I’m all about last minute, low-key adventures because in my experience, some of the best memories are made with the least amount of planning. So it really wasn’t that unusual when I got the sudden urge to escape Raleigh with my kids for a couple of days. We decided to spend a couple of days in the mountains, with road-trip worthy stops in West Jefferson, Beech Mountain and Boone.
The main purpose of this spontaneous trip was visiting an intriguing attraction that I’d only read about in travel blogs. The Land of Oz on Beech Mountain was once an operational theme park in the 70s and 80s, inspired by, you guessed it, The Wizard of Oz. If that sounds random and strange, it’s because it truly is. The park now opens seasonally for private tours and two special events per year. As an avid Wizard of Oz fan, I’ve known about this park since I moved to North Carolina, 5 years ago. Over the last few years I’ve made attempts to purchase tickets to Autumn at Oz without success (the event sells out so quickly). This being the year of Covid-19, the annual fall festival was cancelled for 2020. However, I came across a recommendation on Facebook praising the private, behind-the-scenes tours of the park and began my research. This was going to be the year I finally checked this place out. Let's be real, I've really just been wanting to get a picture on the Yellow Brick Road.
In keeping with the Wizard of Oz theme, I was SO excited to find the PERFECT Airbnb for our first night in West Jefferson, NC, about an hour away from our final destination in Beech Mountain. "Dorothy's Cottage" is a rustic cabin and such a fun experience. The hosts really ran with the Wizard of Oz theme, with several details weaved throughout the decor. There was also a special nature trail behind the cabin that was such a treat, with life-size cut-outs of the movie characters lining the path along a scenic creek.
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Book your stay at Dorothy's Cottage HERE.
The next day, we made our final stretch to beautiful Beech Mountain. The Visitor Center welcomed us graciously and let us know about the different things we could enjoy around town before our Land of Oz tour.
From there, we checked into our room at Pinnacle Inn Beech Mountain Vacation Rentals. I was extremely impressed with the accommodations. Our suite provided us with all the comforts of home, with two separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room and spacious covered balcony. This would make a great home base for a longer trip in the mountains and we’d definitely stay here again.
For lunch we enjoyed a stop at local favorite Fred’s Backside Deli, located below Fred’s General Mercantile, an adorable specialty shop. Fred’s was hoppin’! Serving up delicious deli sandwiches, soups and salads, it’s no wonder why this is a hot spot in town.
Following a recommendation from the Beech Mountain Visitor Center, we decided to walk off our lunch with a leisurely nature hike at Upper Pond Creek Trail. Initially, we drove around in circles a bit, unsure of where to park but if you’re interested in this outdoor stroll you’ll want to search the Lake Coffey Recreation Area and park in front of the lake. From there, walk down the gravel hill to the trail head and veer right. The hike was just slightly more strenuous than a walk around the block, but not difficult for little legs at all. The trail follows a babbling creek, and weaves through mossy trees and fallen logs that provided a delightful backdrop straight out of a fairy tale book.
After our hike, it was finally time for our Land of Oz tour. I really didn’t know what to expect. All I know is that I wanted a picture on the Yellow Brick Road. Our tour guide, Sean, was a wealth of Wizard of Oz/Land of Oz knowledge. The history of the theme park is odd and random as heck, but extremely interesting. The vantage point from the Judy Garland Memorial at the top of the mountain is worth the tour alone.
The Land of Oz tour starts in Kansas, with replicas of Dorothy’s house, the barn and Professor Marvel’s wagon. Inside the house, we walked through Dorothy’s living room, bedroom and kitchen before the tornado hit! The immersive, walk-through experience through the "tornado" was my kids' favorite part of the tour. We landed in Oz and walked the yellow brick road, through the rich history of the Land of Oz theme park. I found the entire tour fascinating. The kids enjoyed seeing the view of the mountains, asking questions and spotting all the various elements inspired by The Wizard of Oz movie. It was such a fun experience.
We finished our day on Beech Mountain at Famous Brick Oven Pizza for some pizza, ice cream and mini golf before heading back to our room to relax after a long, wonderful day! In the morning, we made a stop in Downtown Boone for some coffee and window shopping on our way back home to Raleigh. I wish we had a little more time to explore this adorable mountain town, but it’s just another reason to go back.
All in all, we really made the most of our 48 hour getaway and created so many memories along the way. And I finally got a picture on the Yellow Brick Road!
