A couple weekends ago, John and I had a weekend away BY OURSELVES. It was so needed. We stayed in Linville right near Grandfather Mountain NC. We love going to the mountains (see our trip from last year here). I had a bunch of people ask on Instagram and Facebook what suggestions I have for visiting North Carolina and wanted to know more about visiting Grandfather Mountain NC!

There is seriously SO much to do in the area. We spent time in Banner Elk, Linville, and Newland. Lots of great restaurants (get breakfast at Fabio’s in Newland. Fabio is the MAN!), lots of trails to hike, etc. One day we went to Linville Caverns. It’s a great way to kill a couple of hours. The tour of the Caverns is short and the admission is very reasonable. It was $8.50 for adults and less for kids. 

There are also a lot of really great places to stop off and have a picnic lunch or just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I promise, this is not paid or anything like that and I don’t want to sound like a commercial for the mountains of North Carolina… but seriously! Grandfather Mountain NC is such a beautiful place!

We also opted to do the Grandfather Mountain “tour.” The tickets are a little on the pricey side (there is a AAA member discount if you can get that… and there’s also a discount for seniors and military. I think kids are either free under a certain age or cheap cheap). Honestly though, the price is worth it. There is a guided CD that you play in your car as you go up the mountain and it gives you history, places to stop, etc. You can even see Forrest Gump Curve which is a spot on the way up the mountain where they filmed one of the running scenes in Forrest Gump.

There’s a little museum area with some animal exhibits, too!

We “climbed” to the top of Grandfather Mountain NC and went across the mile high swinging bridge. It’s not as scary as it sounds! But once we went across and went to the cliffs, that’s where my mild fear of heights got to me. It was GORGEOUS though and totally worth it! 

The views were absolutely INCREDIBLE!

Feeling on top of the world with my best guy <3

More gorgeous views!

We really had the BEST time and I highly recommend making a trip of it if you can.

What about you? Do you prefer the mountains or the beach? Have you been to Grandfather Mountain NC before? What’s your favorite place to visit in North Carolina?