Local Activities
If you’re looking for dining
- The area around Founders Park in Johnson City has lots of great restaurants including Label, and Juan Siao. Quite a few restaurants also have outdoor seating including White Duck Taco Shop, Burgr n Barrel, and Southern Craft BBQ. There’s also rooftop dining at Watauga Brewing Company. Main Street in Bristol also has a lot of great restaurants.
- In Roan Mountain there is the Americano Steakhouse, which is great, and Smoky Mountain Bakers for bakery items and awesome wood-fired pizza. Fair warning – Smoky Mountain Bakers looks questionable, but their food is great.
- And very close by are Pleasants Store (great cheesesteaks and subs), Maddy Moe’s Pizza, and the Butler Trading Post. Next door is Brewista and the Bean and Patriot Popcorn. A little further is Mountain Cheers Grill Haus. Great food and people as well as a bar area.
Area events
- Elizabethton has their Covered Bridge Jam series beginning at 5 PM. Music, food trucks, etc.
- Johnson City also has their “Fridays after 5”
- Visit our local wineries, Villa Nove Vineyards or Watauga Lake Winery. Either results in a pretty ride around the lake and they both do have food. Watauga Lake Winery also has pizza.
- Cove Ridge Marina has a band beginning at 6 PM Saturday. Cove Ridge also has a small restaurant on their dock (Dock House) with tables outside.
- 8/9-8/10: Meet the Mountains Festival
- 9/21: Bass Pro Shops Night Race
- 8/19-8/24: App Fair
- 8/23-24: Old Butler Days
- 9/20-9/22: Covered Bridge Days
- 9/13-9/15: Bristol Rhythm and Roots
- 9/6-7: Mountain City | Championship Rodeo
- 9/13-15: Bristol | Bristol Rhythm and Roots
- 9/20-22: Elizabethton | Covered Bridge Days
- 9/21: Bristol | Bass Pro Shops Night Race
- 9/21: Jonesborough | Pumpkin Fest
- 9/21-22: Trade | Trade Mill National Heritage Days
- 9/28: Butler | Cove Ridge Doctoberfest
- 9/28: Butler | Villa Nove Grape Stomp
- 10/4-5: Unicoi | Apple Festival
- 10/4-6: Jonesborough | Storytelling Festival
- 10/11-12: Shady Valley | Cranberry Festival
- 10/12: Roan Mountain | Fall-O-Dendron Festival
- 10/12-13: Sugar Mountain | OctoberFest
- 10/19: Valle Crucis | Valle Country Fair
- 10/19-20: Banner Elk | Wooly Worm Festival
- 10/19: Johnson City | Main Street Day
Towns to visit with shopping and dining
- Jonesborough (original seat of Tennessee)
- Banner Elk
- Blowing Rock
- West Jefferson
Marinas with rentals
- Lake Shore
- Cove Ridge
- Fish Springs
- Mallard Cove
- Ramps:
- Rat Branch
- Little Michigan
Other things to do
- Want to fish? https://wataugalakefishingadventures.com/
- Want to kayak? https://www.bigfootoutdoorcompany.com/
- Ride side by sides? https://doetn.com/
Guest Discount: Our guests receive 10% off at Doe Mountain! Check your welcome email for the discount code. - Cherokee National Forest https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee
- Best views – Roan Mountain (though the Rhododendron Gardens are closed, you can hike to the top of the bald, Carver’s Gap Trailhead)
Just give us a call if there’s anything we can help you with! (423) 647-0595 (Lynne and Chuck)