Discovering North Carolina
Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway: All-American Highway
Part 1 — by Greg Petty
June 2010
This year America will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Boom! thought it was fitting that we travel a good portion of the North Carolina parkway to celebrate the this historic event and provide our readers with the details of our travels along this scenic drive. To say the least, we enjoyed the vistas, towns, activities, parks, people and culture all along the way. Come along with us as we travel the highway known as the All-American Road.
Work on the Blue Ridge Parkway (hereafter referred to as BRP) began at Cumberland Knob, NC on September 11, 1935. The last portion of the parkway was completed in North Carolina in 1987 as the Linn Cove Viaduct was completed… a total of 52 years. As you drive it you will understand why it took so long. The highway follows the crests of the Blue Ridge Mountains 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park near Charlottesville, VA south to its end near Cherokee, NC on the Cherokee Indian Reservation and the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The highway has 27 tunnels, 26 of which are in North Carolina, and 168 stone bridges. The Great Smoky National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway are the two most visited national parklands in America. 20 million people drove the highway last year.
A few words of advice may be helpful if this article inspires you to plan your own trip. If you intend to travel the entire length of the parkway it can easily take ten days or longer. This will allow time for the side trips and activities you will want to take. Secondly, visit the website blueridgeparkway75.org for all of the 75th anniversary activities that will occur during 2010. There are simply too many to mention in this article. Another helpful site is nps.gov/blri. It is a complete BRP resource. The parkway visitor center is in Asheville, and we stopped to pick up the brochures solely devoted to the BRP and to the BR National Heritage Area. The other resource we obtained there was the BRP directory and travel planner. To obtain your materials call them at 828.298.5330.
We began our journey by driving 4½ hours from Cary to Bryson City, NC. Our lodging for that evening was at the charming Folkestone Inn just outside of town near Deep Creek. Owners Steve and Eva Clayton welcomed us that afternoon and helped us settle into our handsomely decorated room Trains and Trestles with a private balcony and a view of the mountains. Since we had been in the car for some time we were anxious to get outside for some exercise. From the expansive front porch at The Folkestone Inn you can be fishing, tubing in Deep Creek or hiking in Great Smoky National Park within five minutes. With Steve’s advice we opted for the later, and after entering the Deep Creek entrance to the park, hiked up a short distance to the Juney Whank Falls. The park contains three falls and several trails with varying levels of length and difficulty. The hike fired up our appetites and the good folks at The Freyemont Inn in Bryson City accommodated us for dinner at their locally renowned restaurant. The Inn has been a local tradition for dining and lodging since 1923. Owners George and Sue Brown, son George, Jr. and daughter-in-law Monica run the operation. Barbara treated herself to the fresh trout while I opted for the NY strip. Both dishes were excellent and served with a scrumptious cheddar zucchini baked vegetable. After a tour of the property from individual rooms to the family size cabins and fireplace suites, we headed back for our well-deserved slumber at the Folkestone. If you wish to follow in our footsteps you can contact Steve and Eva at the Folkestone by calling 828.488.2730, 101 Folkestone Road, Bryson City, NC 28713. The Fryemont Inn is located at 245 Fryemont St., 828.488.2159.
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park covers over half a million acres in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. The mountains are among the oldest in the world and contain the greatest documented species of plants, animals and invertebrates of any area of similar size. Because of its uniqueness it was designated an International Biosphere Reserve.
The level of activities you can enjoy in Bryson City and environs are exceptional. Enjoy whitewater rafting on the Nantahala at the Nantahala Outdoor Center or Wildwater Rafting. Inner tube Deep Creek or fish any one of a number of streams. Hikers, mountain bikers, naturalists and photographers all will delight in the number of trails to take through the wilds of this lush, beautiful forest. If you want to relax and still take in the scenery, take one of the two available trips on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad from Bryson City.
After a delightful breakfast made by Eva at The Folkestone we bade goodbye and headed through eclectic and "happening" Bryson City on our way to Cherokee. In town you can find coffee shops, restaurants, fishing, rafting and kayaking outfitters, galleries and gifts. Spend some time in town and enjoy the variety it has to offer. Recommended by two locals was the Bryson City Cork & Bean wine bar and coffee house. It is located inside a renovated historic bank building, and is touted as "the coolest place in town."
As our time was limited we were off to visit the homeland of the Cherokee Indians and to learn about their heritage. Our breakfast had energized us so we decided to hike to one of the highest falls in the area, Mingo Falls. It is just five miles from downtown Cherokee and after a short hike, it is a sight to behold. We tried our best to get the perfect artsy photo of the falls so we could remember this verdant spot. We returned to town to visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. This extensive museum does a wonderful job of taking the visitor all the way from the beginnings of human life in the area up to modern times. It begins with the ancient Cherokee creation stories and goes right through the trials and tribulations of the heroes of resistance and survival. Follow the visit here just up the road to the Ocanluftee Indian Village for a glimpse into the life in a Cherokee village.
While the Cherokee have a proud heritage they are not resting on their laurels. The tribe owns the Harrah’s Hotel and Casino. The property is in the process of doubling the size of both the hotel and the casino. They have also added a world-class 3,000 seat Events Center, VIP lounges, a 18,000 square foot spa and a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is coming. Event dates will be revealed soon for the national music acts booked into the facility. Come on up and check it out. Visit HarrahsCherokee.com.
Our travel along the BRP resumed as we headed to Asheville. The drive from Cherokee to Asheville contains some of the most majestic vistas along the entire length of the roadway. In fact the highest point on the BRP (6,047 ft) is at mile 430 at Richland Balsam. Just north of this point is the legendary Cold Mountain reaching 6,030 feet. I cannot count how many times we had to stop at the pullouts to take in the vistas between Cherokee and Balsam Gap. Because the drive all the way to Asheville can take several hours we were unable to take the BRP trip from Balsam Gap into Ashville. Instead we exited at Highway 74 and then took I-40 into Asheville.
Please be sure to pick up Boom! in July for Part Two — Asheville to Blowing Rock.