Exploring North Carolina with KathieyV

It's fall, my favorite time of year.  Now is a good time to travel up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to feel the cool crisp air and hopefully see the colorful fall leaves.  Erica and I decided to stop a few of the many wineries in NC on our mini vacation.  On the way to Blowing Rock we took a slight diversion to  Shelton Vineyards in Dobson NC Here is what they say on their website... Located in the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area, the vineyard shares a similar climate and growing season to that of some of the best wine growing regions in Europe. The vineyard is one of the largest on the East Coast. One thing I like about Shelton Vineyards is the fact that they have a restaurant. We decided to eat lunch and enjoy some of their delicious wines.  First stop was the  Harvest Grill   We decide to try their wine flight.  It came out on a tiered display.  Five wines of your choosing.  As they brought the flights out t...

Cindy and I decided to check a local winery,   Cloer Family Vineyards in Apex NC.   We went with a meetup group that we are members of.  What a fun afternoon of wine, music and friendly folks. Here is what they say on the website... "When you visit Cloer Family Vineyards, you will be welcomed by a member of the Cloer family. We love growing the grapes and making the wines, but we also enjoy meeting the people who come to our winery and buy our products. Our goal is to ensure everyone who visits our vineyard feels at home. That means no stress and no pressure – just friendly folks enjoying a common interest." I found that to be true.  We were warmly welcomed and and did feel right at home:-) We enjoyed a wine tasting and sampled all of their wines.  As we sipped we listened to the history of this winery and information regarding their wines.  Yummy and informative! We took a walk around the property...  Furry Friends... Lovely Vin...

A few weeks ago just after the peak leaf season Erica and I had the pleasure of going on a mountain trip.  One of our favorite things to do is to explore some well marked mountain trails.  A nice hike is Rough Ridge off of the Blue Ridge Parkway,  Milepost 302.8 Here is a web site that will tell you all about the trail.   Rough Ridge   I will have information from this site in quotes. "The trail goes up over a wooden footbridge spanning a tributary of Wilson’s Creek, then leads on up the hill. You’ll need to pick your way through some boulders.  The trail ascends about 25 stone steps of varying height before semi-leveling out. This section of the trail is right around a quarter mile, so it takes just a few minutes to get to the top. High bushes obscure the view at this point, but then- you climb a few wooden steps onto the boardwalk, and you’re treated to the best view the High Country has to offer. Over 180° of panoramic I-can-see-for-miles views." I...

One place that has become a regular stop for me on my Blowing Rock Adventures is Woodlands Bar-B-Que.  Rustic atmosphere, great barbecue and, every time I have been there, live music. "Our  Restaurant’s Menu  features barbecue beef, pork, chicken and ribs plus home style Mexican food. Family oriented with a rustic atmosphere." Woodlands "Serving North Carolina Barbeque in Blowing Rock NC since 1977." Woodlands It was my first time getting their chicken BBQ.  It was great. One of my daughters favorite desserts at Woodlands is the Blackberry Cobbler. They ran out the night we were there.  No worries because we will be back:-) If you find yourself in the Blowing Rock area I suggest you visit Woodlands Bar-B-Que.  I know you will enjoy it:-) Happy travels and eating. KathieyV

After our somewhat strenuous hike down to the lower falls of Linville Gorge Erica and I decided to reward ourselves with a visit to a local Winery,  Linville Falls Winery  All the way up the Gorge Trail on this somewhat warm fall day we kept encouraging ourselves with the promise of wine and relaxation.  And it was just as we imagined...wonderful:-) Here is a description from their website.. "Family owned and operated, Linville Falls Winery is the culmination of a life-long passion for wine by owner, Jack Wiseman. Wiseman has dreamed of growing grapes and opening a winery for more than 25 years, and now he and his family are pioneering a new High Country wine in Linville, North Carolina. Nestled in the lower end of Avery County near the Blue Ridge Parkway is a state of the art tasting room on a 40 acre farm with its staple grapes Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, blueberries and raspberries. The winery is perfectly situated at 3200 feet with warm days, cool nights ...