One Tank Trips: Things to see and do in Blowing Rock and Boone

BOONE, N.C. — Your704 is hitting the road on short trips from Charlotte that you can make on one tank of gas.

Here are a few spots we checked out in Blowing Rock and Boone:

When you’re in the Blue Ridge Mountains, no visit would be complete without stopping somewhere along the parkway.

We checked out Moses Cone Memorial Park at Milepost 294 in Blowing Rock.

Built at the turn of the 20th century, the country estate features two manmade lakes, apple orchards and 25 miles of carriage road that are great for hiking and horseback riding, according to the Blue Ridge Parkway Association. The historic Flat Top Manor is open for tours from mid-April through mid-November. There’s a gift shop inside the manor as well. Click here for more information.

Other points of interest in the area include The Blowing Rock, a cliff that sits 4,000 feet above sea level, and as legend says is where mysterious winds sweep “with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void.”

Two of the area’s most popular attractions are the Wild West theme park, Tweetsie Railroad, and its neighbor High Gravity Adventures.

A quick drive from Blowing Rock is Boone, which is home to Appalachian State University.

On campus, we visited the Turchin Center for Visual Arts, which is free and open to the public.

Elle Green, the director of visitors services, says the focus is on bringing contemporary art from outside the region.

“This is really a space that connects the community and the university community together to kind of broaden our knowledge of what’s out there art-wise,” Green said.

The next stop was for a homecooked lunch at Dan’l Boone Inn.

Owner Jeff Shellman says the restaurant opened in 1959 and is celebrating its 64th year. But before it was a restaurant, it was Boone’s first hospital.

“We say it’s kind of like eating at your grandmother’s house,” Shellman said of the family-style meals they serve.

A great place to take a stroll is the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. The gardens are open daily during daylight hours, weather permitting, and are home to more than 200 species of plant varieties.

A visit to Boone isn’t complete without checking out King Street, where you’ll find lots of shopping and dining options, including Mast General Store, Lost Province Brewing Company, and the Horton Hotel Rooftop Lounge.

A short drive from downtown Boone is the family-owned Grandfather Vineyard & Winery in Banner Elk, where you’ll find a broad variety of options, including non-alcoholic drinks.

The winery is family-friendly and dog-friendly.

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