Took it slow this weekend.  Visited Moses Cone and was pleasantly surprised.
It is a beautiful day trip.
Link: http://www.blowingrock.org/mosescone.html
From the virtual blue ridge site:  As one of the most prevalent historic attractions on the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is “historic splendor at its finest.” For this beautiful country estate we owe our gratitude to Moses H. Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. Its centerpiece is Flat Top Manor, a gleaming white 23-room, 13,000 square foot mansion.

The house is now set up as a craft shop and has amazing crafts-- wood bowls, jewels, art and more.  

The view is worth the trip!  

 Here are the kids walking up to the Manor House

The view.. a little foggy.. but it was the camera I think!