One of our favorite activities to do in the mountains is ride our bikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you don't have a bike, no need to worry. Driving across the mountain landscape is equally as beautiful and definitely worth taking the long way home for. If you want to get out and stretch the legs, you see the viaduct from all perspectives via the Tanawha hiking trail.

Perhaps the finest brewery in the area. We have a tradition of stopping by for lunch as we head back to Raleigh each time we visit Boone, and it never disappoints. The bison burger, ale house chips, salads, and all the beer is worth the visit.

Home to the Mile High Swinging Bridge, sweet hiking trails like Profile Trail, and the famous Forrest Gump curve. Grandfather is one of our favorite spots. Be advised that going up to the Mile High Swinging Bridge costs money during peak times and can be very busy depending on the day, as Dylan and I found out the hard way :)

A little off the beaten path, but we cannot recommend this enough. A rainy day in Boone meant riding and hiking weren't going to be enjoyable, so we spontaneously drove out to Roan Mountain to rip ATVs on steep mountain fire roads, through gigantic mud puddles, and overtop rocks the size of the ATV itself. 11/10, would do again.

Only a stone's throw away from downtown Blowing Rock, this short yet punchy 2.2-mile out-and-back hike is perfect for those that want to get a quick hike in and see some beautiful waterfalls.

Since 1978, folks have been racing woolly bear caterpillars up strings in hopes that their fuzzy companion will be crowned the fastest caterpillar of them all and have the honor of predicting the upcoming winter weather in the North Carolina high country.

According to legend, the 13 bands on the woolly worm represent the 13 weeks of winter. Brown bands indicate a mild week while black bands indicate a cold, snowy week. If you're feeling lucky, Saturday’s winning worm will receive $1,000 and Sunday's will receive $500.