12 HIDDEN MOUNTAIN GEMS
Main house at Red Horse Inn, Landrum, South Carolina |
The winding roads heading into the valleys and peaks of the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina lead to lots of interesting hidden gems. It's just a matter of knowing where to find them. Here are 12 top hidden mountain gems in the Carolinas:
NORTH CAROLINA
1 The Gamekeeper
Just outside the village of Blowing Rock on the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Gamekeeper, rated Four Diamond by AAA, is a woodsy restaurant specializing in creative mountain cuisine, with trout, bison, house made sausages, and much more from the Carolinas on the menu. Fresh ingredients, wood-fired preparation, and pretty presentation combine to make this a hidden mountain gem worth the drive, but Yonahlassee Resort & Club is also just across the road.www.gamekeeper-nc.com; www.yonahlossee.com
2 Apple Hill Farm
Apple Hill Farm is a pretty alpaca farm sitting atop Valle Mountain between Banner Elk and Boone. The old apple orchard is now home to alpacas, goats, llamas, chickens, dogs, cats, and more. Visitors are welcome during regular opening hours spring to fall, when there are also great farm tours, and the popular Farm Store features yarns, sweaters, blankets and much more. www.applehillfarmnc.com
3 Grandfather Mountain
Everyone knows Grandfather Mountain and the famed Mile High Swinging Bridge, but very few head up their winding road on days with low cloud cover because they assume they won't see anything. The late Hugh Morton, founder of Grandfather Mountain, loved these "hidden" days, which made for a quiet and eerie setting--and stunning photography for which he was famous. www.grandfather.com
Originally published in AAA Carolinas