Boone, NC

Boone, NC is such a nice summer getaway from the Phoenix heat. Now that we have family in the area, visits will be more frequent. I'm actually starting to get a sense of knowing my way around the surrounding area too.

We had initially planned on taking a red-eye flight, but the flight was nearing capacity and we weren't exactly near the top of the standby list. Plan B? Move up a flight and arrive earlier! This worked perfectly and we were driving away from Charlotte late on Thursday instead of Friday afternoon.

Let the brewery tour begin!! My in-laws are now retired and mostly do the snowbird thing between Boone & Tallahassee. They know where all the good local watering holes are. Our first stop would be new to them as well: Beech Mtn. Brewing Co.

One of the area ski resorts in the winter.

New brewery, take a flight.

The beers were pretty good, nothing really jumped out at any of us though. There also happens to be the Land of Oz theme park on site, of course K wants to come back for that.

We poked around the museum for a few minutes.

This scene freaked me out as a kid.

We're off to see the Wizard...

Oh, look, a mountain biker!! Yes, there are lift assisted trails to ride!! Next time.

It may not be a high Rocky Mountain pass of the west, but the elevation is enough to not really notice the higher humidity.

We made our way back over to Boone for a late lunch at Lost Province Brewing Co.

Impressive pizza oven.

Plenty to choose from.

Flight time!! The lager made with corn grits was interesting...in a good way.

Shrimp Po Boy & New Orleans kettle chips is fine southern eating!!

I love how the view from the porch changes by the minute. Storm clouds building.

I often wondered what all those peaks were, I knew about Rocky Knob (Mountain bike trails!!) I searched for a good Android App and found PeakFinder AR. $4.99 well spent in my book as it allows photos to be taken inside the app, then the overlay can be properly aligned if needed.

We had a few errands to run on Saturday mixed in with a couple more brewery stops.

We weren't planning a stop here, but found out their delicious Scottish Ale was back on draft. 

Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone.

Nice selection. Flight bound.

Cool mural above the bar.

Cheers!!

There was a food truck kinda attached to the building, portable kitchen!! The food was fantastic too.

Say whaa?? Yes, please. A couple packages were frozen for an AZ return.

Sunset from the porch.

Sunday was set aside for visiting with Gary's Aunt Sue. She comes to the mountains once a year, a nice getaway from the Charlotte area.

The gang out for brunch.

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Sisters.

It's not often I get K to wear a biking shirt, Dr. Seuss sure helps!!

So many hills, bumps, peaks & layers of mountains. No idea how accurate this one is, but I'm sure it's close.

More porch time on a Sunday late afternoon. Great place to watch the birds & lightning bugs in the evening.

Gurgling waterfall at the bottom of the driveway.

Quite the mountain retreat!! New landscaping complete.

Yuengling brats cooked in Yuengling beer. Mmmm.

A couple heavy hitters we sampled.

A few that made their way back to AZ.

Boone is such a cool place to visit, especially when escaping the desert heat. We're already planning a longer stay next time, hopefully spending some time down in Asheville. Perhaps a ride...or two??