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The Sunset Motel
Your trip starts at this retro motor court, home base for your first two nights. Spin a record in your room, claim the hammock island for a long catch-up and save the fire pits for late-night talks. It's pet-friendly with an on-site dog park, so your four-legged best friends are invited too.
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Downtown Brevard
Once you're settled, stroll 10 minutes into town, where more than 110 independently owned shops line the streets. Thanks to the social district, you can sip while you browse O.P. Taylor's toy store, the White Squirrel Shoppe, antique stores and galleries. Grab a table for dinner at Wood & Vine, then wander back to the motel fire pits. Here on a Saturday? Start your morning at the Transylvania County Farmers Market.
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More ways to spend time with your crew in Brevard
Mud Dabbers Pottery
Start day two with coffee and clay. At this working studio, pieces from more than 25 local artists fill the shelves while potters work the wheel and kiln right in front of you. Pick out matching mugs for the group or a serving bowl for your next girls night in. Fall for something too big for the car? They'll ship it home.
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Embrace Brevard's crafty side
Looking Glass Falls
With your new pottery packed away, head into Pisgah National Forest for an easy waterfall stop. No hiking boots required. Looking Glass Falls drops about 60 feet right off US Highway 276, and a short set of stairs puts you at the base for the group photo. For even more trail time, Moore Cove Falls is a short hike just up the road.
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Chase 250-plus more waterfalls around Brevard
Downtown Hendersonville
Follow the road to downtown Hendersonville for lunch. Slide into a booth at Mike's on Main, a classic soda fountain and diner, and order the milkshake you've been thinking about all morning. Pick up something sweet from McFarlan Bakery for later, then browse the candy barrels at Mast General Store.
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Discover more magical Main Streets
Appalachian Pinball Museum
At Appalachian Pinball Museum, playing with the exhibits is the whole point. One flat fee gets you all-day admission to dozens of vintage and modern pinball machines, from The Addams Family to Twilight Zone, plus arcade classics like Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Galaga.
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More museums and attractions you must see to believe
Stone Ashe Vineyard
Trade the arcade for the vineyard and close out day two in the Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA. Stone Ashe founders Craig and Tina Little left careers in dentistry in 2010 to plant Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot on steep mountain slopes. Settle into the farmhouse tasting room at 2,700 feet, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame Bearwallow, Sugarloaf and Bald Top mountains. Want one more pour? Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and Marked Tree Vineyard are close by.
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Plan your next pour along these wine trailsPoint Lookout Vineyards
On day three, check out of the motel and ease into the day with a view that stretches 30 miles north to Mount Mitchell and west to the Shining Rock Wilderness. Point Lookout owner Mike Jackson planted his first vines in 2008 on land where his father once grew apples. Grab a latte from the espresso bar, find a spot with the best view, and split a bottle of red or taste of apple pie mead.
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Don't forget about Hendersonville's orchards
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Say hello to the goats at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. Lilian Sandburg raised champion dairy goats here, and descendants of her herd still live on the farm. Walk the Front Lake Trail, part of more than 5 miles of trails, then peek inside the house, where Sandburg's study holds thousands of his books. Fun fact: Bob Dylan stopped by in 1964 to meet the poet.
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Plan even more mountain day trips
Jump Off Rock
Head up to Laurel Park for one last mountain view together. On a clear day, Jump Off Rock stretches across four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Short trails wind along the ridge if you want to stretch your legs. Legend says a Cherokee maiden waited here for a chief who never returned from battle, and some swear she still appears on moonlit nights.
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Up for more spooky NC tales? Visit First in Fright
The Horse Shoe Farm
Save the slowest part of the trip for last. This working farm retreat sits on the French Broad River, and at check-in you'll get a guide to the Ponder Wander: a self-guided walk past the river, the Silo Meditation Tower, the Labyrinth and the Silo Fire. Snap a photo on the oversize pig statues, book side-by-side treatments at The Stable Spa, then toast the trip at The Silo Bar before a farm-to-table dinner at The Silo Cookhouse with Mount Pisgah views.