Beautiful hike on a cool autumn afternoon. Be sure to give yourself enough time. I started the hike…read moreabout 3 hours before sundown. I had to really move to get to the falls and back. It's 4 miles roundtrip, but you are crossing stream, climbing some rocks and it is a very uneven trail with plenty of rocks and tree roots. If you get the chance, read the Barbara Kingslover book Demon Copperhead first. It is set in the area and features the Bathtub.

I was so excited for this hike but was mildly disappointed. I went after a lot of rain so the pools…read more(there are two) were hard to make out. The water was beautiful to behold and very cold, but outside of how clear the water was it was very, average. The only thing that made this hike fun for me personally was crossing all the streams. Not a hard hike by any means but the streams do make it moderate. I would recommend going in a dryer season so you can actually see the bathtub!!! It was completely flooded/covered. Also if your dog does not LOVE water, DO NOT take him/her. Still very doable with a hydrophobic dog (mine)... p.s. the path is VERY ROCKY.

Have you ever experienced that kinda eerie, but very delightful feeling that comes of unexpectedly…read morefinding a something relevant to your personal special interests in a seemingly unlikely place? The first time I caught sight of this fountain, located in the plaza between the Barter Theatre and Barter Stage II, I thought: cool--it's a hulking, partying depiction of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in fountain form. Moving in for a closer look, I began to get that feeling like something was off about the sculpture, but in a good way. The figures depicted, the way their forms are rendered, seemed uncannily familiar. Then I got the memo: "designed and sculpted by Charles Vess and David Spence". I'm not sure who David Spence is [hastily googles his name, confims he's a sculptor], but if you're into Fantasy and comics/graphic novels the name Charles Vess might ring a bell. He is an artist famous for illustrating many works, perhaps most notably Neil Gaiman's Stardust a few issues of The Sandman, Sandman #19 ("A Midsummer Night's Dream") being particularly relevant to my revelation. Standing up close to this giant fountain was almost like finding myself within a footstep's distance of Vess' illustrations and Morpheus' world of Dreams. In a word, this monolithic piece of art, done up in bronze and water like a vision of high Summer for all seasons, is, as I've already stated, cool. Very cool. Do be sure to take a moment to let the enchantment set in whether you're in between acts or just waltzing by.

Welcome Home to the Pound is a massive and well down expressway mural located in Pound Virginia…read more My buddy and I was on a few day road trip when we passed this massive mural and had to stop to take it in. I may have let my adventurous side take over too much as I climbed up the side for a photo op. Overall a very cool mural and a fun memory for our small road trip through the area.

My buddy and I stopped in here and took some photos. It's on the side of the expressway. We had to…read morepull over and get in the grass and go take some photos and get creative.

Me and my wife recently stopped here while we were going to Johnson City. This place was great to…read morecheck out mainly because there was absolutely no people when you got to the top of the Scenic Overlook following the drive. The restrooms were not working since it is out of season but not a big deal. The parking lot takes you right to the Scenic Overlook you just have to walk about a quarter mile give or take. They even have a state line identifier where you're basically walking in between the border of Kentucky and Virginia which I thought was pretty cool. I see that this place is also dog friendly too. Great place for a photo opportunity and to capture a magnificent site. The drive up actually isn't too bad.

Amazing views! On a clear day, you can see Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. There's restrooms and…read morea map at the end of the parking lot, and you can continue the hike to old Fort Lyon to see the earth mounds that were constructed as part of the fortifications. Don't climb on them though since that causes erosion and destroys them. The area is paved and is ADA accessible. It is very popular with families. Do note that the road is windy with lots of hairpin turns. The road is closed to vehicles 20 feet or longer in length. It's paved all the way so don't worry about needing a tall vehicle. You can apparently schedule a shuttle to the top if you don't want to drive as well from the visitor center, but I didn't see it running when I visited.

We traveled here to visit friends and to explore the beautiful area that surrounds this town. This…read moreis a beautifully maintained town that incorporates an abundance of amazing landscaped homes and public areas. We had an opportunity to walk the downtown area exploring the shops and dined at one of its many wonderful restaurants with friends. Whether you travel in or out of the area via Routes 321 or 421 brace yourself to experience some extreme grades being this is truly a mountain town. I think most of the trip down the mountain in our Motorhome was in low gear with the jake brake engaged. We had a wonderful visit here and although we knew this trip here would be amazing it exceeded our expectations in every way, if you are traveling anywhere close to Blowing Rock it's definitely worth spending some time here...

This place is awesome-- good for the soul to walk around mountain roads and beautiful parks…read more It feels like a small ,4 street or so place with lots of park green spaces, hilly roads, boutiques, and eats of all sorts. I was luckily able to hike most of the streets of the exclusive Mayfield Park neighborhood---all on top of a glorious hill. I sweated my way through various hill streets with exclusive views. Both Westglow resort and spa AND Chetola Resort and spa are in town ( former more private and up a hill) and a refuge for those who crave privacy. Lots and lots of inns and cutesy hotels. A quite small Tanger outlet is also in town. Savings galore for myself at Banana Republic! Lake, waterfall, trails all accessible within the town center. Boone City is but :10 north on the 321. An easy drive a bit more up the mountain. It's the anniversary of my mother's passing. Just want to spend time with God, and her spirit

Jackpot! Crafters, junkers, painters, artists galore! This shared space is a wonderful venue where…read moreyou can shop for all things locally made. The area's hard working makers put their best and brightest on display and there is so much good quality stuff to choose from. And so creative! Let's see...we've got: lotions, jewelry, home decor, hand-stitched bags, wood shelves, baby clothes, calligraphy cards, candles, and on and on and on. So many gift ideas all reppin' East Tennessee.

I got the gnocchi and I thought it was pretty good. My boyfriend got the chicken Parmesan and…read morethought it was delicious I just thought it was OK. They rave about their famous Kaseya bread, it was OK. The boy gobbled down his pasta and meatball

The food is very good. Sunday gravy with Italian sausage and meatballs is amazing. Daily bread is…read moregreat but having to pay extra for 2 tablespoons of olive oil is ridiculous. Great food but you are going to pay dearly for it. Service has always been good and pleasant. Small and few tables but that's not a bad thing.

My friend and I took a little road trip to La Cucina after a friend recommended it for the…read moredelicious food. Overall, the experience was just okay -- not bad, but not something I'd drive out of the way for again. If I lived closer, I'd definitely give it another try. We started with sweet tea and bread. The bread with dipping sauce was tasty and a nice start. I ordered the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and my friend had the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Unfortunately, both entrées were pretty bland. My chicken lacked flavor, and I ended up leaving most of it along with half the noodles. My friend only ate one meatball and passed on the rest. The highlight of the entire meal was the Crème Brûlée -- absolutely amazing! If you go, I highly recommend ordering dessert and maybe trying a different entrée than we did. A friend had suggested the lasagna, and I wish I had taken that advice. The restaurant itself is in a beautiful country setting, and the interior feels warm and inviting. With a few tweaks to the entrées, I think this place could really shine.

I do not have enough wonderful things to say!!! It was perfection! Food, service, ambiance - all…read morejust wonderful! So worth the beautiful drive!!! I don't usually give five stars but La Cucina gets it!!!

Bet you didn't know that Tennessee was once a major producer of freshwater pearls. And much of that…read morerich history lies right here in the city of Clinton right off the Clinch river. Take a second to look up the deets about southern Appalachian rivers and tributaries that brought Joseph Gossett, pearling, and eventually: the Norris Dam. Cool stuff. If you are visiting Clinton, come to this historical marker (and do something else besides antiquing). Have a picnic, take a stroll, hang out a bit. Appreciate. If you are looking for another reason to check out this place just ask the local Hoskins store. Because this spot is also the Hoskins-Lane Market Place Park. Owned by the Hoskins and given to the City. Yep, your little kiddos are playing hide and seek and going to the summer festival atop another layer of cool history. Well to learn more about all that, you'll have to get a milkshake at the still buzzing 85+ year old Hoskins drug store just down on Main street.

We spent part of the day exploring the town of Beech Mountain known as Eastern America's Highest…read moreTown it was a drive filled with switch-backs and very steep grades I can't image making this drive in the middle of the winter, but then again I noticed a couple of businesses advertising tire chain installations. There are a number of ski resorts located here we were hoping to get a scenic ride across a few ski lifts but just missed out by a few days as they were transitioning to late fall and early winter ski season. There's an abundance of wildlife roaming around as you make the drive up the mountain as well as along the road in the downtown area we saw lots of deer grazing on the side of the road and noticed a number of city workers distributing bales of hay in a variety of location around town. It seems everyone here is gearing up for ski season this appears to be the biggest impact on the local economy with lots of vacation rentals and ski shops. There are some great outlooks along the highway offering some gorgeous views, views that picture can't do justice. This is an area you definitely want to explore if you're anywhere close by and definitely a place I'd visit again when returning to this part of the state...

A really fun place to visit!! We loved the trails and creeks…read more Some tips: The roads are very twisty and there are a lot of deer. Drive carefully. The restaurants we visited were NOT well ran. The food wasn't bad but service wasn't great. They don't always have enough staff, are slow, and because there's not a lot of options they get away with it. Just go in with mountain town expectations (slow and limited options) and you'll be fine. The rec center is awesome be sure to check it out!