Looking for a fun, nature-filled adventure the whole family will love?Trolls: A Field Study at the NC Arboretum brings 12 giant, whimsical troll sculptures to the forest trails of Asheville. Kidding Around contributor Liene took her kids to explore the exhibit and is sharing everything you need to know before you go—where to find the trolls, what to expect, and tips for making the most of your visit.
Thanks to Eve Brown for providing additional photography.
Quick Info: Trolls at the NC Arboretum
What:Trolls: A Field Study – outdoor troll sculpture exhibit
Where: NC Arboretum, 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC
When: November 15, 2025 – February 17, 2026
Hours: 8 am – 5 pm (last entry at 4 pm)
Cost: Free with parking ($20 per standard vehicle)
Bonus Fun: Kids’ snow-themed exhibit + nature play areas
The North Carolina Arboretum and Explore Asheville are celebrating the arrival of Trolls: A Field Study, which made its North American debut on November 10, 2025 at the Arboretum. Produced by Imagine in collaboration with Danish artist Thomas Dambo, twelve friendly troll sculptures are scattered throughout the Arboretum in a scavenger hunt of epic proportions!
A Troll Story
The story goes, that “On the night he was born, a little troll named Taks wandered into the human world. What he saw left him puzzled—strange machines, noisy boxes, people rushing around without stopping to talk to the trees. When he returned to the forest, he shared his discoveries with his eleven siblings – and so it started: Trolls: A Field Study!”
What to Expect on Your Visit: Trolls at the NC Arboretum
The sculptures range from seven to nine feet tall, and are crafted from wooden materials like fallen branches, pallets and twigs. They are created to be interactive, and my kids had so much fun crawling into nets for photo ops, taking up-close looks at the materials used, and learning each troll’s name and story!
When to Go & What to Know
Admission to Trolls: A Field Study is included in the standard Arboretum parking fee, and no advance tickets are required. However, be aware that on weekends you may encounter crowds and a longer wait to enter the Arboretum, and should plan accordingly.
The exhibit is at the NC Arboretum from November 15, 2025 through February 17, 2026. As Winter Lights is also currently running at the Arboretum, daily hours have been shortened to 8am to 5pm, with last admission at 4pm. After the holidays normal business hours will resume: 8am to 7pm starting January 5, 2026.
Even More to Explore at the Arboretum
While you’re at the Arboretum, make sure to check out the children’s exhibit Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact in the Baker Exhibit Hall, which runs through January 4, 2026. Visitors can peek inside the snowpack to find animals that make their homes in the snow, walk through a snowstorm, or even build a snowman!
The outdoor “Playing Woods” area is always a hit with our family; we plan for snack time and a rest there. The NC Arboretum is also a participant in the ecoEXPLORE citizen science program and the Kids in Parks TRACK Trail program, both of which make a visit even more immersive.
Mother of four young boys, Liene is constantly on the move since returning to Greenville in 2012. Whether she’s exploring the state parks and natural areas of the Carolinas or teaming up with other moms to organize activities for the kids, she’s always searching for the next adventure in the Upstate. For everything from hiking, travel, cooking and crafts to multicultural & global education posts, visit her blog, http://FemmeauFoyer2011.blogspot.com.
This short-term rental in Almond, NC is the perfect mountain getaway in Western North Carolina. Experience ultimate relaxation in this private 3-bedroom cottage surrounded by woods with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. Enjoy proximity to miles of beautiful roadside overlooks, hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and the small town of Bryson City, NC.
Step into a painting at this mountain getaway in Almond, NC!
Our stay was provided by the homeowner so that we could bring you this review. All words and opinions are our own.
When I started looking for an autumn escape, I could see it in my mind: A cozy cabin with plenty of space, private surroundings in the midst of nature, and knockout views of the fall foliage. Did such a place exist? I scoured the Internet and found this amazing short-term rental in nearby Almond, North Carolina! Only 2.5 hours from Upstate South Carolina, it was an easy weekend trip with the kids, and we loved every second of it!
Quick Look at The Almond Escape 🏡 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom mountaintop home ⛰️ Stunning views of surrounding mountains 🌲 Total privacy in a heavily wooded area 💎 Luxury features like king-sized beds in every room, jetted tub in master bathroom, and 6-person hot tub outside 🍂 Attractions include colorful fall foliage, lots of local hiking, swimming in the summer, and nearby small towns 💲 Cost is variable, discounts may be available for those booking a last-minute trip 🚗 2.5 hours from Upstate South Carolina 📍 Almond, North Carolina Exact address provided after booking. 🌟 Click here to book!
A Peaceful Mountain Retreat
This beautiful 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom home sits atop a few wooded acres in a private, gated community. As soon as you step outside, you’ll breathe in the mountain air and take in the panoramic view of nature. It’s the kind of place that allows you to instantly relax and forget your worries for a while.
We arrived at night, but I recommend planning your drive during the daytime if you can. You don’t want to miss the beautiful mountain views all the way into Almond—we had to wait to see them until our drive back home! The private driveway up to the cottage is also narrow with a couple hairpin turns, so arriving in daylight will make that part easier to navigate, as well. If you’re visiting during the colder months, a vehicle with 4-wheel drive would be your safest bet to make it up the steep mountain roads in all kinds of weather.
Once you reach the top, the scene is surreal. You can park outside in the driveway or in the 2-car garage (with electric vehicle charger!) and look around to see nothing but woods on every side. Step inside the cottage, and you’ll find the walls on the opposite side are lined with floor-to-ceiling windows offering the most incredible view!
Each of these floor-to-ceiling windows includes a sliding glass door, so you can step outside to enjoy the large wooden deck spanning the entire length of the home. This deck overlooks the entire valley beneath, including a gorgeous reflective pond and mountains and every side. There are several great ways to take in the view, whether you’re having lunch at the picnic table, drinking coffee in Adirondack chairs, or enjoying the evening in the deluxe 6-person hot tub! Plus, there are latching gates at either end, making it a safer space for families visiting with little ones.
In the distance straight ahead, you can spot Kuwohi Mountain, also called Clingmans Dome, and the sun rises each morning over the mountain immediately to the right. We watched the sunrise every morning, and found that it seems to crest the mountaintop roughly an hour after the “official” sunrise time for Almond, NC! And at night? Turn out all the lights to watch the stars come to life, far removed from the city lights.
There’s also a small fire pit just off the deck, and long metal skewers for s’mores can be found in the kitchen cabinets inside. But be careful with any little ones right here! It’s a small space right next to a very steep drop-off.
Get Cozy in the Roomy Living Spaces
We could have happily spent the whole weekend inside this cozy cabin. I brought a few crafts and games for the kids to make our time there special, and they loved just playing in the living room while I enjoyed my time cooking and baking for every meal!
This kitchen comes fully equipped with a gas range, all your basic cookware, and a variety of countertop appliances. The sink gets very hot (over 130 degrees), which is great for cooking, but make sure any kids in the kitchen are careful not to burn themselves. The 10-person table in the adjoining room allowed our whole family to eat meals together, and we especially loved breakfasts when the sunrise would come right through the window!
The oversized living room is fabulous, with high ceilings and heavy wooden décor, providing that true “cabin” feel in the space. There is a large gas fireplace with a beautiful stone mantle, and this can be controlled with an easy switch right by the fireplace or using a series of switches on the wall near the deck. There is no grate or other protective covering, so just keep a close eye on any little ones in this space.
There are two large comfy couches with blankets and an ottoman, plus two comfortable recliners that can swivel to look at the fireplace or the large Smart TV mounted to the wall. All the TVs in the house are conveniently logged into multiple streaming services, and there is a DVD player in the middle bedroom.
Each of the 3 bedrooms offers a comfortable king-sized bed and small closet, plus their own Smart TV to be able to binge your favorite shows at night or unwind with a family movie at bedtime. The master bedroom’s closet is walk-in, and the bed looks out through floor-to-ceiling windows with a sliding door directly onto the deck. Any of the bedrooms can easily fit a pack-n-play or other portable bed option for little ones, too!
2nd Bedroom3rd Bedroom
There are 3 full bathrooms in the cottage, too. The master bathroom is luxurious with double vanities, a large walk-in shower, separate jetted tub, and private toilet area with bidet. There is a hall bathroom between the bedrooms and the living room, where you’ll find a shower/tub combination. Last, there is a guest bathroom off the kitchen and laundry (yes, there’s a laundry area, too!) with a standalone shower.
Bryson City and More to Explore
While it is very tempting to stay put and just enjoy the view, there are some options to explore nearby, as well. During the summers, make plans to visit to Lake Fontana, right across the highway from the cottage. This recreational lake offers swimming, fishing, and boating along the border of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There are about half a dozen access points to the national park around here, and you can also drive or walk across Fontana Dam, the tallest dam in the eastern United States.
Roadside overlook near Almond, NC!
We spent the day checking out nearby Bryson City, a small tourist town about 20 minutes from the cottage. We visited the free Appalachian Rivers Aquarium and Fly-Fishing Museum, located side by side for convenient enjoyment. Both of these are small, one-room buildings featuring several educational exhibits for visitors, and the highlight is definitely the crawl-in exhibit of the rare Hellbender Salamander!
AquariumFly-Fishing Museum
We also caught an artisan market happening right outside and made a quick visit to check out Darnell Farms, where we found lots of local produce, some cute photo spots, and a free play area next to the river and mountains.
Darnell Farms
As for eateries, we tried out Jimmy Mac’s Restaurant in Bryson City for an early lunch, and the food was delicious but the wait was over an hour, even with very few people in the restaurant. We later learned this a popular spot for tourists—but locals tend to favor the food trucks at Bryson City Outdoors, Everett Street Diner, and The High Test Deli, so we plan to check those out on our next visit!
If you do decide to visit Bryson City, expect significantly higher prices than at home. This is a tourism town, and everything from groceries to restaurants to attractions will be priced accordingly!
Cardinal Coffee makes a great addition to any excursion from the cottage, and it’s only a few short minutes away. They offer a drive-through and café, and this spot was very busy with locals every time we visited. Plus, our coffee was downright delicious!
Suggestions for a Great Getaway
We absolutely adored our stay and hope to visit again to experience even more of the beautiful seasons in the mountains! We brought several things from home to give us the best possible weekend, so here are a few suggestions for your family.
If you’re visiting around any holidays, bring a few easy decorations to give it that special touch during your stay.
We brought movies, games, and crafts to give us plenty to do while we stayed in the cottage and just took in the view. If you’re a homebody who loves to get cozy, then I highly recommend that you do the same.
Seriously, even if you’re a homebody, please pack something to go hiking! You don’t want to visit without checking out at least one or two of the trails around here. Bring good boots to go tromping through the woods, and pack layers because the temperature can change a good bit in the mountains. You might also want to bring bug spray.
The kitchen and laundry are stocked with detergent, paper products, and trash bags for just a couple days, so plan to pack a little extra if you’re doing an extended stay! Pack a cooler with plenty of snacks and ingredients for whatever meals you’d like to make, as the nearest grocery stores are about 20-30 minutes away.
There is no trash pickup in the mountains, so you’ll have to haul your trash to a public dump during or after your stay. Plan to leave room in your vehicle for one or two full trash bags, depending on how much you expect to go through.
Whether you visit in the fall for the colors or the summer for lake days, this Almond retreat offers a beautiful escape for your families anytime of the year!
View from the Valley
Book Your Stay Today!
What mountain escapes have you visited in the Carolinas? Let us know in the comments!
About the Author
Sarah Burnett is a local of Upstate, South Carolina with 3 kids, a husband she adores, and a God who never fails. After working in family services for about a decade, she founded Seek First Family Cooperative and now serves children and families on the homefront. She loves to learn about homemaking, homesteading, and homeschooling, and she writes and volunteers as opportunities arise. You can find and contact her through LinkedIn.
Zipping across valleys and creeks with incredible mountain views is the name of the game at Hawksnest Adventures near Boone, NC. With over four miles of ziplines, there is no shortage of fun to be had at this amazing spot and we have all the details on what to expect and booking your own trip!
Thanks to Explore Boone for hosting us on this adventure.
I had heard of Hawksnest Adventures near Boone, NC long before I set foot up there due to their snow tubing runs. But going there in person to see the absolute stunning views and to experience their zipline course was a whole other thing and one I highly recommend if you love the feeling of flying and stunning mountain views.
Getting ready to fly at Hawksnest
About Hawksnest Adventures
Hawksnest is located in Seven Devils, NC, just outside of Boone, and about three hours from the Upstate. You can do this as a day trip but I recommend staying overnight not only because it would a long drive but because there are tons of things to enjoy in the area.
Hawksnest offers two zipline tours spring through the fall and four snow tubing runs during wintertime. They also have whitewater rafting over the summer. You could literally spend an entire day enjoying their adventures here.
The view from one of the decks at Hawksnest
Ziplining Tours
This was one of our favorite adventures in Boone since you get to fly amongst the trees and mountains, over creeks, and walk on swinging bridges. We did the Hawk Tour, which included 11 ziplines and took about 1.5 hours. Our guides, Carson and Sky, were fantastic and made us feel safe and excited to fly on those lines!
I couldn’t even pick what my favorite line was. The first several were over the valleys with insane views of the mountains, which were just beginning to show some fall color. I was thinking if I could possibly come back up there in a couple weeks when the colors would be at their peak.
Incredible views at Hawksnest!
The last half of the course was through the woods and over creeks. We got to go across two suspension bridges as well, which were a lot of fun and certainly tested balance. But you’re clipped in so it’s all good.
The other tour is the more thrilling Eagle Tour, which traverses about three miles of cables, including two which are 2,000 feet long.
Tips on Enjoying Hawksnest Ziplining
From my own experiences at Hawksnest and other ziplining places, these are my best tips on making the most of your adventure here:
Be sure to check the height and weight requirements of the zipline tour. For the Hawk tour that we did, participants must be at least 5-years-old and those under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Riders cannot be more than 250 lbs or have a waist larger than a 40 inches. There is no minimum weight for our Hawk Tour. The Eagle tour requires participants to be at least 8-years-old and weigh 80 pounds.
Wear closed-toed shoes. This is a requirement at most ziplining places.
Wear comfy clothes. Shorts or jeans are best. I was wearing an athletic skirt with built-in shorts, and I kind of wish I wore shorts just so I wouldn’t have to worry about the straps and my skirt!
Get there 30 minutes early. You have to check in and get all your gear on. If you didn’t sign your waivers online, you’ll have to do it before you get all geared up.
Tip your guide. Tips are a great way to show your appreciation for your guides who didn’t let you die.
Leave behind things that could fall. This includes phones (I went with mine but I had it in a zipped-up pocket), keys, necklaces, or anything you really don’t want to lose.
Honest Mom Review: Hawksnest Zipline
I’ve done ziplining at a lot of fantastic spots, but this was easily my favorite because of the incredible views and fun ziplines over water and through the trees. I was standing there with my mouth hanging open most of the time, admiring the beauty. It was really cool to be that high up and enjoy the experience of flying.
And our guides were a highlight of the adventure. Carson and Sky worked seamlessly to get us all in our gear, do the safety instructions, and engage with us the whole trip while making sure everything was in place to keep us safe on the cables. They took the time to learn our names and where we were from. They were both just genuinely cool people, and it was a pleasure to hang out with them for the short time we were there.
Suspension bridge at Hawksnest
The other cool thing is that Hawksnest has a great photographer. He’ll get fantastic shots of you on the course that you can purchase afterwards. I don’t usually buy the photos, but this time, I was like – oh yes, I want these! He did such a great job.
Booking Your Ziplining Trip
You can easily book your trip online. Choose which course you want, either the Hawk or the Eagle, and just book your trip. The Hawk course is $70/person and the Eagle is $80/person. You could also go all out and choose to do both courses for $120/person.
For information on snow tubing and whitewater rafting, be sure to check out their website.
Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, NC goes all out for spooky season in the fall with their Ghost Train ride through the park, and we got to check it out, along with all the fun of carnival rides and trick or treating at the park.
We’ve got everything you need to know to plan your family’s trip here!
Thanks to Explore Boone who hosted us for this trip.
The Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad opened to the public in 1957 as a Wild West Adventure and has continued the tradition ever since. The centerpiece is a beautiful, historic steam locomotive that rides the three-mile track around the park and blows a whistle so loud that it can be heard all around the area.
Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
The Ghost Train is a seasonal experience at the park that runs Fridays and Saturdays September 19 – November 1, 2025 from 7:30-10:30 pm. When you purchase your ticket, you’ll have to choose a time to ride the train.
The train is completely decked out with a huge skeleton face that shoots out smoke from the mouth. It’s so cool. The premise of the ride is that you are searching for missing college students and that aliens or zombies or something else got them in the woods. There are televisions on the train that show a press conference about it, which leads into the crazy scientist and black and white footage of people searching for the students.
Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
As the train takes off into the woods, the resident zombie on the train may try to sneak up and scare you. It’s really dark so they can move with ease. The train will stop along the way with scenes set that involve flashing lights, a gun fight, and fireballs. It’s very well done in terms of theatrics. No one jumps onto the train, and the theatrics are all on the right side of the train if you want to get closer to the action.
The ride is about 20-25 minutes long.
Other Things to Do at Tweetsie Railroad During the Ghost Train
The park’s carnival rides are all open – the Ferris wheel, tornado ride, spinning cups, planes, the drop tower, and a few others that I don’t know the names of. The arcade is open as well plus there are some spooky-themed shows.
The Boneyard has an Enchanted Forest, which is a little scary as some characters will jump out at you and a chainsaw guy may try to chase you. There’s a lady with a crocodile, too, which I found pretty fun. There is also a warped mirror experience and something called a Black Hole – I didn’t do either of them since I literally ran out of the Enchanted Forest with my teen and we were already scared enough!
Boneyard entrance at Tweetsie
A Haunted House is open as well but we didn’t try it since my daughters and I scare easily. There were tons of families there with smaller kids who are braver than us. There was literally a dad pushing a stroller through the Enchanted Forest, who my daughter and I almost ran into on our way out being chased by the chainsaw guy. We are kind of easy to scare.
One thing that my daughters and I absolutely loved were the dance parties with Bigfoot and other Halloween-ish characters. They were so much fun! You can also trick-or-treat throughout the park, and Tweetsie has bags available for guests.
What ages are best for the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad?
This will depend entirely on how scared your kids get and what freaks them out. There were lots of kids on the actual train ride and throughout the park.
The train ride is very dark and very loud at times. The whistle is loud, the fireballs are loud and bright, the gunshots are loud. We loved all of this but your kids may find it too overwhelming. I have no idea, which is why I’m telling you all this.
Tweetsie Railroad advertises the entire event as family-friendly and as noted before, there were a lot of families in attendance.
spooky dance party at Tweetsie Railroad
Tips on Enjoying the Ghost Train Experience at Tweetsie
Here are a few things to know before you go.
The park is stroller-friendly. Everything is paved, so it’s easy to navigate. There are inclines though so be prepared to walk uphill.
Costumes are encouraged. Feel free to wear costumes.
You can enter the park at 7:30 pm. Even if your train time isn’t until later, you can enter the park when it opens and stay until closing.
The train is open air. The mountains get chilly so dress appropriately as the train is not enclosed.
There are no assigned seats. There are lines for each car on the train and you just line up for whatever one you want to get on about 10 minutes before your time.
Book ahead of time. The Ghost Train is popular so be sure to get your tickets online.
Your Ghost Train tickets are valid only for the nighttime event. The park is open during the day but tickets are separate for the daytime park and the Ghost Train.
Booking Your Trip to the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
The Ghost Train and nighttime event only runs from 7:30-10:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays from September 19-November 1, 2025.
Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock, NC is where weird meets fun and where you’ll probably be wondering what is going on most of the time.
We can’t recommend Mystery Hill enough!
Thanks to Explore Boone for hosting us for this visit.
What is Mystery Hill?
Mystery Hill first opened in 1948 and has enthralled both locals and visitors ever since with their Natural Gravitational Anomaly, where you’ll probably feel you are on a roller coaster and spinning tea cup ride all at once. It’s so weird. Water flows uphill and balls roll up walls.
Fun at Mystery Hill
Today, Mystery Hill has hands-on science experiments, gem mining, axe throwing, mechanical bull riding, and even a museum that has more than 50,000 Native American arrowheads displayed.
The museum is located between Blowing Rock and Boone, NC.
Things to do at Mystery Hill
Vortex and Other Oddities Tour
All the guests start off with the tour about the history of the museum and what you’ll find there. Our guide was hilarious. He had dad jokes galore and could imitate more voices than I’d ever heard come out of one person. My teen and I were cracking up while my tween was cringing in embarrassment that we were laughing. It was so great and started your impression off of the museum on the right foot.
The guide escorts you through rooms that look like they were straight out of the 70s with wood paneled walls and turf-like flooring. You’ll get to go to the vortex room here and before you go in, you’ll get instructions to use the railings in the room and if you feel sick, how to get out fast. I certainly have not heard those instructions before.
What in the gravity is happening here?
The Natural Gravitational Anomaly room was crazy. I went downhill in it and felt so dizzy and lightheaded. Like, what? You feel like you’re walking uphill, but if you just stand there, you’re leaning forward, like Michael Jackson leaning forward. There is a station where you can pour in water, and it looks like it’s flowing uphill. And there are balls you can roll around, and they roll uphill.
How does this make sense? I have no idea.
After the vortex room, you will go to a black light room and experience hands-on science experiments, which are right next to the awesome bubble room. You can make human-sized bubbles in here, and I had to drag the kids out because they were having too much fun.
Appalachian Heritage Museum
This unassuming building has about 50,000 Native American arrowheads, which is only a small part of the entire collection they all belong to. It’s quite the historical collection but also just overwhelming. I could not believe two people were able to find all of these and create art pieces out of them.
Axe Throwing
Mystery Hill lets you throw axes and it’s a blast. This was the first time my kids threw axes (they have velcro ones for little kids) and they absolutely loved it as they tried to hit the target. I actually didn’t think we were going to leave. The staff there will help you and give you tips – they are really nice and helpful.
Axe throwing at Mystery Hill
Mechanical Bull Riding
As if axe-throwing wasn’t fun enough, Mystery Hill also lets guests ride a mechanical bull. I haven’t done this in a while and it was definitely a lot of fun after I got over trying to make sure I didn’t hurt myself. Adult problems. My kids absolutely loved it and went on a couple times, trying to beat each other’s times.
Bull Riding at Mystery Hill
Gem Mining
I kind of think gem mining can be a bit boring since you just have to sift through sand to find stones someone else put there but the gem mining experience at Mystery Hill was quite fun. They had all kinds of different gems, including geodes! We actually had no idea there were geodes and were wondering what the slimy balls were, so we just put them in the discard bucket. But as we were leaving, my oldest daughter looked at the brochure they give you about which gems you can find, and those slimy balls were actually geodes, so we hustled back to the sluice to retrieve them!
Hands-On Science Room
There’s a black-lit room with brain teasers, a bubble room to make huge bubbles, and a hands-on science area to test out different experiments. My homeschool mom self was super pumped about all this.
Other things to do at Mystery Hill
There is a river walk right across the parking lot from Mystery Hill, which has some pretty murals. They have a Christmas Light Walk during the holidays that happens here and is included in your ticket.
They also have one of those old-time photo studios. I’ve always wanted to do this, but have not gotten around to it yet. Maybe if I go here again I can add it to my ticket!
Bubble room at Mystery Hill
If you are in the mood for a treat, Mystery Hill sells ice cream on the property, which is pretty great since you’ll need at least a couple of hours here to do all the things, and getting sustenance is key.
Visiting Mystery Hill
Mystery Hill is open daily from 10 am – 6 pm and closed on major holidays.
Base tickets are $24.95/person and kids under 4 are free with a paying adult. Adventure Pass tickets, which include the tour, gem mining, bull riding, axe throwing, and the museum, are $44.95/person.
You could also choose to add on activities, which cost anywhere from $7.95/person up to $24.95/person. The Adventure Pass is the way to go for sure.
Tickets are sold online and in person. Mystery Hill is pet-friendly – well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome. The service dog on our tour would absolutely not go into the vortex room though!
Mystery Hill 129 Mystery Hill Lane, Blowing Rock, NC Mystery Hill Website | 828.264.2792
Inside: Check out our trip to Boone, NC, and plan your own. Find things to do, where to stay, and even where to eat in Boone.
Whether you like great food, high adventure, incredible views, or just weird roadside attractions, Boone, North Carolina in the state’s High Country, should absolutely be on your list to visit.
We spent a weekend there and tell you all about where to eat, where to stay, and how to have fun in this charming mountain town.
Thank you to Explore Boone, who hosted us for this amazing trip.
Boone, NC is under three hours from the Upstate but feels a world away. With soaring mountains, old school attractions, and cooler temperatures, Boone is a beautiful spot to enjoy a fun-filled weekend or longer vacation. There are just so many things to do in the High Country and we spent a packed few days here in order to tell you all about it. For reference, the ages of my kids on the trip were 11 and 14.
The view from one of the decks at Hawksnest
Where to Play
There is no shortage of fun things to do in Boone, NC! Here’s what we did and how to plan your own adventures.
Mystery Hill
You haven’t seen weird until you’ve been to Mystery Hill. It’s weird but also crazy fun and was one the more unique things we’ve ever done. So the place is a museum and entertainment venue that literally has everything from mechanical bull riding to a bubble room to a museum of Native American arrowheads to a bizarre vortex room.
If you ask my kids their favorite part about Mystery Hill, it was for sure the vortex room, where you could literally lean forward and not fall over, and the axe-throwing. Plan to spend at least a couple hours here. You can purchase tickets for individual attractions or just get one pass that covers everything, which we recommend.
129 Mystery Hill Lane, Blowing Rock, NC
Fun at Mystery Hill
Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train
We were able to experience Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train and it exceeded all our expectations! The train is totally decked out to look like a skeleton that breathes smoke and guests get to ride through darkness in the mountains as they search for missing college students. The ride is a little over 20 minutes and includes somewhat scary zombies on the train and lots of action-packed stops to see fireballs and a staged gun fight.
The rest of the park has trick-or-treating, carnival rides, haunted houses, and awesome spooky dance parties. When we went, there were a lot of families and everything is not completely terrifying so most kids will enjoy it. Read our entire review here.
300 Tweetsie Railroad Ln, Blowing Rock, NC
Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad
Hawksnest Ziplining
This was one of our favorite adventures in Boone since you get to fly amongst the trees and mountains, over creeks, and walk on swinging bridges. We did the Hawk Tour, which included 11 ziplines and took about 1.5 hours. Our guides, Carson and Sky, were fantastic and made us feel safe and excited to fly on those lines!
The scenery here is unreal and we could not have loved the views and experience any more. In the winter, they have snow tubing runs – four of them in fact. We haven’t done snow tubing there but after this experience, it’s something we are going to try to get up there to cover over the winter because it looks super fun!
2058 Skyland Dr, Seven Devils, NC
Incredible views at Hawksnest!
Get Outside
Boone is the perfect basecamp for all your outdoor adventures! Here are a few of our favorite trails nearby:
Crab Orchard Falls
This beautiful waterfall has a small swimming hole and lots of rocks to hang out on and enjoy a picnic. Plus, the drive there is incredibly beautiful. You can hike the new trail (1.3 mile lollipop loop) or the old trail (1 mile out and back). Both are of moderate difficulty as they involve some inclines.
146 Skiles Way, Banner Elk, NC
Crab Orchard Falls
Rough Ridge
This short hike, under a mile roundtrip, is probably in our top three hikes in Western NC and the Upstate of South Carolina. It is that beautiful. But you need to go early during leaf season (like before 8 am) because it gets very crowded.
3218 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Linville, NC
Grandfather Mountain
The Grandfather Mountain Trail is my favorite hike of all time yet I question my life’s decisions every time I go. It’s not for beginners or the faint of heart since you’ll be scaling the side of a mountain on a ladder. My kids love it but they are experienced hikers. Grandfather Mountain is also home to an incredible nature center and the Mile High Bridge so certainly worth it to visit even if you don’t hike the tough trails.
This trail at Moses Cone Manor takes you through the woods and up a beautiful open field to a firetower with 360-degree views of the mountains. It’s about 4 miles roundtrip and easy to moderate.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 294, Blowing Rock, NC
Bass Lake
For an easy one mile loop, take the walk around Bass Lake. It’s very pretty and an easy walk.
1 Bass Lake Dr, Blowing Rock, NC
Explore Boone has a great list of other trails in the area so be sure to check that out if you want to enjoy local hikes.
Where to Shop & Stroll
Downtown Boone
There are so many fun shops and restaurants in downtown Boone that it’s hard to just go once (we went a few times during our visit!). We found some super cute clothes at Anna Banana’s thrift store and loved a festival that we happened to stumble upon while there that featured tons of local artists. The art scene is strong in Boone. There are paid public parking lots in downtown Boone plus street parking with meters.
Downtown Boone
Original Mast General Store
Did you know you can visit the original Mast General store in Valle Crucis, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Boone? It’s a super cute shop with its trademark creaking floors and candy barrels. The annex down the street has clothing and an ice cream shop.
565 Hwy 194 S, 3565 Broadstone Road, Sugar Grove, NC
Where to Eat in Boone, NC
I wish we could have tried more places to eat because literally everywhere we went was fantastic. The variety of food and the creativity of the menus are suited to match any taste and preference. Here’s where we went:
Fizz Ed
We loved Fizz Ed with its eclectic decor and amazing food. They try to make your dining experience fun – think a little sparkle magic with your kid’s fizzy drink – welcoming, and delicious. Amy, the owner who has lived in the area since she was a teenager, is so kind and thoughtful. It was easy to see how much she loves running the restaurant and creating a meal that people will not only truly enjoy but also come back for.
We had hand-breaded chicken tenders, beet hummus, a falafel and cucumber naan wrap, mac and cheese, and my favorite – homemade potato chips. I could have eaten the potato chips alone for the entire meal because they were that good.
260 Howard Street, Boone, NC
Lunch at Fizz Ed in Boone
Troy’s 105 Diner
When my daughters and I talked about our favorite meals in Boone, Troy’s took the top pick. I’m still thinking about my Patty Melt days later, and my daughter’s French Toast was huge and delicious. The 1950s-style diner has literally something for everyone, so be sure to make this a stop on your trip.
1286 NC-105, Boone, NC
Troy’s 105 Diner
Stick Boy Kitchen
With coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and bagels, Stick Boy Kitchen is a great stop for breakfast, especially if you need items on the go so you can get started on your adventures for the day. My girls loved their bagel sandwiches!
211 Boone Heights Dr, Boone
Wild Craft Eatery
Located right in downtown Boone, Wild Craft Eatery focuses on local, organic ingredients. We had their Havana Plate with chicken, rice, plantains and a delicious sauce that I still don’t know what it was and their Cuban Beans & Rice dish. Both were so flavorful. I also got one of their speciality mocktails with pineapple juice, ginger, and green tea. It was refreshing and a delightful combination of flavors that I had never had before but that worked out perfectly!
506 W King St, Boone, NC
Dan’l Boone Inn
An old school tavern complete with servers dressed in Daniel Boone-era outfits, the restaurant is a family-style spot that serves up fried chicken, hamburger steak, stewed apples, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, biscuits, salad, and dessert. You pay one price per person ($24.95/adults and less for kids depending on their ages). We loved the family style service since you don’t need to order anything and the food is great!
130 Hardin Street, Boone, NC
Appalachian Cookie Company
They make their cookies to order and have a big selection of both classic and creative cookies. Think Chocolate Chip cookies plus Cookie Butter or Nutella. The cookies are huge and you’ll walk out of there thinking about when you can go back. If you don’t have an extra 20 minutes to wait for them to bake it, they may have some cookies already in the warmer you can get immediately so just ask.
1087 W King St, Boone, NC
Melanie’s Food Fantasy
We went here for brunch and everything was delicious and filling. Their cappuccino earned the spot on my list for the best coffee I had in Boone. One of my daughters got their Bacon Avocado Eggs Benedict, which looked like art on a plate and was amazingly good.
173 Howard St, Boone, NC
Where to Stay in Boone
We stayed at Rhodes Motor Lodge just a couple miles from downtown Boone. It is so adorable and comfortable and we could park right outside our room, which made the trek with our stuff super easy. The decor is like a 1970s adventure lodge, minimal furniture with concrete, shiny flooring, extra blankets, and earth tones with soft lighting. I loved it.
View from our deck at Rhodes Motor Lodge
We had a balcony that overlooked the courtyard and had mountain views. It was beautiful! And the location is ideal – it’s close to shopping, restaurants, and grocery stores. Rhodes Motor Lodge also has free coffee and cider, which I made use of in the morning and sat outside with my daughter by the fire. It was relaxing and oh-so-enjoyable.
1377 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC
For even more things to do and see in Boone, NC, visit Explore Boone’s website. They have a great blog and wonderful ideas of even more fun to be had there!
What’s Inside: A look at what’s waiting for families on Hendersonville, NC’s Ecusta Trail.
You may be familiar with the Swamp Rabbit, Mary Black & Doodle Trails, maybe you’ve even taken a road trip up to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail near Damascus, but if your family is looking for a brand-new trail to explore, I’ve got great news! The first 6 miles of the long-awaited Ecusta Trail are open to the public, with another dozen miles set to eventually connect Hendersonville to Brevard, NC!
The Grand Opening of the Ecusta Trail
Hundreds of people gathered in Hendersonville earlier this summer to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the Ecusta Trail, the newest rail trail added to the growing network of multi-purpose trails crisscrossing western North Carolina. The Ecusta rail line was built in 1894 to service a paper mill, but the last time a train used the rail corridor was in 2002. It has taken 15 years of community efforts from nonprofits, including Friends of Ecusta Trail and Conserving Carolina, to transform it into the trail it is today!
Stops to Make Along the Trail
The Eastern Terminus of the Ecusta Trail
The eastern terminus of the Ecusta Trail (and to the section of trail that is currently open) is Main Street in Hendersonville. The town recently reworked their traffic pattern to make a safe and convenient bike lane that allows trail users to explore downtown, including some of our favorites like the Mineral & Lapidary Museum, the E.C.C.O. Aquarium & Shark Lab, the Appalachian Pinball Museum, Mast General Store and Black Bear Coffee.
Be sure to check out the Bearfootin’ Bears, a public art display featuring decorated, life-size bear sculptures!
A good starting point to exploring downtown is the Welcome Center and Trailhead (with bathrooms and water fountains). As you work your way south, the Ecusta Trail splits off going west just before S. Church & S. Main merge – and the adventure continues!
Lennox Station and Beyond
A popular stop comes up in about ½ mile: Lennox Station. Trail users can grab a quick bite from Ecusta Market & Café, and just next door is Trailside Brewing Company. Then at around mile 1.5 is Southern Streams Coffeehouse and Laurel Green Park, with the Little Laurel Green playground. Next up at mile 2 are a slew of dining options, as well as a convenience and grocery store. And around mile 3 is Basecamp: the Elijah Mountain Gem Mine and Goat Farm, and Guidon Brewing Co.
Where the Trail Ends
The trail currently ends at mile 6 in Horse Shoe, but plans are already underway for the next two sections. 5 more miles in Henderson County through Etowah and another 8 in Transylvania County will take the trail to Pisgah Forest and the western terminus, Main Street in Brevard.
For this part, the trail roughly parallels the French Broad River and Hendersonville Highway. Etowah has more than a couple of eateries and stops, as well as the Horse Shoe River Bend Access point to the French Broad River. Upon reaching Pisgah Forest and Brevard, the trail will intersect with the Brevard greenway near Oskar Blues, just west of where the Davidson River flows into the French Broad.
Please, Follow Etiquette to Stay Safe
While on the trail, users should follow the usual trail etiquette. Please respect private property and stay on the trail! Pedal-assist e-bikes are permitted on the Ecusta, but wheels yield to pedestrians, and you should keep right except to pass.
We’ve found it’s great practice for our “on your left” warning when passing – even the 5-year-old who is just learning his left from right! Helmets are required for children 16 years of age and under (who are on wheels), and pets must be on a leash no longer than 6ft & under control. Please clean up after your pet as you would anywhere!
Check out the Handy Ecusta Trail Map!
To view the interactive trail map, visit the Ecusta Trail website. It’s also got all the latest on the status of the remaining portion of the trail, as well as info on volunteering and trail events. Ecusta Trail also has a Facebook and Instagram page.
Western North Carolina and Asheville, NC have lost much of their tourist season due to the extensive damage from Helene. Small businesses count on this season to keep their doors open. This holiday season, we can help by doing our online shopping just a little bit differently. Instead of going to big box online stores, we can switch up our shopping websites and visit locally owned WNC businesses online.
How many gifts can you cross off your list while supporting these local shops that are missing their critical foot traffic this year?
We’re still building this list. Make sure to bookmark it and check back soon!
Gifts For Crafty People
Black Mountain Yarn Shop
Black Mountain, NC This locally-owned yarn shop offers all kinds of fiber items. From beautiful yarn to fabric, and even craft kits, you’ll find something here for the crafty folks in your life. Check out these fun sock kits! Black Mountain Yarn Shop
Purl’s Yarn Emporium
Asheville, NC Here’s another shop where you can purchase local yarn and hand-dyed yarn for your projects. We are loving all of this WNC local yarn. Purl’s Yarn Website
Gifts for the Foodies
Honey and the Hive
Weaverville, NC In addition to bee hive supplies, this shop has honey, gifts, books, candles, and more! We’re looking at all this delicious local honey. Yum. Is there anyone who wouldn’t want a jar of that under the tree this year? Honey and the Hive Website
French Broad Chocolates
Asheville, NC French Broad Chocolates suffered flood damage. You can help them out by purchasing chocolate this year! And really, chocolate always makes a good gift right? Get hot chocolate mixes, gourmet bars of chocolate, and there’s even a Bon Bon of the Month club. Don’t forget the gift cards. French Broad Chocolates
Beauty Gifts
C and Co. Skincare
Asheville, NC Purchase natural skincare products from this locally-owned Asheville business. We’re looking at those lavender sugar scrubs and soaps. C and Co. Skincare Website
Gifts for Music Lovers
Citizen Vinyl
Asheville, NC Vinyl records are in. This is actually one of my favorite gifts for my husband as we love to crack open a board game and put on a record for a date night in. Find used and new vinyl and other merchandise at Citizen Vinyl’s website. Citizen Vinyl Website
Heyday Musical Instruments
Asheville, NC If you’re looking to purchase a guitar as a gift this year, check out Heyday. Heyday Musical Instruments
Gifts for Everyone
Europa Fine Gifts
Black Mountain, NC This gift shop offers American and European gifts including pottery, ornaments, and even ornate cuckoo clocks. We are looking at this adorable snowman mug. Europa Fine Gifts Website
CW Moose Trading Compay
Black Mountain, NC T-Shirts, hats, and other merchandise with a Blue Ridge Mountain theme out of Black Mountain. CW Moose Trading Company Website
Mountain Made
Asheville, NC Mountain Made carries locally made art from pottery to wood crafts, blacksmith works, soaps, and lots more. Support a local business and a local artisan by purchasing your gifts here, like this berry pie pottery dish. Mountain Made Website
Moonlight Makers
Asheville, NC Shirts and bags with funny sayings, candles, mugs, cups and more. Moonlight Makers Website
Razberry Threads
Asheville, NC and Hendersonville, NC Find gifts including unique clothing styles, bath and body gifts, scarves and more at Razberry Threads. These hedgehog socks would be an adorable stocking stuffer. Razberry Threads
Do you know of a local WNC business we should add to this shopping list? Let us know! Email Maria@kiddingaroundgreenville.com
Have you ever panned for gold? Are you wanting to go gold panning in North Carolina? Did you know that Parts of Western NC are known for gems and gold mining and Lucky Strike in Marion, NC has both. We tried our hand at gold panning, and here’s how it went!
During our wonderful stay at Gold River, a glamping campground in Western North Carolina, only 90 minutes from Greenville, the kind owners recommended we go gold panning at Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine, just two miles down the road. I’ve done gem mining on a flume a couple of times, which is pretty fun, but it’s fast and not too hard. I thought gold panning would be the same. And did I think we would find gold? Absolutely not.
I was wrong on both accounts!
Where’s that gold?
Lucky Strike Gem Mine & Campground
Lucky Strike is located on the Second Broad River, a shallow, bubbling creek that apparently is rich in gold and mineral deposits. The place is a campground that has tent sites, camper pads, and cabins. It used to be a mining operation but switched in the late 90s to open up more to the public and amateur prospectors.
The owner, Liz McCormick, is one of the nicest people I think I’ve ever met. The woman is a wealth of knowledge about gold panning and the local area. She was so patient in teaching my kids and I how to properly pan for gold and sift through the massive bucket of dirt that we got.
The Miner’s Diner
I love me a good diner and Lucky Strike has a small diner with prices that will have you believing that you stepped back to the 1950s to match. They have coffee and breakfast sandwiches, grits, burgers, fries, hashbrowns, and sweet tea. It was too early for lunch when we went so we ordered a couple of bacon and egg sandwiches on biscuits. They were delicious!
Liz told us the burgers are what customers come back for. I almost went back there for dinner just to try the burgers (at $3 each, why not, right?) but we were so wiped out that we stayed back at Gold River to relax. Next time.
Panning for Gold
I honestly was not thinking we would find any gold. I mean, didn’t that already happen like decades and decades ago? Well, there is some gold left for us!
Gold panning lesson
First of all, panning for gold isn’t like gem mining. Gold flecks are a lot smaller than gems and precious stones so you can’t use those square pans with holes in them. You have to use concave discs that have ridges you use to create little sandy beds with the dirt. Then it is then sifted over with water and spun around a bit to separate any gold you may have from the sand. Liz explained this a lot better than I am.
There is definitely a method to figuring it out and it’s a slow process. I initially thought we would go through two 4-gallon buckets of dirt. We ended up getting one of them ($15) and more than two hours after we started panning for gold, we still had more than a third of the bucket left! I ended up giving the rest to a couple near us since we had to move on to another excursion. Between gold panning and eating at the diner, you could easily spend several hours here.
And we did find gold! When you do gold panning, you get a little suction thing to grab the gold and a small container to put it in so you can see your prize up close. It was so cool and my kids and I had such a blast doing it.
The gold we found
My kids, ages 11 and 8, really enjoyed it as well although my youngest seemed to be getting bored over an hour into it because she was having some trouble figuring out the whole panning technique. I think a lot of the interest will depend upon each individual kid.
Another cool thing about either choosing gem mining or gold panning is that you can do it rain or shine since the flumes are under a big, covered shelter.
Visiting Lucky Strike Gold & Gem Mine
Lucky Strike is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm. They are closed on Christmas Day. They have other things related to panning there as well but I honestly have no idea what they mean: high banking, group digs, and dredging. I did see a lot of heavy machinery there and big tubes and hoses but I don’t know anything about this topic to even guess how they are used. My gold mining knowledge only extends to a couple of Discovery Channel shows.
Lucky Strike has restrooms and a little gift shop on site.
If you’re up in the area, I highly recommend checking out Lucky Strike for the sheer excitement of trying your luck panning for gold and of course, grabbing a burger while you’re at it.
Looking forward to picking a pumpkin at The Nix Pumpkin Patch in Hendersonville, NC? This u-pick pumpkin patch allows you to cut the pumpkin right off the vine. We visited The Nix Pumpkin Patch and had so much fun searching for the perfect pumpkin, visiting their market, drinking apple cider, and making a lot of memories!
The Pumpkin Patch is open from September 7th, 2024 until late November.
The Nix Pumpkin Patch is a family-owned and operated pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Situated amongst a plethora of orchards and farms, you’ll find one of the only u-pick patches in the Hendersonville area. There is just something about cutting your pumpkin right off that vine that makes it so much better!
Planning to Spend the day exploring Hendersonville, NC? Check out our guide to Things to do in Hendersonville, NC. The guide is full of reviews on places to eat, play, orchards, and vineyards to explore.
The Pumpkin Patch
Once you grab your sheers and wagon from under the repurposed jack-o-lantern painted grain silo, you can head inside The Pumpkin Patch. Make sure to follow all the rules posted at the entrance to keep the patch happy. First, you’ll notice the rows dedicated to cinderella style pumpkins. These are the funky-shaped, bright orange pumpkins reminiscent of Cinderella’s carriage.
As you work your way back, you’ll find several dozen rows of jack-o-lantern pumpkins. These are the ones you may want if you’re going to use them for Halloween because of their uniformity and various shapes and sizes to choose from. Just make sure to not step on the vines when cutting your pumpkin off! Also, if you cut it off, you buy it, so make sure it’s exactly what you are wanting before making the cut.
Pumpkin prices range from $2-$3 for very small, malformed pumpkins, to $45 to $50 for larger pumpkins. Most of the pumpkins in the patch fall somewhere in the middle of that pricing. We were able to purchase two pie pumpkins for $5 each and an average size carving pumpkin for $10. They also have dozens of prepicked pumpkins for the same pricing scale, and you will find a small sharpied price tagged right on top near the stem.
Inside the Market at Nix Pumpkin Patch
Either before or after you pick your pumpkins, you will want to head into the market to explore all the goods and yummy treats for sale. The well-stocked market has everything from ornamental glass gem corn for decorating, to sweet treats, snacks, and multiple flavors of cider slushies! There is even an adorable section of all things Spookley the Square Pumpkin.
You will find refrigerators full of fruits, vegetables, sodas, and more to purchase along the walls. They also sell a lot of local goods, crafts, and vegetables. Don’t forget your bagged apples and jugs of cider before heading to the checkout.
Photo Opportunities at the Pumpkin Patch
There are multiple places to take some amazing photos of your kids at Nix’s. Before you even enter, there are humongous pumpkins by the entrance that will dwarf your toddler, making for a cute photo session.
In the courtyard past the market, you will find a gorgeous display of colorful pumpkins surrounding a bench, perfect for fall photos of the entire family!
In addition, there are wooden photo stand-ins to stick your face through for a silly photo, photos beside the jack o lantern grain silo, and of course, the pumpkin patch itself. So, grab your camera and click away!
Pick Your Own Flowers at Nix Pumpkin Patch
Nix’s also offers a pick-your-own flower patch. The flowers are in rows right before you enter the pumpkin patch, and they are not hard to miss. The flowers are a gorgeous display of colorful zinnias and dahlias, perfect for your fall centerpieces.
Visiting The Nix’s Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkin patch is open every day, Sunday – Saturday, from 9 am – 6 pm beginning in mid-September. The patch will be open into late November, but November hours will only be Friday – Sunday from 9 am – 6 pm.
Nix’s does have wagons available to carry out larger pumpkins to your car, or you can bring your own wagon to carry your pumpkin haul.
Have you heard of the “Shadow of the Bear”? It’s exactly like it sounds but to see it, you have to be high up on Whiteside Mountain in Cashiers, NC, less than two hours from Greenville. Here’s what you need to know to catch the cool WNC shadow of the bear experience.
Every fall, a really neat phenomenon called the Shadow of the Bear emerges near Cashiers, North Carolina in the early evening, where Whiteside Mountain forms a shadow in the valley when the sun is at the right point that looks exactly like a bear.
Looking for more to do in Western North Carolina? Don’t miss our article on WNC’s Secret Season. You’ll find amazing adventures that are budget-friendly.
Courtesy of Stacy Redmon
I love Cashiers and have hiked and vacationed there with my family. Seeing the Shadow of the Bear has been a bucket list item for a few years. It’s such a unique sight that is not only fun to look at but also enhances the already beautiful landscape of brightly colored leaves during that time of year.
To see it, you need to head up Highway 64 to a place called Rhodes Big View Overlook. Be sure to get there a little before 5:30 pm when the shadow happens in the valley next to Whiteside Mountain. Weekdays are way better than weekends. And there has to be a fairly clear sky. The full shadow takes about 30 minutes to emerge.
Since it’s a good hour and 45 minutes from Greenville, staying overnight up there wouldn’t be a bad idea. Driving home in the dark through the mountains was a tad scary just because I was watching for deer and bears.
It’s pretty high up there as well – about 4,930 feet – so bring a jacket to stay warm as you catch the bear shadow. This only happens twice a year, from mid-October to early November and also from mid-February to early March. The timing of the fall Shadow of the Bear is splendid because it hits during leaf-peeping time.
Know Before You Go
The Shadow of the Bear happens mid-October through early November
The shadow won’t come out on cloudy days so only go when it’s sunny.
The bear starts to emerge about 5:30 pm in the valley next to Whiteside Mountain and takes 30 minutes to fully come out. Get there early (or later at 6:15 pm to see the full shadow) because there are crowds.
The best view is from the Rhodes Big View Overlook on Highway 64 in Cashiers. An “overlook” would be generous – it’s more like a glorified shoulder. You need to keep kids close to you since it can be dangerous if cars swing around that curve too fast (photo below).
Bring a warm jacket since it’s nearly 5,000 feet above sea level and chilly that time of year.
The shadow also emerges in mid-February for a few weeks.
Have you seen the Shadow of the Bear?
Discover more fun in WNC!
A Mountain in NC Makes a Giant Bear Shadow For Only 2 Weeks in the Fall
How does a day full of totally free things to do in Hendersonville, NC sound? It’s a real possibility. There are so many free, as well as a few very inexpensive things to do in Hendersonville that your whole family will enjoy. Really, these are cool and unique free things to do.
Make it one awesome day trip, or make it several fun summer days. Either way, enjoy the gorgeous mountain town of Hendersonville, NC for very little money. Memory-making family adventures don’t have to be expensive!
Totally Free Things to Do in Hendersonville, NC
Bullington Gardens and the Fairy Trail
What’s better than a beautiful free walk through a blooming garden? Fairies. Fairies are better. And you can have both on the Fairy Trail at Bullington Gardens. Admission is totally free! Check out everything you need to know in our review of the Fairy Trail at Bullington Gardens.
95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, NC The Fairy Trail is open June 1 – the end of August annually
The Fairy Trail at Bullington Gardens
Apple Valley Model Railroad
On Saturdays and Wednesdays, you can visit the Apple Valley Model Railroad totally free. Inside this old train station, you’ll find several huge indoor model train displays as well as an awesome outdoor display complete with Thomas the Train.
650 Maple Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792 Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm Wednesdays 1 pm to 3 pm
Carl Sandburg Home
The Carl Sandburg Home is a national historic site. You can tour the historic house, home of writer Carl Sandburg, and enjoy the grounds which just happen to include a working goat farm. There are also hiking trails on the property and nearby. Admission is free, so pack a picnic and spend the day.
Baby goats at the Carl Sandburg Home
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site 81 Carl Sandburg Lane, Flat Rock, NC 28731
Holmes Educational State Forest
Looking for some more hiking and learning opportunities? Check out Holmes Educational State Forest in Hendersonville. It’s free and a great place to spend a few hours or a whole day.
1299 Crab Creek Road, Hendersonville, NC
Decommissioned NC Forest Service helicopter on the Crab Creek Trail at Holmes Educational State Forest
The Park at Flat Rock
The Park at Flat Rock has one of the most amazing playgrounds we’ve ever seen. Plus, you’ll find a lot of beautiful outdoor garden space to get lost in nature. It’s a sunny area so don’t forget some hats and sunscreen, as well as some snacks and picnics
55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock, NC Open dawn to dusk
Justus Orchard
Justus Orchard open in Late July/Early August each year from the fall season! Weekends all summer long Justus will be open, with extended weekday hours during apple season. There’s no admission to enjoy the orchard or playground!
For a fee: When they are ripe, U-pick blackberries will be available, as well as apples. You can purchase cider slushies and cider donuts all summer long. The jumping pillow will also be open for a fee.
The Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County
Learn about geology and paleontology for free at the Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County. The museum footprint is small, but the amount of things to see is not! You’ll see and learn about fossils, coral, gems, minerals, rocks, and a lot more. We enjoyed the fossil dinosaur egg nest, the T-Rex head fossil, and the arrowheads particularly. Admission is free, but you can also purchase geodes to be cracked open on-site, which is pretty fun.
Don’t miss the fluorescent rock and mineral display. It is behind the black curtain to the right as soon as you walk into the museum. The button to run the lights and narration is a doorbell-shaped button on the right. You have to press it to see the rocks glow! Do not skip that part. They don’t look at all cool until you press that button!
400 North Main Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792 Open Monday through Friday from 1 pm to 5 pm and Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm.
Henderson County Heritage Museum
Learn about the history and heritage that made Hendersonville what it is today inside the Henderson County Historic Courthouse. You can visit the Henderson County Heritage Museum for free.
1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville, NC Open Wednesday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm.
TIEC Saturday Night Lights
The Tryon International Equestrian Center’s Saturday Night Lights is a Kidding Around favorite. So, even though this venue isn’t technically in Hendersonville, it still makes our list. It’s just 35 minutes outside Hendersonville and totally worth it. You won’t believe all the free things they have to do, in addition to watching the horses.
Window Shop and Stroll on Main Street
Take a walk in Downtown Hendersonville! Do some window shopping and be sure to pop into Kilwin’s for a sample. Also, don’t forget to check out the front windows of Team ECCO Aquarium and spend a few minutes watching the tortoises eat and explore their habitat. If you’re lucky, you may even catch the volunteers bringing the tortoises out for some sun on the sidewalk.
“Bearfootin’ in Hendersonville” Public Art Display
While you’re walking about Main Street, enjoy the “Bearfootin’ in Hendersonville” public art display. These decorated bears all over Hendersonville are super cute and make great photo opportunities. Make sure to snap a selfie with your favorite!
Western North Carolina Air Museum
Check out cool old aircraft at a hanger beside an operating small airport at the Western North Carolina Air Museum. Volunteers are on hand to answer questions and tell you about the planes. You can learn about the planes and watch others take-off and land! Admission is free.
Wednesdays and Saturdays open 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays open 12 pm to 5 pm (hours vary by season) 1340 Gilbert Street, Hendersonville, NC
Scenic Views and Hiking at Jump Off Rock
Drive to the top of the mountain for scenic views at Jump Off Rock. This is a great spot for picnics and a bit of hiking. There are three short trails available and they vary in difficulty, covering rocky areas, and densely wooded areas. It’s very pretty and worth the short drive from downtown Hendersonville.
4433 Laurel Park Highway, Laurel Park, NC
Cheap and Very Cool Things to Do in Hendersonville
Team Ecco Aquarium
The coolest little aquarium you’ll ever visit, Team ECCO is totally worth a stop in Hendersonville, NC.
Admission is cheap at $7.50 per person ages 5 to 65. Under the age of 5 is $5.25 and over 65 is $6.50. Teachers, EMTs, police, and firefighters get in for $6.50
511 North Main Street, Hendersonville, NC Team ECCO Open 1 pm to 4 pm Wednesday – Saturday No public hours the first Wednesday of each month
Appalachian Pinball Museum
Admission to Appalachian Pinball Museum is actually totally free, but if you want to play the 80+ games in the museum you’ll need to pay a flat $12 fee. You can stay all day and play pinball and arcade games on historic and modern machines.
538 North Main StreetHendersonville, NC Hours: Sunday and Monday 1 pm to 6 pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 2 pm to 9 pm, and Saturdays 12 pm to 9 pm
Fireside Golf
Fireside Golf has a driving range, mini golf course, batting cages and more. The driving range is an affordable family outing if you have your own clubs. A bucket of balls costs $10 to $12. A round of mini-golf will cost you a little more here, but folks really like this pretty course. Mini-golf costs $9 for adults, $7 for kids and kids under age 4 are free.
Planning a tubing day trip? Bryson City, NC is home to Deep Creek tubing, a popular river tubing destination. With several places to rent tubes, plus local campgrounds, Deep Creek tubing is a great choice for a tubing adventure.
KAG’s Kristina Hernandez spent a day tubing with her kids. Here’s how her day went tubing at Deep Creek, plus some tips for planning your own tubing adventure.
Tubing has been on my summer bucket list for awhile. I had to wait until I felt comfortable taking my nearly five-year-old out on the river. This was the summer we made it happen and it all went down at Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains in Bryson City, North Carolina. And we did it for super cheap, only $8/person for all day tubing.
Tubing on Deep Creek
Deep Creek is a stretch of pretty shallow water stretching along the Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina side of the park in Bryson City. There are several campgrounds and places to rent tubes from in a stretch of less than two miles.
We rented tubes from Deep Creek Tubing & Campground where tubes cost just $8/each. They come with a life jacket for a refundable 100% $10 cash deposit (and a 50% refundable $10 credit card deposit). I brought ours from home so we didn’t need them. I saw other places, like Tube World just down the road. There were several others outside the park entrance.
Since you are parking inside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you need a parking sticker. You can get them at kiosks around the park. It costs $5/day, $15/week or $40/year.
I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to get a tube since I went on July 4th but there were plenty of tubes and I understood why Deep Creek Tubing doesn’t take reservations.
How Old Should Kids Be to Tube?
This is a question that parents need to ask themselves. Since it was just me taking my two kids, ages eight and almost five, I needed to be confident enough to know I could safely handle my kids and their tubes floating down the river since we would be tethered together.
Many tubing places have age restrictions, which we list in our giant list of places to go tubing in NC, SC, and GA. Deep Creek Tubing didn’t have any restrictions. I’ve gone tubing several times, just not with my kids, so I knew what to generally expect and could figure it out from there on what would be safe.
Both of my kids can swim but I wasn’t taking chances and they both wore life jackets. It can be a wild, bouncy ride. Great Smoky Mountains National Park now requires children 13 years of age and younger to wear a life jacket while tubing. You may bring your own, or rent one at Deep Creek with a $10 deposit, which is 100% refundable if you pay with cash and 50% refundable if you pay with credit card.
I saw several parents hang onto their kids’ tubes or use twine or ropes to tether tubes together. I felt more comfortable doing that, especially since my youngest was kind of scared the first run down the river.
Prepare to Walk
This was the first tubing experience I ever had where I had to walk my tube to the drop-in point and do it over and over again until I was too tired. Other places take you and your tube to the drop-in point and you float down the river until you hit the outfitters where your car is parked. Not at Deep Creek because vendors are not legally allowed in the park.
How it works is that you rent the tubes from the rental place, get some help tying them to the roof of your car, drive into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park maybe a mile down the road, park your car either in the big picnic area or up a little ways into another parking lot, get the tubes down from your car and then carry them about a half mile to the first drop-in point, the lower part of the river where the rapids are more calm. You can walk further for a little more adventure but we didn’t do that.
Either way, you’ll pass Tom Branch Falls, a beautiful waterfall right on the river. We saw it multiple times because it’s on the trail you walk to get to the drop-in point. Its beauty never got old!
I had to carry the tube of my youngest kid twice and then both kids another two times – so three tubes total for a mile. It was a workout for sure but still fun and enjoyable. Water shoes are a must since rocks are slippery and the trail is very rocky. I saw people wearing sneakers so whatever works for you, as long as you have shoes on.
What to Bring
Don’t bring much with you because it’s very easy to lose valuables in the river. I bought an awesome little waterproof phone carrier where I put my phone and keys and had it around my neck. We applied sunscreen before we started tubing and again midway through the day. We all had hats, which one of my kid’s lost, of course.
Some people had sticks or rods to help push them out of the rocks when they got stuck – my version was to either use my feet to push off or get out of the tube in the rapids, slip on the rocks, listen to my youngest get all upset while I was flailing around, and then somehow hop back into the tube and reassure my child I was fine. Everyone has their methods.
Since you get out of the river usually where your car is parked, you can take a break during the day and eat lunch. Be sure to drink a ton of water since it’s hot and you don’t want to get dehydrated, which can totally happen even though you’re in water all day. There are no vendors anywhere in the park but since I had to bribe my youngest kid to get in the water, I did find out there is a good snack bar with ice cream right outside the entrance to the park. They also have nachos, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.
Day Trippin’
Bryson City is only about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Greenville so it’s certainly doable as a day trip. If you want to make it a weekend trip, I’d recommend staying at Sky Ridge Yurts, about 20 minutes away from Deep Creek. Yurts are awesome and Sky Ridge Yurts will blow you away. There is also great hiking, including the Deep Creek Trail (which you can take to Indian Creek for a waterfall view). You can go hiking, biking, and picnicking at several gorgeous places near Bryson City, including the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
Tube for Free
You don’t have to rent a tube at Deep Creek to have a fun day on the water. If you already own a river tube, you can park inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and hike the half-mile to the drop-in point and tube down the river.
If I had a river tube, I’d totally do this! I saw a bunch of people tube with their own tubes or other flotation devices. Look for sales at the end of the season to score a big tube for a great price – or just go to Walmart. There’s nothing like tubing on a hot summer day.
Deep Creek Tubing Rentals
The Deep Creek area has a few places to rent tubes right near the entrance to the Smokies and Deep Creek. These companies generally operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, but some could may continue after Labor Day. You’ll find these on West Deep Creek Road in Bryson City.
In need of a perfect plan, packed with fun things to do in Asheville, NC, for your next family-friendly trip? We have you covered! Situated between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville makes a beautiful day trip destination. But if you’re looking for something a little longer, there’s enough to do in Asheville to fill up a long weekend. This Guide to Asheville, NC will help you plan your trip!
What Would You Like to Explore in Asheville, NC?
Day Trips and Date Nights: Things to Do in Asheville, NC
Asheville has a lot to offer families. These places make great day trip destinations in Asheville, NC. String a few together and you’ve got a mini-vacation!
If you’re looking for more day trip ideas in the Asheville area, visit our Guide to Western North Carolina where you’ll find many more ideas!
WNC Nature Center is a great place to spend the day with the family and learn about animals native to Western North Carolina! The nature center is home to foxes, black bears, cougars, a hellbender salamander, and more!
WNC Nature Center 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, NC
WNC Nature Center is so fun. We also LOVE eating at Farm Burger.
Ride KidZip, the first Zipline in the country built for kids ages 4 to 10. But don’t think this place is just for younger kids, there’s an adult zipline course, a climbing wall, and their Treetops Adventure Park, and more!
The North Carolina Arboretum is a beautiful place to spend a few hours. Enjoy the gorgeous flowers, plants, and fountains. Stroll through the Bonsai Garden, or watch the outdoor model train run through a garden village. The NC Arboretum is located just before the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, so you can explore there once you leave.
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville 828.665.2492
It wouldn’t be a visit to Asheville if you didn’t embrace the art culture there. There are art galleries galore to explore, with tons of local and award-winning artist’s works on display.
Winter Things to Do Near Asheville
Winter activities in Asheville include skiing and snow tubing. Here are a couple of places where you can enjoy these winter sports and activities in Asheville.
We love corn mazes! Asheville is home to the Eliada Corn Maze where you can get lost in a corn maze, but also enjoy hay rides, cow train rides, a small hay bale maze, spider web play area, giant slides, corn cob guns, giant checkers game and more!
Thinking about a day trip to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC? KAG Guest Contributor Lauren Justus visited to the Nantahala Outdoor Center with her family. She’s telling us all about their adventures, with recommendations on things to do and where to eat near the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
I want to tell you about the perfect family day trip to the NC mountains. We left Greenville, SC one Sunday morning, heading toward the Nantahala Outdoor Center Website (NOC) in Bryson City, NC. This was exactly a two-hour drive for us. It was most definitely worth it. We spent the day enjoying the beautiful sights and sounds of the NOC campus, restaurants, and outfitters store and ended our day with an adventurous tubing experience.
Find a place to stay in Bryson City, NC. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Dining at the NOC
There are two great riverfront dining options at the NOC. We opted for River’s End Restaurant, open daily. We arrived as the restaurant was opening for lunch and were able to sit outside on the covered porch overlooking the river. The weather was perfect!
There was a really nice breeze, as the restaurant sits up high overlooking the river. Get there early to grab a prime seat on the patio – it filled up quickly on a Sunday. With a menu ranging from burgers, salads, pizza, and sandwiches, there is definitely something for everyone. Read the full menu on the River’s End Restaurant Website.
If you’re looking for a more casual option, order food for pick up at Big Wesser, directly across from River’s End Restaurant, where you’ll take your food to a table (first come, first served) with also great views of the action on the water! Read the full menu on the Big Wesser Riverside Pub Website.
For a sweet treat or morning breakfast, enjoy donuts and coffee from Slow Joe’s Donut Bus. Read the full menu on the Slow Joe’s Donut Bus Website.
Lodging At NOC
There are several places to stay in Bryson City, NC. You can camp or stay in one of their many lodges or cabins. To find a place to stay visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center Website.
NOC Whitewater Rafting
The NOC is known for their exciting whitewater rafting adventures. This wasn’t part of our trip since our preschool-age children were with us, but I highly recommend those with older children who are at least 7 years old or 60 lbs. look into a guided rafting trip down the Nantahala River.
This 8-mile trip is a great option for first-time rafters, led by an experienced NOC guide to help navigate the river and successfully glide down the Class III rapids at the very end of the course. Talk about an adrenaline rush! All safety gear is provided for you, just be sure to bring your water shoes, a towel, and some dry clothes to change into.
The NOC will transport you up to the top of the course by bus. Prepare yourself for this three-hour adventure, the Nantahala River is the coldest whitewater stream in the Southeast with an average temperature barely reaching the 50’s.
After lunch, we walked around the NOC grounds to explore. Our boys (ages 3 and 5) spent well over an hour wading in the crystal clear water watching brave kayakers and rafters navigate the river. There is a very shallow area next to the restaurants with plenty of room to space out and get your feet wet. The 50-degree water didn’t stop my three-year-old from getting soaked from head to toe!
Your kids will also love this: walk (upstream) to the back of River’s Edge Restaurant. You’ll see a sidewalk that will take you uphill to an overlook. It’s a very short walk. Here you will find an entertaining view of the Class III rapids at the end of the rafting course. Around 12:30 pm we were able to watch dozens of whitewater rafters and kayakers making their way down the final (intense) falls! Our children found that very exciting. We watched many rafters fall out and successfully get rescued by other rafts in the fleet!
Also on that Sunday afternoon, the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad (GSMR) stopped at the NOC for a one-hour layover, and how I wish I could have caught my boys’ expressions when they saw that train coming to a stop right as we were walking by! The GSMR posts its daily schedule on the Great Smoky Mountains website, so check that before you plan your visit to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to see if that can work out for your day trip.
More Things to Do at NOC
Hiking the Appalachian Trail If you’ve ever dreamed of setting foot on the Appalachian Trail, you can do that at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Just a quick walk over the train tracks you’ll see signs pointing you to the trail. We didn’t venture too far, but it was really fun to experience that!
Zip Lining If you are looking for more adventure, check out the NOC’s guided zip line tour. You’ll travel through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have prime views of Fontana Lake.
As we departed the NOC and headed back to Greenville, we stopped at Deep Creek Tube Center and Campground (directly on our route home). My five-year-old was asking for an adventure, and did we ever find it! We rented tubes for $7 per person, tied them to the top of our car, and drove about a mile into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Deep Creek is a one-mile stretch with the upper section more appropriate for older children and adults. We opted for the lower section which is wider and much calmer, but still very exciting. I was able to tube independently while holding a rope attached to my son’s tube. He was always beside me. You’ll park your car and walk while carrying your tubes the half-mile journey (via sidewalk) where you will see many places to put your tube in and start the fun! We went down the half-mile (lower section) three times before heading home. The water is shallow, about 2 feet deep. Tubing season ends after Labor Day weekend.
Pro Tips for Visiting the NOC
Arrive early to the Nantahala Outdoor Center if you plan to visit on a weekend. When we arrived, the main parking lot to the NOC was already full at 10:30 am (mainly from rafters who arrived early for their guided tours). There are signs that point you to alternate parking areas but I can see how those would also fill up quickly.
Pack a towel and change of clothes for everyone, even if you aren’t participating in the white water rafting. My kids really wanted me to join in on the fun of feeling the “take-your-breath-away” temperature of the Nantahala River! With that said, bring your water shoes! There are really nice changing facilities available next to the Big Wesser Restaurant and rafting check-in area.
Pose for a family photo on the NOC bridge, you can’t miss it!
I hope you enjoy the atmosphere of the NOC as much as we did. It was just what our family needed, and good for the soul to breathe in some fresh mountain air!
Discover more things to do in Western North Carolina!
Day Trip to The Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC
Graveyard Fields: Don’t Let the Name of This Awesome Swimming Hole Scare You Off
Have you ever wanted to walk the Yellow Brick Road to the Land of Oz? Well, your chance to walk that Yellow Brick Road, meet Dorothy, and so much more about three hours from Upstate, SC. We have all the details on what to expect, where to eat, and where to stay when you head to the Land of Ozthe last three weekends in September 2024.
This review is a combination of trips in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Thank you to the Land of Oz for providing media tickets so we could write this review.
Thank you to the Land of Oz for providing access to the famed themed park so we could bring this story to our readers.
How Did We End Up with a Land of Oz Just 3 Hours from Greenville, SC?
Over a hundred years ago, a children’s literature writer named L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story that has stood the test of time. Twenty years after Baum’s death in 1919, The Wizard of Oz movie was released. Believe it or not, the movie was not a huge hit. They barely recovered their investment of nearly three million dollars. It wasn’t until almost twenty years after the movie’s release that it was broadcast on TV, which reignited interest in the movie.
In 1970, The Land Of Oz was opened under the guidance of the same man responsible for the Tweetsie Railroad. The park attracted 4,000 visitors on opening day and continued that success for the first year. Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate events led to the closing of the park a decade after it opened, then the park fell into disrepair and only occasionally hosted private events.
The Reopening Of The Land Of Oz On Beech Mountain
Social media posts from urban explorers with photos of overgrown yellow brick paths and dilapidated structures were partially responsible for the re-interest in The Land Of Oz. Starting in 1988, a reunion of original park employees, known as the “Ozzies,” ignited the yearly re-openings, which has since become known as the Autumn at Oz Festival. The Land of Oz is now owned and operated by the Leidy family, under the artistic direction of Sean Barrett.
We were invited to experience the magic that is The Land Of Oz a couple of times over the past few years and as you can probably guess, it’s magical! Some of the best parts of our trips have been not only seeing our kids and their excitement but also watching all the adults totally get into it, taking photos with all the characters, and really having fun. The Land of Oz appeals to any age.
What You Need to Know about the Land of Oz Before You Head To Beech Mountain
The Land of Oz is only open a handful of times a year. It traditionally opens only for three weekends in September for Autumn in Oz.
If you are lucky enough to score tickets to this event, pack your bags and get ready to enjoy an adventure in a beautiful mountaintop town.
What to Wear: Your Wizard of Oz-Themed Costumes
If you are so inclined, you’ll need to plan your wardrobe for the trip. Dressing for the occasion isn’t mandatory. However, it makes it so much more fun. Dressing up doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can mean Wizard of Oz T-shirts, a store-bought costume, or an inspired outfit.
I saw lots of blue gingham and sparkly red shoes being worn, a nod to Judy Garland’s costume in The Wizard Of Oz. People who were dressed for the occasion definitely had more fun interacting with the characters but those of us who didn’t also really enjoyed watching them!
My daughters were Dorothy last Halloween and had the costumes already so they wore them for the media day and we had such a blast. They were so cute posing with Dorothy and skipping through Oz.
Where to Stay Near Beech Mountain
The map below offers some excellent options near Land of Oz. When you book through the map, Kidding Around earns through an affiliate relationship with STAY22.
The Pinnacle Inn is right on Beech Mountain and a great option if you want to be nearby to the Land of Oz. This condominium and rental property are right next to the Land of Oz parking area, making it easier to get there early. Driving times are deceptive on the mountain because the speed limit is slow for safety reasons. Something that is only a few miles away might be a 20-minute drive time.
Many of the rooms are spacious and well-equipped with balconies that overlook the mountains and ski resort. The property includes an all-weather activity center with a pool, sauna, hot tub, and workout room. There was also a mini-golf course, shuffleboard, tennis, and a playground.
You can also look for AirBnBs nearby either on Beech Mountain or in Banner Elk at the bottom of the mountain. We really enjoyed this place.
Where to Eat: Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria
On our first night on Beech Mountain, we had dinner at The Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria. The restaurant is run by two brothers who are second-generation restaurateurs. The menu has something for everyone, and they serve large portions at a reasonable price. We enjoyed pizza, hot wings, and a Greek salad. The very first thing I noticed when I took a bite of pizza was the sauce. Of course, no one wants to hear a New Yorker talking about the pizza from back home, so I’ll skip that as a courtesy to our readers. The sauce is homemade from crushed tomatoes. It tastes fresh and light, and you can tell from the first bite.
Another thing I noticed was everyone working at Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria was focused on helping the guests, and they seemed genuinely happy to do so, from the people taking care of the trash cans to the people helping with the orders.
The Big Day: Visiting The Land of Oz on Beech Mountain
Checking In and Getting Up the Mountain
When you purchase your tickets, you have to choose a timed entry. This is because the operators of the theme park want you to have a great experience without a ton of people. You can arrive an hour before your ticket time and up to 30 minutes after. So, for example, if your ticket time is 1pm, you can arrive at Noon or as late as 1:30 pm.
You can stay in Oz as long as you like until it closes for the day. Certainly plan your trip with this knowledge in mind and know that there is usually construction delays or football games in the area that may slow you down.
Once you park (just follow the signs), you can either choose a shuttle bus to take you up to the Land of Oz or pay an extra $17 for the chair lift, which gets you beautiful views all the way up and down.
The park utilizes small charter-style buses and converted school buses used for other seasonal events. The trip up is about a 15-minute ride.
To Get to Oz First You Have to Go to Kansas
Once you get off the chair lift or shuttle bus, you’ll enter another line, which leads you into the park, past the fountain, and onto a short path that walks you through the history of the park. It’s pretty fascinating!
You will know you have arrived in Kansas when you Professor Marvel waiting to greet visitors. This section has several vendors, The Gale home, the farm, and of course, Professor Marvel. Try to get a good seat on the hay bales in front of the barn; this is where the show will start. The farmhands perform a dance routine with Dorothy, which starts off a rotation of three short vignette shows in different parts of Kansas and then you will enter the Gale home.
Dorothy singing at the Land of Oz
Right after the barn show is when Dorothy walks through the crowd and next to the Gale house and sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” so if you love that song, this is when it happens.
Once you enter the Gale home, you’ll walk through the house (which really looks like a home where people live) and Auntie Em will usher you into the storm cellar to escape the approaching tornado where you’ll walk through switchbacks and brightly colored murals. It’s really neat! You’ll feel like you’re actually in a house that went through a tornado since the floors are slanted and the rooms are a disaster. Think of your kid’s room. That’s what those rooms look like.
When you exit at the other end, you will be in Oz.
In 2023, the Land of Oz added several live performances throughout your experience. There will be performances by several of the characters that happen every 10-15 minutes so if you miss it, don’t worry, it will happen again shortly.
This was some of our very favorite parts of the entire experience.
When you leave the Gale house after the tornado, the Wicked Witch of the West will be waiting with lots of hilarious insults. We saw one little girl burst into tears because she was scared so be aware if you have frightened little ones. I was laughing so hard at her insults – they were great.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Your journey on the yellow brick road consists of photo opportunities with characters including Glinda the Good Witch, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Wicked Witch of the West & Flying Monkeys. You will also encounter Winkies.
This is where all the performances with Dorothy and the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow take place. It was such a blast to watch them sing and dance. Guests are also given opportunities to wait in line for photos with the characters.
Dorothy and the Scarecrow
This part of the tour takes about an hour just depending on if you want to wait in line for pictures. There are also restrooms along the Yellow Brick Road just before you get to the Wicked Witch and her monkey assistant, who are hilarious. I loved their little show.
Fun Tips for Photos with the Characters
Get the best reactions if you want to make the most of the photo opportunities with characters, lines from the movie, or funny out-of-character interactions. These cast members pose all day long with guests, and entertaining them with your knowledge of the movie will pay off on film. Take your time and interact with the characters. They will come up with witty responses on the spot, making the experience all the more magical.
The Tin Man
I asked the Scarecrow for his phone number on my cell phone, joking he was “my type”.
My shirt had the Wicked Witch on it, so when I had the meet and greet with her I told her I didn’t like competition and we joked about it. Then I asked her to share her secrets.
Because of my shirt and the witch hat I was wearing, the flying monkeys ran up to me making heart shapes with their hands.
I wish I had thought to sit at the crystal ball with Professor Marvel.
I asked the Tin Man to help me find a heart and he was just the sweetest. I may have fallen a little bit in love with him.
Your Final Destination: Emerald City
After you’ve traveled the yellow brick road, you’ll come upon the gate to the Emerald City. You’ll need to ring the bell to gain entrance. After you have satisfied the gatekeeper with your answers, the Emerald City awaits. This area has a tent-enclosed stage where characters recreate the last scene in the movie with the Wizard, and the cast will pose for photos with guests. You will even get to meet the Wizard and your other favorite characters.
You will also find portable restrooms, souvenir vendors, and food vendors here. You can also choose to ascend several flights of stairs to the Over the Rainbow overlook where you’ll stand on a platform more than 5,000 feet above sea level and get an extraordinary view on a clear day of five states! It’s so gorgeous. The stairs are not stroller-friendly and there are several flights so if you have health issues, you may want to choose to hang out in the Emerald City.
Emerald City Show
Once you exit the Emerald City, it’s back on the shuttle bus to the bottom of the mountain. Depending on your interactions with characters, it should take approximately two hours to tour the Land of Oz.
Hiking Emerald Mountain
If you want to explore Emerald Mountain on foot or bike, there are eight different trails in the Emerald Outback Trail System. The trails range from easy to advanced, and some trails serve as cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails in the winter months. Experiencing Autumn in Oz while the leaves begin to change color, and then enjoying a nice hike, is a win-win.
If you choose to do this, please be mindful to stay on the marked trails. After the park originally closed, the family that owned the mountain started selling parcels off for homes to be built. No one ever expected the Land of Oz to be resurrected, and now residents of Emerald Mountain are very patient with tourists, so please respect that.
For more information on the trails and anything Beech Mountain-related, I encourage you to stop into the Beech Mountain Visitors Center when you enter the town.
Tips on Visiting Land of Oz Theme Park
Get your tickets immediately when they go on sale June 5, 2024 as they will sell out fast. There is a Facebook group to check for verified resale tickets.
Once you arrive in Kansas, you’ll see an area with portable restrooms. This is a good place to make a bathroom stop. Lines can be long for the shuttle and then once you get up on top of the mountain before you enter the Land of Oz so taking bathroom breaks is a good idea.
Depending on your cell carrier, you will not have a cell signal at the top. If you don’t have a signal, or even if you do, turn your phone to airplane mode to conserve battery. If your phone is trying to find a signal the whole time, it will kill your battery.
Land of Oz is not stroller-friendly due to the uneven paths and steps so leave the stroller at home. We saw families trying to use them and they had a rough time.
Pets are not allowed.
It is suggested that you arrive 30-45 minutes before your ticketed time in order to have time to get up the mountain in the shuttle.
Info & FAQ For The 2023 Autumn At Oz Festival
2024 Autumn At Oz Dates
Weekend One: September 6th-8th, 2024
Weekend Two: September 13th-15th, 2024
Weekend Three: September 20th-22nd, 2024
2024 Ticket Prices For Autumn At Oz
General Admission for 2024 is $60/person (Children 2 & Under Free)
The High County of North Carolina is a mecca of all things outdoors. These are some of our favorite things to do there:
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is just incredible. There are top-notch, strenuous trails for the adventurers in your family but also lots of great picnic spots, the Mile High Swinging Bridge, a nature center with bears, bald eagles, elk, and otters, a beautiful indoor conservation and education center with a theater and daily programming.
There are Keeper Talks about the animals housed there and the Jr Ranger Program is a lot of fun to do. You have to purchase tickets online and be sure to do so a few days in advance as this place is super popular during September when Land of Oz is happening.
Blowing Rock
The little town of nearby Blowing Rock is super cute. There are great restaurants, ice cream places, shopping, and a great playground right in the middle of town. There is a hiking trail to Glen Burney Falls that starts behind the playground.
Moses Cone Manor
An old, stately manor sits on this property that has miles of trails and beautiful places to rest and enjoy the views. We really enjoyed our hike to Flat Top Firetower. It’s a moderate 5-mile trail and you can climb the fire tower, although it has open sides at the top so hang onto little kids.
6570 Blue Ridge Pkwy, Blowing Rock, NC
Original Mast General Store
The very first Mast General Store, built in 1883, is located in nearby Valle Crucis. It’s so neat to see and still has a working post office on site. The Mast General Annex is 2/10 of a mile down the road and they have tons of the signature candy barrels.
3565 Hwy 194 S, Sugar Grove, NC
Original Mast General Store
Linville Falls Visitor Center
You can hike around the visitors center and into the gorge to get to the mighty Linville Falls. It’s a tough trail because of the elevation but you get to the bottom of the Linville River and see the beautiful waterfall.
Warrior Lane, Marion, NC
Wilderness Alpine Coaster
This is the only thing we have not done on this list although we’d love to do it because we love mountain coasters! This is the only mountain coaster in Western NC and you control how fast or slow you go. There’s also an adventure ropes course at the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster in Banner Elk.
3265 Tynecastle Hwy, Banner Elk, NC
Land of Oz 1007 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604
Check out our NC Travel Guide, with dozens of places to visit, things to do, and adventures to embark on!
Did you know Hendersonville, NC has an aquarium? Team ECCO Aquarium and Shark Lab is located right on Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville, NC. Squeezed in beside stores, restaurants, and coffee shops, Team ECCO ‘s footprint may be small, but the education squished between those walls is massive. The aquarium’s true charm is in interactive experiences led by its knowledgeable volunteers. Here’s a bit about our visit to Team ECCO, plus everything you need to know to plan your family’s visit.
Team ECCO: Small But Mighty
“Small but mighty” is a good way to describe Team ECCO. Don’t expect to be visually wowed when you enter the aquarium, especially if you’ve visited a much larger aquarium. You won’t find floor-to-ceiling aquarium tanks here, no fancy technology or huge atriums. But you don’t need it and you won’t miss it. I promise.
What you will find at Team ECCO is a variety of reptiles, fish, sharks, rays, and marine life accompanied by a knowledgable staff and group of volunteers waiting eagerly to share their knowledge and passion with visitors.
After our visit, my husband confessed he expected we’d only spend a few minutes walking around the aquarium when he first saw the space. We were both surprised at the amount of time we spent inside discovering all of Team ECCO’s treasures. We had to drag the kids out after about an hour and a half.
Animals to See at Team ECCO
Our favorite Axolotls
Do all kids love axolotls? I am potentially raising a future herpetologist. So, the official names of all kinds of scaly, amphibian, and reptile creatures are common vernacular in our home. But, the kids tell me the axolotl is popular because of its addition to Minecraft. So perhaps your Minecrafting kids also discuss these unique salamander-like creatures. My point? There are 3 axolotls at Team ECCO and they are super cute.
Reptiles
The first animals you see when you enter Team ECCO (in fact you can see them from the window on Main Street without even paying admission) are some tortoises. We enjoyed watching them eat and move around their enclosure.
The reptile section of the aquarium also houses some box turtles, a crested gecko, a leopard gecko, and an alligator gecko. These guys are fun to watch, but make sure to ask questions. They are really interesting creatures and the staff at the aquarium has a lot of knowledge to share.
Crested gecko
Reptile Interactions
In fact, the reptile section of the aquarium includes an interaction station. Staff members remove the lizards and turtles from their enclosures to feed them vitamins and give them any care they need, but also so visitors can pet the lizards and see them up close.
You’ll get to see how different these lizards are, despite looking similar. Everything from the texture of their skin to the shape of their feet is uniquely suited to each variety of lizard and their needs.
Marine Life at Team ECCO
The bulk of the aquarium is dedicated to fish, sharks, eels, rays, and other marine life. There are probably a dozen or so tanks to observe, but once again, you’ll get the most out of your visit by asking the volunteers about the creatures you see.
There were several staff and volunteers in the room when we were there, just walking by and pointing out different things to people viewing the sea life. It made the experience very interactive, educational, and truly engaged my kids. I think they would have happily stayed until closing.
Touch Tank and Table
The marine life side of the aquarium also has a touch tank with starfish, crabs, sea urchins, and more. The tank area is manned by staff available to direct and answer questions. There is also a table set up in the middle of the space with shells and other non-living specimens that you can touch, pick up and examine.
Who Will Enjoy Team ECCO?
Is Team ECCO good for little kids?
Will my pre-teen enjoy a visit to Team ECCO?
Is Team ECCO aquarium a good place to bring the grandparents?
YES! Anyone who enjoys watching interesting animals, reptiles, and marine life will enjoy Team ECCO. Relax on the bench in front of the large tank and just watch the fish swim by, or walk around and ask every question under the sun, or just listen as aquarium staff point out interesting tidbits about the animals and marine life. Just because the aquarium is small does not mean it’s only for young kids. Far from it!
Plan Your Visit
Team ECCO is only open to the public 3 days a week.
Hours:
Thursday-Saturday: 1 pm to 4 pm
The aquarium is closed Sunday and Monday.
Tuesday and Wednesday are reserved for private programs by reservation including field trips.
Admission Cost:
$7.50 for ages 5-65
$5.25 for children ages 1 to 4
$6.50 for those over age 65
$6.50 for teachers, police, firefighters, and EMT with ID
Free for active military with ID
Groups of 8 to 12 can take advantage of a special group rate
511 North Main Street, Hendersonville, NC Team ECCO
Team ECCO in the News! Can a stingray mate with a shark?
Team ECCO is getting national attention for their expecting stingray, Charlotte. This is rather mysterious because the aquarium does not have a male sting ray. How does this happen?
One possibility is a phenomenon called Parthenogenesis where the mother essentially clones herself. This is rare but possible with sharks and rays.
The other possibility is a cross-breeding between Charlotte and the juvenile male bamboo sharks in her tank. Bite marks typically seen in mating sharks were found on Charlotte. Answers will have to wait until the pups are born. She is expected to give birth any day and we will update when we know more!
Watch Charlotte in the video below:
More to Do in Hendersonville, NC
There are lots of fun things to do and great restaurants right near the aquarium in Hendersonville, NC. Don’t miss the Park at Flat Rock with its unique ropes course-like playground. For lots more, see our Guide to Hendersonville, NC.
Disover Hendersonville, NC
Team ECCO: Don’t Miss This Pint-Sized Powerhouse Aquarium in Hendersonville, NC
Moonshine Mountain Delivers Thrilling Snow Tubing During Winter Months
Are you searching for Bryson City holiday things to do? Most known for the Polar Express, there is so much more than just the train ride to do and explore in this friendly mountain town. Bryson City, NC also has a drive-thru light show, outdoor ice skating, delicious food, and much more!
Bryson City is a quaint, peaceful mountain town along the Great Smoky Mountains. Just a quick 3 to 4 hour drive from Columbia, SC, this makes for the perfect weekend getaway. During winter each year, Bryson City transforms into a real-life Christmas wonderland with beautiful decor, twinkling lights, and Christmas magic all around. My family took a quick 1-night trip to the mountains and we spent one of our evenings exploring Bryson City. I left wishing we would have had more time to spend and know we will definitely be returning!
Things to do in Bryson City, NC for the Holidays
Take a Ride on the Polar Express
One of the most popular things to do in Bryson City over the holidays is the Polar Express Train Ride! My family recently got to experience this magical event and both of my kids (ages 4 and 1) absolutely loved it. Be sure to check out the Kidding Around Pplar Express review for more tips and info!
Explore the Smoky Mountain Train Museum
The train museum sits right next to the railroad tracks and is a great place to pass the time while waiting to board a train ride! Inside the museum, there is a huge display of model trains that are so fascinating to watch! My son loved pointing out all of the detailed features he saw. With a train ticket, entrance into the museum is free!
Along with the model train display, the museum also offers a large gift shop area with plenty of trinkets and souvenirs.
Outdoor ice skating is such a fun, classic winter activity! Unfortunately, on the evening we were there, the ice rink was not open, but now that I know it’s there we will be sure to plan accordingly for future visits. Along with ice skating, there is also a food truck and full-time bar. For $20 per person you will get 1 hour of skating time, skate rentals (smallest size is youth size 9), and 1 hot chocolate! Hours are as follows:
Thursdays and Fridays from 4 pm to 8 pm beginning November 17th, 2023
Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 8 pm beginning November 19th, 2023
With so many locally-owned shops and businesses to choose from, picking a favorite would be hard! We popped into a few and really enjoyed all of the Christmas shops. We purchased an ornament from Uncle Bunky’s Christmas Cottage where they also had tons of holiday decor, small toys, sweet treats, etc. Loose Moose is another great gift store with lots of unique items to choose from.
Madison’s on Main and Humanite Boutique are both great options for trendy women’s clothing! There are also several antique stores around that are always fun to browse through – you never know what you might find!
Enjoy a Tasty Sweet Treat
If you’re anything like me, the sweet tooth is at an all-time high throughout the holidays. The good news is, Bryson City has so many opportunities for delicious treats! After our ride on the Polar Express we stopped into the Heavenly Fudge Depot and let me just say, it lived up to its name! The peanut butter fudge from here was divine. They also had several festive sweet treats for kids – chocolate “believe” tickets and trains, cookies, bite-sized sweets, and more!
The Chocolate Shoppe, Soda Pop’s Ice Cream, and Pop-N-Jacks Gourmet Popcorn are also great options to cure the sweet tooth! The popcorn from Pop-N-Jacks can even be brought onto the Polar Express with you and smells so good. I’m a little upset we didn’t stop in and give them a try, too!
Take Festive Pictures
Still need a family pic for this year’s Christmas card? There are tons of great holiday photo-ops everywhere you look in Bryson City! From the large, lit-up Christmas tree in the middle of the plaza to stationary train carts, a tractor, and more, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for family photos.
Get Your Live Christmas Tree
While there are no Christmas tree farms in Bryson City, there are several to choose from nearby. During our trip, we chose to get our tree at Smoky Mountain Tree Farm. They had a large variety of trees to choose from and even some that you could cut down yourself. The big red barn and beautiful Smoky Mountain scenery made for great pictures as well!
There are two other tree farms within a few minutes of Smoky Mountain Tree Farm: Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm and Mehaffey Tree Farm. Boyd Mountain Farm has several log cabins available for families to stay in as well as stocked fishing ponds, 4 miles of hiking trails, biking, and more!
Have you ever been to Bryson City during the holidays? What is your favorite thing to do?
If you are planning a festive day trip, then Christmas in Asheville, NC will check off all the boxes on your itinerary! Asheville, North Carolina offers a variety of things to do for the holidays, from Christmas lights to gingerbread houses, parades, and more!
We’ve got a list of kid-friendly holiday events to do in Asheville, NC, and all the details you’ll need to plan your visit.
Christmas in Asheville, NC
I never need much of a reason to visit Asheville. I love the view of the mountains in the background while walking around downtown. There is always live music by musicians busking outside and all the shops welcome you with a smile. There are a variety of different restaurants and historical landmarks to visit within walking distance or just a small drive away. Plus, with the gorgeous backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, maybe you’re family will get a magical snowy adventure while you celebrate the holiday season in Asheville.
Watch A Holiday Parade To Kickoff The Season
Get in the holiday spirit by watching a Holiday Parade. Everyone gathers together to welcome the beginning of the holiday season.
The Asheville Holiday Parade November 18th, 2023 | 11 AM to 12:30 PM, with streets closing and traffic beginning around 7 AM Downtown Asheville will have a variety of streets closed for this event, but come early and you can snag a spot along the one-mile route. There will be over 100 entries to enjoy as they travel down the main part of town. The parade starts at Biltmore Avenue and travels up, ending at South French Broad Avenue. There will be photos with Santa at the Restoration Hotel from 2 pm to 4 pm following the parade.
Attend A Tree Lighting Ceremony or Festival In Asheville
The Grove Arcade Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony is the place to be the weekend after Thanksgiving. In addition, the Ingles Giving Tree lighting ceremony is always spectacular! You can also explore the decorated Christmas trees throughout December at the Monte Vista Hotel.
Go See The Gingerbread Creations at Omni Grove Park Inn
One of my favorite Asheville traditions is attending the annual National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Resorts Grove Park Inn. Wondering who gets to vote? The team judges consist of a selected group of culinary experts such as Yolanda Gampp, known as the “Beyonce of Cakes”. Don’t worry, you can still see the creations!
Not only is the Grove Park Inn a historic landmark, but they also go all-out with decorating for the holidays. After checking out the gingerbread competition (seriously one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen!), people are free to wander around or grab a hot chocolate and head to the outside deck to experience a stunning view of the mountains. They have a couple of family-friendly restaurants inside such as the Blue Ridge Artisanal Buffet (where kids under 5 eat for free!), and the Cabana Grill and Bar.
The display opens to the public from November 27, 2023 through January 2, 2024.
Non-guests are permitted Sundays after 4 pm and anytime Monday through Thursday with the exclusion of December 23 -25, and December 30- January 1, 2024.
Viewing the display is free, however, the self parking rate is $25 per car.
Ashville, NC: Christmas at the Biltmore Estate
Of course, one of the most popular places in Asheville to visit during the holidays is the Biltmore. Known for its elegant displays of holiday decor, infamous Candlelight Tours, and a multitude of festivities, Christmas at the Biltmore is a must. You’ll find over 55 Christmas trees throughout the grounds and a variety of activities for kids such as crafts and carriage rides. Nothing says Christmas like a magical carriage ride! They even have an entire greenhouse full of poinsettia plants and Antler Hill Village is illuminated with trees lined with lights.
Most of the restaurants offer a children’s menu, such as the Bistro (Farm-to-table fare), and Deerpark Restaurant (a southern-inspired buffet). Be sure to plan your visit soon!
Christmas in Asheville, NC: See Holiday Lights
When it comes to visiting Asheville for the holidays, you can’t leave without experiencing the Winter Lights at The NC Arboretum. This magical event features over half a million LED lights and walks you through stunning gardens and unique landscapes. This event is great for the entire family – there’s even have a hot cocoa shack. Kids can also experience interactive games, a model train exhibit, free crafts, and a nature-themed animatronic children’s program. Every dollar goes towards their educational programs to keep the Arboretum up and running. A few years ago, Kristina from the Kidding Around team experienced the lights with her family and said it was beyond amazing.
The annual Lake Julian Festival of Lights is a Lake Julian Park and is a quicker drive-through light display that benefits the Buncombe County Special Olympics. Lights include animated and stationary light displays. Tickets are $10 – $50 per car/bus.
Grab A Fresh NC Christmas Tree
Does your family want to chop down your own tree this year? Asheville has a variety of tree farms!
The Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm is known for its gorgeous rolling hills of Christmas trees. Trees are not the only things available at the farm, they also sell fresh wreaths, roping, and tree stand. It’s located at the foot of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains near Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska and you can even stay the night in one of their cabins (dogs are welcome as long as they’re on a leash).
Please check with the farm before you head out to make sure they are open and have trees available. Most are only open on select days.
Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farmoffers fresh-cut trees fromNovember 16 – November 19, 2023, November 22 – November 26, 2023, November 28-30th, 2023, and December 1st-3rd, 2023
Mehaffey Tree Farmoffers choose and cut trees on select dates from November 16th through December 10th, 2023
If you’re ready for a little fa la la la boost of holiday spirit, the events celebrating Christmas in Hendersonville, NC should do the trick. The Hendersonville, NC Christmas parade is one of the most festive we’ve been to, and the rest of the town’s holiday events are loaded with fun and cheer.
Our list includes some of the very best Christmas Hendersonville, NC events and our all-time favorites. Most of these events and things to do are actually totally free, so they’ll be easy on your budget. Here’s your guide to celebrating Christmas in Hendersonville, NC.
The Big Events: Christmas, Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville really turns up the Christmas charm every year. This year, their season is Home for the Holidays and they are loaded up on free, family fun, beautiful downtown decorations, and lots of lights. Christmas is gorgeous up here, and these events are 100% worth the drive for locals and visitors alike.
Hendersonville Christmas Tree Lighting
Hendersonville Courthouse: November 24th, 2023, 5 to 8 pm
Kicking things off, it’s the Christmas Tree Lighting on November 24th, 2023 from 5 to 8 pm. Santa will arrive with Mrs. Claus to light the tree at about 6 pm. Kids will get to visit with Santa for free after he’s lit the tree, and there will also be free carriage rides. Downtown Hendersonville is beautiful at Christmas, and we can’t think of a more festive way to say hello to the Christmas season.
December 1st Holds a BIG Holiday Celebration in Hendersonville
Downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina
What comes to mind when you think of a holiday Christmas small-town celebration? Whatever just popped into your head, it’s probably happening on December 1st, 2023 in Hendersonville. There are several simultaneous events and happenings occurring all along Main Street and most of it will be free. From an Old Fashioned Christmas with songs and shopping, to visits with Santa, cookies, cocoa, and carriage rides, you’ll find it all in Downtown Hendersonville.
Santa Claus in the Square: Bring your camera and take a free photo with Santa. You’ll also get to enjoy hot cocoa, games, and crafts. You’ll find Santa in front of the courthouse from 5 pm to 8 pm
Live holiday performances, carolers, and festive music spread throughout Downtown Hendersonville
Holiday Shopping: Tonight the shops are open late, so feel free to wander amongst the twinkling lights and holiday music while you find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list
Free Carriage rides: Enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas favorite and take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage down the beautifully lit and decorated Main Street. Rides begin at Historic Courthouse Plaza
The Hendersonville, NC Christmas Parade Might Be My Favorite Ever
Downtown Hendersonville, NC December 2nd, 2023, 6 pm
If you are in need of Christmas cheer and you can only go to one event all season, the Downtown Hendersonville Christmas Parade should probably be that one event. Everyone from high school marching bands, to the fire department, the local plumber, and the llama farm come out to celebrate the season together with a giant parade, full of lights, floats, music, and more. You’ll get Christmas spirit thrown at you no matter where you look, in the best possible way. Of course, the parade ends with the final float carrying Santa straight from the North Pole.
Parent Tips for the Hendersonville, NC Christmas Parade
Check the weather and dress warm if needed. We were pretty chilly last year. Especially if you’re coming from a town in nearby Upstate, SC, don’t forget that it’s colder in Hendersonville.
Arrive early for a good seat along Main Street. Pick up something delicious to eat and enjoy while you’re sitting out along the street waiting for the parade to start. Black Bear Coffee and Mike’s on Main are two good places to grab a bite to eat to go.
Of course you could also bring a picnic dinner and a thermos full of cocoa to enjoy while you wait!
Bring a bag for candy passed out during the parade.
Linda’s Plants and Shrubs
We were visiting Linda’s and saw them setting up their 2023 Christmas Haybale maze! Check back soon for dates and details. In the meantime, you can read all about last year’s holiday maze at Linda’s Plants and Shrubs.
Awesome & Free Things to Do for Christmas: Hendersonville, NC
One of the things I absolutely love about Hendersonville is all the free things to do any time of the year. But at Christmas time, they really take the cake. We’ve already covered the free opportunities to see Santa and carriage rides, but there’s so much more!
December 2nd, 2023Free pictures with Santa at Ace Hardware. We LOVE free pictures with Santa and this time he’ll be at Carolina Ace Hardware with Paula Roberts Photography for FREE photos, plus cookies, cider and candy canes. Visit Santa between 11 am and 2 pm.
December 2nd and 3rd, 2023, Go skating for free! And that includes the skate rentals. It’s an iceless rink that allows for skating no matter the weather. Find it at 85 Howard Gap Road in Fletcher. The rink will be open from 3 to 6 pm on the 2nd and from 1 to 4 pm on the 3rd. December 2nd will also have a festival event including vendors, live music, and inflatables.
December 16th, 2023, Mountain Fresh Orchards is bringing their Apple Express Train downtown for free Holly Jolly Train Rides down Main Street. In addition to the holiday train rides, the orchard will also have their delicious baked goods available for sale. Hop aboard the train at the Courthouse Square in Downtown Hendersonville.
December 22nd, 2023, Christmas Sing Along at The Buzz. The Apple Country String Band will be at The Buzz playing all your favorite Christmas songs and everyone is invited to sing along. If you’ve never visited The Buzz, this sober bar and coffee shop offers unique mocktails and lots of delicious coffee beverages in an alcohol-free environment. They’re on our list of favorite coffee shops in Hendersonville, NC.
November 24th through December 31st, 2023, Visit Marked Tree Vineyards for free holiday lights and decorations. You can hike or drive through the lights at the vineyard for free. You can also enjoy their Wine with Winter Wonder series of live holiday music on Saturday nights. Reservations are recommended for the live music events. Visit the Marked Tree Vineyards website for information closer to December. 623 Deep Gap Road, Flat Rock
All holiday season: Find the Peppermint Bears in Downtown Hendersonville. Visit the Hendersonville Welcome Center to pick up a brochure and then get hunting through Henersonville’s downtown businesses. Once you find at least 12 bears, you can bring your brochure back to the visitors center and drop it in the mailbox to win a prize.
November 24th, 2023- January 7th, 2024:E.L.F’s Holiday Light Show offers a free family holiday light show annually. This year they are taking donations for the Blue Ridge Humane Society. This family has been running these light shows in Hendersonville since 2019 and is bringing new lights and props to the show in 2023.
Worth the Drive: More Christmas Fun Near Hendersonville
Winter Lights – This popular light show at the NC Arboretum in Asheville is a walk-through light experience unlike any other! The show runs from November 17, 2023 – December 31, 2023 nightly from 6 pm – 10:30 pm.
2023 Festival of Trees Greenville, SC: Come see the holiday trees on display from November 17th through December 25th, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, the Courtyard Greenville Downtown, and the Hampton Inn & Suites River Place.
For more Christmas Fun just a short drive from Hendersonville, NC, visit the huge Holiday Events Guide to Greenville, SC. It has over 100 Christmas things to do on it and you won’t be disappointed!
More Things to Do in WNC and Hendersonville, NC
Tis the Season of Awesome: Christmas in Hendersonville, NC
