We skipped the hotel breakfast this morning, opting instead for some coffee and doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts. Not the healthiest way to get going, but hey, we're on vacation. Our first stop was a little over an hour from Asheville up in the mountains: Linville Falls. When we arrived, the temperature was about 65 with sunny skies as we walked into the visitors center. Due to our limited time, we decided on two shorter hikes: one to Dugger's Creek and the other to the Upper Falls. Dugger's Creek is this single stream of water falling deep in a ravine down to a creek. The rock striations, light green moss, and enclosed area made this feel very much like something out of a Disney theme park, or a place where Indiana Jones could appear at a moment's notice. The trail to the Upper Falls was more well-trodden and being put to good use today. At the end of the hike, we were able to walk on a rock face with protective railings to watch the water move downstream over three different falls areas. A very worthwhile stop indeed!
To Boone we headed where we were looking forward to re-creating a memory from Caroline's youth. Her family was vacationing one summer on Grandfather Mountain and they ate at the Dan'l Boone Inn, an old style restaurant that serves comfort food in a family-style manner. Back in the day, the family liked it so much they visited more than once on the trip. When we were planning our itinerary, Caroline's mom suggested we return to see if it was still as good. I'm happy to report that the Dan'l Boone Inn IS still amazing. Wow! A great meal and a great price in an amazing setting. It was a lot of fun.
Mystery Hill was our first stop after lunch, and again, this was a suggestion from Caroline's mom. The hillside has been attracting visitors since the 1940s when the owner figured he would open up a house that highlighted the strange gravitational anomalies that people have recorded feeling since the American Revolution. One room of the attraction takes advantage of the weird gravity effects and can really make you unbalanced if you let it. Water can flow uphill, balls curve back to you when thrown out at an angle, and you can really feel a force pulling you in a direction it normally wouldn't. Of course, the kids had a blast, but the adults had to admit that it was fun too.
We needed to make Durham by dinnertime, so we hopped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for the final time and eventually made our way back to Interstate 40. After checking in, we found a local seafood restaurant, Squid's, and after having a great dinner, drove into downtown Durham. We toured around and saw the American Tobacco Campus (Durham's downtown entertainment district that sits inside an old converted tobacco factory), the Durham Bulls stadium (yep...Bull Durham), and a quick look at Duke University. A dip in the pool and hot tub tonight, and we're ready for tomorrow's adventure! Outer Banks, here we come!
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