Well, I am happy to announce that Snow Tubing has officially returned to Ski Beech! I have long intended to give it a go myself, possibly that will happen this winter (possibly with a small video camera on board with me), so watch this spot . . .
Anyway, a 2-hour session on the run, including the tube rental, costs $16 ($20 on weekends and holidays). There is a hand-pull style towline provided, to help you get in a maximum number of trips up and down the slope. Tickets are sold on a first-come first-serve basis (They can fit only so many people on the runs at one time safely.), so it's best to be flexible in case everyone else on the mountain decides to go tubing at the same time of day you want to go. But tubing sessions are scheduled run all day until 10 p.m. the whole week, so there will be plenty of sessions to chose from.
Safe Snow Tubing
Of course, propelling oneself down an angled surface, slick with packed down snow, can open one up to the possibility of . . . well, collisions. So, make sure everyone who wants to hop on a snow tube is at least 48" tall. Also, please note that anyone under 18 needs written parental permission. Plus, as with skiing, Ski Beech staff that you dress in layers, with a water resistant outer layer; so you can stay warm, dry, and comfortable your whole 2 hours.
View Haus at Ski Beech
The tubing run is very thoughtfully located in the field just by the View Haus so that those of us who do not have boundless energy and limitless enthusiasm for the cold will be able to take refuge inside and enjoy hot drinks and food, without missing the spectacle!
Attention parents!
A word to the wise: You should probably start work now on perfecting your non-spill technique for holding a cup of steaming hot cocoa in one hand while waving excitedly to your kids on the other side of the window with the other. "Mom! Dad! Look at meeeee!!!"
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Snow Tubing Returns to Ski Beech!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Fun Way To Work off that Stuffing!
It's gonna' be fantastic weather for snow sports and winter frivolity this year! And Beech Mountain Bliss is perfectly situated to take maximum advantage of the High Country! Not only are we just around the corner from the Ski Beech Resort, we're not very far from a number of other great destinations. Here's a quick run-down on what else you have to choose from:
Ski Beech
1007 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC
(828) 387-2011 - right around the corner from us (2 mins)
- Lots of exciting changes have occurred at Ski Beech - new this, new that, and general sprucing up. We are particularly excited about the re-introduction of Snow Tubing. Watch this space for an alert on the official opening date!
Sugar Mountain Resort, Inc.
1009 Sugar Mountain Dr, Sugar Mountain, NC
(828) 898-4521 - 20 mins drive from us
- Lots of $$ has been spent adding snowmaking capacity and slopes improvements, in addition to six hundred new ski packages and 100 new snowboard packages added to their rental fleet.
Hawksnest Golf & Ski Resort
2058 Skyland Dr, Seven Devils, NC
(828) 963-6565 - 30 mins away
- Hawksnest is now ALL Tubing! - they now have 20 tubing lanes that are between 400 and 1,000 feet long. All 20 lanes are accompanied by moving carpet lifts, 100 percent snowmaking and lighting.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
940 Ski Mountain Rd, Blowing Rock, NC
(828) 295-7828 - under an hour away
So come on up and check out the snow! There is tons of it up here already!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Do I Need 4-Wheel Drive or Snow Chains on the Mountain in Winter?
A question I often get from our guests about Beech Mountain is whether or not it is truly necessary to have 4-Wheel Drive while vacationing up there in the winter. My answer is "If you don't have 4WD, you should be fine with some snow chains."
Although you will have the benefit of well-maintained paved, two-lane roads to get to anyplace (restaurants, stores, Ski Beech) on Beech Mountain you'd care to go (including up to our Condo's front steps) . . . And although we have been impressed by the speed with which the Town of Beech gets those snow plows out there to clear the roads whenever it's necessary, it is still never wise to underestimate Mother Nature.
So, hazardous driving conditions are a possibility during Beech Mountain winters. And because of this fact, we, like most anyone else up there you care to ask up there, do recommend either a 4WD vehicle or that you carry a set of chains for your drive wheels. If you do not already have some snow chains, you can order them fairly inexpensively online at stores like Sears and put them on yourself. There are also a number of places in Banner Elk (at the foot of Beech), and of course Fred’s Mercantile on Beech Mountain, that will sell you chains - or install the ones you have with you.
If you wait till you get up there to buy them, a set of chains installed can cost you as little as $100, depending on the size of your tires. (I did call to ask some local garages about renting snow chains, but this apparently struck both the gentlemen I spoke to as amusing. So I think it's safe to say there doesn't appear to be any such thing as snow chain rentals - at least in the Beech Mountain area.) Either way, it is best to consider them relatively inexpensive insurance for your trip.
Below are just two of the many businesses near Beech Mountain who offer snow chains and also towing services up on the mountain. It's nice to keep their phone numbers handy . . . just for the extra luxury of peace of mind.
- Banner Elk Exxon & Wrecker Service, 115 Main St. West, Banner Elk 28604 (828 898-5210) - Their "z-chains" installed range from $90 to $120. At their busiest, the wait may be around an hour. Fortunately, there are several nice cafes and restaurants within a minute's walk where you can pass the time enjoyably.
- High South Wrecker Service, Banner Elk (828 898-4473) - They will also install your own chains for under $45 (again, depending on tire size), or sell you a set.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Don't Stress Over the Turkey! Spend your Thanksgiving on Beech!
What with the fantastic winter weather enabling us all to get a jump on our skiing this year, why not take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday to come up to the Mountain for a long weekend? You will not have to forgo the traditional Turkey spread - except for perhaps the other kind of spread that occurs after you've eaten the traditional meal, because you'll work it all off playing in the snow afterward, right? - because there are a lot of fantastic restaurants in Beech that will all be offering special Thanksgiving menus and extended hours on the day!
One of my family's favorite places to go is Vasarely's. This place is a fine example of that sometimes hard-to-find combination of upscale food and a comfortably casual, family-friendly atmosphere that has become particularly important to us since we became parents. Over the years, we've enjoyed lovely steaks, perfectly cooked shrimp dishes, well-seasoned vegetables, pot roast dinners rivaling Mom's, and an excellent pan-fried trout (my personal favorite). Their waitstaff are always very friendly and helpful, their entrees conscientiously prepared and hearty, and their homemade desserts indulgently generous.
Vasarely's is located right on Beech Mountain Parkway, and will be open for the Winter Season on November 26th - but you can leave make your reservation for Turkey Day now by phoning them at 828-387-4900.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
We Three Kings - Or Why Should You Always Take the Smallest Bed, Just Because You're Short?
If you're part of that population of individuals with a shorter stature, then you may be familiar with the all-too-common annoyance of always feeling obligated to take the bedroom with the smaller bed whenever you share a vacation home with your taller friends and family. I know that situation was generally the fly in my "getting-away-from-it-all" vacation home ointment - that is, until I gained a lofty ally in my rather tall husband, Alex, which helped tremendously in the group negotiations over who was to get the King-sized bedroom (note: chronic back problems help your case for dibs on the firmest mattress, too). But in my single days, I rarely got to enjoy the luxury of excess mattress real estate.
Well, it was that personal history which greatly influenced our decision to furnish our Beech Mountain Condo with, not just two King-sized beds, but three! It started with our discovery that a king-sized mattress would fit up in the loft area, which overlooks the living room, which prompted us to go ahead and purchase 2 Beautry-rest King mattress sets. (Boy, was that one happy mattress salesman!) Later, when it came time to replace the two twin beds in our second downstairs bedroom, we came upon the happy idea of purchasing two Xtra Long Twin mattresses from Original Mattress Factory instead of the standard length. There is ample space in the room for the longer length of these beds, and when pushed together with a "bed bridge" (A specially designed hypo-allergenic polyurethane foam piece which bridges the gap left when two mattresses are pushed side-by-side, leaving no ridges or lumps), the result is very pleasing to even this notorious insomniac!
There is so much to fun to be had on Beech Mountain, and this can be exhausting (in a good way) - particularly with the kids in tow. So, when we say our place "sleeps 6 to 10," we thought you'd like to know that we really do mean "sleeps."
Monday, November 17, 2008
SNOW
I woke up this morning and took at look at the High Country WebCams page and saw . . . SNOW! (What strange and wonderful times we live in, that I can look through a magic window and see the weather over 4 hours away from my house.)
And the snow fall is expected to persist throughout the week, perhaps adding as much as 3", according to Ray's Weather Center online:
"All this cold (with light snow) will give more than enough cold/snow for ski slopes to open this week. "
It's going to be a fantastic ski season, I do believe!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Free Sledding for the Kids in Beech Mountain
Although, the Ski Beech resort is an especially fantastic value this year, as it starts out this season with freshly refurbished facilities and a wide array of special discounts throughout the winter season, You can still get out in the snow with the kids, even if the budget will not allow for lift tickets every single day you're on the mountain!
Free Sledding (at 5065 feet) is provided by the Town of Beech for kids under 12 (of course, parents may accompany the little ones down the hill). It's located right by the Beech Mountain Town Hall (inside of which, there are also nice clean and warm public restrooms). My family took two excited 4-year-olds to to try out the hill last winter, and we all had an absolute blast! The town does an excellent job maintaining the hill - with its own snowmaking machines, no less! - and keeping things orderly and safe (only plastic sleds are allowed on the hill, for example). And when it gets dark, the area is lit up so that sledding can continue well into the evening. As we were passing by at dusk, the scene of all those sledders frolicking in that glowing nimbus of snow looked like a giant snow globe left by the side of the road.
No room in the family jalopy to pack a sled? No problem! We provide two "saucer" sleds at our condo for our guests to use - and, if you need more than our two, you can buy inexpensive ones up on the Mountain - or stop by the Lowes or Dollar General in nearby Banner Elk.
About this Blog
Our family was introduced to Beech Mountain, NC, back in the Fall of 2006; and shortly thereafter bought a place of our own 4,687 feet above sea level, and have been enjoying Beech Mountain Bliss as often as possible ever since.
And in spending all our vacation time up there with our little daughter, we've also passed along what we've learned in the form of emails recommendations, restaurant suggestions, and helpful tips to our guests.
It seems a shame to let all that good information molder away in my email archives, so we have set up this blog as a way to spread the word about our little peace of heaven, and our own discoveries on how to have a relaxing time in the NC High Country, with kids in tow AND without having to mortgage the farm to pay for it all.
Posts
