Monday, October 9, 2017

North Carolina Mountain Getaway

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

Happy Monday! This past weekend, we took a break from reality and escaped to the North Carolina mountains for a quick getaway! We stayed in Sapphire, North Carolina, a small community in Transylvania County. We had never been to this area before but we love hiking, waterfalls, and the changing of leaves so my search for the perfect fall fun destination led me here. Our adventures were focused in Sapphire, Cashiers, and Highlands, North Carolina. All of these towns are high up the mountain so cell reception isn't great. I knew we wanted to see the local waterfalls while we were there but I didn't plan ahead for where to eat or where exactly to go. If you are adventuring to this part of the state, I would highly recommend making a list, including addresses, of where you would like to go while you are there before you go, just in case you can't do an internet search. We also experienced some rain while we were there so our adventures that we planned for Sunday had to be canceled. Apparently this area gets tons of rain!

In today's post, I'm sharing where we stayed, what we did, and where we ate. This was such a great getaway for a family with children but it would also be perfect for romantic trip for two!

Where We Stayed...

I discovered Brook Trout Inn on Expedia, the travel site I typically use to book all of our travel accommodations. It looked great online but it was even better in person. The staff was incredible! I have honestly never had better customer service at hotel/motel/inn before and we have stayed in a lot of places! We stayed in a standard room with two queen beds, which was perfect for our family of four. The room was super spacious, it had a full kitchen, large TV, couch, comfortable beds, a newly renovated bathroom, and the softest towels I have ever used. There's a fire pit on site and they provide materials to help you start a fire. My favorite part of the Brook Trout Inn was the breakfast experience. They keep a kitchen fully stocked with every breakfast item you can think of to prepare you own meal. You can eat in a gorgeous common room that included a large fireplace. The price was very affordable, especially considering all of the wonderful amenities. I would highly recommend the Brook Trout Inn and we plan to stay here again!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

What We Did...

This farmers market was filled with tons of fresh produce, baked goods flowers, pumpkins, and so much more! It was so cute!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

We didn't have time to take the hike (but plan to on our next visit) but we did stop roadside to take in the absolutely breathtaking views. 

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

Our first hike was to the Whitewater Falls. This was a short half mile hike to an observation deck to see the most incredible view of the Whitewater Falls. I don't know what it is about waterfalls but I find them absolutely beautiful and so peaceful. This easy hike is great for families with children of any age. For our next adventure, we went to Gorges State Park. The sign when we got to the beginning of Rainbow Falls (and Turtleback Falls) said that the trail was strenuous and approximately 3 miles round trip. My girls have hiked quite a few trails with us but we always end up carrying our youngest. Julianna (7) hiked this entire trail to the waterfalls and back. Olivia (5) hiked about 20% of the time but rode on my husband's shoulders the rest of the time. I would say this hike is pretty strenuous physically but the terrain wasn't too rough. If you live a pretty active lifestyle, I would recommend this hike for sure. The view when you got to Rainbow Falls was worth it all! 

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

We were recommended a restaurant to eat at in Highlands so after we ate we explored the adorable downtown area. This charming area reminded me so much of downtown Blowing Rock, which is one of my very favorite places to visit. I actually loved Highlands even more than Blowing Rock because there's even more to see and there's also more parking available. The only downside was that a lot of the shops were closed when we were there around 6pm on a Saturday evening. Overall, this area is a must see while you are visiting!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

What We Ate...

We ate here on our first night of our trip and I honestly wanted to go back the second night. It was delicious! The menu included so many delicious items including pizza, salads, calzones, and more. We had the Duke Pizza and a House Salad. The food and atmosphere were perfect!

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north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

We love discovered new breweries and we loved this spot. They didn't have any of their own beer on tap due to some construction but we did love the beer we tried there from other breweries. This place was dog and kid friendly plus there was indoor and outdoor seating. I also loved the cute flower arrangements on the outdoor tables!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

This restaurant was recommended by a friend on Instagram and it was definitely a hit! We got the loaded tator tots and they were amazing. They were also super filling so we had a hard time finishing our entrees! I would definitely recommended trying and just getting a salad for your meal. You will be full! We tried the Salmon BLT and the Rise N Shine Burger. Such delicious food and a fun atmosphere!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

If you haven't tried Kilwin's, you must! I have been to one in Charleston and Blowing Rock. This shop is filled with the most delicious treats including coffee, ice cream, candy, fudge, and so much more. I had way too much at dinner so I didn't get anything but my I get steal a little bit of my daughters' delicious ice cream! The girls gave it two thumbs up!

north carolina mountains getaway, where to visit in the nc mountain, travel nc, north carolina blogger

I can't wait to go back to this area soon. We had the best weekend there!
Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great day!

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8 comments:

  1. This looks like the perfect weekend getaway!

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  2. Aww you guys are the cutest!!! :) Looks like tons of fun! I love little getaways like these.

    Katie | http://www.meshkomoments.com

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  3. Your photos are gorgeous! This sounds like a wonderful time!

    Linda
    http://lindatenchitran.com/2017/10/09/pink-off-shoulder-top/

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  4. so much fun! So pretty! That menu was huge!! So many options!
    Delayna
    www.delaynadenaye.com

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  5. This place is so cute! I love your family picture - adorbs :)

    -xo, Azanique | www.lotsofsass.com

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  6. wow! looks like a great weekend! the pics exudes the fun and exciting things that happened on this trip!

    Courtney Bentley || http://www.starsystemz.com

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  7. thanks for sharing girl! I hope ya'll had an amazing trip! love all the photos! http://www.tourinstylebyrizelle.com/blazer-perfect-cool-girl/

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  8. Those waterfall pictures are something else! So beautiful and looks so peaceful <3

    xo, Ilse
    www.livelearnluxeit.com

    ReplyDelete