Gorgeous views! Wonderful hiking…read more We fished at Trout Lake and enjoyed the 1/2 mile hike from the parking lot to the dam. Next time we'll go all the way around. About 1 mile total.

This pull-off from the Blue Ridge Parkway is not far from Boone. It is apparently an abandoned…read moreestate that was once an apple orchard. Signage indicates that lead and arsenic were used as pesticides in the area so staying out of the soil is advised. Still, there is plenty to do, with the estate's house offering a collection of local art and a view of the valley, and numerous trails for both humans and horses. The lake at the bottom was nothing special, but it's all about the journey. Notably, the amount of tree coverage on the trails was high, making them a viable option on a hot day.

The Lincoln Theatre was opened in 1929 and its history is quite fascinating. My friends live in…read moreMarion and wanted me to see the local offerings. We went into the theater shop midday and they asked the lovely woman running the theater if we could have a tour? She was in the middle of getting ready for that night's Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in true sweet Southern hospitality, cheerfully let us in so we could look around and she could talk to us about the establishment. The theatre was lovingly restored in the 1980s by locals who turned it into a nonprofit. PBS broadcasts its Song of the Mountains show here monthly. The woman we spoke to was working on grants to bring in movies and other performances to the theater. It would be a great venue for all of the above. As I had an early flight home the next day, we didn't come back to see the show, but I truly believe this is a gem to be checked out in Marion.

Perfect venue in a small town, have seen great entertainment here! All seating has great views,…read moreprices are reasonable

We traveled to Blowing Rock, NC to visit friends and to explore the area - what I didn't know is…read morethat our friends live only a few hundred yards from this beautiful marvel in a cliff side home over-looking the beautiful valley below. The Blowing Rock itself is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea-level overhanging John's River Gorge 3,000 feet below. I've read the legends of this rock and my friends have told me during the winter storms the snow blows upward from the cliffs and from their back porch the snow rises from the valley and appears to fall upward. The air currents that flow upward prompted scientists to surmise this location is "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down". I climbed up the blowing rock that protrudes over the valley to get the best view possible and felt the breeze rising upward, it was pretty cool while a little unnerving at the same time, I admit it was a crawl to the very edge and not a place I felt comfortable standing it's very steep and treacherous in my opinion. The entire facility is well maintained and the staff here was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a snack bar with outdoor tables and a nice gift shop. On the day we arrived there were several artists with their canvases painting the blowing rock and backdrop. There's plenty of parking and as beautiful as it is I think allowing less than an hour here is more than enough time to see it all and explore the observation platform and hiking trails...

I went here for the penny, I have to admit but I'm glad that I did. The views are stunning from the…read moreobservation area. It was beyond foggy the day we went, they warned us before we paid but I wanted to press on. The gift shop is nice and has literally something for everyone. The properly has 3 kitties roaming around. The rock itself is sorta a gimmick but the story behind it is full of culture and myth. The property is VERY well maintained and beautiful. There is a small cafe/snack shop halfway to the observation tower. There are some stars but also a ramp. There is a view finder for a few quarters on the deck you can make use of. The paths are short and this place is pretty accessible. I really liked the gem room too it was very interesting, there is also a tiny museum with some history and artifacts. Blowing rock is pet friendly!!

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

Had great time at this cavern. We were greeted warmly by the staff.. walk inside building and…read moredecent sized gift shop with lots of gemstones and different things to see. We were only ones there at time and we had great conversations with staff before we started our journey into cave. I think we paid 13-15 a person fairly cheap for cave. So our guide took us thru a door down a ramp and into the start of cave tour. Even saw a salamander under some of rocks at start of cave. Lots of walkways and formations to see.. lot of history too. On way back our guide have us each a flashlight and let us see cave our way with lights off. It was so cool! There is different types of tours where you can crawl thru holes in caves and thru water but I just wanted easy walking tour lol.. definitely a must see.. glad we came!

Don't let the name fool you. It's not really a swinging bridge - but it does creak. And those…read moresounds are a bit alarming as you're hiking up Grandfather Mountain. Admission to the mountain is $25/person. And it's highly recommended you pre-pay online, especially during tourist season when spots fill up. To get to Mile High Swinging Bridge, you pay the admission and can park in the various areas. The top of the mountain does have a parking lot, a gift shop, and restrooms; but the top parking lot fills up. So we parked farther down and did the 20-30 minute hike up. Take a lot of pics during your nervous walk across the bridge. Great views as you're 5,280 feet above sea level. Also, do not wear flip flops! I see a lot of people, even little kids, running around the top of the mountain with flip flops. What in the world?!

So totally worth it. The town is wonderful. We enjoyed just the approach to the mountain…read more Grandfather Mountain is very cool with a legendary history. The swinging bridge was just another jewel in their crown of glory. I totally recommend it for young and Old the Vista points are stupendous. And there's a really wonderful video to watch and a nature center, and even some animals to catch up with.

Great experience. The tubing was fantastic. The staff was very friendly! Definitely recommend!read more

Great people. Nice lazy river. Tubes all needed air. Nice facilities, but it is a drive through the…read moremountains to get there.

For fans of The Hunger Games films, this is a must-see!…read more We stopped in on a beautiful spring day. We were given an informative tour by Donavan, who was hilarious and full of knowledge. After the tour, we were free to explore the 78 acres. It's a beautiful place and we had a great time looking at the mill homes and the surrounding terrain. They also offer a military discount which is always appreciated! Great place!

Excellent self guided tour, was very cool to see........however.......there are NO SIGNS stating…read moreit's "more of a museum" and that you have to pay to walk thru. That being said the guy that runs the place was very rude to me and my elderly mother!

Amazing tour!!! Wonderful history! I highly recommend coming here to learn THE TRUTH!read more

Extremely interesting and educational exhibit in Valdese! My family has a distant connection to…read morethe Waldensian faith, so we took a field trip to the Trail of Faith to learn more about it. The staff was very sweet and helpful. The layout of the trail is interactive and engaging. They have an amphitheater for their outdoor drama which shows in August. There is Christmas light display, but we have yet to see it. Every time we drive over to drive through, it's been closed!

Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced

Despite the colder than expected weather and the wind, my wife and I had a great time exploring…read moreGrandfather Mountain. The park is so nicely maintained, well mark, and cleared hiking trails for all skill levels. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is an amazing add on with so much fun, and educational info for all ages. The Wilson center also has a cafe, offering reasonably priced "ball park" cuisine, well maintained bathrooms and a souvenir shop. Next to the Wilson Center is the Mildred The Bear Environmental Habitats where you can get up close and learn about some of the species that call this area home. Consider it a miniature zoo with habitats for some animals needing rehab. We were able to see some bears, bald eagles, river otters, and elk, OH MY! Each area had signs posted for ranger talks, which we caught for the river otters. They tell you about the animals, and and answer any questions people have. After exploring the Wilson Center and habitats, we continued our trek up on the mountain to the swing bridge, and that's when the wind really kicked in...with wind gusts, the temp dropped quickly, with a wind chill of -9degrees, but we trudged on, and made the most of it. In the end, we had a great time, and look forward to returning to explore more of the trails. Based on other reviews, some may feel that the $35 ticket price per person may be a bit much at the main entry, but it's a small cost of maintaining such an amazing resource. If you enjoy being outside, hiking, and exploring, this is a must visit NC destination

Nice park and mountain, but $37 PER PERSON? With NO…read moresignage/pricing posted anywhere ... yikes I could understand for something like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but just a state park ...tough pill to swallow especially when it's not posted anywhere. I was planning to hike with some friends and we were going to start at one of the other lots but the roads were closed leaving us no choice but to enter the park. I really just wish the pricing/fees were posted somewhere-anywhere- because they weren't online or on the park signs out front. Had to pull up to the gate/window and even then the park ranger seemed to want to withhold that information as long as possible. The actual park is beautiful and well maintained- and you do get an audio guide plus map upon entry. But the lack of transparency here is a hard no for me. @azfitfoodfun