A Fun Weekend For Teenagers In The Mountains

Recently we had the pleasure of hosting our daughter and some of her friends for a birthday weekend at Century View Lodge. They have diverse interests but in the main are a pretty artistic, book-loving, thrifting bunch. People may not think Blue Ridge is an obvious choice for such an occasion and this crowd but it was perfect!

Friday, I headed up a couple of hours early to decorate for the birthday girl and prepare  snack bags personalized to each guest. 

Their adventure started when they got in the car with lots of chatter, favorite music, and a bite on the road. Upon arrival, they had a home tour then they headed out to the Big Foot Museum. (You may be raising an eyebrow at this point. But we took the family there in December and were quite impressed. At any rate, it definitely makes for good conversation and debate afterwards.)

For dinner, we tried take out from New China One restaurant. Here’s my review: We ordered Sesame Chicken, General Tao’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, Hot and Sour Soup, Vegetable Lo Mein, Cashew Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, and Fried Rice. Yes, we had almost half left over. I would recommend the first six things but replace the others with something else.

After dinner, the girls hung out in the lower level living room for lots more conversation, popcorn, and a late-night streamed movie. 

On Saturday, after sleeping in, we feasted on fresh fruit, mini-quiches, and homemade chocolate croissants, which I’ll blog about soon.

It was really hard for the girls to get mobilized because they were just enjoying the relaxed pace of the morning, taking full advantage of the warm sunshine on the rocking porch.

Finally around noon,  the young ladies headed out, armed with maps from the Chamber of Commerce, with loads of options for hiking, book shopping, and thrifting.

They traveled to Falls Branch Falls, a short, but beautiful hike in the Aska region. With driving time, it was about a two-hour adventure and a beautiful one at that.

Back in downtown Blue Ridge, the girls stopped to sample truffles at Chocolate Express and fudge at Three Sisters Fudge.  The reviews were great for both.

Being lovers of books and anything vintage, the rest of their time was divided between E. Quinn Bookseller and the record store, Big Frog Music Company.

We met up at Blue Ridge Escape to do a private escape room with a roaring 20’s theme. I was the only novice in our bunch and was glad to have four clever young ladies with me who had some experience. It was so much fun and really well-done. Yes, we identified the mob boss and diffused the bomb within the time limit. I highly recommend it!

To wrap up our time in town, we wanted to have a really good dinner that would please everyone. We chose Masseria, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Blue Ridge. The restaurant is not fancy, but the food is excellent. The place is owned by the chef of Harvest on Main, one of our favorite fancy eateries here. I love their cauliflower pizza crust! You would absolutely never know what it is made from. The girls thought their Margherita pizza was the best they had ever had. As a bonus for the birthday girl, the staff gave her blueberry-chocolate chip cannolis.

After dinner, the girls went in search of a good vantage point to watch the sunset. Upon returning to the house we tucked into the birthday cake I had made. CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE.

But if you come to Blue Ridge for a cake-worthy celebration and don’t want to make one yourself, there is an excellent option for you- The Sweet Shoppe of the South. I am a bit of a bakery snob but I heartily recommend this place. It is not often that you have the opportunity to partake of confections of Cupcake Wars Champions so seize it! 

The girls filled the rest of the evening with loads of conversation, a crazy amount of hot tub time, and Buzz Feed Unsolved.

Sunday morning, after a cozy night’s rest, I made them a late country breakfast of eggs, cheesy grits, sausage, and biscuits. It was my daughter’s request. It was a little hard for the four girls to leave so they took their time.

Eventually, they packed up and were on their way, happy, refreshed, and, with mixed emotions I say, one step closer to adulthood and independence. The weekend was truly all I could have wished for.

I will end as I began. You may not think of Blue Ridge, especially in February, as a getaway for teenagers. But as you can see, there is plenty to entertain. Book your stay today!