Or bring your canoe, kayak, tubes or rafts, and just bob down the New like a happy little cork.
The large front yard is perfect for kickball or other sports.
Ride bikes on the road that follows the river. The road is lightly traveled, and winds around with the river, crossing a bridge or two before coming to the tiny but charming village of Todd.
Or just sit on the porch and chat with family and friends. It's a very nice place to be.
But if you want to see the sites of Western North Carolina, or the family needs a break from all that peace and riverside pleasure, check these things out:
Tweetsie Railroad:
(Closed for winter) Take the kids out for a day of Wild West fun! The old fashioned Tweetsie Train is a great way to see the woodlands and vistas around Tweetsie's park. Tweetsie also has live entertainment, rides, shopping, food, and a deer park. Cowboys, train robbers and other such varments are always causing trouble.
http://www.tweetsie.com/S
Where there's Bears:
(Closed for winter) Beautiful Grandfather Mountain is an ancient, rugged mountain. You'll also find bears, cougars and other native animals living in a natural habitat. It is known for it's famous swinging bridge, but also has a Natural History Museum, a gift shop, and hiking trails.
http://www.grandfather.com/
You also might be interested in visiting Grandfather Mountain's Highland Games:
http://www.visitnc.com/events/view/39147/grandfather-mountain-highland-games
http://www.theblowingrock.com/
Kids love to go gem mining and rock hounding at the local gem mining places. We love the people who run the Foggy Mountain Gems, right off Hwy 105, just the other side of Boone. I go there to buy gemstones for the jewelry I make from the nice young men who work (and cut stones) there.
http://www.foggymountaingems.com/
Further down 105, between Boone and Grandfather Mountain, is the Grandfather Trout Farm, where you can catch your own trout from their ponds. There's nothing quite as delicious as fresh caught trout baked right in your own cottage kitchen.
http://www.grandfathertroutfarm.com/
If you want to enjoy a nice bob down the river, you can rent a canoe or inner tubes at Zaloos, and float right past the Cottage on the New. They drop you off upstream and pick you up downstream. Or you can swim in the river, or rent kayaks, too.
http://www.zaloos.com/
With a fully furnished kitchen, you can stay home and cook until your little heart's content. Or head to Boone, Blowing Rock or other areas to get some chow.
Restaurants:
With food served family style, Daniel Boone Inn is a local landmark.
http://www.danlbooneinn.com/
Macados is a fun place to go for great food and a beer.
http://www.macados.net/
Down my most favorite winding road in Blowing Rock, Shull's Mill Road, you'll discover The Gamekeeper. It is a cullinary adventure no food loving visitor should ever miss. It's a true gourmet restaurant, known for it's unique dining experiences, changed seasonally. Yes, I would go so far as to call it "awesome".
http://www.gamekeeper-nc.com/
Even on vacation in the mountains, you might get a hankering for some great Sushi, which Makatos is famous for. The Jazze Roll is amazing!
http://www.makotos-boone.com/
Red Onion Cafe is a great place for lunch. Three of our daughters have worked there while attending Appalachian State. Not only is the food delicious, but they offer a lot of healthy choices. (But my favorite thing is the Cream Brulee with a big hot mug of coffee. Yum!)
http://www.theredonioncafe.com/
For Magnificent Pizza in a day when people have forgotten how wonderful good pizza can be, don't miss the Mellow Mushroom. My mouth is watering as we speak!
http://www.mellowmushroom.com/
Storie Street Grille is one of my local favorites and is located right downtown in Blowing Rock. They have a fabulous, unique menu. Mmmmmmm.....
http://www.storiestreetgrille.com/
And a favorite place my hubby and I stopped for dinner and a beer just last Saturday, Canyons Historic Restaurant and Bar. The building has been around for almost a century, and we have been visiting it for half of that time, since we were kids. The views of the valley below stretch from Grandfather Mountain to Morganton and maybe even Hickory where I live. The food is great, and the beer on tap, refreshing.
http://www.canyonsbr.com/
