We loved this quaint little mountain town

[By Kelly Kazek] Sweetums and I didn’t intend to visit the tiny town of Blowing Rock on our trip to North Carolina but when we realized we were so near The Blowing Rock tourist attraction we decided to detour.

The Blowing Rock, known as the only place where snow falls upside down, is the state’s oldest tourist attraction. Click here to see photos and read about our visit there. After seeing The Blowing Rock, we headed to the town of the same name to grab some food. The small town of about 1,200 people was so quaint. It is partially in Watauga and partially in Caldwell County.

We happened to arrive on a Saturday when an Art in the Park festival was being held. That, coupled with travelers who, like us, had been to Autumn at Oz, resulted in a nice crowd. Click here to see our photos from Autumn at Oz from the Land of Oz at Beech Mountain, N.C.

We decided to eat at Six Pence Restaurant, an English pub, and we had a short wait for a table even though it was 3 p.m. The Shepherd’s Pie was amazing and Sweetums had the Beef Guinness. We finished with bread pudding because … duh. It was delicious.

Story and photos continue below.

We ate at Six Pence Restaurant, a British pub, in Blowing Rock, N.C. (Photo by Wil Elrick/permission required)

Mug collection behind the bar at Six Pence Restaurant and Pub in Blowing Rock, N.C. (Photo by Wil Elrick/permission required)

I had the Shepherd’s Pie at Six Pence Pub. (Photo by Wil Elrick/permission required)

Sweetums and I shared the bread pudding for dessert. Yum. (Photo by Wil Elrick/permission required)

Then we had to walk off all the calories. We wandered from shop to shop looking at souvenirs, pottery, jewelry and, of course, the requisite hiking gear. One shop, Sunset Tees and Hattery, had an incredible selection of hats, both men’s and women’s, including top hats and bowlers. Very few would fit on Sweetums’ head, y’all. He has a big brain.

Blowing Rock also had a Kilwin’s, a shop that sells homemade candy and ice cream. I’d visited the Kilwin’s in Hendersonville, N.C., and loved it. Unfortunately, we’d just had the bread pudding and didn’t have room for the yumminess made there.

Blowing Rock had beautiful, well-kept public gardens and parks and looked like something from a postcard. We loved it. At least until my feet gave out. We hope to return to the area sometime and see more.

Take a look at the photos of our afternoon in downtown Blowing Rock. (Photos copyright Wil Elrick/permission required for use)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.