North Carolina Mountains - Beautiful Vistas & Great Retreats!

[scifan57]

Seven Devils, North Carolina - Mountain Rental - July 2022

In our hometown the temps have been in the 90º F range with high humidity - need to get back to the mountains - our second visit to Seven Devils and a different rental house. Map below shows the location relative to Sugar and Grandfather Mountains and the town of Banner Elk. Next 4 pics off the web of our rental house (3 BRs + loft w/ bunk beds for kids), front and back views and a multi-level deck w/ Sugar Mountain in the distance. Our altitude is 4,782 ft (screen capture from my iPhone app) - nice and cool! Final two pics my own from the top deck w/ the fog rolling in - now at 8:30 PM, the mountains have disappeared. We have some nice meals planned in Banner Elk - 4 nights - may go up Grandfather Mountain (has been a while and the museum has been doubled in size). Dave

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I’m sure it will be a wonderful vacation.

 

[giradman]

Beautiful morning our first full day in Seven Devils - at 8AM, we were completely fogged in but by 10AM the sun cleared the fog and I took several more pics (first two below) - on the panoramic view the circled area is the Sugar Top Resort and the Sugar Mountain ski slopes (last pic).

The Sugar Top Resort (several pics below) opened in 1983 on the ridge of one of the highest mountains in the area and was immediately controversial for 'destroying' the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountain contour - almost immediately the NC law makers passed the 'Ridge Law' prohibiting construction of any large ridge development. More recent problems have arisen - see recent article HERE - will the 'high-rise condo' building be demolished in the near future? Well, my vote is in favor - Dave
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[scifan57]

Thanks for the wonderful post and photos. All too often developers of these controversial developments consider only the view from the development and not how the view is affected for outsiders looking in.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for the wonderful post and photos. All too often developers of these controversial developments consider only the view from the development and not how the view is affected for outsiders looking in.

BTW, the web pics of the Sugar Top Resort were both taken from a spot that put Grandfather Mountain in the background - from our deck Grandfather Mountain is left (first pic just taken - looks cloudy at the top so may wait for a clearer day) - and another pic of the resort and Sugar Mtn ski slopes - the 'digital zoom' of my iPhone XR (only a single lens) is a little fuzzy - need to upgrade to an iPhone w/ at least two lenses. Dave
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[giradman]

Banner Elk Winery

In the early afternoon, the clouds became to clear over Grandfather Mountain and I took some spectacular views (first two pics below) - then a short afternoon activity, i.e. a repeat visit to the Banner Elk Winery, one of the highest North Carolina Wineries with the tasting room about 4000 ft (by my iPhone app - pic below); the winery offers whites and reds and also a number of sangrias, Susan's favorite has been the peach-mango (with other ingredients) - I had a small flight of their wines and she a nice glass of the sangria (too sweet for me); we enjoyed these drinks outside where she is enjoying the fine weather (in the 70sº F).

North Carolina has about 185 wineries from coast to mountains (more HERE, if interested). Pre-COVID, we probably did 3-4 half day vinous trips a year, either from our home town or on trips especially to the mountains, but have probably visited just a handful since early 2020 - not sure how they are doing? For many of the smaller wineries, much of their business is based on visitors buying at the tasting rooms, i.e. no store or restaurant distribution; combined I probably use to spend $400-500/year on our visits, now down to zero. But there were nearly two dozen people at the Banner Elk winery today, so hopefully many are surviving. Dave

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[giradman]

Food - Part 1 - First Two Nights!

In most of my travelogues, I mention restaurants that we have tried, mainly for those reading the threads who might be visiting the areas. So, for our first two nights in downtown Banner Elk in a building complex w/ multiple restaurants, we ate at the Bayou Smokehouse & Grill the first night - shared a bowl of spicy shrimp gumbo; Susan had the Shrimp Creole and for me the Crawfish Etouffee (menu below must be an old one, i.e. the seafoods are reversed) - also had local draft beers from Boone, North Carolina (Appalachian Mountain Brewery). Four pics below w/ the entree menu - a good meal of Cajun food (but not the best I've had - been to New Orleans nearly a dozen times).

Second night, Sorrentos Italian Bistro - we skipped the appetizers and just had main courses; Susan the Shrimp Francese (a favorite) and I the Veal Piccata - we were both quite happy with the entrees; drinks - cocktail for her and Italian Pinot Grigio for me. For dessert, a wonderful tiramisu w/ a LOT of coffee flavor (my preference) - highly recommended. Dave

P.S. the pizzas looked great at Sorrentos!
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[giradman]

Grandfather Mountain State Park - Part 1

For many years, Grandfather Mountain was privately owned and a local attraction - but was opened as a NC State Park in 2011 (see brief summary below and check link for much more). Attractions are numerous and include the Mile High Swinging Bridge, Animal Habitat, Wilson Center (nature museum, gift shop, cafeteria, etc.), and numerous trails of varied difficulty, plus picnic areas.

Nearly all pics are my own from today at the Mile High Bridge (Susan about to cross) - ideal day, i.e. partly cloudy and temperature about 72º F - regular and panoramic views below (cropped and resized from my iPhone XR) - a scene from the movie Forrest Gump was filmed on one of the hairpin curves of the climb to the top and hence acquired the name. After our trip to the bridge, we descended to the Wilson Center and the Animal Habitat - next post. Dave

Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet (1,812 m), it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of the mountain and also passes over the nearby Grandmother Gap. (Source)

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[giradman]

Grandfather Mountain State Park - Part 2

Next stop was the Wilson Center and Animal Habitat - the Nature Museum, mainly about North Carolina flora and fauna has been expanded and remodeled - just some select pics below (first five) from the exhibits - tree dendrochronology is always fascinating to me.

The remaining pics again selective from the Animal Habitat, which have nature areas for black bear, river otters, cougars, bald eagles, and elk (a magnificent one below) - Susan and I order our red meat online and usually purchase bison filet mignons and elk tenderloins, the latter is her favorite - both are lean and medium rare is best - the nutritional data is similar if not healthier than chicken - SO, if you like red wine but want to avoid fatty beef, then a great alternative - Dave
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[giradman]

Food - Part 2 -Last Two Nights!

Last night, we ate at the Chef's Table which is located above Sorrento's combining a mixture of cuisines (see first pic below) - Susan had the special appetizer, i.e. a soft shelled crab w/ a squid salad, which was just delicious; I had the house salad described below w/ fresh arugula (likely just picked that day). For her main course another special for the night, roasted duck confit - she was happy! I went with 3 sushi items, tuna tartare, shrimp tempura roll, and California roll w/ real crab. For beverages, sparkling wine cocktail for her x 2, and two different wines for me (California sauvignon blanc to start and then a glass of Oregon chardonnay). The dessert menu included flambé dishes made table side (crepes, cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, etc.), some of our favorites from the past (and several that I use to make at home), BUT we were filled and declined -

Tonight, we dined at the Artisanal, considered the best (and most expensive) restaurant in Banner Elk - so we splurged for our 52nd wedding anniversary which was 2 nights ago. The restaurant is beautiful, looking like a 'barn' from the outside and inside timber-framed construction. The menu is a 3-course prix fixe offering only w/ just over a half dozen choices for the first two courses (see bottom pics) and a similar number for the second course. Susan started w/ the 'Lobster in Phyllo with Shiitakes & Truffles' and I the 'Yellowfin Tuna Tartare'; for our second courses, she had the 'Grilled Lamb Tenderloin' and I the 'Sea Bass w/ Lobster Tortellini'. Beverages were a sparkling wine for the lady and I started w/ a glass of Gruner Veltliner (a favorite Austrian grape that Johanna likely knows?) and then Mantanzas chardonnay. Dessert was the third course: Coconut Panna Cotta and white peach sorbet, shared w/ decaf cappuccinos. These were our favorite dinners here and glad we saved them for the last nights. Dave

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[giradman]

Our Departure Day

As I was taking the garbage to the basement shed bin, and came back up the deck stairs, the sky was nearly cloudless and the usual distant mistiness was gone - took my last 3 pics below, probably the best over the last 4 days of vista views. We're be back - the restaurants were so good! Dave
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[scifan57]

The views are so much better without any haze.

 

[giradman]

The views are so much better without any haze.

Yes, having been in these mountains so many times over the decades, haze is always a distraction in photos, BUT yesterday morning when leaving, the views were spectacular - may make an 8" x 10'" of that Grandfather Mountain pic and framed it? Dave

 

[giradman]

New Blowing Rock - Chetola Condo Trip - September 2022

Well, we needed to 'escape' our house - so back to our favorite close NC mountain get-away - Blowing Rock and a condo at the Chetola Resort - this time a second level rental w/ a loft bedroom - Susan at the kitchen table on her Mini, as usual. Pic of the stairs to the loft which will be my BR. Nice deck w/ pond views (and looks like the leaves are beginning to turn color) - only here 3 nights and will probably just relax - walk around Bass Lake again (previous pages in this thread shown plenty of my pics, if interested). Tonight, dinner at Twiggs Restaurant, described a page or so back. Dave

 

[giradman]

Traditional Bass Lake Walk - just a couple of pics below - on one the Moses Cone Mansion is seen on the top middle - for those interested, please scroll back through the pages for more pics of the lake and mansion, and also a lot of information on the history of both. Dave

P.S. the flat gravel path around the lake is just under a mile for those nearby and wanting to visit.

 

[giradman]

BRAHM (Blowing Rock Art & History Museum) - Part 1

Well, a visit to the BRAHM is always on our agenda - four new exhibits: 1) Uncommon Volumes: Sculptural; 2) Coast to Coast: Across American Impressionism; 3) Fragmentary Dimensions: Painting & Sculpture from Chenoweth-Halligan Studios; and 4) Jagged Path: The African Diaspora in Western North Carolina in Craft, Music, & Dance. The first three exhibits are illustrated in this Part 1 post; explanatory panels explain each one and one or more pics are shown. Dave