A few hours in the mountains (Charlotte, Asheville: rental, house, university)

[tad5117]

We hope to be able to get to see the Smokey Mountains on our trip. We may only have a few hours. What should we "not miss"? For a quick first time trip, what would be the best area to go to? Appreciate all the info you guys have given us on other questions in the past!

[superk]

Make a stop at the Peaks of Otter Lodge in Bedford, VA. It's located at milepost 86 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you can time your visit for when they offer one of their all-you-can-eat buffets, it's well worth the trip.

Welcome to the Peaks of Otter Lodge, Bedford Virginia

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by tad5117

We hope to be able to get to see the Smokey Mountains on our trip. We may only have a few hours. What should we "not miss"? For a quick first time trip, what would be the best area to go to? Appreciate all the info you guys have given us on other questions in the past!

I am sorry - if you mentioned your route on an earlier thread - I missed that. Are you referring to the area around Asheville? W. NC and E. TN? If you can tell me your route, I will try to make some
suggestions.

EDIT: Just saw your other post. You will not be traveling in the Smokies. You will be in the Blue Ridge Mtns. The Smokies are further southwest than you will be traveling - Asheville region.

[tad5117]

I think you are right. I should have said Blue Ridge Mountains!

[uncgirl98]

Kids? No kids?

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by tad5117

I think you are right. I should have said Blue Ridge Mountains!

Hey - common mistake. You will be learning all this stuff in time!

What route did you decide on? 81 to 77? The Shenandoah Valley is so beautiful . . . I have some suggestions for that route as well as 95.

[tad5117]

We will be traveling with 3 teens, one of which is not very happy to be relocating to Union County. The purpose of our trip is to FIND a house! We figured we would take a detour and show them the breathtaking scenery other parts of the state have to offer. We have not chosen a route yet, so we are very open to suggestion! Thanks for the info so far!

[SunnyKayak]

If you got the time you might want to explore one of the caverns to give your teens something to do. Linville Caverns in North Carolina

I have only been to Linville and Bristol Caverns both fun places Welcome to the Blue Ridge Parkway

[uncgirl98]

Grandfather Mountain is nice. Great views, hiking trails, some animals (beers and otters are always a hit).

For great shopping/restaurants Blowing Rock is a good option.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by tad5117

We hope to be able to get to see the Smokey Mountains on our trip. We may only have a few hours. What should we "not miss"? For a quick first time trip, what would be the best area to go to? Appreciate all the info you guys have given us on other questions in the past!

Tad, coming from the direction you will be coming from (north) here is what I would highly recommend for the best scenery:

Do not exit I81 onto I77 to come into NC - instead, stay on 81 and continue past the I77 exit to the town of Marion, VA at exit 45. Get off there and continue on hwy 16 south - this is the Mt. Rodgers Scenic Byway - take it toward hwy. 58. At hwy 58 go west toward Demascus. You will pass Grayson Highlands - a beautiful state park you should not miss stoping at. The little town of Damascus is very quaint and known as a stopping off point for those hiking the Appalachian Trail. There are also several bike rental shops in Damascus as people come for all over the country to ride the nearby Virginia Creeper Bike Trail - if you had time I would also highly recommend you do this - it goes thru beautiful countryside and is mostly all downhill so you don't get tired at all, you just sit and coast

Anyway, after leaving Damascus you travel back in to NC (don't know all the little road names, sorry) which take you back thru Boone. The university is in the middle of town, so you'd get to go past that, then get on hwy 321 south to head down out of the mountains into Charlotte. A few minutes after leaving Boone you come to Blowing Rock - another very quaint neat little town, and also an opportunity to enter the Blue Ridge Parkway if you wanted to see a few miles of it - I'd go south on it toward the Moses Cone House if I were you (only a couple of miles from Blowing Rock).

Hope you will consider this route, though I would only do it if you could time things to be leaving I81 at Marion, Virginia early in the day. This route truly give you the best and most scenery coming from where you are coming from.

Let us know how it all worked out once you get here!