Posted on 09/06/2015 12:57:38 PM PDT by West Texas Chuck
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are putting together a road trip for about a month from now. I'm looking for info from anyone who has been around up there some and knows what is cool and what is worth staying away from.
Ditto what everyone else says about Pisgah Inn. Arrange a night’s stay there if you can manage. Otherwise, plan on being there for a meal. The views from the picture windows in the restaurant are world class.
Linville falls are a must see. Bit of a hike to the best views, but worth it.
If you have time, you might stop by Laurel Falls in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Very picturesque.
We enjoyed the Moses Cone Memorial Park and mansion near Blowing Rock. Grandfather Mountain is kind of a tourist trap thing, but the bridge and museum are worth it.
That’s right girl you go. These uppity Yankees all come down here and talk smack. As for Waffle House I have no ideal how many of them I’ve thrown up behind. Than I go in and get me a waffle to hold down the rest of the white liquor. Most the time only place open at 3 AM.
You are in for a treat. By all means, include Skyline Drive. The historic value is priceless. The views are breathtaking! A couple of days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park would be great! Since the end-point of the Skyline Drive is near DC, some time there is worthwhile (Iwo Jima Memorial, Viet Nam Memorial, WWII Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery [especially changing the Guard], Smithsonian Museums). Get a room in Manassas, VA, (nice Battlefield tour nearby) and get transport into DC. Enjoy!
Graveyard fields and shining rock wilderness hiking. Have camped at Pisgah campground outside of the Pisgah Inn several times. Good microbrews in Brevard and Asheville area.
Stop! Now I want catfish.
The Blueridge Parkway is a great drive, but when I was there as a teen it was so foggy we could’t see much scenery.
Breakfast at Mabry Mill right on the Parkway just above the NC state line in VA, spend a little time there, wander the site. Authentic old grist mill, one of the most photographed sites of the BRP.
Grandfather Mtn may be on the touristy side but it’s worth the trip at least once, for the view if nothing else, it’s on up there compared to surrounding terrain, very rocky.
The Linn Cove Viaduct is nearby and is something of an engineering marvel in a very scenic spot.
Take your time, pull off for whatever strikes your fancy.
Don’t try to sweet talk me now. You have desecrated the southern Sabbath which is Cracker Barrel day. Now I probably won’t even be able to enjoy my apple crisp for desert. :-)
Wife and I spent our Wedding night there. Beautiful scenery.
James Vanderbilt, of Biltmore House fame, had his Hunting lodge there.
One place not to be missed, The Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Gorgeous with a capital G. Walk around visitors welcomed.
And if possible, one of their buffet meals. Sat night..Prime Ribs . Sunday ..Brunch. There is a buffet Fri night not sure what it is. May be Seafood. By far the best value in dining I’ve ever experienced. You’ll need reservations for either.
http://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park
Remember, you shouldn’t be Freeping at the dinner table!
Stop at the Peaks of Otter. If you time your visit to occur on Sunday, they have a great buffet. Also, there are trails aplenty to walk off all the food. There’s a campground there, plus a lodge (motel) with beautiful views of the lake.
Also, check out Mabry Mill. You can get some freshly ground cornmeal and other goodies. It’s a lovely site for photographs, too.
Peaks of Otter:
http://www.smith-mountain-lake-visitor-center.com/peaks_of_otter.htm
Mabry Mill:
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/v.php?pg=578
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zenbikergirl/4044352450/
From the west hit 321 to foothills pky in Blount County, TN.
From there take 129 into NC. That is “The Dragon”.
You can branch out and go southeast around Gorges St Pk and up through Brevard. Spend a few days on this trip. US441 over the park from Gatlinburg to Cherokee is also a beautiful trip.
“One place I enjoy is the Pisgah Inn near Brevard, N.C”
-—I know that place. My Grandparents lived in Hendersonville, NC, and I loved going to their house at the end of summer, early fall. There were apple orchards everywhere and you can get the BEST Apple-Butter/Apple Jelly on earth lol My parents always liked to go to Brevard, Asheville, and surrounding areas. Brings back memories :-)
Agreed on Pisgah Inn, the Fried green Tomatoes and Chicken Pot Pie are worth the drive in itself!
Stay away from Cracker Barrels. Bland, soulless food with a tacky tourist trap on your way out. Plus they don’t serve alcohol with your bland, tasteless meal.
***
And the room is noisy as heck, so conversation is very difficult.
WT Chuck, I grew up in and around the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. It is the most beautiful place in the Fall and always calls my heart back to visit. All the places different people have mentioned are wonderful places to visit. There are camp grounds marked along your journey and normally can be plugged in to any GPS to find. Cracker Barrel is not as bad as someone suggested so if you have never been... go and enjoy! Fresh apple jelly or apple butter can be found all along the way once you hit Virginia Apple Country. Take some home with you and enjoy during the winter here in Texas. My caution to you in the mountains on Skyline Drive be cautious. I was there this time a few years ago and ran in to three black bears. Just know where you are and leave no food out or available and you should not have much to worry about. There is a restaurant at the top of Skyline Drive that is pretty good as well as a gift shop that sells hand made pottery and other items to enjoy. I pray you have a safe and enjoyable journey. Soak in as much Fall coolness and colors you can absorb and make thousands of memories which will remain in your head and heart and will call you back the rest of your life! Safe Journey, Good Luck, and God Bless.
Agreed. Skyline Drive is beautiful.
We went there when I was a boy scout, mid-70s. Someone had the bright idea to go down standing up.
I was smart enough to NOT do that.
Ditto on Mabry Mill.
If you are there near lunch $$$, a couple of more miles down the road, Chatteau Morrisette Winery . . . or dinner $$$$ . . . or a simple wine tasting for a dollar or two for up to 6 or tastings of wine. They also have musical festivals throughout the year on some weekends. Sometimes blues, sometimes jazz.
A little off the BRP . . . Blacksburg and VT, maybe it will be a game weekend and take in a football game. Husband and both sisters graduated from VT.
Oh right before you get to Mabry Mills, in Meadows of Dan there is a Nancy’s Homemade Fudge . . . very good, we always go at least once while visiting the in-laws nearby.
Also nearby but off the Parkway is Fairy Stone Park. The park’s cross-shaped, namesake stone is prevalent in the region . . . interesting.
Have a nice trip~!
I second the town of Blowing Rock, NC and the hiking trails around Mose Cone Park.
http://www.blowingrock.org/mosescone.html
This website has lots of info:
http://www.romanticasheville.com/
Happy trails!
The only times I’ve done the Blue Ridge was on motorcycle. I will tell you, two wheel or four, to be wary of the tunnels. They re wet, dark and the surface is slimy. First tunnel I hit I was going roughly the SL.
My headlight seemed to disappear and I damn near lost control. Sacred the cramp out of me.
We too had the idea to make it up to Shenandoah. While as the crow flies, it’s not that long; as road goes, it is. Don’t know what you timetable is, but count on more time. And that’s not counting all the places you’ll want to stop and see.
We never made is past Ashville. We didn’t have the time. You have to stop and see Biltmore in Ashville.
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