A Historic Manor In Blowing Rock, NC Is A Breathtaking Home That Was Ahead Of Its Time

With picturesque towns resembling Norman Rockwell paintings and island paradises full of pretty beaches, it's no doubt that North Carolina is a beautiful place to visit. The charming southern state offers something for everyone, but nature lovers especially will find miles of pristine coastline and majestic mountain peaks to explore. Foodies can dig into classic barbecue and southern comfort food, and those who admire historic homes will find plenty of architectural beauties in North Carolina with storied pasts to discover.

About 2 hours northeast of the stunning Biltmore Estate — America's largest home that's a scenic gem for enjoying Christmas magic — the historic Flat Top Manor is a Gilded Age beauty nestled into a sprawling country estate in Blowing Rock. Take a tour for a gorgeous glimpse into the past, and wander the grounds to enjoy the scenic landscapes of the surrounding Moses Cone Memorial Park. If you're a lover of historic homes as well as North Carolina's natural beauty, plan your visit to the breathtaking manor in Blowing Rock.

Built at the turn of the century as a summer retreat for antebellum aristocrats, Moses and Bertha Cone, the pristine white Colonial Revival-style manor sits upon a sprawling 3,500-acre estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today, the estate is known as the Moses Memorial Park, while the home is listed under the National Park Service on the Register of Historic Places. Towering grandly over the estate, one of the mansion's most distinguishing features is its wrap-around porch, which looks as though it was torn from the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel (cue "The Notebook") and grants spectacular mountain views.

Inside the manor, you'll find a multi-room craft center on the first floor operated by the Southern Highland Craft Guild, offering locally-made wares such as quilts, pottery, and wood carvings. Admission is free, and the craft shop hours vary by season. If you want to explore more of the manor, ranger-guided tours are free and available by reservation only. You can sign up on the main floor of the house in the gift shop, typically on weekends from May to October.

Without even setting foot in the manor, Moses Memorial Park is a gorgeous place to explore the outdoors. You'll find an abundance of scenic beauty, from breathtaking mountain vistas to acres of towering white pines and hemlock hedges. You'll also find a lush, 10,000-tree apple orchard, and serene lakes filled with bass and trout.

With 25 miles of carriage trails winding through the estate, the park is a hiker's dream come true. Walk the Cone's favorite path, the .7-mile Figure Eight Trail, or the longer Flat Top Road, a 5.6-mile roundtrip hike that rewards with stunning 360-degree views at the summit of Flat Top Mountain. On the grounds, you can also visit the family cemetery, a peaceful plot surrounded by a green fence where Moses and his wife are buried. For a scenically gorgeous, Gilded Age journey through time, make sure to put North Carolina's Moses Memorial Park on your list.