Long Weekend in Lake Lure
This year we took our second (annual) trip to Lake Lure!
The quaint & charming town is a short drive from Greenville, and the perfect place to relax - nestled in the mountains of North Carolina.
The town of Lake Lure & Chimney Rock are right next to each other; so the area offers the perfect combination of hiking, shopping, dining, and (of course) - the beach.
Our first day on vacay - we spent the late afternoon at Chimney Rock State Park.
It’s a shady hike up to a waterfall, watering hole, and picturesque Mountain View. There’s also about 8000 steps up, so be prepared to sweat!
If you want to go to the top of Chimney Rock - and use the elevator - you can mask up and take the shuttle from the lower level parking lot, also.
After our hike - we headed over to the Hickory Falls Guesthouse to check in, settle in & freshen up before dinner. Hickory Falls (yes it has an amazing view of the waterfall) is super close to DT Chimney Rock, has a super friendly staff, and is uber clean.
Besides this amazing Guesthouse Gnome that greets you upon arrival & every evening -
The guesthouse also has free mini bags of ice (that are great to grab & stuff in your beach cooler), and mini fridges in all rooms (also great for keeping leftovers fresh).
Speaking of food - for dinner the first night, we ate at The Lake House restaurant. I got the Veggie Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and the bf got the Seafood platter. Besides having an amazing view, The Lake House definitely has that laid back summer lake vibe - so there’s no need to wear your fancy alligator boots.
Unless you’re already wearing them, then - yeah go for it.
After dinner we took a quick detour to Ingles to stop and pick up snacks for the beach the next day (it’s not too far from the Lake House). I suggest grabbing some fresh fruit, smoothies and stuff to make sandwiches.
The infamous Lake Lure Inn was on the way home to the hotel, and (knowing it was haunted) I had been wanting to go for a while - so suggested we stop for a nightcap to enjoy out on the front porch.
The Lake Lure Inn was est. 1927 and is filled to the brim with history. When ordering your drinks at the bar window in the lobby - make sure to check out some of the old pictures and newspaper articles that line the walls.
Saturday morning we headed to Coffee on the Rocks, which is right in the heart of DT Chimney Rock - where we got some iced coffees and oatmeal to go - and sat down by the Village Riverwalk & enjoyed our outdoor breakfast.
Yet again, it was delightful to be immersed in nature and listen to the sounds of rushing water.
After our delicious coffee - we headed over to Lake Lure Beach where the iconic lake lift scene from the 1987 classic “Dirty Dancing” was filmed.
Make sure to get there early, since they can only accommodate 50% of their usual Dirty Dancing enthusiasts.
We arrived around 11 am and waited in line for about 30 minutes, which wasn’t too bad at all. However, around 12:30 the beach peeps made an announcement that they were at full capacity and couldn’t take new visitors until others left.
I politely asked my boyfriend to leave, to make room for other guests.
He did not.
In my defense, he *was* attracting all the bees because I was feeding them his watermelon smoothie on his towel.
Heads up - you are asked to wear a mask in line, and it is the law in NC (because of Covid, there is *not* some strange sort of fashion dictatorship in the Tarheel State). So, make sure to always have one on hand.
Tip; If you want to leave the beach - you can (and return) *if* they’re not at full capacity. If they are at full capacity, they will cut your bracelet off. Just FYI.
I’m not sure if you can just wait in line again and pay to get back in - or if they’re using some sort of high tech facial recognition program to prevent repeat beach goers. Or, maybe it’s just as simple as mumbling a secret code phrase like “Hungry Eyes.” to regain beach access.
After our fun in the sun - we had an afternoon nosh at the Beachside Grill, which is (literally) right across the street from the beach. The onion rings in the basket with the red and black checkered lining we’re so nostalgic and perfectly indulgent for a beach day snack.
Next, it was back to the room to rinse the sand off & get ready for dinner at the Esmarelda Inn.
Before dinner, we made sure to take a quick detour down the Flowering Bridge for a romantic stroll. I definitely suggest going right before the sun is about to go down - when the weather has cooled down a bit, but is still sunny & bright enough to get a good pre dinner picture.
The Esmarelda Inn was the perfect place to enjoy a nice intimate dinner. We were lucky enough to get a table outside, which overlooked the mountains and was so amazingly peaceful. Bonus; the food and drinks were beyond amazing.
Tip; since restaurants are also still operating at 50% capacity in NC, I highly suggest making reservations at the Esmarelda.
Tip #2; make sure to take a quick stroll around the Inn after dinner to enjoy the evening Avartar -esque ambiance.
On Sunday - our last day in town; we checked out of the guesthouse and headed downtown for some more coffee and shopping.
There are kind of a zillion adorable shops in DT Chimney Rock; but we hit up Bubba O’ Leary’s general Store for some souvenirs, The Sweet Shop (Willow Creek) some for some fudge and chocolate, and then over to the Gem Mine for our final stop of our Summer 2020 lake trip.
Ok - so just so you know, it’s really hard to get any cell reception or WiFi in Lake Lure or Chimney Rock - so I highly suggest getting your GPS going at the hotel before you head out. Or, if you forget to do that - you could just use a pre made hand drawn map, or maybe leave a trail of peanuts on the way in, so you can find your way home.
PS; We did wear our masks the entire time, (well except while eating and drinking) & kept our 6ft distance.
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