|
|
Around the Mountains . . . |
|
|
North Carolina's mountains make for a playground unlike any other. It's perfectly possible to do anything but play golf here and still find plenty to do. Hang on. Did we really say that? Let's try again. You'll find plenty to do here once you've finished playing golf. That's better. Once you've finished playing, try mountain biking, antique hunting, roller-coastering and horseback riding. In fact, there's enough going on to fill a rather large book, and may we be so bold as to suggest The Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Mountains as an excellent resource? Look for it at fine bookstores or call (800) 582-2665 to order a copy. Here are just a few major attractions that you shouldn't miss if you're in the mountains: In Boone, check out Horn in the West, (828) 264-2120, off N.C. Highway 105 and U.S. highways 321 and 421, an outdoor drama depicting the trials and travails of those who settled the North Carolina mountains, including Daniel Boone. It's two hours of history and entertainment rolled into one. The season lasts from mid-June to mid-August. Tweetsie Railroad, between Boone and Blowing Rock on U.S 321/221, is a great place to take the family. In addition to the 100-year-old locomotive, there's much to see, do and sample, including a petting farm, Mouse Mine #9, caramel apples and a Ferris wheel and other rides. Call (800) 526-5740 for more information. The season runs from May to Labor Day. If you're not particularly claustrophobic, Linville Caverns is an entertaining option. Initially discovered by Native Americans in the 1820s, the limestone caverns also served as hideouts for Civil War deserters. It's a great place to see some serious caves and experience total darkness when the guides cut the lights. The caves are between Linville and Marion, 4 miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway on U.S. 221. Call (828) 756-4171 for more information. For those of you who prefer life in the fast lane to life underground, the New Asheville Speedway in Asheville (surprise!) at 219 Amboy Road will satisfy your need for speed. This short track used to be a regular NASCAR stop; despite the present-day absence of the big boys, there's still plenty of competition. Enjoy racing action every Friday night from April to September. The speedway's clever tag line, "Each year, 80,000 fans buy seats, but they only use the edge," sums it up. Call (828) 254-4627 for more information. There are quite a few "touristy" spots in the North Carolina Mountains, and Maggie Valley might be the most touristy of them all. One of the major attraction here is the well-known Ghost Town in the Sky, Soco Road (U.S. 19), (828) 926-1140 or (800) GHOST TOWN. You must take the incline railroad or a chair lift to get here. The Wild West theme is accentuated by gunfights, jail breaks, bank robberies, country music and Indian dances. You'll also find more than 20 rides, including the Red Devil roller coaster. There is also tons of food to eat, most of it deliciously loaded with calories. Ghost Town in the Sky is open 9 AM to 6 PM from May to October. No trip to Asheville is complete without a visit to what many must consider North Carolina's premier attraction, the Biltmore Estate. The aforementioned Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Mountains devotes an entire chapter to the Biltmore Estate, and justifiably so. George Vanderbilt completed this magnificent chateau in 1895, and the home is still in the possession of his descendants who graciously open it to the public. In addition to the house, check out the estate's winery. Some currently produced wines are gaining significant praise from wine connoisseurs. The Biltmore House itself boasts more than 225 rooms, 50 of which are open to the public. Biltmore plans plenty of annual events, but perhaps the best time to see the estate is during the Christmas holidays, when the house is decorated in a fashion that will drop your jaw and make you happy that you chose the Biltmore House over the golf course. You'll also find four places to eat on the Estate: Deer Park Restaurant, the Stable Cafe, the Winery Cafe and The Bistro. For more information about Biltmore Estate, call (800) 543-2961. It's off N.C. 25 at the junction of Hendersonville Road and McDowell Street.
No trip to the mountains is complete without a trip down a waterfall. Or if you're not the type to envelop yourself in a barrel and take the plunge, at least you should go see one. It's probably safer. A number of golf courses in the mountains feature waterfalls of various shapes and sizes--often where you least expect them. Following is a selection of non-golf course waterfalls. Avery County: Elk Falls' 65 feet of power cascade into one of the largest post-waterfall pools in the mountains. Travel north on U.S. 19 E. to Elk Park (just inside the North Carolina-Tennessee border). Turn right on Elk River Road and proceed 4 miles to a parking area next to the Elk River. Hike the short trail to the falls. Burke County: One of the best known of all mountain waterfalls, Linville Falls tumults down the deep Linville Gorge. The upper and lower falls are equally dramatic. Access Linville Falls at milepost 316.3 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where there's a visitors center for your convenience. Transylvania County: One of the most accessible of all mountain waterfalls, Looking Glass Falls is also one of the prettiest. It's on U.S. 276, 5.5 miles into Pisgah Forest and the junction with U.S. 64 near Brevard. Your total hike from car to view and back may be less than 30 feet. Jackson County: You're an eight-hour drive from the beach, so take what you can get and lounge and sunbathe on the sand next to the pool at the foot of Silver Run Falls. Why not bring your 60-degree wedge and practice getting out of bunkers? Drive south from Cashiers on N.C. 107 for 4 miles. Park at the gravel-covered pull-off on the left. Follow the short path to the falls. One of the most remarkable attractions, if we could call it such, is the Blue Ridge Parkway. Construction began in 1935, part of a government project designed to employ then-unemployed people during the Great Depression. The roadway links Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Thus a large portion of the Parkway winds through the North Carolina Mountains. In some cases, it's a useful if somewhat circuitous route to some of the golf courses, one we recommend if you're not in a hurry and enjoy a scenic drive. Mount Mitchell Golf Course, for example, is just a few miles from the Parkway. Cruising this picturesque roadway provides some of the greatest motoring pleasure anywhere. As you enter, a sign reads "No Commercial Vehicles;" thus, your journey will not be cluttered by the inevitable delivery trucks and 18-wheelers. Likewise, the protected Parkway provides a respite from the fast food joints and tourist traps that are sadly all too common on other mountain roads. It's the sort of road that makes you wish for an Italian sports convertible with a close-ratio stick shift, a rocket under the hood and a suspension so tight you go around curves like you're on rails. This is real motoring. Regularly during your trip, you'll be tempted to stop at one of the wonderful overlooks to take in the view. Do it. There are also numerous trails and picnic tables for your convenience. Like the mountains themselves, the Parkway changes dramatically by season. Enjoy the colorful fall. Get up early in the morning and rise above the clouds. Dip into morning fog so thick you can't see 5 feet in front of you. But drive safely--if you're in the driver's seat, keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel. Catch the views at the overlooks, not from behind the wheel. The Parkway emergency number is (800) 727-5928. For general Parkway information, call (828) 298-0398. It's actually quite a good idea to plan a trip with both golf and skiing in mind--if you're that ambitious. If it's cold, then it's quite likely that the course you came to play will be closed. If it's warm, then you won't be able to ski, but you'll be able to play golf. Skiing in the North Carolina Mountains is not like skiing in the West. Most of the time, 90 percent of the snow is manmade and the slopes get icy. If there's real snow, it may be wet, which will turn icy in the late-afternoon shadows. About once every five years a winter of big storms will create optimal snow conditions, even if the runs tend to be a little short. We're sure you've heard that a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office. Well, if you take the same attitude about skiing to the North Carolina Mountains, you'll have lots of fun. Here are some of the area's major ski areas. Hawksnest Golf and Ski Resort, 1800 Skyland Drive, Banner Elk, (828) 963-6561, offers 11 slopes: two beginner, five intermediate and four advanced, with a 619-foot vertical drop. The golf course here is interesting too (see our review in this chapter). Beech Mountain Ski Resort, Beech Mountain, (828) 387-2011, is the highest ski resort in eastern North America, at approximately 5,500 feet. It's got quite a complex attached to it, including shops, ski rental, restaurants, an ice rink and a nursery. There are 14 trails in all with a vertical drop of 830 feet. Ample accommodations are available at the resort. Sugar Mountain, Banner Elk, (828) 898-5421, lies 5,300 feet above sea level and features 18 slopes. Tackle the whopping (for North Carolina) 1,200-foot drop over and over again until the lactic acid buildup makes your quadriceps scream "No more!" Plenty of chair lifts assure you won't have to wait too long between runs. Ski rentals, lessons, lockers, a nursery and a cafeteria are available. Appalachian Ski Mountain, Blowing Rock, (828) 295-7828, is a family-owned resort that's been in business since 1962. There are eight slopes with a vertical drop of 365 feet. Check out the giant fireplace in the Bavarian-style lodge overlooking the slopes. |
|
|
You'll discover hundreds of excellent restaurants in the mountains. While we're confident the head pro at the golf course you're visiting can provide a sound dining recommendation, here are a few places you might want to go to celebrate that 76 you just posted (even if it was for nine holes). Be aware that America's bout with temperance lives on in full force in a number of counties in the North Carolina Mountains. If you're in the mood for a bottle of claret to wash down your steak, you might be out of luck. In vino non veritas. Refer to our Preface for an explanation of the pricing code. Boston Pizza Boston Pizza is about a Tiger Woods drive away from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. There's a sort of college-campus beer-and-pizza ambiance to the place, which is also well-suited for families. When school's in session and the weather is a little chilly, you'll probably run into a few students who look like they're right out of the Seattle "grunge" scene, complete with oversize faded sweaters, Kurt Cobain look-alike three-day beard growth and pierced body parts, some of which you'll be able to see. Alternative music aside, the pizza at Boston Pizza is wonderful. You can also devour subs and other Italian staples. Since this is a student hangout, adult beverage is never in short supply. The Grove Park Inn Even if your taste in accommodations is on the lower end of the scale, we recommend you splurge on the culinary delights at the Grove Park Inn, in part because there's a strong chance (particularly if you ask) that your table may overlook the golf course. You'll be dining next to a Donald Ross masterpiece. And you'll be dining in the hotel with the greatest golf history outside of Pinehurst. There are other places for blowouts in Asheville, but this one has golf attached to it. You can eat just a stone's throw away from where golfing giants once smacked the ball around. You'll find three restaurants: Blue Ridge Dining Room, Sunset Terrace and Horizons. Book a tee time on Sunday afternoon and precede your best-ever round with the awe-inspiring brunch in the Blue Ridge. Or have lunch at the Sunset Terrace, with its wonderful views, after an early morning round. Perhaps you're entertaining guests for golf and dinner at Horizons . . . it's hard to miss here. Louie Michaud's MountainBrook
Center We'll risk the cliché, but there's something for everyone here at Louie Michaud's: pasta, steak, ribs, lamb, chicken and big salads. Try the prime rib buffet on Wednesday and the seafood buffet on Friday. There's also a belly-bulging brunch buffet on Sundays. Relia's Garden Restaurant Relia's is just 20 minutes from Bryson City at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. You must cross a steel bridge over the Nantahala River to get to the restaurant. If the weather's right, you should sit on the open-air porch overlooking the herb and vegetable gardens that supply the restaurant. Talk about seeing what you're eating! Thus, you'll find a fresh touch here that few other restaurants can match. Go for the trout or one of the many vegetarian dishes. Famous Louise's RockHouse
Restaurant Louise's Rock House sits right on the border of three counties: Burke, McDowell and Avery. While this might lead to an intra-county identity crisis, it also leads to good food in a storied atmosphere. The building used to be a Prohibition-era roadhouse before becoming a restaurant. The food here is primarily down-home. Menu items include pork loin, country-style steak, roast beef, turkey with all the fixin's, fried chicken and a full complement of side dishes. There's also fresh seafood delivered three times weekly from the coast. Pepper's Restaurant Pepper's has been well known in Boone for more than 20 years. It's particularly popular due mainly to the light, airy interior with its wooden floors and comfortable booths. The specialties here include seafood, pasta and sandwiches. Or try the mountain trout served à la Pepper. Tumbleweed Grill &
Microbrewery Tumbleweed serves up a great combination of fine Mexican food and excellent hand-crafted beer in an intimate atmosphere. The restaurant is popular and small, so you might want to make a reservation if you're on some sort of official schedule (but who is in the mountains?). Otherwise, enjoy an ale while you wait for your table. At your table, how about enjoying another beer with your chipotle shrimp Caesar salad or Anasazi chicken sauteed with ancho chiles and goat cheese and rounded off with a Madeira wine sauce and tobacco onions. Yum! Have another beer, and the excess nature of your caloric intake will soon match the excess nature of the lies you'll be telling about how you got up and down for birdie from the stream on the back nine at Boone Golf Course. Yeah, right. 1859 Café In the heart of bustling downtown Hickory sits the 1859 Café. We wouldn't wear shorts, but you won't have to walk in wearing black tie. Dinner is served nightly except Sunday and features an outstanding selection of beef, seafood, duck, lamb and a variety of pasta dishes. One of our favorite items on the menu is the Sesame Salmon with Ginger Soy Sauce. If the temperature is pleasant, you might enjoy the outdoor patio. The restaurant also features periodic live entertainment. Ham's Restaurant Ham's is part of a small and good chain of well-run restaurants in North Carolina. There's one in Chapel Hill as well. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and boasts all ABC (alcohol) permits. Ham's provides good basic food in a relaxed atmosphere where you are welcome to show up in whatever clothes you feel like wearing; the restaurant is particularly good at deli-style sandwiches. Ham's is an excellent place to go when there's a sporting event going on that you'd like to watch on their big-screen TV with a couple of friends over a couple of pitchers of beer and a few meaty hamburgers with stacks of French fries and onion rings. |
|
The variety of accommodations in western North Carolina is as massive as the mountains themselves. All the major chains have built a significant presence here. In addition, there are some wonderful old inns and hotels that date back to the 19th century. Numerous small and intimate bed and breakfasts dot the pastoral landscape. Many of the places to stay are affiliated with a golf course and can help you secure a tee time. Refer to our Preface for an explanation of the pricing code.
|
|
|
|
Alpine Village Alpine Village is a unique resort. It has the individuality of a bed and breakfast, the serenity of a retreat and the variety of a small resort. Yet it is highly affordable and a splendid alternative for large families or groups on the road for summer fun. Set high back in the mountains in the shadow of spectacular Mount Mitchell, Alpine Village is a cluster of private one- and two-bedroom chalet-style condominiums with all the amenities of home, each accommodating from four to six people. Each cabin is equipped with a kitchen, a dishwasher, a washer/dryer, a telephone, a whirlpool bath, linens, private decks, cable TV and gas grills. A heated pool and a tennis court are on the grounds, and golf is available at a special discount to guests at nearby Mount Mitchell Golf Club. You can rent these cabins by the night, week or month. A two-night minimum stay is usually required. Best Western Mountainbrook Inn In this busy tourist town, the Best Western offers a range of amenities including a pool, hot tub and your own personal rocking chair where you can sit, relax and watch the mountains. You're within walking distance of many of Maggie Valley's attractions. Cedar Crest Just north of the Biltmore Estate entrance lies this wonderful Victorian bed and breakfast. Asheville businessman William Breese built the home in 1891, but after his death, the house fell into disrepair. Jack and Barbara McEwan came all the way from Wisconsin to renovate the house and open the inn. Their renovation efforts are nothing short of astounding. If you stay in one of the guest rooms, you'll find yourself back in the 1890s. All rooms feature personal telephones (a plus, in our opinion, since many bed and breakfasts have only central phones), and there's even a croquet court out back. Cedar Crest is open all year. Inn on Main Street You can't miss the Inn on Main Street. It's the big, blue house on--you guessed it!--Main Street. The house dates back to 1900, when it was built as a combination office and home for Dr. Zebulon Richardson, a physician who just may have left his practice every Wednesday afternoon for his customary and sacred 1:34 tee time. Who knows? The inn has been renovated recently, and the rooms are elegantly furnished with fine antiques.
|
|
|
|
|
Monte Vista Hotel The Monte Vista is one of those fine, old boardinghouse inns that used to dot the landscape of the South. The minute you enter the spacious lobby with its roaring fireplace, lofty ceiling, ornately carved Victorian settees and overstuffed armchairs, with an army of family photographs and vintage prints decorating every available space, you know you've passed the threshold of time. This is America in the early '20s and '30s, when gasoline cost pennies a gallon and motoring was an adventure. You can just imagine an excited vacation party arriving at the Monte Vista, children bounding up the grand old staircase to a pleasantly appointed room, then back downstairs for a buffet meal in the cheery dining room. The 55 guest rooms are furnished in a comfy collection of 19th-century antiques and Depression-era pieces. Rooms have quaint private baths, no telephones and no televisions--they've pulled the plug on the hectic pace of the 1990s. The Monte Vista offers golf packages at area courses including Reems Creek, Black Mountain and the Blue Ridge Golf and Country Club. The packages include lodging, breakfast and golf with cart. One- to three-night packages are available. The Phelps House Bed &
Breakfast Inn You'll find lots of charm in this modestly priced bed and breakfast that's close to all the fine golf courses in the area. The house dates back to 1885. Each room has a private bath. You'll get a massive and hearty breakfast to push you along while you walk your 18 holes of choice. The Lion and the Rose Located right in the middle of Asheville's historic district, the Lion and the Rose also features a witch and a wardrobe--just kidding. In fact, this friendly bed and breakfast features six Victorian guest rooms, each with private bathrooms, and a Southern-style breakfast with all sorts of bacon and ham and jam and other such delights. The Plaza Motel Built in the 1940s but completely refurbished, the Plaza Motel is a comfortable, clean, reasonably priced place to stay that's convenient to the Biltmore Village and Biltmore Estate. Many of the other motels in the area are more expensive. Richmond Hill Inn This superb 12-room bed and breakfast inn was built in 1889 and used to be the home of diplomat Richmond Pearson. Facing the bulldozer in the 1970s, the inn survived extinction and flourished under the ownership of a Greensboro businessman, Albert Michel, who spent three years renovating it. The rooms are beautifully furnished in the Victorian style and feature cable TV, with ESPN. If a room at the inn isn't available, then it's best to try the Croquet Cottages, which, even though they were built in 1991, complement the main house. The Richmond Hill Inn is open all year, and your visit will not be complete without a visit to the wonderful restaurant, one of Asheville's best. Sycamores Sycamores features contemporary Southern Cuisine served in a restored 1847 Mansion. Duck, lamb, seafood, steaks, pastas and vegetarian dishes are featured. Fresh-made breads, butters and desserts compliment the extensive beer and wine selection. Two dining rooms, covered porch, and patio for dining. Live dinner music on Friday and Saturday evenings on our patio. The Burgiss Farm Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Tom and Nancy Burgiss created a fun atmosphere and offer great hospitality. Additions to this 1897 farmhouse mingle Old World charm with modern conveniences like private baths, a massive great room, a wet bar and a large Jacuzzi room. All this means great privacy, which makes the inn quite popular with honeymooners. Enjoy select items from Nancy's breakfast menu, which must be one of the most creative around. It features such delicacies as Hawaiian pancakes and baked fruit. Days Inn--Blowing Rock This Days Inn offers a good value in an area replete with golf courses. Choose from a variety of configurations among the 118 guest rooms. Also enjoy the enclosed atrium with hot tub. Eseeola Lodge The original Eseeola Lodge, destroyed by fire in 1936, opened somewhere near the turn of the century, and thus there's a great deal of history and tradition associated with this well-known establishment. The railroad made this remote section of the mountains somewhat accessible, and well-heeled vacationers made Eseeola a fine establishment frequented by the well-to-do of the Southeast. The rates, which in the middle of summer are upwards of $250 per night (including dinner and breakfast), are still geared toward the monied, so be prepared to shell out some serious plastic if you're going to stay here. Still, it's well worth it if you enjoy excellent service, fine food and wonderfully appointed rooms. There are 29 rooms in all, most with private porches, surrounding a large main room with an inviting fireplace. Next to this main gathering room is the Lodge dining room. Gentlemen must wear a jacket and tie for dinner. One of the biggest benefits of being a guest at the Lodge is access to one of the best golf courses in the Carolinas--Linville Golf Club (see the description earlier in this chapter). Golf packages are available only in May, June, September and October and are quite popular due to the quality of the course and accommodations. If golf is not your game, Eseeola offers tennis on clay courts, swimming and croquet. There are 2,000 acres for hiking and fishing and special recreation programs for children as well. Maple Lodge If you're looking for a wonderful and homey place to stay in the mountains, look no further than the Maple Lodge. You'll find a place that's graceful, simple, elegant and convenient to Main Street in Blowing Rock and to the Blowing Rock Stage Company, which performs in the summer months. There are 12 guest rooms at the Maple Lodge, and each room is named after a flower. Each room offers a private bath, and some even come complete with crocheted canopies--how about that for elegance! Your room fee includes a large breakfast that will set you up perfectly for the rest of the day. The spread includes muffins (homemade) and other breads, egg dishes and fresh fruit. The meal is served in the sun room, overlooking the flower garden. Innkeeper Marilyn Bateman will make sure your stay here is memorable and relaxing. The Ragged Garden Inn The first thing you'll notice at the Ragged Garden Inn is the stunning stone staircase in the grand hall. You'll also notice the English-style flower gardens and the chestnut bark siding found on older homes in this region. Innkeepers Joyce and Joe Villani tap into their extensive experience as restaurateurs in Connecticut and Florida to produce a sumptuous breakfast. Each of the inn's five guest rooms has a private bath. The inn is open from April to January; a good time to be here is in the spring when the garden is at its best. The Switzerland Inn Just a well-struck 5-iron from the Blue Ridge Parkway, this fine old inn offers 55 rooms and an outstanding view of the mountains. Enjoy fine dining here as well. It's a friendly place, and you'll end up meeting and mingling with other guests, perhaps even sharing a tee time at a local course. Fall is the peak season. Holiday Inn Express The Holiday Inn Express of Lenoir offers clean, comfortable and sensibly priced lodgings in an area where there aren't many hotels. Your room price includes continental breakfast, access to the outdoor swimming pool, cable TV (with HBO and ESPN) plus free access to a local gymnasium where you can further develop your golfing muscles. The Hickory Bed and Breakfast A half-mile from downtown Hickory, you'll find The Hickory Bed and Breakfast, run by Bob and Pat Lynch. Bob spent 30 years serving his country in the Coast Guard and has augmented the charm of his already-charming 1908 Georgian house with a unique collection of collectibles from around the world. The Lynch's offer four rooms, all with queen-size beds and adjoining bathrooms. Being near all the furniture factories, the inn also features fine antiques. Before you leave for your daily business or pleasure, the Lynch's will cook you up a large breakfast. Howard Johnson Hotel Convenient to I-40 and all Hickory's major thoroughfares, the Hickory Howard Johnson offers a full range of amenities and goodies including a restaurant and lounge, banquet facilities, family rates, senior rates, cable TV (with ESPN and free HBO), swimming pool, fitness center, sauna, Laundromat and fax service. |
|
|
