The Grandfather Vista cabin is conveniently located less than a mile off of NC HWY 105, in Foscoe, NC. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Valle Crucis, Boone, and the outskirts of Banner Elk are all within a 15 minute drive.
The cabin itself was spacious and inviting, and we availed ourselves of most of the amenities, including the fire pit and the downstairs game room. As its name indicates, the cabin has an impressive profile view of Grandfather Mountain, and we enjoyed sipping coffee on the front porch. Unfortunately, nature is reclaiming that view, due to trees and shrubbery, making it a bit less breathtaking than expected (especially when seated on the porch).
One complaint was that the back deck (where the grill is located) could benefit from a pressure-washing, as could the deck furniture. We ate a couple of meals out there, but wished it had been in better condition. Also, in the game room, most of the darts are unusable, and the air hockey table has seen its better days. Finally, the dishwasher was temperamental, and it took a good part of our last hour there trying to get it to start (which I finally did). This probably explains why there were still what appeared to be dirty dishes in it when we arrived.
All in all, Grandfather Vista provides a very quiet and cozy place to spend your mountain time, which is one of the best uses of time that I can think of.