Girls Weekend in Boone, NC

Two weekends ago I spent the weekend in Boone, NC with my college roommates. We had not all been together in years, so this reunion was so wonderful! After leaving college, getting real jobs, marrying, having kids, traveling for work, moving away, etc, it is difficult to see each other. The friendships are still there, though, and getting to spend an entire weekend together was refreshing and encouraging. And so fun! We are still all there for each other through tough times and joyful times, and that is a true gift.

We rented a cabin and spent time catching up, drinking wine, and listening to the rain (oh, the rain!). On Saturday we ventured out for lunch at Eat Crow, a wine tasting and an afternoon drink at Grandfather Vineyard, and dinner at Bistro Roca (formerly Antler’s). Because of the rain, we stayed away from shopping or walking around town. Our experiences at each place on Friday were lovely. I would highly recommend lunch at Eat Crow – one of the best salads I’ve had, and all of the girls were happy with their chosen dishes. Grandfather Vineyard was charming, and has plenty of outdoor seating. The views of the vineyard and the river were great. Dinner at Bistro Roca was fabulous. I had the Wood Roasted Sweet Potato “salad,” which I copied slightly once I got home.

(Thanks for letting me steal some of your pictures, girls! ;))

Saturday (still plenty of rain) involved a spa treatment for everyone at Chetola Resort, cheap Mexican food for lunch, and dinner at The Gamekeeper. I’m not sure if Chetola is used to being able to accommodate that many treatments during the same time frame, but we all had massages and thoroughly enjoyed our time relaxing. We felt rather spoiled! (The grounds were set up for a wedding that day, and we all felt so sorry for the bride who had to get married during a flood. Awful, right?!) Dinner at The Gamekeeper was a worthwhile experience. I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Boone who is looking for a nice and different dining experience. The menu has some rare foods not found on typical menus. The elk and the ostrich were a hit, and the bread pudding for dessert was the group favorite.

Being able to spend a weekend with my friends was wonderful and needed. We enjoyed the girl talk, caught up on each other’s lives, and had some cathartic conversations. We’re already discussing taking a cruise together in a couple years! Love you, Margaret, Neely, Allison, and Shannon!