N.C. Mountains Week: Five days of family fun in Beech Mountain, Boone, Blowing Rock

I was working with a couple of pretty critical details when I planned my family's five-day trip to the North Carolina mountains this summer. We'd never been to this part of North Carolina - the Beech Mountain, Boone and Blowing Rock area. And we're not particularly outdoorsy people. Camping was out. And major hikes through the mountains and forests weren't going to be on the schedule either.

So, apologies to longtime visitors of this region of North Carolina. This post might not be for you. But if you're not particularly outdoorsy - and contemplating a trip to the mountains with your family - consider this your jumping off point. Here's how we spent five days in the Beech Mountain, Boone and Blowing Rock region.

We came for the fishing and canoeing on Buckeye Lake. It was free to sign out two canoes, along with four life jackets, from the recreation center. Pedal boats also were available. Pro tip, however, for the boat rental: Get there early as there aren't many boats and they can go fast.

We drove down to the lake, unlocked our canoes and spent about an hour on the water, navigating around the pretty small lake and looking into the incredibly clear water for fish and other creatures.

After that, we found the perfect spot to fish. We weren't as lucky as others, who seemed to be reeling in fish after fish, but it was a quiet way - and beautiful place - to spend a morning.

After a picnic lunch, we went back to the rec center to check out its outdoor Adventure Playground, a really creative play structure that features all kinds of rope climbing opportunities.

You'll find lots of gem mining options in this part of North Carolina, and I'm sure other spots are just as fun. But we really enjoyed the friendly service and low-key experience at Sugar Creek. There was no attempt to sell us on turning our gems into jewelry. Instead, the focus was on the hunt.

We spent $32 for a two-gallon bucket, which my daughters shared. Outside at the flume-line, they discovered all kinds of gems, including rubies and sapphires, and had a blast. Inside, a friendly staffer helped them identify each piece.

Waterfall swimming can be extremely dangerous - and deadly. In fact, two people have died at Elk River Falls already this summer.

So here's what we didn't do: Jump off the actual falls or swim in the pool below the waterfall.

We spent our third day exploring Tweetsie, the western-themed theme park. My older daughter really enjoyed the High Gravity Adventure Park next door. I wrote about that earlier this week.

N.C. Mountains Week: Tweetsie Railroad provides laid-back fun near Boone, Blowing Rock

I wrote yesterday about our amazing visit to Grandfather Mountain, famous for its Mile High Swinging Bridge and spectacular views.

N.C. Mountains Week: Families can soak up sweeping views, animal encounters at Grandfather Mountain

We're not big shoppers, so after walking through a few shops, we spent a bit of time, between rain drops, at the playground at Blowing Rock Memorial Park, which is right on Main Street. And we also browsed the shelves of the fantastic book sale at the beautiful Blowing Rock Community Library. (When my family shops, we tend to buy books.)

I know our trip to this part of the state barely scraped the surface of the region - which means we'll just have to go back. Feel free to share your favorite mountain destinations in the comments.