Prospect Hill B&B Inn in Mountain City, TN is centrally located so you can enjoy all of the activities listed on this page with only a short drive. Select from five guest rooms each with their own personality--queen or king beds, whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, TV, wireless, snacks, robes, bubble bath. Breakfast is included free.

What's fun? A great selection of activities in three states. Use our list below to help plan your vacation, getaway, anniversary trip or honeymoon (even your wedding).

Our location - The inn --in Mountain City, TN, which is in the far NE corner of Tennessee-- is only 25 minutes/25 miles from Boone, NC, 35 min. from Blowing Rock, NC, 17 miles from Damascus, VA, 40 miles/45 minutes from Abingdon, VA, 32 miles from Elizabethton, TN, and 1 hour from Johnson City and Kinsport, TN. It's easy to enjoy several full days of activities when you go in any direction. Click on the photos below for more details.

For kids and dogs: Enjoy A Cottage in the Woods, a free- standing cabin-like rental with three bedrooms, two baths and a kid- and dog-friendly welcome mat. The cottage is only 7 miles from the Virginia Creeper Trail and Jefferson National Forest in southwest Virginia. And 7 miles north of Mountain City, TN.

Birding	Biking	Boating/Tours	Fishing	Golf
Hiking	Holidays	Horseback Riding	Race Driving	Weddings
Theatre	Wildflowers	Winery Tours	Other Activities	History
Whitewater	Destination Weddings	Winter sports	Local festivals	Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk
Shopping

Birding
Birdwatching in the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia offersr a rare treat. Because of elevation changes from low valleys to the mountain tops, you can view birds that would normally range from southern Georgia to Canada all within a few miles. Any season gives you an abundance of birds to see. Migrations of birds in the spring and fall through the mountains offers another excellent chance to see species passing through.

Birding Trips with Adventure — Damascus, VA — 888-595-2453 Call for details.

Biking
Blue Blaze Bicycle & Shuttle Service — 226 W. Laurel Ave., Damascus, VA — 800-475-5095 or 276-475-5095
Blue Blaze offers bike rental and shuttle service for the Virginia Creeper Trail.

Boating/Tours
Watauga Lake (pictured right, photo by Dennis Shekinah) is only 20 miles away and offers boating and lakeside enjoyment. It has the largest earthen dam east of the Mississippi River. It has the largest earthen dam east of the Mississippi River.Watauga Reservoir is arguably the most scenic in the Tennessee River watershed. It offers access to the Appalachian Trail. Below Watauga Dam is a wildlife observation area where visitors have a chance to view unique species of waterfowl.

Wilbur and Watauga Reservoirs are located almost three miles from each other on the Watauga River in some of the most beautiful country in the Tennessee River watershed. The reservoirs are surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest and flanked by the Appalachian Mountains. Even in the dog days of summer, Wilbur and Watauga remain cool, with a constant breeze blowing through the Watauga River gorge.

Fish Springs Marina — 191 Fish Springs Road, Hampton, TN — 423-768-2336
Boat rentals all year, on Watauga Lake. Closest facility to the inn.

Lakeshore Marina — 2285 Highway 321, Hampton, TN — 423-725-2223
On Watauga Lake, 22 mi. from inn. Hourly and day rates, pontoon and ski boats. Always book ahead for weekends.

Watauga Lake Tours — 423-768-2548
Tours on a skippered pontoon boat (right), out of Fish Springs Marina

Fishing
Foscoe Fishing Company & Outfitters — Half and full day wade trips and full day float trips.
9400 NC Hwy. 105 S., Foscoe, NC — 828-963-6556
Not listed on the site: The full day float trips ($300/1 person/$400/2 persons) is in Tennessee and requires a 3-day Tennessee fishing license ($33.50). Use the other two days for stream and lake fishing while staying at the inn.

Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk, NC
Entertainment is one of the hallmarks of the towns of Boone, NC, Banner Elk and Blowing Rock. From the Thursday late afternoon concerts at the Jones House in downtown Boone to the monthly arts festival in the park in Blowing Rock,there's lots to enjoy.

Home of Appalachian State University, Boone hosts the Appalachian Summer Festival [link]as well as championship sports teams. West King Street is home to Mast General Store (yes, you can find that candy you loved as a child in their huge candy shop!). Across the street are superior fine arts galleries, antique stores and shops of all kinds.

Similarly, the towns of Blowing Rock and Banner Elk offer a wide selection of shops and restaurants. Prospect Hill's Day in North Carolina includes a visit to the original Mast General Store in Valle Cruces, NC, a stop at Grandfather Mountain, a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, shopping for fine crafts at the Moses Cone Mansion and dinner in Blowing Rock.

Grandfather Mountain
At over a mile high, you can see nearly to Charlotte. The mile-high suspension bridge tests your nerves. The small zoo of rescued native animals provides entertainment. Plan to hike some of the trails in this private Biosphere preserve, the only one in North America. A naturalist is on duty to teach about the native plants found only in these mountains. The mountain hosts the Highland Games in July and nature lovers all year round (except then the wind is too strong — clocked a few times at over 200 mph!) www.grandfather.com Location: Linville, NC.

Banner Elk Stables — 796 Shomaker Road, Banner Elk, NC — 828-898-5424
1 hour trail rides

Blowing Rock Stables — 1500 Laurel Lane, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 — 828-295-4700
No horse rentals in 2007, plans for 2008; access to Moses Cone State park trails

Dutch Valley Stables — 4365 Hwy. 194 South, Valle Crucis, NC — 828-963-5399
Trail rides, instructions, carriage rides

High Country Horseback — Boone, NC area
Lists some of the above stables and others.

Speedway in Lights
Enjoy the spectacular light show and actually drive on the track at Bristol Motor Speedway, nightly, now through the first week of January. The inn is about 50 minutes from the track.

Race Driving Training
Have the need for spped or just want to ride along on the fastest half-mile track in the world at Bristol Motor Speedway? Then you can try out one of the race driving schools offering sessions from a half-day to multiple day training.

Racing Realities — 401-333-8500
Buck Baker Racing School — 800-529-2825
Richard Petty Driving Experience — 704-454-6277
(photo at right courtesy of the RPDE)
Fast Track Driving School — 704-455-1700
Dale Jarrett Driving Adventure — 704-489-8001

Shopping
Mountain crafts, a 1900s country general store, modern outlet malls and much more are all within easy driving distance of the Inn. What ever you are looking for, you probably can find in Mountain City and the surrounding areas of Boone, Valley Crucis and Blowing Rock, NC; Damascus, VA, or Johnson City, TN.
(photo at top of page shows the In the Country Crafts shop in Damascus, VA)

Theatre
Heritage Hall Theatre 211 N. Church St., in the School System building, behind the Library.
Mountain City, TN 37683
423-727-7444 (box office)
Live performances nearly every weekend: From Celtic to Bluegrass, plays to musicals. Check the brand new Heritage Hall Theatre website or answering machine for the current line up.

White Water and Canoing
There are good opportunities to enjoy white water rafting and canoe trips in the area.

Wildflowers
Look around--they are everywhere, from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the side of the road. Special wildflower hikes by Shady Grove Gardens, www.shady-grove-gardens.com 828-297-4098

Wineries with Tasting Rooms
Abingdon Vineyard & Winery — 20530 Alvarado Rd, Abingdon, VA — 276-623-1255
Open March 15th to December 15th.

North Carolina Wineries (more to be added by Oct. 1st)
Alleghany County, NC
Thistle Meadow Winery — 102 Thistle Meadow, Laurel Springs, NC — 800-233-1505
Photo shows the Thistle Meadow Tasting Room at right

Surry County, NC
Shelton Vineyards — 286 Cabernet Lane, Dobson, NC — 336-366-4724
Stony Knoll Vineyard — 1143 Stony Knoll Road; Dobson, NC — 336-374-5752

Wilkes County, NC
Elkin Creek Vineyard - 318 Elkin Creek Mill Road, Elkin (Wilkes County) - 336.526.5119
Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery - 450 Groce Road, Ronda (Wilkes County) - 336.835.9463

Yadkin County, NC
RagApple Lassie Vineyards — NC Hwy 67 at Rockford Rd, Boonville — 336-367-6000

Gray Fossil Site Joins Science with Tourism
What is over 4.5 million years old and only 55 minutes from Prospect Hill B&B Inn?.... The East Tennessee State University and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site opened in the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee, Aug. 31, 2007. The locals call it the Gray Fossil Site.

It features colorful interactive exhibits, beautiful murals, and dioramas featuring examples of discoveries from the ancient dig discovered in the year 2000.

Tennessee state road crews discovered a five-acre site containing the fossilized remains of an entire ecosystem of plants and animals from the late Miocene period. With less than one percent of the site excavated to date, thousands of specimens have been recovered, including such large mammal species as the saber-toothed cat, short-faced bear, ground sloth, rhino, camel, shovel-tusked elephant, horse, red panda, Eurasian badger and the world’s largest collection of fossil tapirs. Other discoveries include numerous smaller mammals, as well as birds, reptiles, alligators, fish and amphibians.

The museum is located on State Route 75, about two miles west of the I-26 Gray Exit 13 (old Exit 42). The facility is open daily from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 866-202-6223, www.grayfossilmuseum.org