Valle Crucis is the kind of place people drive through on their way to somewhere bigger, then wish they’d stopped. It’s a tiny village in a green valley along the Watauga River, and it’s where Valle View Retreat sits, on a hill looking down over the pastures. Valle Crucis was North Carolina’s first rural historic district, and a slow morning here is one of the best parts of a stay.
Start at the Original Mast General Store
Just 1.4 miles from the house, the Original Mast General Store has been trading since the 1880s and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Inside, there’s a pot-bellied stove, 5-cent coffee on the honor system and a working post office, plus shelves of cast iron, old-fashioned toys, boots and country foods. Two-tenths of a mile down the road, the Mast Store Annex has the candy barrels, and the kids will want to fill a bag.
Breakfast or lunch next door
Pearl’s Kitchen + Tiny Market sits right beside the Mast Store and serves coffee, pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches from 9am to 3pm every day. Its little market is handy for picnic supplies, local beer and wine and North Carolina-made snacks.
Spend the afternoon by the river
Valle Crucis Community Park covers 28 acres along the Watauga River, about 1.5 miles from the house. There are walking paths, playgrounds and picnic shelters, and in summer the river is a favorite spot to cool off. Access is free, and it’s run by a local nonprofit that relies on donations.
Friday nights: Music in the Valle
Every Friday through the summer, the park hosts Music in the Valle, a free evening concert series with bluegrass, old-time and Americana bands. It starts at 6pm. Bring a picnic and spread out on the lawn. There are folding chairs in the front closet at the house, so you don’t need to pack your own. A small donation is suggested.
Head home for the sunset
One of the nicest things about staying in Valle Crucis is how close everything is. You can browse the Mast Store, have lunch, sit by the river and still be back on the front porch in time to watch the light fade over the valley.
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Want more ideas? See all our things to do in the High Country.