(Side note: I am kind of in love with The Honest Company’s diaper designs. I call the above diapers Chase’s “Halloween diapers.” Way too cute!)
Well, our vacation is finally here and late this afternoon, we’ll be embarking on the 2.5 hour drive to Boone, North Carolina!
Saturday
Chase had us up bright dark and early on Saturday morning (thank you for the 5:30 a.m. wake up, mister), so I had some time to compile your Boone/Banner Elk/Blowing Rock recommendations into a Word document while Chase played on his activity mat. You guys always have the best recommendations and whenever you share tips before we travel anywhere, I try to organize them in a Word doc so we can easily reference them throughout our trip. You have yet to steer us wrong (my family actually asks me to ask you guys for advice now!) and here’s the list I made for our upcoming vacation, just in case any of you may have a similar trip planned in the near future:
Restaurants
BOONE
- Our Daily Bread (Lunch — King Street)
- Stick Boy Bread Company (Coffee and pastries – Across from ASU campus)
- Mast General Store (Candy barrel)
- Hob Nob
- Coyote
- Proper (Sunday brunch)
BANNER ELK
- Artisanal
BLOWING ROCK
- Roca
Activities
BOONE
- Price Lake Park (Walking trails – Off Blue Ridge Pkwy)
- Spence Ridge
- Roan Mountain
- Moses Cone Trails (Good for a stroller)
- Cascades Trail
- Moses Cone Manor (Historic house with crafts/gifts and trails – Off Blue Ridge Pkwy)
BANNER ELK
- Apple Hill Farm
- Grandfather Vineyard & Winery
- Grandfather Trout Farm
- Banner Elk Winery
BLOWING ROCK
- Tweetsie Railroad
And if any of you out there have things I should add to the above list, please let me know!
Sunday
We spent the rest of our Saturday running errands for our vacation ahead. Saturday night was a bit rough with Chase but we found a second wind of energy early Sunday afternoon when my sister, brother-in-law and their dog Kona arrived in town!
(Sadie was awfully happy to have Aunt Leslie back in town!)
After a six-hour drive, Leslie and Ross were ready to shake out their legs, so we all walked around the neighborhood with the dogs before hopping on the boat for an early evening ride. The weather was absolutely gorgeous on Sunday – 70 degrees and sunny – and it felt like a such a treat to be on the water in October!
Chase clearly missed his Aunt Leslie. Check out that little grin! He looks like such a little ham!
Once we arrived back at the house, we dug into a delicious chicken pasta dish for dinner before spending the rest of our Sunday night lounging around on the couch.
And I think that catches us up! Off to the mountains we gooo!
Hope you guys had a great weekend!
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If you like BBQ, check out Woodlands in Blowing Rock! Yum
What a wonderful weekend!! Hope you enjoy your stay in the mountains, and thank you for the recommendations!!
Hi Julie!!
Aw have a great time in the mountains, I remember packing pretty much our entire house when my daughter was a newborn too! We would go to my parents’ lake house just a mere 2.5 hours away and our entire car felt packed to the brim with how much stuff we would bring along! Now that she’s 15 months, I promise it definitely gets a lot easier and more simplified when it comes to the amount of pure stuff you need to bring with on trips. She is definitely more of a handful when strapped into her car seat though, lol!
Enjoy your trip with family, looking forward to seeing pictures!!
Christina
Hi Julie!
I was curious if you have a recommendation for an infant life jacket that Chase likes for the boat? We also love boating but have yet to find a life jacket that our baby girl likes – most look so uncomfortable and she’s not happy until we stop and take it off.
Enjoy your trip!
Have fun! Wow 5am wake ups. Is he sleeping better during the night. Would love to see more real life baby posts with sleep, nursing, juggling it all. I struggled with all the first year and I think a lot of ppl would appreciate how to juggle all.
Those skull diapers are too cute. I hope you have the best time this week with family!
I see you have it down, but Banner Elk Winery is Ah-Mazing!! You should swing by if you get a chance. Not only is the wine good, but the location is gorgeous and with the leaves changing it makes it even better! They have a huge fire pit area with lots of chairs for relaxing.
That pic of Leslie holding Chase is too cute!! I hope you have a great vacation 🙂 When you come back, I’d love to hear about post-pregnancy skin, if you don’t mind? I’ve been thinking about switching from the bc pill to a shot, but I get terrible acne when not on the pill. Let us know if you have advice!
Have a great vacation!! It looks like you had a great weekend preparing 🙂 I love those Honest Diapers. You are right, they have the CUTEST designs
I saw that you have Mast General Store on your list. If you head down towards Banner Elk, I would HIGHLY recommend that you go to Valle Crucis to the original Mast General Store. There is the Annex before you get to the store which has tons of candy and clothing. Then just a few hundred feet up the road is the original store and School House. The area around it is beautiful and so picturesque in the Fall. It’s only about 20 minutes from Boone, off of 321.
Sorry, I told you a wrong road number. It’s about 20 minuts off of State Road 105.
The house where we are staying has like 10 mugs from Mast General Store!
Enjoy your trip!!! Super cute pics as always!!!
I hope you have a great time on your trip! It’s so beautiful up there! The leaves in Asheville are close to peak– so I bet it’s just about perfect up there!
Awww you are beautiful holding Chase! Have a great time this week! Can you please tell me where did you get that couch you are sitting on? I am in the market for a new one and I love that look! Thanks!
SO excited for you to go to Boone! Prewarning though it’s tourist season. Call ahead to make reservations. Lines were out the door this weekend at every place.
Do you know where Chase’s hooded onesie is from? It is adorable and I would love to get it for my son.
I bought it from Zulily (that website seriously has the CUTEST baby clothes!) and the brand is A.T.U.N. –> http://www.zulily.com/invite/jfagan466
Have a great vacation! Looks like Chase is in heaven with his Aunt!
Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous and your trip sounds amazing – have the best time! And Chase could not possibly get any cuter…
That picture of Leslie and Chase is frame-worthy! Do it now!! Precious 🙂
Sounds like you guys are going to have a BLAST! I have 0 recommendations for that area, but it sounds like I might have to check it out with all of those tips (especially fresh BBQ?! Random and sounds divine…) Coming from Colorado, my only recommendation is to enjoy the fresh air – it’s good for the soul. And to cheer on the Cubs! Because they’re the Cubs, that’s why, ha!
P.S. This weekend was Fremd’s ’05 10 Year Reunion and we were all chatting about your blog. #Idol, ha! Thought you’d love the hometown support. 🙂
Hope you enjoy your vacation! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the restaurants and trails!
Have a great trip! Chase is getting cuter each post!
Have so much fun!
How did no one recommend the Daniel Boone Inn for breakfast? Family style, cheap, AMAZING southern breakfast food! There’s usually a wait on weekends but I’m not sure about during the week. I wouldn’t go to Boone without stopping there!
Be sure to visit Main Street in Blowing Rock. It is so quaint and lovely. Lots of shops and restaurants. Most of the shops close by 6 p.m., so just be aware. Ugh Mugga Bakery is fabulous! Bass Lake is 5 minutes from Main Street and is gorgeous. It has a one mile paved path around the lake. Perfect for walking and strolling babies,
Auto correct! Should be Ugga Mugga Bakery.
I love all of Chase’s sweet outfits! He is too precious!
Thank you! I’ve finally started buying him things after holding off for a while. 🙂 He’s just too fun to dress now!
Looks like a blast! Have a great time on vacation 🙂
Oh my goodness, Chase is growing so fast 😀
Have so much fun!!!! We are planning on subscribing to the Honest Co diaper and wipe bundle as well, glad you see you like them!
We visited that area/Boone in August with our 13 month old and you have a lot of the places we visited or were recommended on your list.
I really liked Our Daily Bread and Coyote. We didn’t make it to the original Stick Boy but that is on the list for the next time.
Our favorite trail with the baby carrier was Rough Ridge – not too far from Price Lake and Moses Cone Manor. It’s a short trail (maybe .3 miles) with an amazing view.
Looks like the weather will be awesome this week!
http://Www... Chase is so cute in all those pics! Have fun
Macado’s on King St in boone is the best, even if you just go for dessert after Our Daily Bread. Top college hangout right there. The Red Onion is also quite popular, as is the Dan’l Boone Inn for lunch/brunch/breakfast. Twig’s in blowing rock is fine dining at it’s best, that’s where I met my wife 20 years ago. Dunn’s Deli in Banner Elk was always my fav, it’s at the stop light (there’s only one) in town. Also the Bayou is an incredible cajun place right there.
Got to shop main street in Blowing Rock, and get some Kilwin’s ice cream while you’re there.
Awe that picture of Chase and your sister is so cute! Have a great time on your trip!
If you have time while you’re in Boone, you must go to Melanie’s! It’s the best breakfast place in town!
http://www.melaniesfoodfantasy.com/
I just love Blowing Rock…you must try the Game Keeper! It’s a quaint restaurant in an old house tucked away in the mountains. Hope you have so much fun on vacation!
Oh my goodness! Chase keeps getting cuter and cuter 🙂 You look amazing as well! <3
Have a wonderful trip!! 🙂
So excited for your big vacation! Those diapers are ridiculously adorable!!
Sounds like it will be a fun trip; have a great time! Also, Chase is adorable!
That picture of Chase with his Aunt Leslie is adorable…such a cute grin:) Enjoy your vacation and time with family!
Hi Julie!
I was thrilled to hear you and your sweet family were heading over to Boone, NC (one of my favorite get-away spots). I’m sure y’all are in for a beautiful week with the fall foliage! I grew up going to Linville, NC which is about 20 minutes. But there’s one place that will always hold a special place in my heart. It might seem like another BBQ joint to most but this is the place I compare the best BBQ sandwiches to. They also have the biggest,heartiest, soup-bread bowls during the cooler months! It’s called the Old Hampton Store & BBQ Restaurant in Linville, NC. It has the sweetest old country store attached to the restaurant and an art gallery/antique shop off to the side. I love to swing by after a long day hiking up Grandfather Mountain (which is also a must…strenuous but the view is beautiful!).
Here is the link to the store’s website:
https://www.facebook.com/OldHamptonStore
http://oldhamptonstorenc.com
Safe travels and I hope y’all have a blessed week with family!
Thank you so much for sharing! My brother-in-law is on a mission to find the best BBQ while we’re here! We will definitely try it out!! Thanks again!
Bistro roca in blowing rock is a must! So good, but make reservations days in advance. Rough ridge off the parkway is also a great short hike. 30 minutes max and I think you could do it with chase on your back/front easily. Beautiful views at the top-I got engaged there! The greenway trail in boone is also a nice, flat pretty place to walk if you just want to get outside or take a picnic. Cobos in boone has amazing sushi. The Local which is near Cobos in downtown is also a new restaurant that my husband and I love. Stick boy kitchen is the more restaurant-y second location of Stickboy bakery and has great breakfast and lunch items, along with great coffee and pastries. The location and parking is better than the one across from ASU….just less trafficy and more parking so I always go to that location. I would also definitely recommend Moses Cone. Agh there are so many great things to do! I don’t think you can go wrong and your original list is filled with all great ideas! Enjoy!
Thank you so much for sharing this!