Sometimes the best trips are the spontaneous ones. The Friday before Valentine’s Day my husband and his friend were talking about getting away to the mountains of North Carolina for the weekend. Being last minute we weren’t sure if we would be able to get our usual condo at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, NC and sure enough it wasn’t available. In a last ditch effort we forwent VRBO and went straight to the Chetola website in hopes of a Valentine’s miracle. Sure enough in the Cracker Barrel parking lot on a Friday afternoon we found the only 2 bedroom condo available in Chetola Resort.
With a place to lay our heads secured we were off over the mountain and through the woods. From East Tennessee to Blowing Rock, NC there a few paths to take but with weather and damage from Hurricane Helene, the Blue Ridge Parkway wasn’t an option so we had to go through Banner Elk and over what I call the scary road. The scary road is called Shulls Mill and it cuts over from Foscoe to Blowing Rock I was too scared to take pictures and my husband was driving so I have no visuals, just know we have done it before covered in snow and for some reason it was still too much this time.
Pulling in to Chetola always brings back great memories over the years and this time was no different. We were early so we went to the bar at Timberlakes and ordered some overpriced drinks while my husband checked us in to our condo. We were all surprised when we received physical keys for a lock but at least we could check in early. The condo, Iris 4, was serviceable and functionable but not our favorite. You can checkout our review of the condo here.
After getting situated and our things in order it was time for our favorite thing, food. Our reservations for tonight are at Twigs Restaurant and we are ready. The meal that evening was outstanding, I’ll let our review of Twigs restaurant speak to that but we definitely recommend.
Valentine’s Day in Blowing Rock
The next day we were headed into town for lunch and a walk about. For anyone not having been to Blowing Rock there is a free parking garage located just off of Main Street on Park Ave. The parking deck is free and, unlike the street parking, there isn’t a time limit. As an added bonus there was this really cool old timey firetruck in the garage.
For lunch on this beautiful day in Blowing Rock we had reservations at The Speckled Trout. We had yet to eat here so we were excited and it did not disappoint. From the appetizers, pictured below, to the entree’s it was phenomenal. You can check out our full review of The Speckled Trout here.
Following Lunch we wandered around town for a bit taking in the sites on Main Street. The weather on this Valentine’s Day was unseasonably warm so everyone was out and about enjoying the sun shine. A neat thing I noticed is the historical buildings have little plaques that tell you about the building. Below are just some of the sites along the way.
At the end of our little wander we ended up at the Town Tavern for some drinks by the fire. This day it was packed, the wait for a table never dropped below 45 minutes the whole time we were there. We just sat by the fire and enjoyed a beer or two, at one point I may have got a little too close for a selfie and set the faux fur on my coat on fire, oh my.
After town tavern we did a little shopping and made our way down to Blowing Rock Brewing Company for some more drinks and hanging out with other people’s puppers. Interesting fact about the brewery, up until October 2025 they rented out the rooms above the ale house as an inn.
To close out our first day in Blowing Rock, NC we opted to cancel our Prix Fixe Valentines day reservations at Timberlakes and stay in at our Chetola Condo and do a Charcuterie. We first popped in to Tout Suite bakery and picked up a baguette and some Croissants. We then made our way to the Blowing Rock Market and picked up some meats and cheeses.
A Final Rainy Day in Town
The following day we awoke a dreary rainy day in Blowing Rock. We did not let the weather stop us and we had reservations for brunch at Hellbender Bed and Beverage. We found ourselves to be a little too hungry so we didn’t get as good of pictures this time, you can find our review of Hellbender here.
Following our delicious brunch at Hellbender Bed and Beverage we made our way over to the Spice and Tea exchange of Blowing Rock. The store is a spice and tea lovers heaven. The walls are lined with all different blends of spices and herbs as well as custom blended teas.
After our spice shop excursion we settled in to the bar at Mellow Mushroom to have some local beers and hide from the rain. Mellow Mushroom is a chain restaurant, one was actually quite small and very cute. The staff was very nice and the bar was slow so they chatted with us while we drank. After our drinks we grabbed a few pizza’s to go and headed back to our condo to conclude our weekend in Blowing Rock.
As with every vacation we did not want this one to end, life however must go on. We had a great time in one of favorite little towns in the mountains. If you get a chance I highly recommend a visit to Blowing Rock, NC. If you are interested in a trip to North Carolina or anywhere else feel free to Contact Me.