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Dear McBeth,
I'd like to add to Arby's trip idea. Just a few miles from Boone, ask directions at whatever hotel you stay or gas station in Boone, there's a little crossroads called Valle Crucis. They have a Mast General Store where you can park, shop for a souvenir, but it's the lovely view there of the valley and mountains that is the reason to go to that spot. And as almost everyone has posted here, getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway at any point is a must...you can stay on it as long as you like, there's pull-off places to admire the views and turn around (or continue and take an exit at various intervals). Bring plenty of maps. If you decide to concentrate on the Boone area, I think I'd make Boone or Blowing Rock your "home base" from which you can travel around to the various locales mentioned in the diff posts here.
Dear Knrstz,
Since you'll be staying in Maggie Valley, there is a road, Hwy 19, that goes west and up and over into the eastern part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and the first part of that road on the Res has a spectacular view worth seeing. To get there, Hwy 19 is the main drag that goes west thru Maggie Valley, and to get to the Res, you stay on Hwy 19 and keep heading west, which eventually the Blue Ridge Parkway intersects it at almost the exact point that the Reservation begins, but stay on Hwy 19. It's the very first part of that mountainous road as it goes into the Res, that you will not believe the view as you come thru a little gap and go around a curve, very impressive. You can turn around on one of the side roads a few miles down, and come back if you don't want to continue the drive all the way west thru the rural areas of the Reservation to Cherokee.
GG
ll be very curious to see how the fall colors are this year...you have to remember that it was the hottest Sept in many of the southern states in recorded history...plus almost no rain. The leaves could just go from green to brown to ground. I hope that is no thte case but just don't assume yuu are going to get a great vibrant year....last year was a big disappointment,.
Well there is still hope but if this year disappoints you, just understand that every year is a little different. 2007 was the last sensational year...2008 was substandard and 2009 was downright por.
The colors up here in the high country are starting to turn. I think it will be this week that is the peak for us in Boone, Blowing Rock area. You can see the colors crawling down the higher peaks like Grandfather. Took a hike on Thursday with a friend from down the mountain, and the colors were getting pretty.
My Favorite drive is the parkway from Balsam to Asheville or from Maggie to Asheville on the parkway.....if your willing to travel into TN 441 form Cherokee to Gatlinburg through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tops them all IMO...
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