Start the morning off in the Village of Gold Hill just off St. Stephen's Church Rd. (via Old NC 80 off US 52)
in Gold Hill, NC. Once touted as, "The richest mining property east of the Mississippi", this quaint little village was once a thriving, rough and rowdy mining town. You can visit the Rock Jail, Mauney's 1840 Store and Museum, and the E.H. Montgomery Store, the Gold Hill Bakery & Mint Shoppe, and the Christmas Shoppe. The

Have a delicious hot lunch at Miss Ruby’s and don’t forget to take some sweets home with you from The Gold Hill Bakery & Mint Shoppe.

Take a walk on the Gold Hill Rail Tail. Its' 2 miles long open year around, accessible to pedestrians and bicycles and passes 6 historic locations.

 

After lunch, head to Dan Nicholas Park and see what sort of gems you can find at the Gem mine. You can have your precious stones polished and made into jewelry at the Gem Shop. Dan Nicholas Park is situated in the scenic countryside on Bringle Ferry Road just outside Salisbury, NC. Spend the morning playing a round of putt-putt, riding the little train and Haden’s carousel, feeding the ducks, paddling the paddleboats around the lake, and panning for beautiful gems at the gem mine. There’s a wonderful hiking trail around the lake and the nature center and petting zoo are full of animals to view or pet.