC. The house was down this crazy road which brought you 3,000 feet *down* a mountain (6.5 miles) to the house.
Let's see...what did we do...Blue Ridge Parkway (of course), Linville Gorge/Falls/Caverns, Elk River Falls (*great* swimming hole!), Grandfather mountain (spectacular), Blowing Rock (tourist ripoff), white water rafting on the Wautauga in TN (class I-III - fun stuff), Little Switzerland (what was that?), driving and re-driving Linn Cove Viadcut (awe-inspiring)...lot's of BBQ (super yummy), etc.
The bugs/snakes were a little creepy - I live in the "woods"but am not used to spiders as big as my hand, lizards running over my feet, and copperheads sunning on my steps. ;-)
It was a very peaceful, laid back place. We loved the locals we got to talk with -- so friendly -- so unlike New England. We were told we were "born southerners" (LOL), that most folks from the "Nawth" weren't as nice as we were. I'll take that as a compliment, even though you'd have to tie me down to get me to eat Okra. ;-) Had our share of adventure... hubby & my youngest "discovered" a nest of ground bees the first day there, hubby almost stepped on a Copperhead, we pulled a car off the side of our road with our tow rope --doesn't sound scary, but four more inches and he would have been skidding straight 2,000 feet down.
Had more than my fair share of crazy mountain switchback roads....1,000 feet up or down in less than a mile.
Spent a couple hours in the Mast General store in Valle Crucis...what a cool place. Fished for trout with the locals....that was cooler than cool.
In the end, we were glad to come home. The mountains are beautiful, but while more "vast", they really were not more beautiful than the mountains 2 hours from home. And there is so much more to do here within "reach". I think we are spoiled travelers....here we have the mountains 2 hours from us, and the beach less than an hour from us. What struck me was how much of a drive it was to do everything and anything. I guess that's part of the "quiet". But being the impatient New Englanders that we are, the long drives kinda wore on us. ;-) Seemed like it was 2 hours get anywhere.
Boone is a very cool (although very busy/trafficy) town. The old soda fountain at Boone drug is a step back in time. Pulling up to a gas station where the only magazine they sell is "Tractor Times" is cool. Buying fresh watermelons and locally grown peaches off the side of the road was the best.
I think the memories that will stick with me the most are the steep winding roads...lots and lots of scary hairpin turns and loops with me hanging on for dear life. ;-)
The scenery was fantastic. There can't be a better place to just "wind down". More than anything, I love the friendliness of the south. Our "neighbors" were actually excited to take my 11 yo out to fish. Everyone was willing to talk and tell us the best places to see. I'd recommend the area a 1,000 times over.
Next year, we're thinking of heading to the beach....prolly NC again, but we'll likely break up the trip. That drive was just brutal. ;-) Anyway...will be bugging 'ya'all' for info on the NC coast before long....maybe I am a born southerner. LOL
Thanks again for all the help & advice!
mps9506
Well-Known Member
Glad you guys had a great time. Funny you mention how everything seems so spread out. My boss who lives near upstate NY said the same thing every time he came down to hit accounts with me in NC/SC. He was used to 10-20 minute drives between accounts, I'd have an hour or two.
If you decide to go to the coast next year, I recommend trying to do it off season, I suspect you will enjoy it much more (I know it can be tough with kids in school). Outer Banks and Wimington/Wrightsville Beach get slammed from May-August. You will be dealing with lots of cars in small towns, always a frustrating combination.
If you like fishing coming down in early fall = great fishing, the water stays warm until around November so Kayaking, fishing etc are still options in Sept and October.
If summer is the only option check out the less crowded areas like Ocean Isle, Topsail Island, Emerald Isle and Beaufort. Ocean Isle is a short drive from North Myrtle Beach and not far from Wilmington, so plenty to do nearby.
BTW, the pictures are great!
If you decide to go to the coast next year, I recommend trying to do it off season, I suspect you will enjoy it much more (I know it can be tough with kids in school). Outer Banks and Wimington/Wrightsville Beach get slammed from May-August. You will be dealing with lots of cars in small towns, always a frustrating combination.
If you like fishing coming down in early fall = great fishing, the water stays warm until around November so Kayaking, fishing etc are still options in Sept and October.
If summer is the only option check out the less crowded areas like Ocean Isle, Topsail Island, Emerald Isle and Beaufort. Ocean Isle is a short drive from North Myrtle Beach and not far from Wilmington, so plenty to do nearby.
BTW, the pictures are great!
I'm glad you enjoyed your experience "Down Here". We TRY to treat everyone like family. It's a much different "way of life" that's for sure.
In all fairness you did stay in one of the MOST rural areas around LOL! With that being said we are WELL known for our less than straight roads. It's often said that the roads were laid out by painting a snails behind and letting it meander through the hills/mountains. If you look ahead far enough at night many times you can see your own tail-lights ahead of you it's so curvy LOL!
Yeah we do have a lot of "Critters" and they do live with us. It's common to have snakes and lizards on our door step and sunning in our drive-ways. As many know we have deer that live close to us and often travel within a mere 5 feet of our window.
The Coast of NC is AMAZING! One of my most memorable vacations EVER was to the Outer Banks of NC! We rented a house about 100 yards from where the main highway just simply ends and turns to sand. We stayed in "Corolia/Duck" and it was awesome. Very low-key and relaxing. That end of the state is more Mike's specialty so he's the "Go to guy" for that stuff
Glad you're back and all are safe & sound!
In all fairness you did stay in one of the MOST rural areas around LOL! With that being said we are WELL known for our less than straight roads. It's often said that the roads were laid out by painting a snails behind and letting it meander through the hills/mountains. If you look ahead far enough at night many times you can see your own tail-lights ahead of you it's so curvy LOL!
Yeah we do have a lot of "Critters" and they do live with us. It's common to have snakes and lizards on our door step and sunning in our drive-ways. As many know we have deer that live close to us and often travel within a mere 5 feet of our window.
The Coast of NC is AMAZING! One of my most memorable vacations EVER was to the Outer Banks of NC! We rented a house about 100 yards from where the main highway just simply ends and turns to sand. We stayed in "Corolia/Duck" and it was awesome. Very low-key and relaxing. That end of the state is more Mike's specialty so he's the "Go to guy" for that stuff
Glad you're back and all are safe & sound!