Lauren and her family traveled to Blowing Rock and Asheville, NC last week to escape the Florida heat and relish in the boundless nature and beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We have done multiple driving trips this summer with our safety and health at the utmost importance.  For the ride, we packed plenty of drinks, food, table covers, hand sanitizer, wipes, and masks and enjoyed picnic lunches at the rest stops.  We stayed our first four nights at the family-friendly Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock in a spacious condo. The resort offers 1- to 3-bedroom units along with a lodge and inn. Each day we hiked different trails of varying lengths and abilities and witnessed gorgeous waterfalls and vistas, historic homes, and saw lots of families of all ages enjoying the great outdoors.  Other resort activities include a stocked lake for fishing, tennis, pickleball, disc golf, children’s summer camp, and spa.  The pool and gym were closed.  Outdoor adventures abound in the area including a zip line, white water rafting, rock climbing, rappelling, kayaking, and more.  The resort’s delicious on-site restaurant has plenty of outdoor dining and tables inside that were spaced out appropriately.   In the charming town of Blowing Rock, there were plenty of dining options with outdoor seating and the shops were open. 

To get to Asheville, we drove the Pisgah District section of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway for about 90 miles. The parkway actually runs a total of 496 miles: from the Shenandoah Mountains National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.  The views along the way were breathtaking and the ride slow and steady on the winding mountain road.  Highlights included amazing biodiversity, plenty of hiking trails, the Linville Gorge (the deepest gorge east of the Grand Canyon), and Mount Mitchell (the highest mountain peak in the eastern U.S.).  A travel planning app can assist you along the way.  In Asheville, we stayed in the historic residential neighborhood of Chestnut Hill just outside of the downtown area.  The Princess Anne Hotel was our home for the next two nights.  This deluxe inn with 16 suites was built in 1924.  It was a great value with hot breakfast and free baked goods included throughout the day. The hotel had paused their afternoon wine & hors d’oeuvres hour for safety reasons and instead threw in a nice bottle of wine.  Our spacious one-bedroom suite had a fully stocked kitchenette.  It was fun to explore the fiercely independent and funky downtown area on foot. We also spent a full day at the expansive Biltmore Estate touring the 250-room mansion, meandering through the myriad of gardens, and taking in the new Downton Abbey exhibit.  The Biltmore House is the largest private residence in America.  Adult and children’s audio guides usher you through the house or choose a variety of private tours for more behind-the-scenes action.  You can also experience the entire 8,000-acre property with bike rentals, horseback riding, carriage rides, hiking trails, or off-road in a Land Rover.  There is also a lake for watersports and fishing, clay pigeon shooting, falconry, a winery, shops, restaurants, and more.  Plan to spend the day or stay a few nights in their various accommodation options.  Overall this road trip was a great success and we look forward to planning another one soon!