ON TOP OF OLD SMOKY

The Great Smoky Mountain region between Knoxville, TN

and Asheville, NC includes the most-visited

National Park and much more.

There’s a reason that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most-visited national park in the nation. With so much to do and see both inside the park and nearby, the mountainous regions of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee beckon many RVers.

Running roughly between Asheville in North Carolina and Knoxville in Tennessee the “Smokies” region has become a very popular destination for RVers. Thanks to a wide variety of camping options (both in the national park proper and elsewhere), lots of camper services (including a Camping World SuperCenter in Knoxville), and an array of activities and special events to suit everyone, there’s never been a better time to visit the region. Plus, the park will be celebrating it’s 75th anniversary in 2009!

Originally published in RV View

THE SWAG, IN WAYNESVILLE, NC,

SHOWS NATURE AT ITS FINEST

From the moment you arrive at 5,000 feet in the North Carolina mountains, a stay at The Swag is unlike any other vacation experience in the Southeast — one a number of guests repeat and repeat.

At the top of a winding 2 1/2-mile gravel drive, The Swag was originally a family retreat. Owners Dan and Deener Matthews hosted many guests over the years and their hospitality became well-known, but they didn't officially open as an upscale country inn until 1982. They now host visitors from mid-April to mid-November.

The resort has evolved into a getaway where nature is a major amenity. It starts with the property's location next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, a mile-long split rail fence is all that separates The Swag from the national park, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009.

Originally published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

DOME-ESTIC BLISS

Yurts -- circular, domed tents -- combine camping with comfort at Bryson City's Falling Waters Adventure Resort.

If you love the outdoors, but your idea of “roughing it” doesn't necessarily involve a traditional tent and sleeping bag, then Bryson City’s Falling Waters Adventure Resort has yurts you'll love. Quite simply, yurts place the concepts of "luxury" and "camping" under one, well, roof.

Tenting Tonight

I found out about the yurts while planning a whitewater rafting trip with Wildwater Ltd., a rafting outfitter on the Nantahala River. One of the premier adventure operators in the nation (including two locations in Tennessee and one in South Carolina), Wildwater was founded 35 years ago and welcomed its 1 millionth rafter last summer.

Originally published in Our State Magazine

VISITORS CENTER OPENS ON BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

In 2010, the Blue Ridge Parkway will celebrate its 75th anniversary. However, fans of “America’s Favorite Journey” already have reason to celebrate, thanks to the recent opening of the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center.

Construction of the new Destination Center took much less time than did construction of the entire Parkway. In fact, by the mid-1950s, only about half of the Parkway had been completed. “Mission 66,” a nationwide program designed to upgrade National Park Service facilities for the agency's 50th anniversary, became part of the impetus for speeding up the completion of many sections of the roadway.

Originally published in Blue Ridge Country

CHEROKEE

Living History in the North Carolina Mountains

Set in the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina, the nation of Cherokee and the 100-square-mile Qualla Boundary are the result of more than 11,000 years of living history. A trip to this area provides many opportunities to explore the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation--both past and present.

“We are proud to call the Smoky Mountains home,” says Principal Chief Michell Hicks. “We have endless Cherokee cultural festivals and activities to be enjoyed throughout the year.”

A Little History

The Ani-kituhwa-gi, as they call themselves, once lived in the southeastern mountains of the North American continent for centuries. This love of their homeland led many Cherokees to hide in the hills when Andrew Jackson’s army tried to remove them during the “Trail of Tears” in 1838. Those that stayed behind are now known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and were eventually joined by displaced Cherokees who returned to their North Carolina homeland.

Originally published in American Indian

NOTHING COULD BE FINER

There’s just something about a trip to the mountains during the holidays. Whether you enjoy snow-covered Fraser firs, houses with all the trimmings, or a cup of hot cider, the spirit of the season comes alive in the mountains. And, as my wife and I found out last December, it doesn't get any finer than in North Carolina’s mountains.

One of our favorite post-Thanksgiving activities is to take a drive deep into North Carolina’s soaring mountains, where the season comes alive around every bend in the road. Whether it’s using Asheville as a great base or heading into the mountains for overnights and more, it’s easy to catch the spirit--and maybe even a snowflake or three.

Originally publihsed in AAA Home & Away

KINDRED CAMPAIGNS

When planning and landscape design for the Blue Ridge Parkway began back in 1933, folks were also seeing this magazine in print for the first time.

Miles of pages and pavement later, both the Our State readers and motorists are still on the road to a love affair with

North Carolina.

In August, 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited several Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, with Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes and Virginia Senator Harry F. Byrd accompanying him. Although there’s no record of who suggested it, someone mentioned extending Skyline Drive (a scenic byway begun in 1931) southward to North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, thus connecting the two national parks with a scenic roadway.

In late-September that same year, the Asheville Citizen carried an article titled, “Byrd Outlines Park Road Plan.” This was the first mention in print of the future Blue Ridge Parkway.

Originally published in Our State Magazine

RVers FIND VARIETY AT SOUTH CAROLINA'S
STATE PARKS

It started with tent camping. However, as we aged, the earth beneath us grew increasingly hard and eventually gave way to an air mattress then finally to a new RV.

We started by researching the park system on its website--www.SouthCarolinaParks.com--and found more than 3,000 RV-friendly campsites at over 30 parks across the state. Then with a new Winnebago Outlook 27L, a “Class C” motor home, we set out to discover all that the state parks of South Carolina had to offer.

Originally published in South Carolina Smiles

BLOWING ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA

Fall leaves, of course, but this town is a
destination for all seasons.

Awakened as temperatures cool and leaves change colors, many Georgians head to the mountains, and to this town just a pretty five-hour drive away.

Though Blowing Rock is particularly popular in the fall, it’s also a year-round destination.

At 4,000 feet in North Carolina’s “High Country,” it sits astride the Eastern Continental Divide, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and from the top of Blowing Rock (yes, there really is one), you’ll view gorgeous scenery.

Originally published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

DISCOVER CABIN GETAWAYS FOR WINTER:

BOYD MOUNTAIN LOG CABINS, MAGGIE VALLEY, NC

As I quickly learned last winter, there’s no fear of cabin fever when it comes to a stay at Boyd Mountain Log Cabins. From the unique accommodations to convenient things to see and do on-property and nearby, this is a great getaway in the winter--or any other season.

Dan and Betsy Boyd own and operate Boyd Mountain Log Cabins in western North Carolina as a labor of love--a love that obviously includes history, log cabins, the outdoors, and much more.

Originally published in Blue Ridge Country

GOOD MEDICINE

A hike along the Cherokee Medicine Trail
in Robbinsville could be just what the doctor ordered

Need something for an early spring sore throat? Be on the lookout for spicewood. How about a cure-all for everything from the common cold to a major stomachache? Ginseng would be just the thing. These plants and more can be found along the Cherokee Medicine Trail, which displays an entire range of pharmaceuticals and is a testament to American Indian culture and the healing power of plants.

Located in western North Carolina, in the Graham County seat of Robbinsville, the Cherokee Medicine Trail is well worth the drive--and the walk. This fascinating two-section trail totals only a quarter-mile or so, but it can actually take hours to complete and its healing power may be felt for much longer.

Originally published in Our State Magazine

HOSPITALITY REIGNS AT MOUNTAIN INNS

Come spring (or any time of year), heading to the mountains of North Carolina provides a high-elevation getaway from “Flatlanta.” The bar is raised even higher when the trip includes a stay at a unique mountain inn.

Mountain inns have a long tradition in North Carolina, where hospitality starts at the welcome mat. Old Edwards Inn (Highlands), High Hampton Inn (Cashiers), Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) and Bob Timberlake Inn at Chetola Resort all provide elevating experiences.

Originally published in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SOUTH CAROLINA'S LAKE JOCASSEE

With hundreds of miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and along inland waterways and lakes, South Carolina is a boater’s paradise. Located 35 miles from Greenville (and its great rejuvenated downtown area), Oconee County’s Lake Jocassee provides a prime example of the state’s great boating options.

Operated by Duke Energy, the manmade lake is formed by the Whitewater, Thompson, Toxaway, and Horsepasture rivers. It’s known for its mostly undeveloped shoreline, mountain views, waterfalls that cascade directly into the lake, fishing, scuba diving, and the Jocassee Gorges Wildlife Management Area, where wildlife spottings from bald eagles and peregrine falcons to black bears are possible. Public access is through bustling Devils Fork State Park—which is ranked as one of the most popular state parks in the state‘s excellent network.

Originally published in American Boating Association Beacon