Blowing Rock, N.C. — After more than six months of mostly staying at home, I knew my family needed to get out of town. The challenge is to do it safely amid the coronavirus pandemic. The best thing about the mountains is that you can really be distant there.
I took my son and my dad (grandpa makes everything more fun, according to my son) to Blowing Rock last week. My normally very active son has been emersed in video games and virtual schooling. I wanted to get both of us away from screens for a bit! My daughter is 1 years old and way too little to care about taking a trip so she stayed home with Daddy, who had to work.
The last time I went to the North Carolina mountains was last year when I was on the search for the Pink Lady Ghost at Grove Park Inn. That was a wild trip! So much fun ghost hunting.
This trip, we focused on relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. A friend suggested Chetola Resort, so we ended up staying at a small condo there for a few days. The 78-acre resort has a main lodge, Bob Timberlake Inn (a Bed and Breakfast) and one to four-bedroom condos.
I was nervous about staying anywhere during this pandemic, but I felt better about taking the trip once I heard about Chetola’s safety procedures. They are using an electrostatic sprayer system to help disinfect common areas, plus requiring people to wear masks. The entire time we were there, we were distanced from people and everyone was wearing a mask.
I arrive at the condo armed with my Lysol and disinfecting wipes, but everything looked and smelled pretty clean. I did spray our bedding just to be extra safe though!
What I loved about Chetola was how peaceful it was. There were ducks and swans swimming across the resort’s private lake. We enjoyed sitting by the water at picnic tables and watching the birds.
We were able to get fishing poles and worms from the on-site recreation area. Though we tried to catch fish in the private lake, we came up empty.
The recreation area also offers kayaks, paddle boards and paddle boats. We got some tennis rackets from the recreation center and played tennis one afternoon on one of their courts. It was a beautiful day and we definitely enjoyed the chance to exercise.
The resort also has an indoor pool, so we did go swimming one day. It is heated and big enough to distance from others.
Mile High
When we weren’t enjoying the on-site amenities, we decided to explore nearby Grandfather Mountain. We were excited to try the Mile High Swinging Bridge – located at the very top of the mountain. It did not disappoint.
We went just before 10 a.m. and the winds were insane up there. It was foggy and windy. It felt like a tropical storm. In the parking lot, people were getting out of their cars and being bowled over by the wind. Their car doors flying open and everything inside their vehicles swirling out into the air. My car was shaking, but we still decided to get out anyway.
After masking up, we went into the nearby gift shop, which has elevator access to the bridge. My dad has balance issues so we didn’t want to try climbing the outdoor stairs to the bridge.
The bridge didn’t move as much as I expected it to. It was cold, windy and as the fog started to clear the view started to improve. About halfway through the bridge, I also noticed a familiar sight – my co-worker WRAL Adam Owens and his family! We were passing each other at the halfway point on the bridge. He captured it on camera too.
On the other side of the bridge it was less windy. There were rocks for people to climb on and pose, but I wasn’t going to tempt fate with those winds.
The bridge is definitely a must-see, just know that it can get windy up there. They shut it down when winds reach 50 mph though. It can get crowded as the day goes on so make sure you bring a mask and remain distant from others.
Next, we headed down the mountain to the animal habitat. We saw a really cute otter, a cougar, several elk and two bald eagles. The bears were hiding so we didn’t really see them.
Definitely check out Grandfather Mountain if you are in the area. They also have great hiking opportunities. We went early enough that crowds weren’t too bad. I only saw one or two people without masks and everyone was socially distancing.
The only place I felt uncomfortable was the gift shop which was filled with people. While most were wearing masks (I saw two people without them), it was a little more crowded than I felt comfortable with, so we bought souvenirs and got out quick.
And while you are in the mountains, you really can’t beat the views on the Blue Ridge Parkway (an attraction all by itself). We loved taking the parkway! The views and the fall colors really made this trip for us.
Dining and sporting
We ordered almost every meal at Chetola’s Timberlake Restaurant. Their breakfast is amazing! Their Banana’s Foster Waffles, homemade pancakes and Stuffed French Toast were very tasty. We also enjoyed their family-size meals that you just need to heat up in the oven. We got the Chicken Alfredo Lasagna, which had pesto and mushrooms.
We wrapped up our stay in the mountains by taking a trip to the Chetola Sporting Reserve, which is about 30 minutes away from the resort. Just driving there was an adventure. We arrived at the GPS destination, only to find out we had nearly three miles to drive to reach the reserve – or so we thought!
After we saw the sign for the reserve, we saw a gravel road leading down a mountain. My dad was convinced it was not a road I should be driving, but confident that my SUV could handle it, we descended down this mountain path. We drove and drove, hoping to reach the reserve. At one point, I thought we took a wrong turn and would end up being stuck down this mountain for days!
Then, we saw a car behind us – it was our air rifle instructor for the morning. We were on the right path and ended up at the reserve. The reserve is peaceful and in the middle of nowhere. We saw chipmunks running around and lots of shell casings from the firing range. I wanted my son to try archery but he opted for the air rifle class instead. His instructor was patient and a great teacher! My son was hitting bullseyes in no time.
In addition to air rifle classes, the sporting reserve also has a sporting clay course, a pistol and rifle range and shotguns. And for those not interested in shooting, Chetol is an Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing lodge.
Where are your favorite places to go in the fall and winter? Do you have any favorite mountain locations?
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