Smokey Mountains Recommendations?

GDSOB · GDSOB's Garage

Looks like the in-laws will watch the kids for a few days in early November so the wife and I want to get away for a couple of days. We're thinking about the Smokies since it's a half day drive, but want to avoid the tourist traps.

Any recommendations?

Tim Hancock · 10-17-2007, 07:30 AM

Basically the whole place is a "tourist trap", but I still enjoy it, as my parents took me there often as a child and it is full of good memories. My favorite place is a picnic area located on the main road thru the park. It is called Chimney Tops picnic area. It has a crystal clear cold stream running thru it and I always enjoyed climbing and jumping around on the huge rocks. We used to spend hours hopping around on the rocks heading up stream. Once you get a bit upstream of the picnic area, you often feel alone and the sound of the rushing water and cool air makes it my favorite place I have ever been to.

Rot 911 · 10-17-2007, 07:42 AM

Where are you coming from? This time of year most of the tourists have gone.

GDSOB · GDSOB's Garage

Cincinnati

Jims5543 · 10-17-2007, 07:59 AM

Exact date?

There are lots of things to do off the beaten path. Early Nov. in NC is pretty quiet. The leaves are gone and so are the tourists.

What do you want to do? Do you want some good hiking? Shopping?

Budget per night?

There are lots of options.

GDSOB · GDSOB's Garage

First full week of November. Mainly hiking, maybe some biking, generally seeing the sights and reconnecting. We haven't had any time alone since the twins were born a year ago.

rouxroux · 10-17-2007, 10:28 AM

Cades Cove is a pretty getaway with nice hiking and beautiful fields to "decompress" in.

Mule · 10-17-2007, 10:36 AM

Townsend is a very nice area to stay in.

Rot 911 · 10-17-2007, 11:10 AM

A bit closer to you is Blackwater Falls State Park in W. Va. My wife and I went there on a weekend and really enjoyed ourselves. Here is the link: http://www.blackwaterfalls.com/recreation.htm

They have lodging there, but we found a room at an old Victorian mansion in Elkins, WV on the campus of a small college. One of the coolest places we have ever stayed. About 40 miles from the park. Link: http://www.gracelandinn.com/main/Graceland_Directions.html

typ550 · 10-17-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rouxroux

Cades Cove is a pretty getaway with nice hiking and beautiful fields to "decompress" in.

I'll second that recommendation. Been going there since my parents started taking me back in the '60s. Gets a little jammed in "leaf season," but a great place.

Jims5543 · 10-17-2007, 03:36 PM

Cades Cove should be pretty quiet the 2nd week of Nov.

If price is no object for the week.

http://www.groveparkinn.com/

BTW there is a Porsche meet the 9-11th at Fontana Village you could ride in on our backs and get a 25% discount mentioning the word Porsche.

I picked up a hot tub suite with a fireplace for about $100 a night.

I am going with my wife, and we plan on a little alone time as well, we do not get alone time very often.

Other cool places to visit,

Downtown Highlands is really neat along with nearby hiking on Whiteside Mountain and seeing the backside of water at Dry Falls.

http://main.nc.us/highlands/

Waynesville is really cool too, a decent size downtown with lots of shops and be sure to stop off at the General store.

http://www.waynesville.com/

Great Smokey Mountain Railroad, maybe for a dinner ride. Can be picked up in Bryson City (near the Dragon

) or in Dillsboro.

http://www.gsmr.com/

Adventure, something different make sure she rents her own. We did this with Jet Ski's in Florida and my wife loved driving her own.

ATV tours.

http://www.atvtogo.com/

I know exactly what your going through. While we do not have twins its usually a year between events where we are totally alone without kids.

Have fun!!

p911dad · p911dad's Garage

Last year, 2 of my sons, and 2 brother in laws took 4 Porsches (1 Carrera and 3 Boxsters) down to Blowing Rock, NC for the Blue Ridge Boxster Bash. We had a total blast with the group and had a great stay at the Meadowbrook Inn, in Blowing Rock. It is a little touristy, but the alternatives are somewhat primitive or tourist traps, like Boone(named for Dan'l Boone, famous frontiersman)NC. Blowing Rock is almost on top of the Blue Ridge parkway, which is as awesome a Porsche road as any you will ever find(and I've been on a bunch, including the PCH).

jt1 · 10-17-2007, 04:47 PM

Anybody coming to the NC mountains should take a days drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The area around Grandfathers mtn, Lynn Cove, and Moses Cone park is especially beautiful, and offers a number of hiking trails. It gets crowded during leaf season, but otherwise is lightly traveled and spectacular. The leaf season this year is going to be awful, because of the drought, but the scenery is nice year round. You can get a speeding ticket on the parkway, any of the rangers can write you up, so no big speeds, but it's a nice drive.

John

strupgolf · 10-17-2007, 06:34 PM

If you get into Gatlinburg, you have to have dinner at the little Italy place on the main route in town, around stop 11 or so. Great Italian food, great service, and great "rolls". It's next to the Elks club in a little cove. We have never had a bad meal there in 20 years.

snowman · 07:35 PM

Cades cove is no longer the place it once was. No more whiskey brewing nowadays due to the holier than thou crowd. The stone ground corn ISN'T, it comes from a mill in sacks, not what it used to be, in fact, its so bad, it will no longer make salt rising bread. Cades cove is now part of Gatlinburg or Dollyville. The mystic of the Smokey mountains is long gone. Look for bears in cages, fake indians, Gatlinburg, Cherokee and more dancing bears in cages and more fake indians. Don't expect anything of the old culture, its long gone. a good hike in the woods is all you can expect.

50 years ago Cades Cove was a place frozen in time, just like it was 200 years prior to that point. 20 years ago Cades Cove changed, a lot. Its nothing like it once was. The people are gone and will never return. Their culture is also history.

The history of this park is also a tragic tale of unamerican activity by a bunch of communist that were running the country at the time. As tragic as the trail of tears is the removal of the people from their land in the Smokey Mountains. Now even their culture is lost.

Jims5543 · 10-18-2007, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by procon

Oh, forgot the Biltmore House/Winery and for any outdoor needs visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

+1 On Biltmore, wife and I did the tour of the house and winery for our Anniversary last year and it was a great day.

GDSOB · GDSOB's Garage

Thanks for the suggestions. I used to travel to Asheville often for business and it is one of my favorite places, but we are probably going to stay in TN due to time constraints. It's a shame that such a nice area has been the victim of so much American "Culture".

KFC911 · 10-18-2007, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDSOB

Thanks for the suggestions. I used to travel to Asheville often for business and it is one of my favorite places, but we are probably going to stay in TN due to time constraints. It's a shame that such a nice area has been the victim of so much American "Culture".

There are still lots of things to see & do that are "off the beaten path" and away from the "tourist traps"...just pick a direction (with a "tentative destination" in mind), go exploring, and see what you find along the way. If you're in the 911, this is the only way to explore imo

Hoots · 10-18-2007, 07:47 PM

Pancake Pantry

snowman · 07:59 PM

Fastpat is the type of person who could provide the needed input for this thread. His input is missed (and not) for this type of question.

Only a good old southern boy can provide answers to what made the Smokies what they were. And it ain't as simple as black and white.