Blowing Rock is a great place to escape the heat and the crowds! Check out our Blowing Rock NC Social Distancing Things to Do Day Trip.  Want to turn your escape into an overnight stay?  Check out our list of Blowing Rock Hotels, Motels and Inns or stay at Chetola Resort. 

MORNING

• Start your day with a hearty breakfast at one of the outdoor tables at El Rincon, located downtown on Main Street. Known for there breakfast egg dishes, be sure to try the benedicts or the Huevos Rancheros!
  
  
• After breakfast, head to the Glen Burney Waterfall trailhead, located in Annie Gannon Park on Laurel Lane (just off Main Street). The trail to these falls is said to be an ancient Native American pathway and descends steeply through John’s River Gorge.  The trail is less than 2 miles long and offers several mini falls along the way that make for good photographs.   
  
  
• Next, leave your car and walk up to Main Street to explore the arts:
  
  • Find the three sculptures and two murals located on a walkable tour around downtown.
  • Stop by High Country Candles and see how the famous carved candles are made
  • Drop in the Mountain Thread Company and watch quilts and rope baskets being made.  

AFTERNOON

• Enjoy lunch on Main Street at The Speckled Trout. Dine on the covered patio. The menu is themed in Appalachian fare with local ingredients. 
  
  
• After lunch, drive 5 minutes to the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit Moses Cone Park. 
  • Browse the Southern Highland Craft Guild Gift Shop located inside the Manor house and watch a demonstration by one of the guild members.
  • Take a stroll around the park on the 25 miles of former carriage trails. These trails range in length from .7-3 miles and make for great hiking year round because they are gravelled (no mud!) flat, wide and smooth.  View a trail map HERE
    
    
• Or, drive to Julian Price Park Lake. Here you can canoe, kayak, boat or paddleboard the lake or fish from one of the many well-worn fishing spots.

EVENING

• For dinner, head over to Timberlake's Restaurant at Chetola Resort.  The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking Chetola lake with tables available near an outdoor fire bowl for the cooler summer nights.
  
  
• After dinner, head over to Tomahawk Hill at Mystery Hill for some fun. Try your hand at axe or knife throwing, archery or blow darts in the covered outdoor venue. 
  
  
• Or, if you would rather relax, head over the Divide Tavern at The Green Park Inn for a drink on the front porch.  This historic bar has seen many historic figures from Annie Oakley to Marilyn Monroe!