We love quaint mountain towns to spend a long weekend. Let’s go to Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It’s just about 3 and half hours from here, but worth the drive. What do we do? We walk around, shop and eat. Please allow me to elaborate. I know it sounds simplistic, but there is something about Blowing Rock that’s special. It draws us back year after year. This place has kept its charm, while offering a nice variety of activities, food and shopping.

Where to stay? There are several bed and breakfast places in town, however we favor the Chetola Resort, which has a lodge or condos. The setting is peaceful. Enjoy the swans swimming in their pond, the walking trails that leads to town or the adjoining park hiking trails, or the festive lights. They have an indoor pool, workout room and a full service spa. The Timberlake Restaurant has great atmosphere to enjoy dinner or breakfast. During the holidays they have a carriage ride along the pond that is just about as close as you can get to a Hallmark movie.

Every great trip has to include exquisite food. You will find that at Six Pence, known for its Shepherds Pie or a Pot roast that melts in your mouth. They have good desserts, but we are normally too full to indulge ourselves anymore than the main meal. Our other favorite is Story Street Grille, where you will find a cozy atmosphere and airplanes hanging from the ceiling. Reservations are recommended and check out the chef’s special.

The shopping offers more than the touristy T-shirt shops, it’s a mixture of affordable and upscale boutiques, along with outdoor sportsman gear, and artwork, pottery and the candle shop with live demonstrations.

The park is in the center of the town. Once you’ve had lunch, shopped and ready for a break, there’s a Kilian’s ice cream shop just across the street from the park where you can sit and watch the world go by as you soak it all in. Spring thru Fall they have art in the park once a month that’s fun to go to. For Christmas they have the tree lighting with cider and caroling in the park. It’s best to check the blowingrock.com website for upcoming events.

Other activities and sites that are close by for more fun things to do. Appalachian Ski Mountain has ice skating, snowboarding and skiing. Hiking and Moses Cane Park or Bass Lake, Grandfather Mountain State Park, take in a football or basketball game at Appalachian State University, visit the Mass General Store in Boone.