Don't let the name fool you. It's not really a swinging bridge - but it does creak. And those…read moresounds are a bit alarming as you're hiking up Grandfather Mountain. Admission to the mountain is $25/person. And it's highly recommended you pre-pay online, especially during tourist season when spots fill up. To get to Mile High Swinging Bridge, you pay the admission and can park in the various areas. The top of the mountain does have a parking lot, a gift shop, and restrooms; but the top parking lot fills up. So we parked farther down and did the 20-30 minute hike up. Take a lot of pics during your nervous walk across the bridge. Great views as you're 5,280 feet above sea level. Also, do not wear flip flops! I see a lot of people, even little kids, running around the top of the mountain with flip flops. What in the world?!

So totally worth it. The town is wonderful. We enjoyed just the approach to the mountain…read more Grandfather Mountain is very cool with a legendary history. The swinging bridge was just another jewel in their crown of glory. I totally recommend it for young and Old the Vista points are stupendous. And there's a really wonderful video to watch and a nature center, and even some animals to catch up with.

We traveled to Blowing Rock, NC to visit friends and to explore the area - what I didn't know is…read morethat our friends live only a few hundred yards from this beautiful marvel in a cliff side home over-looking the beautiful valley below. The Blowing Rock itself is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea-level overhanging John's River Gorge 3,000 feet below. I've read the legends of this rock and my friends have told me during the winter storms the snow blows upward from the cliffs and from their back porch the snow rises from the valley and appears to fall upward. The air currents that flow upward prompted scientists to surmise this location is "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down". I climbed up the blowing rock that protrudes over the valley to get the best view possible and felt the breeze rising upward, it was pretty cool while a little unnerving at the same time, I admit it was a crawl to the very edge and not a place I felt comfortable standing it's very steep and treacherous in my opinion. The entire facility is well maintained and the staff here was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a snack bar with outdoor tables and a nice gift shop. On the day we arrived there were several artists with their canvases painting the blowing rock and backdrop. There's plenty of parking and as beautiful as it is I think allowing less than an hour here is more than enough time to see it all and explore the observation platform and hiking trails...

I went here for the penny, I have to admit but I'm glad that I did. The views are stunning from the…read moreobservation area. It was beyond foggy the day we went, they warned us before we paid but I wanted to press on. The gift shop is nice and has literally something for everyone. The properly has 3 kitties roaming around. The rock itself is sorta a gimmick but the story behind it is full of culture and myth. The property is VERY well maintained and beautiful. There is a small cafe/snack shop halfway to the observation tower. There are some stars but also a ramp. There is a view finder for a few quarters on the deck you can make use of. The paths are short and this place is pretty accessible. I really liked the gem room too it was very interesting, there is also a tiny museum with some history and artifacts. Blowing rock is pet friendly!!

Beautiful Art on display in various rooms. Paintings, sculpture, jewelry and woodwork make for a…read morerelaxing afternoon. The grounds are just as beautiful as the art inside. I have passed by here for years and never stopped. So glad I finally did! Beautiful!

This is a gorgeous gallery full of amazing fine art! A wide variety of artists are represented here…read moreincluding Toni Carlton. Come here to window shop and be amazed or to purchase that one exquisite piece that will be treasured for a lifetime and beyond. It also offers lovely handmade jewelry for a perfect birthday or holiday or anniversary gift. Not to mention the beautiful textiles...hats, gloves, jackets. There is a surprise around every corner. Oh and they offer lessons!

Beautiful falls. Trail was good shape for healthy senior walking. Strenuous but not exhausting or…read moreunbearable. Everyone on trail & parking lot were polite & helpful

We enjoyed our hike - from car, to falls and back was a little over 3 miles. It is a great hike but…read morebring a walking stick to help navigate some of the rocky areas- you do cross a creek but the rocks were easy to cross without getting wet and were not slippery. On the way down you really tend to enjoy the views - because you aren't focused on getting to the end ;) my husband and I - are out of shape lol but it was not that bad of a hike - our daughter , who is an athlete had no issues - but there is a good 30 ye diff between us ha! I highly recommend spending a few hours enjoying nature ;)

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

Had great time at this cavern. We were greeted warmly by the staff.. walk inside building and…read moredecent sized gift shop with lots of gemstones and different things to see. We were only ones there at time and we had great conversations with staff before we started our journey into cave. I think we paid 13-15 a person fairly cheap for cave. So our guide took us thru a door down a ramp and into the start of cave tour. Even saw a salamander under some of rocks at start of cave. Lots of walkways and formations to see.. lot of history too. On way back our guide have us each a flashlight and let us see cave our way with lights off. It was so cool! There is different types of tours where you can crawl thru holes in caves and thru water but I just wanted easy walking tour lol.. definitely a must see.. glad we came!

When you're in Asheville, they say the Biltmore is a MUST! So we booked a couple tickets ($115 PP)…read morefor the regular grounds tour + wine tasting. It was the perfect day weather wise to tour through the estate inside and out. The place is massive! The closer you get the more small you feel and walking through from room to room you just can't believe how big and spacious it is. This was my first tour where they give you this phone that looks vintage or from the 80's and you click on each number and an audio guides you through each room and gives you the back story. It was quite amusing watching so many people walking around with these phones up to their ears while trying to take photos. Some of the rooms were so beautiful, the fireplaces and how well they preserved a lot of these super old things. It was a fairly busy afternoon but the pace was quite steady for a weekday so I'm glad we chose that over a weekend. After the tour inside we grab a bite and drink at the two places offered outside. Then we made our way through the gardens and just endless rows of tulips. Make sure you go through and down to go to the botanical gardens. Holy cow, this was place was insane and the plants and flowers were gorgeous. I gotta give it up for these landscapers and people that keep up with all of it. There were plants and flowers I've never seen before and then you get to one room where there's a violinist and that was such a nice touch. After that we hopped back into our car and strolled over to the wine tasting room and gift shop. They were very quick and efficient with how it was set up and with all these groups coming in at once. We got to taste 5 wines and ended up taking 2 bottles home. I would say be prepared to spend some money visiting the Biltmore Estate but it was totally worth it! We got some beautiful views and photos!

The Biltmore at Christmas is truly magical. The mansion is glowing with lights, and the…read morebeautifully manicured grounds make the entire property feel like a holiday dream. Inside, the decorations are absolutely stunning, with poinsettias and flowers everywhere and breathtaking Christmas trees in every room. Carolers and a harp player add to the festive atmosphere, making the experience even more special. The tour is very informative, and we loved learning about the history of the estate. There's also so much to enjoy around the property, including the gardens, winery, hotel, and restaurants. The gift shops are filled with wonderful keepsakes, too. This is one of my favorite places to visit and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful examples of ornamental architecture--especially during the magic of Christmas.

Despite the colder than expected weather and the wind, my wife and I had a great time exploring…read moreGrandfather Mountain. The park is so nicely maintained, well mark, and cleared hiking trails for all skill levels. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is an amazing add on with so much fun, and educational info for all ages. The Wilson center also has a cafe, offering reasonably priced "ball park" cuisine, well maintained bathrooms and a souvenir shop. Next to the Wilson Center is the Mildred The Bear Environmental Habitats where you can get up close and learn about some of the species that call this area home. Consider it a miniature zoo with habitats for some animals needing rehab. We were able to see some bears, bald eagles, river otters, and elk, OH MY! Each area had signs posted for ranger talks, which we caught for the river otters. They tell you about the animals, and and answer any questions people have. After exploring the Wilson Center and habitats, we continued our trek up on the mountain to the swing bridge, and that's when the wind really kicked in...with wind gusts, the temp dropped quickly, with a wind chill of -9degrees, but we trudged on, and made the most of it. In the end, we had a great time, and look forward to returning to explore more of the trails. Based on other reviews, some may feel that the $35 ticket price per person may be a bit much at the main entry, but it's a small cost of maintaining such an amazing resource. If you enjoy being outside, hiking, and exploring, this is a must visit NC destination

Nice park and mountain, but $37 PER PERSON? With NO…read moresignage/pricing posted anywhere ... yikes I could understand for something like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but just a state park ...tough pill to swallow especially when it's not posted anywhere. I was planning to hike with some friends and we were going to start at one of the other lots but the roads were closed leaving us no choice but to enter the park. I really just wish the pricing/fees were posted somewhere-anywhere- because they weren't online or on the park signs out front. Had to pull up to the gate/window and even then the park ranger seemed to want to withhold that information as long as possible. The actual park is beautiful and well maintained- and you do get an audio guide plus map upon entry. But the lack of transparency here is a hard no for me. @azfitfoodfun

We came to the area to hike to Rough Ridge Overlook. We wanted to start our hike here, but the…read moreparking area was closed. There's a nearby overlook parking where you can walk along the road and get a really nice view of the viaduct. We also hiked from the Stone Rock Parking Area to the visitor center which was nice but didn't have many views. This area is really pretty and visiting in the fall is gorgeous for the changing leaves!

If you're driving the Blue Ridge parkway you must stop near the viaduct to check it out. The views…read moreare amazing and it's even better in the fall.

Great experience. The tubing was fantastic. The staff was very friendly! Definitely recommend!read more

Great people. Nice lazy river. Tubes all needed air. Nice facilities, but it is a drive through the…read moremountains to get there.

A fun way to spend the afternoon! We had an awesome tour guide named Micah who really made the…read moreexperience even more awesome. You could tell he was very passionate about the questions we asked and the information. We did not realize how busy it would be but we were able to buy tickets for later in the day and came back after lunch! Can't recommend this enough!

It was something to do on a rainy day, but altogether underwhelming. The pictures below pretty much…read morecapture the experience. It's a small cavern, very small by some standards and I was surprised to have the guide tell us that we were standing in the largest room in the cavern when we were in a small room. I've been to much grander caverns, but as I sid, it was something to do.