A very popular scenic spot at MP 290.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Thunder Hill Overlook features nice mountain views from a trail that can be picked up across the Parkway from the parking area. A short hike will take you to the top of the hill where you will also see a variety of apple trees. Definitely worth a stop the next time you’re cruising the Parkway just north of Blowing Rock!
Blowing Rock
Blowing Rock
We’re back in Blowing Rock for a brief getaway and the fall colors are popping!
Blue Ridge Parkway
Last month, I got the opportunity to leisurely make my way down the Blue Ridge Parkway from Blowing Rock to Asheville with stops at any overlooks that appealed to me. Highly recommended!
Blowing Rock, NC
“Blowing Rock, named for a nearby geological oddity, is an old resort town filled with beautiful homes that once belonged to wealthy early-20th-century industrialists. It’s a small town, but the surprising array of restaurants, cafes and galleries make it pleasant to stroll, window-shop and sit to enjoy an ice cream. Blowing Rock also offers easy access to Moses Cone Manor and other notable landmarks.” – Jason Frye, Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip, 2018
“The village of Blowing Rock sits on the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet. Its location near the Blue Ridge Parkway is fortunate and provides additional recreational amenities. Unique restaurants, mountain inns and fascinating shops offer a myriad of opportunities to visitors. Ordinary visitors have also been joined by many famous visitors to the town, including Dwight Eisenhower, Pearl Buck, Annie Oakley, Richard Nixon, Margaret Mitchell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.” – Donna Akers Warmuth, Images of America: Blowing Rock, 2004
Hike #50: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway
Hike #50: 52 Hike Challenge: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an extremely cold but sunny afternoon as we headed along the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of my favorite North Carolina High Country hikes, the Price Lake Loop Trail at Price Lake Overlook (MP 296.7). We took our time hiking around the lake and enjoying the scenery, as well as carefully navigating around the occasional muddy patch. My phone conked out early on because of the cold and unfortunately I was only able to get the above photo. Afterwards, we headed up to Blowing Rock for a nice lunch at Mellow Mushroom. Not a bad way to spend my 50th hike! Distance: 2.7 miles.
Remembering Sonny’s Grill
All that’s left of Sonny’s Grill is this commemorative plaque that can be found in front of the outdoor patio at Six Pence Pub in downtown Blowing Rock, North Carolina. A beloved local institution opened on December 13, 1954 (note that the plaque erroneously states 1955), by the late Sonny Klutz, Sonny’s Grill served as the archetypal small-town eatery where you could fuel up with a delicious ham biscuit, stack of sweet potato pancakes or juicy hamburger fresh off the grill. Author Jan Karon even alluded to Sonny’s as “Mitford’s Grill” in her popular Mitford series of books, which were inspired by Blowing Rock. Unfortunately, Sonny’s closed its doors for good in 2009 and is greatly missed.
Wandering Florida 