My family and I have been traveling to the Western North Carolina region for many years. We love it so much that we bought property deep in the country of this beautiful mountainous part of the United States. We have an RV that we keep there permanently, which becomes our home-away-from-home while we're visiting. We dream of one day finally building there.
Something that we love about this area are the small towns that we'll stumble upon during our stays. More than likely, we've already visited these places before, but it's always fun to see what's new, what's old, and what's changed. We also never know what kind of scenic backroad that we're going to happen upon on our adventures. The fun is in seeing where it leads, and most importantly, what's to be found along the way.
The town of Lake Lure is one such place that we make a point of visiting whenever we’re in the area. Each time we visit, we find something new that we love about it. Voted Official Best Mountain Lake Getaway in 2016, this charming town at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is always a relaxing place to take in the sights. Here are some of the top reasons why we love this little town in the mountains so much.
1. The Scenery - I have taken numerous photos of this area of North Carolina with most of them turning out spectacularly. Is this because I am some fabulous photographer? No. It's because the scenery is so beautiful that a person almost can't take a bad picture (unless you're purposely trying to). Between the lake, the river, the mountains in the background, and beautiful plants and flowers all around, AI will have nothing on the photos that you yourself will take.
2. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge – Almost every time we visit, I make a point of stopping to take a stroll over this lovely bridge. With a fairy tale theme and over 2,000 varieties of plants, you can be swept off into another world for a time. There are views of Lake Lure on one side, the Rocky Broad River on the other, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, and just like with my above point, you really can't take a bad picture.
3. The Lake Itself - There are numerous ways to enjoy Lake Lure. Several years ago, we went tubing across the lake which was a blast, and there's also kayaking, canoeing, pontoon boat rentals, and so on. If you'd like a more chilled out experience, go to the beach for the day. You can relax in the sand while the kids have fun on the waterslides and the splashpad.
4. The Surrounding Area - With horseback riding nearby, zip lining, the town of Chimney Rock with its many shops and souvenir stores, and also Chimney Rock State Park, there's much to do for the outdoor enthusiast. We always enjoy driving the backroads into the neighboring town of Black Mountain, which is also a fun stop. The views are spectacular, and you never know what kind of interesting sights you'll see along the way.
5. Nostalgia - Something that's always a bit sentimental, and really just downright cool, is the fact that numerous movies have been filmed in Lake Lure, or at least portions of the movies. One of the most popular is Dirty Dancing with the famous scene where Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Grey up out of the water filmed right in Lake Lure. There's even a Dirty Dancing Festival that takes place every year in the area to celebrate the famous movie. Other well-known films that have used this town as a filming location are Thunder Road (1958), Firestarter (1984), and The Last of the Mohicans (1992).
Lake Lure is truly one of those places where every picture is a postcard. The Flowering Bridge is called A Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful for a reason, but really, that could be the theme for the whole town. It's not huge, and is slightly off the beaten path, but sometimes, those are the best kinds of places to stumble upon anyway.
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