On the eve of our Spring Break Camping Trip, it’s only necessary that I get back to writing about last summer! Last summer we met up with my in-laws in Black Mountain, NC for a beautiful weekend of hiking, exploring Black Mountain and beyond, and celebrating Claire’s 4th birthday.
Sierra Nevada Brewery (Mills River, NC)
Though we stayed in a gorgeous cabin in Black Mountain, we rarely spent much time in it. We split our time between exploring Asheville and downtown Black Mountain. With Raleigh being only 3.5 hours from Black Mountain, we arrived early on a Thursday (well before check-in) and immediately headed to the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River, NC. The place was unbelievable! It’s as large as a Great Wolf Lodge, and dare I say more enjoyable for all ages! We enjoyed a delicious lunch and beers before heading to the outside area where the girls played in the kiddo-friendly sandbox area while we enjoyed a second round. Sierra Nevada’s outside area is beautifully landscaped, with lots of stone hardscape for eating, gardens, an amphitheater, and large open areas for corn hole. It also features an outside bar area for ordering light snacks and drinks with full-service sit-down areas.
After exhausting the outside area, we dragged the girls (who were pretty willing) through the hallway that showcases their production areas. We glanced at the huge multi-story storage tanks, watched the bottle filling/cleaning process, and saw the packaging area. The girls mildly enjoyed watching the mechanics of how everything worked. Having toured only craft brewery operations, we were blown away by the grandness of everything at Sierra Nevada. I can’t wait to go back!
Pack Square Park (Asheville, NC)
Since we had a little time to kill before checking into our cabin we headed to downtown Asheville to let the girls run off some energy in the water fountains at Pack Square Park. The park features multiple water fountains for splashing in, a large open green space area, nearby Veterans’ Memorial, amphitheater and a few restaurants. It was the perfect quick trip on a hot summer day – we parked right along College St and quickly walked across the street to the park. I’m only hopeful the City of Raleigh will recreate a similar water feature in the new Dorothea Dix park.
Biltmore & Western NC Nature Center
My mother-in-law and I quickly snuck off to Asheville for a visit to Biltmore and its winery. It’d been over 10 years since we’d last gone, so I quickly forgot the estate’s enormity. The first time I visited I left in awe of the house. This time I left with a much greater appreciation for the forests and grounds that Frederick Olmsted created. I had only ever been to Biltmore in the late Fall, so I really enjoyed walking the gardens and seeing how the landscaped differed in Summer. While we visited Biltmore, the rest of the crew explored the nearby Western NC Nature Center. They raved about the animals they saw and the interactive exhibits for children.
Catawba Falls (Old Fort, NC)
The next day we headed to Catawba Falls, which is in Old Fort, NC and part of the Pisgah National Forest. We parked at the trailhead a few miles south of Route 40 on Catawba River Rd. The trail is about 2.5 miles out and back and climbs about 500ft in elevation. The first 80% of the trail was moderately flat and easy with the last 20% being much steeper and required climbing over slippery rocks to get to the bottom of the waterfall.
We crossed a few streams along the way, which gave the grandparents and kiddos some time to rest and splash. Though the trail is wide, it does have some steep drop-offs so we repeatedly cautioned and held the little ones’ hands. Hiking on Saturday morning proved to be a super popular time, so it’ll take you a little longer to get those special bottom of the waterfall pictures.
After our hike we drove a few miles down the road to the Old Fort Picnic Area of Pisgah National Forest. Though this picnic area has seen better days, it features several picnic tables, old shade trees, and lots of green grass. The bathrooms were less than desirable, but we quickly finished a yummy picnic lunch just as the skies opened.
Downtown Black Mountain
After recovering from our big hike and nearly rain-soaked picnic, we rallied to explore downtown Black Mountain. Black Mountain located in Buncombe County and part of the Swannanoa Valley area is about 15 miles east of Asheville right off I-40. Black Mountain incorporated in 1893, named after the Black Mountain range that borders the town to the north. For a busy Saturday afternoon we easily found a parking spot close to our destination of Swannanoa Valley Museum & Visitor Center. The museum houses two floors of interactive exhibits detailing the history of Black Mountain and surrounding Swannanoa Valley area. The girls enjoyed pounding the keys on an old typewriter and getting hands-on experience washing clothes in the earlier days with a wash basin, washboard, and fels-napth.
Shortly after visiting the museum, we stopped at the Dripolator coffee shop for some caffeine and ice cream. Then we walked all around downtown, stopping in the homemade musical instrument shop, clothing shops and general store.
For dinner we searched Yelp for the best pizza and headed to Fresh Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta. The place looks pretty sketch from the outside, but their pizza was AHMAZING! The crust tasted delicious, the ingredients were fresh and the beer was plentiful!
We thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Asheville and exploring the new (to us) small mountain town of Black Mountain. Whether you want to focus on the food and drink, local history, outdoor beauty or a little bit of all, it features fun for all ages. I can’t wait to explore this area again, maybe in the Minnie Winnie next time!
