- Morganton | Blowing Rock | Flat Top Manor | The Blue Ridge Parkway
Dates
June 5 - 7, 2023
Highlights
- Lodging for two nights at the Inn at Ragged Gardens, a beautiful historic lodge
- Backroads drives through the Appalachians in early summer bloom, and great stories featuring local history & sites of interest
- The Moses Cone estate, built by the textile magnate circa 1900.
- Blowing Rock Museum - features fascinating stories about one of the earliest resorts in North Carolina's High Country, and artwork by acclaimed artist Elliot Dangerfield, a New Yorker who adopted Blowing Rock as his home.
- Grandfather Mountain, once thought to be the tallest mountain in the Southern Appalachians (before the invention of the barometer could prove otherwise).
Trip Description
The quintessential Explore Up Close summer retreat, taking in the beautiful scenery of the Southern Appalachians.
It’s summertime in one of the Blue Ridge Mountains’ original resort towns – and we’re heading up the High Appalachian Escarpment to soak it all in! This delightful small group trip features top-shelf backroads and cultural exploration, and the best of farm-to-table cuisine. Enjoy a scenic drive to Blowing Rock, one of the earliest tourism outposts at this elevation built at 3,600 feet. We’ll spend two nights at the Inn at Ragged Gardens, a beautiful historic lodge with original chestnut bark siding from the 1920s. Quaint and lively downtown Blowing Rock is an easy walk from our inn, and our travelers will enjoy the shops, bookstores, and mountain town ambiance. We’ll also discover an exciting archaeology project in the Catawba River Valley, delightful Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, and charming mountain communities. It’s all capped off by the camaraderie of our small group travel style, and you’re invited!
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart and head to the pretty city of Morgantown, in the Catawba River valley. We’ll explore the story of Joara, a Native American village near the Catawba visited by the Spaniards during the 16th century. Current archeological work helps put together the story of both friendship and distrust between the two groups and represents one of the most exciting archaeological projects in the United States.
Enjoy a relaxing lunch in the Morganton area. In the afternoon we’ll make the scenic drive up the High Appalachian escarpment to the town of Blowing Rock, which sits astride the Eastern Continental Divide and was one of the earliest tourism outposts at this elevation.
We’ll check into the Inn at Ragged Gardens, a beautiful historic lodge with original chestnut bark siding from the 1920s. Quaint and lively downtown Blowing Rock is an easy walk from our inn, and our travelers will enjoy the shops, bookstores, and mountain town ambiance.
Enjoy dinner this evening at our inn’s on-site restaurant, The Best Cellar.
Overnight, Blowing Rock.
Day 2
Breakfast at the Inn at Ragged Gardens.
This morning, enjoy a driving tour of the quaint town of Blowing Rock, which includes the Moses Cone estate, built by the textile magnet circa 1900. The home features fabulous vistas and dozens of miles of carriage roads for horse-drawn carriages – an affirmation by Cone of his aversion to the newfangled and noisy automobile, and of his intention to make his mountain home a peaceful refuge. Who put a road through his backyard, then? The National Park service, of course!
We’ll also visit the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, which features fascinating stories about one of the earliest resorts in North Carolina’s High Country. We’ll also discover the artwork of acclaimed artist Elliot Dangerfield, a New Yorker who adopted Blowing Rock as his home and eventually built the lovely West Glow Manor.
This afternoon, enjoy free time to continue exploring the town and relaxing at our inn.
Enjoy dinner this evening in the area.
Day 3
Say goodbye to Blowing Rock!
This morning, we’ll drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, across the famous Linn Cove viaduct. Then, enjoy a drive up Grandfather Mountain, once thought to be the tallest mountain in the Southern Appalachians (before the invention of the barometer could prove otherwise). We’ll continue our drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, enjoying lunch in Little Switzerland – an escarpment-top resort similar to Blowing Rock, developed in the next wave of tourism in the 1910s. The developer wrote that this part of the Appalachian mountains reminded him of his travels in the Jura Mountains between France and Switzerland – hence the name!
Return home in the mid-afternoon, refreshed from our mountain adventures!
Featured Experiences
The Inn at Ragged Gardens
Welcome to The Inn At Ragged Gardens! Surrounded by an acre of formal and "Ragged Gardens", this early 1900s manor offers an enchanting hideaway in the heart of the historic village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Intimate and traditional, the Inn, with twelve rooms and suites, is immersed in the spirit of the summer cottages of Blowing Rock. On-site, you'll find The Best Cellar Restaurant, which has earned a reputation for fine food during its 47 years of existence.
The Inn at Ragged Gardens is located in downtown Blowing Rock. Our central location on Sunset Drive, only two blocks off Main Street allows for easy walking to all of the shops, boutiques, and art galleries.
What's Included
Comfortable transportation
Accommodation 
Breakfasts, 2 dinners, and 1 lunch
All activities / admissions per the itinerary
Guide and concierge service throughout the trip
Trip Price
$1,993 / person (double occupancy; single supplement, $280)
What's Not Included
Price does not include alcohol, 2 lunches, or optional trip insurance.
..well-planned, from interesting and fun excursions planned each day, to comfortable lodging and transportation. Our trip leaders, Chumley and Khal, were impressive with their knowledge of each area we explored and gracious in their planning of every aspect of our trips.
Trip insurance safeguards your travel investment, your belongings, and most importantly, you. Though trip insurance is optional, we strongly encourage travelers to purchase trip insurance in the event you have to cancel or leave a trip for any reason. Please note, all trip participants should wait for confirmation from Explore Up Close that the trip has the minimum sign-up required to be a “go” before purchasing travel insurance. Please confirm with Explore Up Close before making any additional travel arrangements.
Once you have received confirmation from Explore Up Close, we recommend contacting a travel insurance provider directly to request a quote and compare pricing and features. You can find other providers that may fit your needs at www.insuremytrip.com, or we can gladly connect you with our travel agent.
This trip departs from Greenville / Spartanburg, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. If you live elsewhere, please contact us to discuss travel arrangements, and we will look forward to assisting you!
