Last weekend we made such incredible memories! After living in Charlotte for nearly 10 years, we finally made our way up to Lake Lure and it was everything I'd hoped for and then some!
Growing up in Chicago, lakes are my happy place. And still, we just hadn't gotten around to exploring all that Lake Lure had to offer. So, when COV19 hit, I knew we'd have to make some modifications to our regularly scheduled programming. Typically we go up to Chicago for three weeks at the end of the summer to see family and tool around in my old stomping grounds. But, Chicago is closed and there's a mandatory 2 week quarantine if you are coming from NC or SC ~ so we pivoted, like everyone else.
And, while we made a weekend out of this trip, you could easily make Lake Lure a day trip. It's only 2 hours from the Charlotte-area and if you plan it right, you can get a lot done in one day! Here's how we did it and I'll give you an alternative at the end of the article for doing it in one day!
I had heard about a really cool place called Emberglow Outdoor Resorts, located about 10 minutes from Lake Lure. It has primitive camping sites, camp grounds, yurts, airstreams and treehouse accommodations. The treehouse was a no-brainer for us. It allowed us to get out of our comfort zone (camping) without fully leaving our comfort zone (air conditioning, running water). And for the kids it was INCREDIBLE - with a lofted area connected by a cargo net, a slide from the porch to the ground and a bunk room, the kids were in HEAVEN. And, for me, having a fridge, microwave, grill and running water (and air con) was heaven.
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The campgrounds were clean and easily to navigate. A large creek ran through the center that the kids could play in, there was a beautiful (and new) swimming pool that was rarely crowded and required reservations to comply with COV19 spacing restrictions, a jump pad (think bounce house without the house part), volleyball and gaga pit. The on-site store had mostly everything you'd need from s'mores kits to firewood, drinks and snacks. There were trails and dog parks - and it was GREAT.
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While Emberglow would have kept us busy enough for three days, we really wanted to get out on the lake and explore the area. We rented a boat on Saturday from Lake Lure Adventure Company and went tubing and waterskiing. The staff was awesome and were all considerate of our need for social distance and masks. The boys had the BEST time on the boat and we saw things like the part of the lake where "Baby" did her famous lift in Dirty Dancing and the stairs on which she carried the watermelon. The water was perfect and we wish we had rented the boat for longer. If you plan to do this, make your reservations well in advance. Boats book up and it is a DO NOT MISS!
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Sunday, we adventured to Chimney Rock State Park to hike the rock and throughout the state park. While admission into the park isn't free ($17 per adult and $8 per child), it is worth every penny. With the boys being so little (and not great with hiking), we did NOT hike UP the rock; instead we chose to hike down. We arrived nice and early to avoid massive crowds and the heat - since its hard to wear a mask while climbing a mountain ;-) I will say that for the most part, everyone was courteous and conscientious of each other and the need to space out. Most people did wear masks when around others. After we hiked to the bottom of the rock, we took another 1.5 mile hike to the waterfalls. The best part was reaching the falls and getting the natural air conditioning afforded by the falls! It was hot out! The terrain was manageable for both boys in sneakers and took us about an hour round trip and a stop at the falls for pictures. When we finished there we did the kids trail at the bottom before heading out. We were at the park for about 3.5 hours.
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When we left the park, we headed out to get lunch in downtown Chimney Rock. We hadn't been to a restaurant prior to this trip to the Lake and finding places with outdoor dining wasn't too hard. It still made me uneasy, but it was nice to be out and about again. We ate along the river and then headed down to play in it. The kids had a blast and the water was super refreshing! We then headed to the flowering bridge on the way back into Lake Lure. It was cute and kitschy and the kids loved it.
We had a 4:30 reservation at Canopy Ridge Farm Zip Line Tour - and while we were skeptical that the kids would enjoy it (they are not typically thrill-seekers), they had asked to do it so why not try!? It was one of the highlights of our trip! 6 zip lines in total and our oldest was able to do 4 of them solo. One he did with me and one he did tandem with his brother. And the best part, the only non-social-distance part is when you are getting hooked in. It was cool up in the trees and was a GREAT way to end our day.
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For those who are not accustomed to camping or glamping, here are a few tips from a novice:
- pre-marinate or prepare your proteins and sides so you can easily get dinner ready after active days
- pre-pack nutritious snacks for when you are out and about
- bring LOTS of water or at least a jug and a cooler for your car so you can refill your reusable water bottles after hikes and other activities
- ALL. THE. BUG. SPRAY. seriously all of it.
- Bring vinegar - it helps with the bug bite itches (see above)
- Bring a few masks with you on the hikes - you will sweat, they will get wet and then they will be ineffective (or less effective)
- throw water shoes into a backpack - you never know when you'll find some water to play in!
If you wanted to make this a one day trip, this is what I'd suggest:
- Hit the road by 7:30
- First stop is Chimney rock: do you hikes and be done by noon when it gets crowded and hot!
- Stop in town to play in the river and grab food - you can grab take out and then head to the water. Bigger kids loved swimming and my littles loved to splash
- Check out the flowering bridge on your way back to Lake Lure
- Head to Canopy Ridge Farm Zip Lines for a 3:30 adventure (it takes 2 hours)*
- Round out the day on the lake from 6 -8 and have dinner on your pontoon while tubing or take a ski boat out for a tube/ski!
- Make your way home in time for a well-deserved rest!
If zip lining isn't your thing, spend the second part of your day chilling on the lake entirely. We easily could have spent the whole day on the lake Saturday, but since the kids hadn't ever been on a boat before and I have been known to get sick - we opted to test it out first!
And remember, it's still warm in the fall - and with our kids mostly learning remotely this year, you could easily take any of these adventures and make them educational!
