Sugar Mountain Getaway

If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice

Madonna really knew what she was talking about. Sometimes you just gotta prioritize celebrations! And this past week, my husband and I got to celebrate being married for one whole year. It’s truly hard to believe that it’s been an entire year since we committed out lives to one another before God and the body of Christ. After quarantining for the past 3 months in Myrtle Beach, we decided we needed to getaway for a long weekend. So we packed our bags and ran for the hills. Well, the mountains that is!

The View From Our Porch

*deep breath*

Rough Ridge and Tanawha Trail

Rough Ridge is a 2.5 mile out and back trail near Blowing Rock, NC. It’s connected to the Tanawha Trail which stretches a total of 13.5 miles. We decided to make the Rough Ridge Trail a bit longer by connecting it with the Tanawha Trail. Even though the weather that day was fairly humid and overcast, we had a blast taking in nature and seeing the glory of God’s creation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A must see!

Anniversary Dinner

To celebrate our one year anniversary of being Mr. and Mrs. Brown, we decided to try Twigs Restaurant and Bar in Blowing Rock, NC. An upscale, intimate restaurant with rustic mountain touches. The service, atmosphere, menu, and overall ambiance was the perfect celebration for year one. Started the evening with a Blackberry Smash cocktail made with bourbon and muddled blackberries. We both ordered it because it was reminiscent of the signature cocktail served at our wedding reception made with muddled blackberries and Prosecco. Our starter salad was Bib lettuce, Watermelon, Marcona Almonds, Brie, and Balsamic Vinaigrette. I ordered the Wild-Caught Salmon as my entree: Coriander Brown Sugar Seared served with Zucchini Ribbons topped with Saffron Dill Beurre Blanc over a Green Onion Risotto. Cary ordered the Filet Mignon: topped with Gorgonzola Butter, Tobacco Onions, Port Wine Demi-Glace, Parsnip Puree, Wilted Spinach, and Smashed New Potatoes. For dessert, we shared the Chocolate Ganache Cake. However in our haste, we forget to snap a pic. But trust me, it was very tasty! Definitely the perfect setting for cheers-ing to our first year.

Boone, NC

Boone, the hometown of Appalachian State, is the cutest little downtown. Walkable and full of quaint businesses, restaurants and mountain views. We loved just perusing downtown and seeing what the town had to offer. Had a wood-fired margherita pizza for lunch at Lost Province Brewing Company, followed by an afternoon of touring downtown.

Elk River Falls

Just a short drive from downtown Banner Elk is Elk River Falls. This 50-foot waterfall cascades into a serene oval pool and is truly mesmerizing. Cary kept trying to get close to the edge for a photo-op, and I think I had multiple heart attacks in the process. Could easily do this with kiddos in tow! Truly stunning views.

Favorite Meals

Supernova IPA at Kettell Beerworks (Banner Elk)
Gorgonzola Burger and Sweet Potato Fries at Banner Elk Cafe & Lodge (Banner Elk)
Specialty Latte at Fred & Larry’s Coffee (Banner Elk)
Wood-fired pizza and beer at Lost Province Brewing Company (Boone)
Anniversary dinner at Twigs Restaurant and Bar (Blowing Rock)
Blueberry Pancakes at Banner Elk Cafe & Lodge (Banner Elk)

Our Sugar Mountain Airbnb

We were wowed by the value and experience of our Airbnb in Sugar Mountain. If you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, I’ve provided a link to the listing. The hosts were wonderful and speedy with responses. We were blown away by the welcome gift of Prosecco and local cheese. Such a sweet way to jumpstart our anniversary trip!