Finding Mitford
Our goal for today was to check out the little town of Blowing Rock, which is the inspiration for the town of Mitford in Jan Karon’s books. I took a wrong turn immediately, which sent us past stunning views of the Watauga River and a couple of little waterfalls as the recent rains drained down the mountainsides. Once we got on the right track, it was a quick trip to Blowing Rock. It’s an interesting mix of vacation spot (i.e. touristy places) and tiny town charm. It has a cute Main Street with good places to eat, and plenty of places to spend too much money on things you can get cheaper elsewhere. But I suppose it’s all in the experience. We spent about 3 hours (the length of time you can legally stay parked) eating an early lunch (whistlestop – which was basically a BLT made with fried green tomatoes - and trout sandwiches) at the Storie Street Grill, then browsing the shops. I managed to get a bear Christmas ornament that is reminiscent of North Carolina, as well as some fudg...