I had the privilege to spend my 31st birthday enjoying a mountain retreat in historic Blowing Rock. The mountains ignite my soul and Blowing Rock's southern rock charm blew us away.
Nestled in the heart of North Carolina's Appalachian Blue Ridge, the hamlet of Blowing Rock is a thriving community reflecting the heritage and mountain spirit of northwestern North Carolina's High Country region.
Blowing Rock is a mountain oasis, a quaint walk-able village bustling with culture, good eats, shopping and recreation. The village a living story book, lined with bed and breakfast craftsman bungalows and Old Manse style inns, book shops and boutiques, gardens and stone churches - each edifice tells a story - a history that lives side by side with the vibrant present.
My mom and I arrived at Blowing Rock just after 3 p.m, the sun peaking out from the clouds; the air a perfect seventy-six degrees with a breeze. We checked into the historic Ridgeway Inn, conveniently located a stone's throw from downtown shops and eateries. The Ridgeway Inn has the distinction of being the first inn in Blowing Rock to provide accommodations - it is rustic high end charm for a moderate price. Each room is uniquely decorated with mountain ambiance and solitude luxury.
The inn features a wine and cheese hour nightly and a continental breakfast in the common area. My favorite part of the inn are the lovely garden sitting areas on site, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine or in my case a butter beer (Hogwarts style) and a good book in the cool crisp mountain air!
After unpacking the car, my mom and I hit the pavement and explored Blowing Rock's quaint downtown - perusing the diverse array of shops...I liked the offbeat garden shop and French shop...Blowing Rock's shops reflect the passion of shop local - with businesses owned by people who care about their community and offering eclectic and practical items for high brow travelers to back country hikers. The downtown is family friendly, connecting directly to Broyhill Park - where outdoor concerts, family festivals and fun occur throughout the year.
Per the suggestion of locals we ate at a restaurant tucked away in the woods, called Bistro Rocca. My mom had eaten at the restaurant years ago and loved - so we thought we'd indulge for my birthday. While the views from the restaurant were stellar - Bistro Rocca disappointed - I will assume it was an off night but the Gluten Free pizza tasted like paste - I make a better GF pizza - they also put salad dressing on my salad and I am highly allergic to salad dressing - the waitress was rude about having to remake the salad...the gluten free torte was bland and dry - nothing to write home about...it was so bad I could not help but laugh - I did see the steaks being served to a nearby table and they looked scrumptious.
While Bistro Rocca did not merit a * rating - Blowing Rock is teeming with awesome restaurants - we just picked the wrong meal and wrong venue...I look forward to trying the other yummy culinary hot spots in the area on this trip and in the future.
My mom and I treated ourselves to Kilwin's delicious hand spun ice cream for a late night treat. I got the caramel cluster flavor - it was scrumptious. Ice Cream is my favorite meal of the day.
We concluded our evening by strolling in the brisk night air on the wandering hilly streets of Blowing Rock before relaxing in the hotel room. I enjoyed a good book and a hot bath with some bath salts. I could not imagine having a more blessed birthday - the biggest blessing was spending it with my mom - without her I wouldn't be here!
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