A short while back, my wife (@NCMomAdventures) was invited to highlight the Carolina Experience property “Three Trails”, in downtown Elkin North Carolina. We had a short list of activities to do in this town that rests along the Yadkin river. I recently wrote a post here, if you are looking for something to do in Elkin.

I was unprepared for the different ways the town would pluck the strings connected to my heart.

Instead of writing this in chronological order, I’m going to cover some highlights:

Angry Troll Brewing: On our first night in Elkin, we strolled downtown, and decide on Angry Troll for dinner. First of all, what a name. Second of all dang this beer was good. The restaurant is named after the mythical bridge troll, and is in close proximity to the bridge. There is also a venue connected to the brewery, and a pool hall with another bar, games and more downstairs. It’s a massive, charming place, and one of the first special moments we had in the area.

Then next morning we walked around more, stopping for coffee. While sipping on coffee, we saw a crowd gathering in a town square, and heard music. Of course we had to go check it out. When we walked over we saw a small famers market, which was charming on it’s own, but the magic continued when I realized the music we heard was from a 9 piece string band, sitting in a circle playing violins, a cello and more. I’ve not had this kind of experience very often. It’s like something out of a hallmark movie, or Stardew Valley.

We continued to walk around towards the river, and stumbling upon the Chamber of Commerce which was.. open on a Saturday? We walked in to find friendly staff t-shirts and … information on wine tours. They explained how there are numerous vineyards in the area, and transport tours to go sample wines. We weren’t prepared for a tour on this trip, but next time we will be ready.

We walked along train tracks, stared at the river for a bit, and let the kids play at a nearby playground. We had a short hike on Carters Falls Trail. We stopped in Fruition to have a cocktail before dinner.

The “what” we did is so much less important than the “how” it made us feel. We travel a lot, and there are only so many times we can step into a town and just settle down and enjoy it, and not have to worry about driving all over creation.

Elkin continues to stick with me, and we have only scratched the surface. I posted some drone footage here on Youtube, and of course NCMomAdventures made a fantastic reel highlighting the area.

Thanks again for reading! I’ve needed to get this out of my system since our visit. If you are looking for a walkable good time, or some amazing vineyard tours, be sure to check out Elkin!