Like most people, our summer travel plans ended up looking a lot different than what I thought they’d look like back at the beginning of the year. While we opted to stay at home for the most part, we did venture out to a few of our favorite places that we knew would have socially distant options. Recently, I ventured to Blowing Rock with my quarantine buddy, Clarke. Blowing Rock is one of my favorite places in North Carolina and the weather was perfect for staying a safe distance and enjoying the outdoors. We drove a Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition for the 3.5 hour trip to Blowing Rock and enjoyed a lovely stay at the Meadowbrook Inn. Here is my Blowing Rock guide featuring things to do, where to eat, and where to stay.
Blowing Rock Guide: Things to Do, Where to Eat and Stay
What to Do in Blowing Rock
Explore Moses Cone Park Trails
The last time David and I went to Blowing Rock, we made a last minute decision to take a walk around Cone Park and I fell in love with it. It’s somehow even prettier than I remember with the lily pads and all the greenery. We ventured up to the Moses Cone house as well, which really got us on a mountain road to test out the Land Cruiser. By the way, 10/10 recommend!
Outfit Details: LuluLemon Tee | Beyond Yoga Leggings | Adidas Sneakers | L.L. Bean Pullover
Grandfather Mountain
While on this trip, we did not venture to Grandfather Mountain this time, it is such a lovely spot to spend the day. The park offers a lot to see and do, including their nature preserve. There are hiking trails, the swinging bridge, and it is such a beautiful, unique spot in North Carolina. See more about it from our last trip here.
Grandfather Vineyard
I cannot rave about Grandfather Vineyard enough. It’s been on my list of places to visit for a while now and came highly recommended by my friend and hairstylist extraordinaire, Katy, and wow was she right! The wine is delicious, the food truck on site has lobster rolls and fried pimento cheese bites, and the most beautiful spaces for social distancing. I took home bottles of the Appalachia Bubbles, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir Rosé. I highly recommend adding this to your list and make an afternoon of it!
Outfit Details: Free People Body Suit | J.Crew Skinnies | Vince Camuto Booties | Tory Burch Purse | Shashi Earrings
David Yurman Bangles 1 2 | RayBan Polarized Aviators | Hart Studio Necklace | Slip Silk Hair Tie
Downtown Blowing Rock
Blowing Rock is so charming and has so much to offer in terms of just walking around and exploring local properties. We drove through Chetola, walked down past the Inn at Ragged Gardens, and then found a place to have a happy hour glass of wine before dinner. I also loved wandering through the prayers on the Prayer Tree downtown. This location was an adorable shop before it caught on fire, and these prayers were not damaged at all. The shop didn’t reopen, but the prayer tree stayed.
Outfit Details: Free People One-Shoulder Top
Where to Eat in Blowing Rock
Speckled Trout
David and I ate at the Speckled Trout on our trip to Blowing Rock a couple of spring breaks ago and it easily became one our favorite restaurants in North Carolina. Clarke and I ordered the pimiento cheese appetizer. We each got the blackened trout. I opted for the bacon jam glazed okra and gouda grits while Clarke opted for the macaroni and cheese and Main Street corn. We split the peanut butter cheese cake to end a delightful meal. 10/10 recommend the Speckled Trout for supper while in town.
Camp Coffee Roasters
Camp Coffee is a close walk from the Meadowbrook Inn and a great place to grab a cup of coffee and a scone before starting the day. Their lavender and honey latte is spot on!
Eleven80 Food Truck
The Eleven80 Food Truck at Grandfather Vineyard is a true delight! The lobster roll and the pimento cheese bites are perfect for an afternoon of enjoying the vineyard.
Storie Street Grille
We picked this place for dinner because of the loaded sweet potato tots and the flat bread options. I ordered the pimento cheese flatbread, since I clearly hadn’t eaten enough pimento cheese already, and loved the freshness of the avocado on top.
The Ridgeline
We stopped at the Ridgeline on the way out of town for brunch and we both opted for the Royale. The views were unbeatable at this spot!
Where to Stay in Blowing Rock
Meadowbrook Inn
The Meadowbrook Inn was such a great location in downtown Blowing Rock. It is within walking distance of the best restaurants and shops in downtown. The property has 66 rooms on site and its resident ducks are the most fun to watch. I love all of the landscaping for spending an afternoon sipping a local wine on the patio and taking in the property.
Our room was a delight because it had the sunroom and the gas logs, making it perfect for chilly evenings. I also appreciated the attention to detail for minimizing contact but still providing fresh towels, linens, and coffee. I highly recommend this location when staying in Blowing Rock.
Our Ride for the Weekend
I mentioned earlier that we drove this Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition and it was perfect for the terrain. It took the mountain roads easily and gave us a smooth ride. The GPS was helpful and there was plenty of room for our luggage plus packages purchased from the vineyard and shops. I am a big Toyota fan anyway, my first car was a Toyota Corolla, and this is my favorite ride to date. I also loved the luxurious touches, including the rims, the moon roof, and the cooling seats.
Thank you to Meadowbrook Inn and Southeast Toyota Distributors, Inc. for partnering with I’m Fixin’ To. As always, all opinions are my own.
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