North Carolina Trip: Watauga Lake in Tennessee

Welcome back to my

North Carolina trip

photo series!

We stayed at a 

huge and beautiful 

mountain rental cabin 

owned and managed by 

my son-in-law and daughter

near Boone, North Carolina

Our first **big** outing,

Watauga Lake, 

the highest lake in Tennessee,

about an hour from Boone.

At the Lakeshore Marina, 

we rented two pontoon boats 

to fit 13 of us.

little guy with his aunt

intrepid here but...
she didn't want to
get in the water

however,
coaxed in by big sister

she had a blast!

driving for a few minutes
just to say I did

a beautiful little visitor
in the middle of the lake

a quiet cove
for more swimming?

down goes the anchor

3-2-1 jump off the log!

or not...

Let's try that again!

more visitors

and their young

a perfect end...

...to a lovely day

Enjoying the beauty,
Virginia

P.S. Other posts in the series...

The Cabin at Higher Ground
Mountain Flowers
Mountain Creek Fun

Disentangle (A Poem)

"Disentangle"

by Virginia Knowles

When I was a girl of 10 or so

I would sit long with a fat skein of vibrant yarn

Tangled by carelessness or cat

And I would focus my child eyes and

With supple hand, loosen the knots gently

Guide this end through that loop

Look again and plan how to untangle this mess

Delicately

And one by one the knots would clear

I would wind new inches onto my salvage ball

Wedged between my knees to keep it from rolling away

And I would work another tangle and another, satisfied

Then set it aside for later

Times, too, that fibers enmeshed, refused to budge

No undoing that hard and tight knot, no chance of change

No choice but to give it a hard yank, break it right there

Or better yet, find scissors and cut it loose

To go on with disentangling and reclaiming the rest

I think of that now

Kindred poems...

• Shimmer and Shadow
• The Harp in the Willow
• Your Kindness Gave Me Courage
• Pilgrimage and Jubilee
• Lift Up Your Head and Laugh
• This Is My Song and I Sing
• Between the Seed and the Tree
• Do Cry
• Rebound

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

North Carolina: The Cabin at Higher Ground

Our family had the privilege of spending nearly a week at Higher Ground, the mountain cabin built by my son-in-law Alex's grandparents about 30 years ago. It is now run by Alex and Julia. It is beautiful. It is huge. It is also available for vacation rentals. :-) I'll give you contact information at the end.

The cabin is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, North Carolina. It is right near the top of a mountain, very close to the famed Grandfather Mountain.

Alex's grandparents, Jerry and Shirley Corbett, ran Higher Ground as a bed & breakfast inn for a while, and the sign is still there.

The driveway from the road is long and gorgeous.

Julia and my grandson were there on the main balcony porch to welcome us.

The front steps...

Yes, this cabin is built of real logs. 

The entry foyer...

Spacious living room with stone fireplace, couches and chairs, a big screen TV, and fully stocked book case with books, games and puzzles. 

Mantel...

You can see a little of
the kitchen in the background.

The sun room has a VCR, so bring those old tapes you've been wanting to see again!

A large dining area with two tables - enough to seat 14 comfortably.

I didn't get a good picture of the whole kitchen, but I borrowed this one from their Facebook page. They've got all the cooking equipment and dishes you could imagine, including a Belgian waffle maker that can make two big ones at a time.

Yes, there are rules. Pay close attention and make sure to follow them.

In order to help you comply...

Making s'mores and memories

Cheerwine?
It's a favorite soda in these parts.
You can find it anywhere,
but why not a trip to
the Mast General Store
in nearby Valle Crucis?
Yes, drink the Cheerwine for sure.

The main porch runs
the whole length
of the cabin,
with plenty of
rockers and porch swings

You can grill on the
big back porch!

Master bedroom
on the main floor

Painting by Shirley Corbett
is at the top of the stairs

Heart bedroom -
one of the five
upstairs bedrooms!

Blue bedroom -
this is where I slept!

Bunk room with
bed space for three

Bunny room

Critter room
with two twin beds

One of the huge
upstairs bathrooms

Don't you just love it? 

I do! I wish I could have spent two weeks there instead of just one!

Pop on over to the Higher Ground Facebook page if you're interested in visiting! So far, the cabin has only been advertised word of mouth, but they are listing it with a rental management agency soon, so the summer and autumn months may fill up really fast! The cabin has also been used for church retreats. There is regular bed space for 13, plus extra mattresses tucked under some of the beds for extra sleeping.

You might like to see my two other North Carolina trip photo posts: Mountain Flowers and Mountain Creek Fun

There is so much to do and see near Higher Ground! Stay tuned for the photos of Lake Watauga (nearby in Tennessee), the Biltmore Estate (two hours away in Asheville), the picturesque village of Blowing Rock (not far at all!), and Grandfather Mountain (very close, but it takes a half hour to drive down one mountain and up the other).