Our 2016 fall mountain vacation was incredible and I cannot help but feel a little sad that the vacation I’ve been looking forward to for months is over. Post vacation blues are reeeal! I am crossing my fingers that an autumn mountain vacation becomes a tradition in our family.
Ryan and I first got the idea to rent a big mountain house for a family vacation last year when Chase was just under three months old. A drivable location was key since, as first-time parents, we felt like we needed to bring ALL THE THINGS for our new baby (and we wanted to be able to include Sadie!) and we were thrilled when my parents, sister and brother-in-law said they were interested in joining us. Our 2015 vacation took us to Boone and Banner Elk and we loved it so much and knew we wanted to do something similar this year.
We decided to explore a new area during our 2016 mountain vacation and rented a home in Black Mountain, a small town located east of Asheville. We spent seven days exploring Black Mountain, Montreat and Asheville and Ryan and I left promising each other we’d make it back for a long weekend in the near future because we loved each of the beautiful mountain towns so much.
I tried to keep the blog hoppin’ last week and shared glimpses into a few days of our vacation, including a day trip to the Biltmore Estate, zip lining at Navitat and hiking Upper Catawba Falls but I wanted to share a roundup of a few of our vacation highlights that didn’t make the blog today!
Mountain Vacation Highlights
12 Bones came up time and time again when we asked around for Asheville-area restaurant recommendations. It’s a popular barbeque hot spot located in the River Arts District of Asheville and we knew we had to try their famous ribs during our visit. We were told to expect a line out the door, so we were pleasantly surprised to walk right up to the counter without a wait on Thursday afternoon. We ordered an assortment of ribs and sides and polished every bite off our plates. The brown sugar ribs, mashed sweet potatoes and collard greens were my favorite!
WNC Nature Center popped up on our radar thanks to positive Trip Advisor reviews. Chase is also a big-time animal lover, so we thought he’d really enjoy a trip to the Nature Center. It ended up being a home run with our little man (and my whole family)! The Nature Center was affordable ($10 a person and free for Chase) and shady pathways took us around the outdoor facility to see a variety of animals including the most playful and active otters I’ve ever seen, black bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes and more.
(Pic from my Instagram)
Another WNC Nature Center highlight? Gem mining!
Ryan purchased a bag of rocks and dirt as a joke for my sister to rummage through because Leslie used to be a big-time rock collector as a little girl. What started out as a bit of a joke ended up quite amusing! The bag was loaded with an assortment of gems and we all had way more fun than we imagined sifting through the rubble for the gems!
- Buxton Hall Barbeque
Buxton Hall Barbeque is a relatively new restaurant in Asheville that’s already making quite a name for itself! We loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and the food absolutely lived up to the hype (and so did the cocktails)! We also ordered one of their banana cream pies to go and it was wonderful! Bonus: This place is located right next to Vortex Doughnuts, so grabbing another box of fresh doughtnuts was a no-brainer after our visit to Buxton Hall!
- Hiking Lookout Mountain in Montreat
Our final day of vacation was the perfect mix of active and relaxing. We spent the evening at our mountain cabin but during the day we headed into Montreat, a small but beautiful town that is home to Montreat College. (Talk about a gorgeous college campus!) We parked our car at the base of the Lookout Trail which took us up, up, up to the top of Lookout Mountain. It was a short hike to the top but the incline had us huffing and puffing!
The top of Lookout Mountain offers the most incredible expansive mountain views and we all agreed this hike was a trip highlight. We ended up hiking a two mile loop that included Little Lookout and Big Lookout and loved soaking in the breathtaking scenery around us. (Big thank you to blog reader Kristen for recommending this hike and putting it on our radar!)
What a charming little coffeehouse! We popped into The Dripolator Coffeehouse in Black Mountain for a little pick-me-up on our way back home from our hike up Lookout Mountain and I only wish we would’ve discovered this hot spot sooner because it would’ve definitely been a daily staple for us during our vacation! We ordered an assortment of coffee drinks and smoothies and bought a bunch of their baked goods to enjoy later that evening for dessert that all received rave reviews from my family. (I loved the oatmeal cream pie the most but the carrot cake was also wonderful.) We also ordered a small cup of their Drinking Chocolate after one of the women working at the coffeehouse described it as a cross between hot chocolate and a “drinkable truffle” and it was incredible. A must-try if you’re ever in Black Mountain!
- Hiking Lower Catawba Falls
On Monday, we hiked to Upper Catawba Falls but Ryan and I also managed to sneak away and hike Lower Catawba Falls with the dogs before everyone was awake on Wednesday morning. It was another stunning hike with lots of mini waterfalls to see before we reached the giant waterfall at the end. Sadie and Kona had a blast running around as always and I loved the quiet start to the day with Ryan and two very energetic furry ladies!
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That cornbread and mac and cheese! YUM! So glad you had such a good vacation!
Aww so glad you had a wonderful time!
I like collecting rocks and engraving sayings on them! That gem mining looks awesome!
I love the pictures of your little one! The mouth open one is great! You look like you all had a blast hiking!! I was like your sister when I was little, I wanted to have a rock collection. I even had a little tumbler to polish rocks with….oh the phases we go through in life!
Love it!! She also had a rock tumbler! Ha!
The vacation looks delicious, active and filled with fun! Love the coffee shop Dripolator!! Asheville is such a gorgeous destination, I hope to return soon!
Looks SO fun! I’d love to do something like this but am too nervous to travel anywhere with our little one (10 1/2 months). I know Chase is a probably a pro at traveling by now but I have to ask–how does he sleep when you guys are away from home? That’s the #1 reason we haven’t stayed overnight anywhere since Max was born.
I feel like we are pretty lucky because he sleeps really well in his pack ‘n’ play. I just try to replicate his nursery environment and bring along his noise machine (<-- absolutely necessary, especially when we stay with others and are noisy!) -- Naps are a little more touch-and-go but we just try to make sure he gets a solid morning nap in even when we're traveling because he's at the age now when he can handle only one nap a day, which makes things easier since we want to be out and about a lot during vacation! It's definitely hard to step away from the comforts of home with a little one. I hope your first time away with Max goes well whenever you feel the time is right! 🙂
Wow you got some great family photos!! Chase is looking so big! <3
Great photos! Views from the hikes were so gorgeous, there really aren’t too many views more beautiful than trees in the Fall. And OMG that BBQ! I would make the drive to Asheville just for that!
it was so tasty!!
What a fun time in Asheville! It looks like you hit a lot of the highlights! It’s such a fun place to live. Glad you and your family had fun.
Looks like you had fun and awesome you could bring the pups!
I totally get the post vacation blues too – it’s definitely a thing. Looks like you guys did a lot of fun stuff while you were there.
I LOVE that idea! It’s nice to not get together only for the holidays or only when you have something you HAVE to do. And love that it’s an adventure that’s just a bit different from the everyday!
My aunt and uncle live in Asheville during the Summers and make it down to Florida for the Winters and finally just made the seasonal move this weekend. It’s so gorgeous in the fall that it’s definitely a little tough to leave. 🙂
Glad you guys had such a great time!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Julie! Looks like it was an absolutely amazing trip in every regard– the company, location, activity, and food yum 🙂
If you don’t mind me asking, what camera/ setting was used to take the third photo in the post (the one of you and Chase in the blue polo)? It’s a stunning capture!
Thank you, Wendy! It was taken with my sister and brother-in-law’s camera, so I’ll have to ask and get back to you! I wish they could take all my photos for me!
Julie -so happy you had a wonderful family vacation. Sorry to hear the post vacation blues have hit – time to start researching your next one ? Would you mind sharing the link to the house you rented? If not, what site do you and Ryan use to find rental homes?
Love these vacation highlights, you guys look like you had such a great time! And man you guys lucked out with some really nice weather! Love it! Now I’m pastry hungry! 🙂 Thanks Julie!
All of that barbecue looks great- you have me itching to visit there! Hiking in the fall is the BEST!
I’m going to be in Asheville in December so I’m taking notes from this post of things to see and do and places to eat! That coffee shop has me all kinds of excited! 🙂 Love all the pictures – especially of the hikes – it looks like such a fun trip!
I’m totally convinced now that my family needs a mountain vacation. Looks like you all had a great time. And I hear you, post- vacation blues are so real.
I’m right with your sister on that one! I remember I even had a rock tumbler! Those things were AWESOME! 😀
My family and I are going to Hendersonville (right by Asheville) next week, and it has been so fun to see your recap posts before we leave! We planned on hiking a lot and going to the Biltmore. I’ll be sure not to skip the winery 😉
I’d love to go to Asheville now since reading your recaps! 🙂
You guys should do the Great Smokey Mountains next week! Pigeon Forge is great for kids! It is one of our favorite vacation spots!
I lived in Asheville for 6 years and I’m always amazed by its charm! I can’t say enough good things about it and there’s always more and more to see when I go back to visit.
Are you willing to share where you stayed? I’m searching Airbnb and VRBO, but it’s always nice to have a recommendation! Thanks!
Yes!! We stayed at the Skytop Chalet –> https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p4088662 It was a wonderful house but a decent drive from Asheville (35-40 min). It was perfect for us but if you’re looking for a place in the heart of Asheville, it may not be the best fit. We loved it though!!
Where did you get your cute over the knee boots?? You should tag more if your clothes you are always dressed so cute!!
Oh wow, renting a big mountain house sounds like such a cozy and fun idea, especially with a little one and the whole family on board! 🏔️ Boone and Banner Elk are such charming spots, aren’t they? It’s great that you all managed to find a place where everyone, including Sadie (gotta love including the fur babies 🐶), could enjoy some quality time together. It got me thinking, what’s the best part about vacationing in those areas? And how do you manage all the packing for a baby plus a pet? I’d love to hear more about your adventure and any tips you have for traveling with a big group and a baby in tow!
Wow, renting a big mountain house sounds like such a fun idea, especially with the whole family! Boone and Banner Elk are gorgeous spots, aren’t they? I bet it was so cozy with everyone together. Did you find it challenging to pick a house that suited everyone? And how did little Chase handle his first big adventure? I’m thinking about planning a similar getaway and would love some tips on making it smooth with a baby in tow! 😊🌲🏠