five for the fall: your Inner Banks activities guide!
Drone shot of Columbia in the Fall by Beyond Limits
When it’s 90 degrees, it’s hard to imagine that in September-October-November, the Inner Banks region will be a wonderful 75 degrees on average. What a beautiful time for a visit to the Blue Juniper Inn. Here are five wonderful ways of having a truly memorable Inner Banks experience!
Half Day: Hiking Without the Heat!
Hike some of the more than 170 miles of trails in Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge…no sweat, no bugs, no crowds, just cool temps and solitude. Ask the folks at Inner Banks Mercantile to pack you a hearty lunch of delicious and healthy treats from Farmer and the Dail, check in at the Refuge office for directions and you’re on your way.
Half Day: Kayaking on the Alligator! Sign up online for a two-hour kayak tour along the Alligator River, maybe spotting majestic alligators, playful otters, and a variety of bird species in their natural habitat. Join the tour at Buffalo City, just 30 minutes from the Inn. Fall is the perfect time for no-sweat kayaking! Come back hungry and feast on some of NC’s best BBQ at Stick Burnin’, on Main Street in Columbia and only three blocks from the Inn!
Full Day: The Complete Inner Banks Experience!
Grab coffees and breakfast treats at Black Dirt Coffee and Café; Enjoy a peaceful morning drive through unbroken farmland to Swan Quarter; catch the ferry across the big water of Pamlico Sound to idyllic Ocracoke and have lunch just off the ferry dock at SmackNally’s Waterfront Grill. Then drive up the island and catch the ferry to Hatteras; then relish in the magnificence of the wild Atlantic as you head north on historic Route 12 (without the summer crowds!), enjoy the crashing waves of the sea to your right and the calm waters of the sound to your left. At Nag’s Head turn west onto Highway 64 and a lovely dinner at the Blue Water Grill at Pirates Cove Marina. Then, after a full, rich day, arrive back in Columbia just in time for sunset over the Scuppernong, and a restful, quiet night back at the Blue Juniper Inn.
Two Days: Learning by Doing!
Stay two nights at the Blue Juniper Inn and receive a reduced price on the class of your choice at Pocosin Arts/School of Fine Craft, a world class training ground for woodworking, ceramic arts and metal working on the Scuppernong River and just four blocks from the Blue Juniper Inn. Just tell the folks at the School what class you prefer, schedule your time and enjoy your hands-on learning experience and tour the newly remodeled studios and the Pocosin Arts Gallery just across the street!
Three Days: Food, Glorious Food! Book now for our second Immersive Weekend cooking class! It’s a Girl’s Weekend, October 3-4-5 led by our remarkable and engaging chef Hannah Holland. Get hands on experience in mixology, learn to make your favorite cocktail or mocktail; how to perfectly sear a steak, and enjoy cooking will all fresh ingredients, many harvested within a few miles of the Inn. This will sell out as we already have reservations, so book today! Call or text Guest Relations Director, Hunter Rose for immediate booking! 252-314-4278
