Our trip to Banner Elk, North Carolina was the PERFECT escape from our COVID reality. We ended up flying which was a little nerve-wracking, however I never felt unsafe. We constantly sanitized little guy's hands and did our best from letting him touch everything in the airport. Candy was the best bribery!! It was a challenge for sure, but we made it through without any big hang ups. It was super fun to watch his amazement at everything new.
A MUST do when in the Banner Elk area is blueberry picking. We picked gallons of berries for under $10. It was incredible. We ate blueberry pancakes, blueberry lemon bars, topped our cheesecake with berries, and STILL came home with jars of blueberry jam. It was unreal. And blueberries fresh off of the bush are so much tastier, even for a kid who doesn't normally enjoy fruit :)
When in the mountains: hike, hike, hike.
Our favorite stops were Elk River Falls/Big Falls and Rough Ridge off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Big Falls is only a .6 mile round trip hike for gorgeous views. Highly recommend this easy hike. Rough Ridge has sweeping views, however as you can tell from our pictures we had a bit of fog roll in during our hike. Anything off of the Blue Ridge Parkway is stunning. Honestly, just driving down that highway for a little road trip is gorgeous. Personally, if you aren't looking for a difficult/medium hike I would avoid our last venture at Glen Burney Falls. A lot longer walk, steep inclines and declines, and the first water fall was a tad disappointing.
One thing I wish we had more time for was exploring the cute little mountain towns. I fell in love with Blowing Rock, NC. So much character and there were so many restaurants I wanted to try. Next time :)
We made the winding hour-long drive to Lake Watauga Lake for a day. I sat on that boat ALL DAY in awe of this pristinely clear lake in the middle of the mountains. Pictures don't do it justice. It is in the mountains, so don't be surprised if you get the occasional rain/downpour.
I didn't take many photos of Banner Elk, but the town itself had a few gems as well. I loved the Tavern, they had great coffee and muffins for breakfast. There is a short trail through town. I've decided its pretty much the only flat place to walk in the entire state. We also enjoyed the local ice cream place, BE Scooped. It's in a cute ally and is lit up at night.
We made so many great memories with family! My sister happened to live in Banner Elk and we stayed in a cabin in the woods straight out of a magazine with Drew's whole family (see below - and check out the views from the deck!). While it was exhausting traveling with a 1 year old, it gave me a new perspective on seeing the world.
XOXO,
Em