Kick off your weekend with dinner at Campfire Grill in the quaint Village of Flat Rock. The restaurant recreates the summer camp experience in its dining room. Hendersonville is the camp capital of the Southeast, with approximately 20 youth summer camps. Standout menu items include the towering counselor burger and s’mores skillet served with graham crackers for dipping

Walk to an evening show at the Flat Rock Playhouse. The State Theatre of North Carolina specializes in musicals, comedies and shows for young audiences. The professional theater merges top talent with an approachable, laid-back vibe for a bit of Broadway in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Allow everyone in the family to unplug at Kanuga, a sprawling campus that includes public accommodations, a Conference and Retreat Center, bike park, children’s summer camp and more. Located on 1,400 acres, the resort encourages outdoor exploration and quality time with loved ones. Book a hotel-style room in the main inn, or choose from multi-bedroom historic cottages and guesthouses with various amenities, such as fireplaces, screened porches and kitchens.

If you’re in Hendersonville from late August through October, spend Saturday morning at an apple orchard. Hendersonville leads North Carolina in apple production, and many orchards invite customers to pick their own fruit. Other farm adventures include hayrides, apple cannons, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and bakeries with fresh apple treats. If apples aren’t in season, head to Elijah Mountain Gem Mine and search for gemstones and gold. Covered outdoor flumes are open seven days a week year-round. In addition to mining, visitors can pet and feed the goats and admire colorful peacocks and pheasants in the aviary.

Spend the afternoon in the Seventh Avenue Historic District. The Apple Valley Model Railroad Club is located in the former train depot. The museum has a working HO-scale model train that depicts Western North Carolina circa the 1950s. A larger, all-weather G-scale display runs outside with plants and water features.

On Saturday evening, White Duck Taco Shop makes taco night an easy dinner choice. Adults will like the variety with everything from jerk chicken, lump crab, Korean beef bulgogi and lamb gyro filling tortillas. And kids will like the familiarity of chicken or cheese quesadillas. End the night with ice cream at nearby Celtic Creamery. The shop uses an Irish recipe and local ingredients to create an exceptionally creamy ice cream that is made, churned and frozen daily in-house.

After checking out on Sunday, make a final jaunt to Holmes Educational State Forest for a hike around the Talking Trees Trail. Along the half-mile loop, different species of trees share a bit about themselves, including their distinct characteristics and helpful uses. Holmes also makes for an excellent picnic location after your hike.

Wind down on Friday evening with drinks and a sunset view at Shine’s rooftop bar in downtown Hendersonville. Everything here is scratch made, from cocktail mixers to ketchup. Choose from 24 taps, including many locally produced beers and ciders, or a handcrafted cocktail. Dinner is served downstairs in a lively space with a speakeasy vibe. The American menu is familiar yet creative; escargot and a crusty hot pretzel share space on the appetizer list, while larger plates include burgers and banh mi, steaks and frog legs.

Check in at The Henderson, located a block off of Main Street. Co-owner Michael Gilligan, an award-winning chef, brings a culinary focus to the historic B&B. The inn’s on-site restaurant, Harvey’s Al Fresco, regularly serves breakfast and an evening menu of small plates, as well as Sunday brunch and monthly wine dinners.

After breakfast on the inn’s spacious front porch, spend Saturday morning wandering through downtown Hendersonville’s shops and galleries. Several locally owned coffee shops fuel your excursions. Have a light lunch at Dandelion, which serves fresh-made salads, sandwiches, quiches, fruits and vegetables. The nonprofit restaurant not only prepares delicious food, but also serves as a job-training program for victims of domestic violence.

Spend the afternoon exploring Hendersonville’s Crest of the Blue Ridge wine region, which is home to seven vineyards. Book a trip aboard The Regal Ride for a safe, carefree option to taste your way from one stop to the next. Admire mountaintop vistas and savor red blends at Point Lookout Vineyards, try a pleasantly sweet apple wine at Burntshirt Vineyards, and listen to live music while sipping an award-winning vidal blanc at Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards.

Season’s at Highland Lake provides a serene setting for dinner. Sit by a window for lovely views of the property’s lush landscapes and gardens. Continue the theme of the afternoon by selecting a bottle from Season’s extensive wine list, which has received the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for more than 20 years. The menu changes often to reflect the freshest ingredients. Classic desserts, such as creme brulee and chocolate torte, round out the evening.

After checking out on Sunday morning, walk to one of four downtown coffee shops for a Joe-to-go, then swing by local favorite restaurant, HenDough Chicken & Donuts, which offers just what you would guess, chicken and donuts. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a walk-up window to take food to go. But warning: you may have trouble deciding between the Donut Breakfast Sandwich, the Cluck Madam Sandwich and the one of their ever-rotating menu of specialty donuts.

Another great option is the Hendersonville Community Co-op, a local icon known for its deli stocked with grab-and-go items, hot bar with homemade soups and fresh baked goods. Whether you’re going for a hike or hitting the road back home, the co-op makes it easy to stock up on snacks and meals for the trip.

Start the day at Hands On! Children’s Museum. The custom kids’ play place encourages children to use their imaginations as they explore 20 different interactive exhibits, each mimicking a real Hendersonville business or landmark. Kids can try out occupations, such as a dentist, doctor, firefighter, apple grower or ice cream shop worker.

Other features include a water table, mini stage and an indoor mountain to climb. Don’t miss the lifelike honeybee mural on the backside of the building, which is part of a worldwide initiative to raise awareness about pollinators.

As you navigate downtown, participate in the Apple Quest scavenger hunt. Designed by a local Girl Scouts troop, the search involves a dozen brass apples hidden at landmark locations. A brochure with clues is available for download online, or you can pick up a printed copy at the Welcome Center on Main Street.

Take a lunchtime break at Mike’s On Main. The 1950s-style soda fountain serves sandwiches, soups and salads. You can’t go wrong with a burger (beef or veggie) and fresh-squeezed lemonade. For dessert, order a sundae or banana split with lots of spoons.

At the Appalachian Pinball Museum, visitors of all ages enjoy playing 85 pinball machines and vintage video games. Parents and grandparents are as excited as the kids when they enter the arcade-like museum with flashing lights and sounds of flippers flipping furiously. Play all day for one fee, and once you have wrist bands, the family can come and go as you please.

An unexpected find is the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO. North Carolina’s first inland aquarium transports visitors to the coast with more than 275 fish, invertebrates, reptiles and salamanders. Every afternoon, staff members conduct public feedings of sharks and sting rays in the 2,000-gallon tank.

The family always appreciates a sweet treat, so be sure to stop by McFarlan Bakery. A downtown institution since 1930, the shop is famous for doughnuts, bear claws, giant cookies and, really, any type of baked confection.

A hidden “gem” on Main Street is the Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County, when visitors learn about the beauty and diversity of the world beneath our feet. One of the popular displays is a booth with fluorescent minerals under black light.

Mezzaluna is an easy crowd pleaser for dinner. Parents choose from 50 draft beer options and a menu of wood-fired pizzas and homemade pasta dishes. Kids have their own Italian selections, including fettuccine alfredo, ravioli, and spaghetti and meatballs.

After breakfast, go flat-water paddling with Lazy Otter Outfitters on the French Broad. The Sierra Nevada Express excursion allows you to park at Westfeldt Park near Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and catch a shuttle to the put-in location at Lazy Otter’s headquarters. From there, it’s a seven-mile paddle (3-3.5 hours) back to the park, where Lazy Otter picks up the equipment and you hop in the car for a two-minute drive to the brewery.

Enjoy lunch at Sierra Nevada’s spacious restaurant, with both indoor and outdoor seating, and sip the freshest Sierra Nevada ales on the planet. All beer is made on-site at the brewery’s colossal East Coast headquarters.

At the traffic circle just outside the brewery, veer right for a fun afternoon of mountain biking and climbing at The Riveter. This unique facility brings together a covered and open-air bike park with an indoor gym for climbing and bouldering. The Riveter’s instruction-based environment allows beginners as well as experts to enjoy all activities. There is also a yoga studio.

After riding the dirt trails at The Riveter, cool down with a refreshing dip at North Mills River Recreational Area & Campground. For a minimal parking fee, this area of the river is open to the public for swimming, tubing (bring your own) and trout fishing.

The Mills River area is fast-becoming a hot spot for craft beverages. Stop by Appalachian Mountain Brewing, Bold Rock Hard Cider or Mills River Brewing for a beer or hard cider, and a great meal. Each of the locations are family and pet friendly, and often host live music or special events.