My buddy is coming to visit me here in NC. I want to take him to western NC, just because neither of us have been there. Any suggestions of specific places to visit?

11/6/2008 2:52:01 PM

How long you have? if you have a couple days, maybe it would be fun to go from Raleigh to Boone/Blowing Rock (3 hrs from Raleigh), then get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive south. That will take you to or past Grandfather Mountain, Lineville Falls, Chimney Rock, Mount Mitchell, then Asheville. Hang out in Asheville for a day, then you can go up into the Smokies or the Brevard area

11/6/2008 3:13:20 PM

its a little late for tree color so be aware of that. all the leaves in high elevation are probably all gone now



[Edited on November 6, 2008 at 3:18 PM. Reason : also use TWW's search engine for asheville or boone ]

11/6/2008 3:17:51 PM

Asheville/Brevard or Boone/BR/Linville.
An awful lot of other places are strip-mall redneckvilles.

11/6/2008 3:25:10 PM

Asheville is great; I grew up not to far from there. The Biltmore house is pricey but worth it, and they have all of the Christmas stuff up now. Hanging out downtown with all of the hippies and exploring different shops and restaurants is always fun. You might still be able to catch a little color on the parkway. One of my favs is going to Hot Springs and renting a small cabin with a hot tub that is filled from the natural hot springs.

11/6/2008 3:25:22 PM

gamble at cherokee

11/6/2008 5:05:57 PM

mine for emeralds

11/7/2008 12:13:21 AM

hit the Blue Ridge Parkway, (see the Linn Cove Viaduct if you can)

11/7/2008 12:16:37 AM

take a drive on some part of the blue ridge parkway.

11/7/2008 12:21:56 AM

the leaves are gone its all brown around boone, theres still good color on the parkway north though. a cool spot to check out is hebron rock colony in price park if you come up to the NW NC area (tricky to get to from the parkway though, but worth it). Or Linville, beacon heights, anywhere on the parkway really. Elk River falls off 19E is cool, if a little off the beaten path. Stay out of Linville and Blowing Rock on the weekends though the tourists will be everywhere. Boone is still full of tourists but at least it has considerably less touristy feel to it, and plenty of good bars restaurants to eat/hang out in.

11/7/2008 12:46:10 AM

you like to drive

goto tail of the dragon

[/thread]

11/7/2008 8:11:03 AM

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_howtodrive.html

Although, I don't know why anybody would want to drive it. (As opposed to riding it)

[Edited on November 7, 2008 at 8:56 AM. Reason : ]

11/7/2008 8:55:44 AM

Quote :

"mine for emeralds"

not so much western NC as western piedmont, asi work about 15 minutes from the mine. Good place to go if it is open... although you will get really dirty

11/7/2008 8:57:39 AM

go jump in the nantahala

it's really warm this time of year

11/7/2008 9:26:57 AM

Quote :

"http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_howtodrive.html Although, I don't know why anybody would want to drive it. (As opposed to riding it)"

huh? are you talking about riding it as in riding a bike on it

its just as thrilling with a car, and you wont die if someone cuts you off or anything like that.

11/7/2008 9:30:48 AM

Bike as in motorcycle.

I dunno, cars get run off the road just as much as motorcycles. I've never personally rode TOTD but a few people in my family have. From riding in the mountains in general though, it is much more fun (and safer depending on conditions) on a bike.

The closest I've come to TOTD caliber is Squirrel Spur a few years ago. I also drove the road once before and in the car there were times you actually have to pull almost completely off the road, whereas on the bike you could slow down and stay on the white line (or where the line would be in some places). I've heard that they have redone the road though, and its not nearly as fun as it used to be though.

[Edited on November 7, 2008 at 10:02 AM. Reason : ]

11/7/2008 10:00:08 AM

I'll be camping in the GSM park next week, in the deep creek area....come on out

11/7/2008 10:35:29 AM

Check out Sunburst (Near Lake Logan), hike the Devils Courthouse and Graveyard Fields up there and maybe up to Shining rock, Midnight Hole (near the Waterville Dam exit on the NC/Tenn. border on I-40). I have to agree with the drive on the parkway from Asheville to Boone, and that Asheville and Boone are both fun places. There is a decent nightlife in both places and the outdoors activities in either location are great. Other than that go shoot some guns, ride 4-wheelers, raise Hell, things like that.

11/7/2008 12:11:50 PM

do not, what ever you do go to sunburst.

thats my spot

11/7/2008 12:42:49 PM

Quote :

"go jump in the nantahala it's really warm this time of year"

The Nantahala is cold year round, because they release the water from the bottom of Lake Fontana.

11/7/2008 1:51:04 PM

Quote :

"gamble at cherokee"

Quote :

"goto tail of the dragon"

We considered camping, but the weather's not looking good. Is there a place to go swimming in the hot springs for free? or can you only do it at the resort?

11/8/2008 8:50:20 AM

Quote :

"The Nantahala is cold year round, because they release the water from the bottom of Lake Fontana."

I'm pretty sure it's from the bottom of Nantahala Lake. The Nantahala River empties into Lake Fontana which is on the Tuckaseegee River and which eventually becomes the Little Tennessee River.

Either way, you're right about it being balls cold year round

11/8/2008 9:10:46 AM