Unseen Pass has published this blog post to help folks plan their weekend trip to the mountains of West Jefferson and Ashe County, NC.
“The mountains are calling, and I must go.”
John Mir
For those of you looking to plan a short, memorable weekend trip to Ashe County – Unseen Pass has taken out the hours of guesswork for you and provide you with a comprehensive guide.
This blog post provides you with resources, routes, thoughts on what to do, and more that will allow you to have a trip that you’ll be talking about for years down the road 🙂
Imagine having a weekend where you get to experience the best restaurants, breweries, outdoor adventures, New River, and mountain tops without much guesswork. Imagine making an impression like no other on your family and friends. Imagine being fulfilled at the end of each day and sleeping peacefully at night, knowing that you’ve had the best time and made people happy.
This blog post provides itinerary options for a two -or- three-day weekend trip.
First things first…
In order to have an epic and unforgettable mountain weekend, start off by renting a Mahindra Roxor SXS before you get to the mountains. A Roxor will severe as the platform for you to experience the best views and visit the neat places in Ashe County.
To fully take in the mountains – you need an open-air vehicle so you can enjoy the restaurants, towns, sights, and scenery. This is the reason why you see so many motorcycles, convertibles, three-wheeled auto-cycles, topless jeeps, and similar vehicles on the road in the mountains. These type of vehicles allow for a much better experience because your sight isn’t limited and you don’t feel stuffy -or- confined. Chances of you getting car sick in a Roxor is slim.
You also need to have a vehicle you can easily hop in and out of in town when going to restaurants, stores, and more. A Roxor SXS is the perfect vehicle for this! A Roxor doesn’t have doors, but does have safety nets that are easy to un-click.
15% of North Carolinians traveled in state to sight see in 2017.
Activities Participated in by 2017 Overnight Visitors to North Carolina NC Resident Vs. Out-of-State Visitors
Of those 15%, how many witnessed the rare sights of the backcountry and had an adventure? Of that segment, who had self-guided route options and a list of resources to make the most of their trips?
Unseen Pass’ mission is to allow folks to experience “the unseen”.
This blog post’s goal to ensure that each of you have a memorable, mountain weekend.
TWO DAY TRIP
This two day trip itinerary is for folks traveling up to Ashe County on Friday afternoon (or evening) -and- staying until Sunday afternoon.
Before coming up, so there are no delays when you get to the mountains, rent a Roxor SXS online from Unseen Pass.
Day #1: Saturday
On Saturday morning, pick up your Roxor rental at 9:00 AM.
From Unseen Pass, head to Hole Lotta Doughnuts for donuts and coffee -or- to one of the coffee/breakfast spots in West Jefferson that can quickly get you in and out so that you can get to your adventure:
- Hillbilly Grill
- Louise’s Sweet ‘T’ Café inside People’s Drug Store (right beside Unseen Pass)
- Bohemia Coffee Shop
If you ordered to go, drive up to the overlook at Mount Jefferson State Park to enjoy your donuts, coffee, or breakfast over a nice view. This will also allow you to get acquainted with your rental and to take some cool pictures to start your day.
Once you’ve enjoyed your coffee and/or breakfast – take out your smart phone and bring up Unseen Pass’ Peak Route on the Rever app. Then, click “Ride It!”.
This peak route is about 4 hours long. It allows you to see Pond Mountain, the winding dirt roads, Helton Creek, and more.
Towards the end of the route…
DINNER OPTION #1:
..stop once you get to Helton Creek so that you can order pizza or food from Pie on the Mountain.
Once your diner is ordered, resume your route out along Helton Creek. Once out of Helton Creek, at the end Big Helton Road – GPS Pie on the Mountain (address). The GPS will take you from HWY16 down to Old Field Creek Road which is the right way to Pie on the Mountain.
Pick up your food at Pie on the Mountain in Lansing, NC.
Take your food over to Molly Chomper to eat it – which is only 2-3 mins away.
Molly Chomper provides a great outdoor venue and atmosphere to eat your food.
If you like hard cider, for those of you not driving, Molly Chomper has several options to choose from. The venue at Molly Chomper is a really cool hang out spot in the mountains of Ashe County.
DINNER OPTION #2:
…versus going to Lansing for pizza and cider – another dinner option would be to head back to town following the peak route. Once in the town of West Jefferson, stop at one of the four restaurants with outdoor venue options:
Day #2: Sunday
On Sunday, chose to sleep in if you’d like and then have brunch at Town Tavern.
From Town Tavern, pull up Unseen Pass’ River Route and click “Ride It!”
The River Route is 2.5 hours without stops. It lets you take in the best sights along the New River. You’ll experience beautiful dirt roads along this route by the river. Stop where you feel its safe and enjoy the river.
THREE DAY TRIP
For those of you who are coming up for a long weekend, say on Thursday night or early Friday morning, here’s a solid game plan:
Before coming up, again, to save time, go ahead and rent a Roxor SXS online from Unseen Pass.
Day #1: Friday
On Friday morning, pick up your Roxor SXS rental and explore the town of West Jefferson.
Here are few options for breakfast:
- Hillbilly Grill
- Louise’s Sweet ‘T’ Café inside People’s Drug Store (right beside Unseen Pass)
- The Log House Uptown
The pic above was taken on a Saturday afternoon… The parking lot at People’s is normally full in the AM 🙂
Here are few places for coffee as well:
- Hole Lotta Donuts (you can sit outside and have your coffee and donut[s] here)
- Bohemia (best coffee shop in town)
Take Friday to explore the town of West Jefferson and enjoy your Roxor SXS rental.
Day #2: Saturday
On Saturday at 11 AM, call Pie on the Mountain and order a pizza first thing when they open. The reason being, they get a lot of orders and due to COVID-19, they don’t offer indoor dining.
Once you’ve ordered your pizza, head to pick your pizza up round 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM, depending on what time the good folks at Pie on the Mountain gives you. Lansing is 15-20 minutes from West Jefferson, depending on how you drive and who you get behind lol.
After picking up the pizza, head over Molly Chomper to eat it (only 2 minutes from Pie on the Mountain).
If you like hard cider and you’re not driving, order a cider to wash your pizza down. Hours vary at Molly Chomper based on the season, so please check the hours before your visit.
If Molly Chomper is closed, another option to eat your pizza at would be down on the creek across the road from Pie on the Mountain at Lansing Creeper Trail Park.
Once you finished your meal, pull out your smartphone and then navigate to Unseen Pass’ Peak Route on the Rever smartphone app. Click “Ride It!”.
The peak route takes about 4 hours to complete without stops. On this route, you’ll get to experience winding dirt roads, mountain peaks, Pond Mountain, and Helton Creek.
Once you finish the route and get back to West Jefferson, stop in at New River Brewery for dinner.
New River has inside and outside dining. It’s one of the best spots in town.
Here are some additional places to eat diner:
Day #3: Sunday
On Sunday AM, have brunch at Town Tavern.
After brunch, take Unseen Pass’ River Route. It’s only 2.5 hours if you drive it non-stop. Feel free to stop. This route lets you take in the best sights along the New River.
You’ll experience beautiful, winding river roads along this route.
Take your time on the river route and have a leisurely Sunday.
Be sure to turn in your rental in between 3:00 and 5:00 PM before you head home.
To Conclude
Explore Ashe County on a Roxor and have an incredible two -or- three-day weekend.
Rent a Roxor SXS and be one of the first to have a unique experience in the NC Mountains. Witness the Unseen.
April -through- November is considered tourism season by the locals in West Jefferson. It’s a popular time and weekends will fill up fast, so book your Roxor SXS Rental today.
Experience the North Carolina mountains like most haven’t and give your family and friends a warm hearted, satisfied filling that you’ve been hoping to experience. Get back to your cabin fulfilled and sleep like a baby each night of your vacation.
Talk about your trips for the following weeks and even years to come!
Witness the Unseen
– Kyle Wrightenberry
Check out “The Outrageously Fun, Michigan-Made 4×4 You’ve Never Heard Of” from Popular Mechanics.