Thursday, August 14, 2008

Tweetsie Railroad - Family Fun in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains!


Tweetsie Railroad - Have you ever been there?? If so, you would never forget it. It has been around since I was a kid and that's been a really LONG time!! It's so well known in the South, that just the mention of "Tweetsie" will bring a grin to most folk's face.

The Tweetsie Train is a classic, steam locomotive with a distintive shrill whistle that sounds like "Tweet, Tweet, thus the name, Tweetsie. Once the whistle has sounded then the conducter yells - ALL ABOARD the Tweetsie Railroad!! Then the excitement begins.. You ride the rails through the mountains on guard against the train robbers but have no fear - the US Marshalls are on the train to protect you (it's really not too scary-kids love it)!! It's not your run of the mill theme park, it's smaller, more personal and less crowded with beautiful mountain scenery.

This family park brings back the old fashioned fun of the Wild West with dance halls, cowboys and Indians.. There's also entertainment, live music, a deer and goat park, face painting, ferris wheel, chair lifts and lots of other fun rides, etc.. You can even try your hand at panning for gold. Check out the scary, Ghost Train Ride in October for Halloween.

Tweetsie Railroad is located on Hwy 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock NC, just a short ride from Beech Mountain - about 45 minutes and only about 40 minutes from Hickory. After your Tweetsie adventure, why not drive into downtown Blowing Rock to check out all the unique shops. Our personal favorite is Kilwin's Ice Cream and Candy Store - try the old fashioned Vanilla milkshake - it comes with whipped cream on top - YUM !!

We recently enjoyed the day at Tweetsie for a family reunion. It was a beautiful day in the Blue Ridge Mountains with temps in the high 70s and low 80s.. I hope you enjoy the photos from Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock NC. Check the Tweetsie website for more information.

If you are coming to the Blue Ridge Mountains, why not stay in a luxury vacation home rental on Beech Mountain NC.. Beech Mountain is a central NC Mountain location to visit all the great attractions nearby, Grandfather Mountain with the Swinging Bridge or Linville Caverns. In the winter, you can ski at SkiBeech, Sugar Mountain or Appalachian Ski Mountain.. You can hike the mountain trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway or fish in the rivers and creeks. Biking is another favorite here.

Tweetsie Photos by C. Gilliam