Second Week Smoky Mnts July 2018

Famous Ashville House

July 15, 2018

Well the second week in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Lake Junaluska

Spent a day in the Maggie Valley area and walked the trail around Lake Junaluska.  Very nice scenic trail 2.6 miles around the lake.  Beautiful weather.

Following day

decided to do the “Hop on and Off” trolley ion Ashville.  Very nice tour, 2 ½ hrs and very well narrated .  Lots and lots of history here.   10 different stops, all with a little different venue.  Could easily spend a day just doing this.

Wednesday did the Scenic Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Ride out of Bryson City, NC.

Lovely Homes

Major Famous Homes

Great Smoky Mnt Train

Our Car

Took the First Class ticket with a full meal service.  Was a 4 ½ hour ride with a brief stop over and turn around at Nantahala River Outfitters Camp, whitewater Rafting, zip lines, mountain biking, etc.  Great trip with awesome views. 

Rafting

Thursday a cabin rest day.  Friday spent the day in Cherokee, NC.  An Indian reservation.  Little known fact, the Cherokee Tribe goes back further than the Inka’s.   Of course, reservation includes “casino” world.  Stopped at the one in Cherokee.  Huge!  Endless machines and tables.  Also included bowling alleys.  Event center was having a national “Corn Hole” tournament.  $50,000 purse.  Watched some pretty skilled tosses.  Never new they had such a thing.  Jersey’s, sponsors, the whole gamut.  Fun to watch.

Later found a nice river stream.  Family’s rafting, swimming, just having a good time.  We spent an hour or so just relaxing in our bag chairs on the water.

Saturday, our last cabin day, heading to Brevard, NC.   Drove the Blue Ridge Parkway to Brevard.  Spent the day at PARI Astronomical Research Institute.  Located in the Pisgah National Forest, an old NASA facility turned to a Science Learning Center.  Pretty amazing stuff.  200 acre site dedicated to providing “hands on educational and research opportunities” for a broad cross section in science, technology, engineering and math. A public not for profit foundation, founded by Don Cline.  As a NASA facility, this was the site in the 60’s that tracked and monitored our manned space flights, Yea, “The Eagle has Landed”.

Our tour was very professional and well done.  Lots of history, science, and meteorites artifacts.  Treated to holding Dinosaur egg, rocks from the Moon and Mars.  We  were given a “Planetarium Exhibit”, StarLab, a portable unit for visitors and students, having hosted more than 80,000 visitors, showing all of the constellations.  Wow!  Very worthwhile visit.  A  rather “sterile” entrance and seemed not “user friendly”, but once inside changed our view.  Thanks for the recommendation from friend Bill Harper.

Well, tomorrow we head home.  A great two weeks in the Smoky Mountains.  Wonderful cabin accommodations.  Loved the area.   Over and out until the next adventure.

July 8, 2018

Well, it as been awhile since we “blogged”, but have done another bucket list item and rented a cabin for two weeks in the “Smoky Mountains”, North Carolina.   So thought we would share our experience.

Leaving on Sunday 6/30 for our start date of 7/1, 520 miles to our destination just a little South West of Ashville, NC, so decided on an overnight before our arrival.  Drove some 420 miles staying in Commerce, SC, just a little North of Athens.  Nice stay with early morning departure to Ashville, NC.  Our cabin is actually in Clyde, NC, but check in was not until 4:00pm, so decided to go to Ashville for breakfast / lunch.

Great place recommended by Village friends Dave & Dotty, Moose Café.  One of those places with “good southern comfort” food.  Carbs kind of “hang from the ceiling”.  Oh Well!!  Good!

Cabin Smoky Mnts

Inside Cabin

Checked into cabin about 3:30pm.  Great Cabin with very nice amenities.  Direct TV, Internet, Surround Sound, Full Size Brunswick Pool Table, dishwasher, A/C, washer/dryer, really going to “tuff it”.  Really a great location at the base of the “Great Smoky Mountains National Park”.   Did a little auto tour of the area before check in time.

Great Smoky National Park

First full day, Monday 7/2, checked out community of Waynesville.  A very vibrant town with lots of tourist activity.  Spent time on the Main Street searching for activity schedules as this is the 4^th of July celebration.  Found the famous Blue Ridge Parkway (ie; some 469 miles long) and did a little road trip to Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska, and the National Park, all highlights of the area.  Found the National Park Visitor Center at Oconalutee, very nice situated on a rapid river stream and a historical Mountain Farm Museum.

A top Chimney Rock

Tuesday, July 3^rd, took a day trip to Chimney Rock State Park.  Just 25 mi SE of Ashville.  This famous Rock /Mountain is proclaimed to be 535 million years old.  Highlighted with a 404 ft Waterfall.  A 75 mile view at the top.  Lots of climbing and hiking trails.  Spectacular  view of Lake Lure.  A wonderful day trip and beautiful drive along the Broad River.

Wed July 4^th, we took in the celebration in Waynesville. 

Children’s / Family parade at 11:00am followed by a park concert highlighting national hymns.  Rather nice touch.   PM took a road trip around Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska taking in all of the Holiday activities.  Evening, too tired for fireworks so checked in early.

Thurs, July 5, a cabin rest day.  Went into Waynesville for lunch.  Found a great burger place.

Friday, July6, took a day trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  Famous tourist towns in Tennessee.   Yes, it was crowded.  Carry over of the July 4^th holiday.  Lots and lots of people.  Had lunch at a place called “Dicks Last Resort”.  Program is to be “intentionally rude” to the patron’s.  Loud and rude.  Our waiter was ok, not to bad.  Referred to us as “The Old Man and Old Lady”. 

Grazing Elk

Oh well!  Anyway, the food was good and we started with a “huge” Margarita for two.  After lunch we continued our road tour to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood.  Not nearly as crowded and don’t think Dolly was in town.  Drive back right through the center of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Very pretty but lots of curves and cut backs.  Ran into a severe rain down power.  Hight was stopping to see wild Elk out for the evening grassing.  Large rack male. 

Large Margarita

Saturday/ Sunday, July 7 &, cabin rest day.  Rain most all Saturday, first since we arrived a week ago, so not to bad.  Shari and I played several games of Billiard’s, teaching each other, Wasn’t real pretty.  Sunday did a craft festival in Maggie Valley then over to Lake Junaluska for a Hike arounf the lake.  Beautiful day, mid 70’s, perfect.  End of our first week.