Valle Crucis, N.C.
Friday: Horsing Around. Pick a four-legged friend and hit the equestrian paths at Dutch Creek Trails. An hour’s ride follows wooded trails and farm fields and offers views of the valley. Afterwards, Cowboy Keith – resident cowboy poet – shares poems and stories about life on the farm. Grab soup, sandwich or hot plate lunch (dessert too) at Creekside Deli. For more horseback riding, along with hiking and fishing, head to Valle Crucis Farm, where you can gather around a bonfire and enjoy hot chocolate.
Saturday. Ready to get your adrenaline pumping? River & Earth Adventures offers outdoor excursion in Valle Crucis or surrounding areas. “Folks can plan on nature hikes, canoeing and kayaking, and even rafting and cave tours,” says owner and water-based program director Grant Seldomridge. Laura Seldomridge leads the land-based trips. It’s ideal to plan ahead for your outing, but “we can usually put trips together with just a day or two notice,” Grant says. Follow up your adventure-filled day with a relaxing visit to Mast General Store. The popular store often features music on the weekends, and you can browse the unique gifts while sipping on a five-cent cup of coffee.
Sunday. Sleep in, then share a picnic at Valle Crucis Community Park. The 23-acre park is ideal for walking or jogging (trails run adjacent to the Watauga River), fishing or admiring the surrounding nature. It also features open fields often used for sports-related activities.
Cost Round-up: Dutch Creek Trails ($40); Creekside Deli ($2.50-$7.50); Valle Crucis Farm ($45, horseback riding; $25, all day pass for fishing and hiking); River & Earth Adventures (rates vary by activity).
Before You Go
Valle Crucis, c/o Mast General Store
828-963-6511
North Carolina Information
Mast Farm Inn
Farmhouse guest rooms, cottages and cabins; closed in March. Complimentary breakfast available. $99-$459 per night.
828-963-5857
The Baird House
Guest rooms in the oldest house in Watauga County. Features a bottomless cookie jar. $159-$179 per night.
828-297-4055
Lazy Bear Lodge
Two-story lodge with beautiful mountain views. Call for rates.
828-963-9201
Dutch Creek Trails
828-297-7117
Creekside Deli
828-963-7049
Valle Crucis Farm
828-967-5399
River & Earth Adventures
828-963-5491
Mast General Store
828-963-6511
Valle Crucis Community Park
828-963-9239
Civil War Stop: Burnsville
Hosted by the Rush Wray Museum, the Commemoration of the Battle of Burnsville (April 16-17) offers a glimpse at the Civil War history in this small North Carolina town.
During the annual event, historians dressed in period clothing present living-history demonstrations through weaving, kitchen chores or tending to the garden. Soldiers set up with field tents portray military life of the Civil War years. Event-goers also have the opportunity to tour the museum and its displays of quilts and Civil War items, along with photos and information on soldiers that served in Burnsville.
Plans are in the works for medical equipment displays (the museum building served as a field hospital during the war) and a dramatization presented by the Burnsville Little Theatre. 828-678-9587.
For more information:
