In early October, just before leaf peeping season really got going, we went to Black Mountain, NC with a couple of high school friends that flew out from Indiana. Literally, the only people from high school that I have any contact with outside of simply watching their lives via Facebook and giving an occasional like.

Black Mountain is a slightly less crowded and cheaper Asheville. It has just enough restaurants, shops, and breweries to make for a good weekend getaway from Charlotte. It is also close enough to Asheville to head in for a day of eating and drinking.

We stayed in a trailer that was designed with a 70’s theme including a record player, beaded curtain, and a lava lamp. While I wasn’t around in the 70’s, I thought it was actually pretty groovy and stepping inside did give me a sense of nostalgia.

It was a quick walk to town and down the street from Lookout Brewery. We had a good time at Lookout on our last night even though the beers were not any that I would seek out again.

We went on one hike doing the Catawba Falls River and Ridge Loop. It’s a good 3.7 mile loop with a pretty good chunk of stairs. This was Megan and my second time doing this trail. The first time everything was still a bit frozen and not as pretty. We went counter clockwise this time and liked it better being able to see the falls going up the stairs.

Black Mountain has a few solid vegan options. Read about here on our sister site, VeganCLT.com with the highlights being Cousins Cuban Cafe for lunch and Hop for some delicious ice cream.

It was nice to mix up our mountain stays with a more city-like, walk to town vibe compared to our large group stays up in the mountains making our own meals kind of trip. I enjoy them both.

Overall, it was a good time with good friends. I would do it again.