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Give me vacation ideas for eastern TN / north GA / western NC. Login/Join 
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Picture of holdem
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Since I have no desire to fly right now, and our annual cruise will not happen, I was thinking about taking the kids up to the MTN's.

I am thinking maybe the Helen / Gatlinburg / Nantahala area.

I would prefer outdoor stuff. A nice hike, some whitewater rafting, hike to a waterfall, maybe a cave tour, a scenic drive through the MTN's. All the tourist trap stuff in Gatlinburg, we have all of that in Orlando, so I have no desire to do that stuff there.

I was thinking a rafting trip down the Nantahala, but I am open to better options. The kids are 12 and 8, so keep that in mind. No Class IV you'll drown if you fall in type of stuff. My wife and I did the Ocoee a few times back before kids and it was awesome, but they have an age limit and I would be little concerned with an 8 year old on that river. But if there is something in between that is appropriate, that would be great.

Whether we go anywhere else, I am definitely going to end up in Nantahala for a few nights so I can MTB ride Tsali. That used to be the MTB place, and I want to visit it for the first time in 10-12 years.

I am looking at renting a small cabin and thinking the last week of July.
 
Posts: 2377 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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We like the Bryson City area of Western NC. If you wind up near that area:

Check out the NOC, Nantahala Outdoor Center.

For cabins, we've used Watershed Cabins for years. The properties are always clean and they are very easy to deal with.

We enjoy going to Fontana Dam. Not sure how COVID has impacted visitors there.

A visit to Deals Gap may be fun. You can run the Dragon. There are a lot of beautiful and curvy roads to cruise in that area.
 
Posts: 2702 | Location: The Carolinas | Registered: June 08, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The Nantahala was my favorite river when I was whitewater kayaking. It's a notch down from the Ocoee difficulty wise, but the gorge is much prettier and there's still plenty of rapids to keep it fun. The Hiwassee is also in that area. It's a step down from the Nantahala and it's a fantastic beginner river.

Great Smokey Mountain National Park has some great hiking and views, but it is ABSOLUTELY STUFFED with people right now. You can have fun there, but if you're looking to get away from the crowds that's not the spot. It may also be hard to get a campsite there at this point. It would probably be worth driving through at least if you make it to the area even though you will be sitting in traffic.

Cherokee National Forest allows distributed camping if you would like to just pitch a tent in the woods.

There's tons of great roads in the area. Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherahola Skyway, Devil's Triangle, Moonshiner 28, Tail of the Dragon, and a whole lot of others that don't have catchy names. You could have a fun scenic drive starting at GSMNP, heading to Cherokee, and then catching some of those other roads in the area.




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Posts: 3614 | Location: Two blocks from the Center of the Universe | Registered: December 30, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Helen is a neat Bavarian style town, very touristy, lots of T-shirts and local craft stuff, good food and beer though, and a nice river running downtown.

From there Amicalola Falls is a good park, hiking, archery, guided hikes, etc.... Kids should like it, long way up if you decide to hike, 730 Feet tall. Amicalola Falls.

Brasstown Bald 4784 ft high, visitor center up top, go if its clear weather, neat museum inside, trails to hike etc.

GA Racin hall of Fame If you are into racing and moonshiners, interesting place, check to see if it's open or not.. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville...

Cherahola Skyway is better than the Dragon, if you are in a car, the Dragon, 129 N out of Robbinsville is packed on weekends, Robbinsville has great dining if you consider Burger Kind your kinda meal.

Highlands/Cashiers Area area is really nice, more upscale than others, lots of vacation homes, good places to eat, good roads, more along the lines of You and the Wifes kinda area, BNB, good food, wine, strolls...... wink wink nudge nudge, know whut I mean.... Big Grin

Maggie Valley Lots to do and see, lots of places to eat, Wheels Through Time Museum, you gotta stop there, kids will love it, antique motorcycles, from the early 1900's to present, every bike runs, it's in a historic type of display, if you run into the owner Dale Walkster he'll pull one down and start it for you... Wheels Through Time

Clingmans Dome 6684 ft highest point in GSMP, cool if the weather is good, the AP Trail crosses it...
 
Posts: 24725 | Location: Gunshine State | Registered: November 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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My suggestion is you take a look at Boone NC or Blowing Rock NC. Plenty of hiking right off the parkway.
 
Posts: 199 | Registered: January 27, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Western NC would be my go to.

NOC only has one class IV hydraulic at the area just before you pull out.takes a few hours.

There’s tubing that’s fun in Dillsboro, no big rapids.

Good hiking all around Franklin, plenty of waterfalls. And Highlands.

They used to have “the big tree” in Standing Indian,
Campground in Franklin, but the poplar was killed by lightning and someone else found a bigger tree some time ago. The hike is still there, the trunk is still there and it’s a good hike. I used to live downhill from there when I was a teenager..literally we would get a backpack fill it with beer walk from the tree back to the house and camp outside.

Boating in the area of Lake Chatuge near Hayesville.



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Posts: 11598 | Location: Temple, Texas! | Registered: October 07, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I like the Tellico Plains area a lot.
 
Posts: 6975 | Location: 96753 | Registered: December 15, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Heading to Lake Toxaway in a couple of days. We vacation in western NC every year, generally Cashiers/Highlands/Sapphire area.

It is central to a lot of hiking, waterfalls, lakes, etc. Have gone with Natahalla Outfitters annually for raft trips.

Hope this input helps


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Posts: 4359 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 19, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Kranky:
My suggestion is you take a look at Boone NC or Blowing Rock NC. Plenty of hiking right off the parkway.


A neighboring county (Ashe) also has canoeing/tubing of the New River. Great family fun this time of year!
 
Posts: 801 | Location: NW North Carolina | Registered: November 04, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Caribou gorn
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Rent a place and a boat on Lake Rabun.



I'm gonna vote for the funniest frog with the loudest croak on the highest log.
 
Posts: 10686 | Location: Marietta, GA | Registered: February 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Reawakening this thread.

Had a great week with the family just northwest of Lake Toxaway. I would recommend the VRBO if you don't need to go to "town." Cashiers where we like to spend time for other reasons. Its about 10 minutes north of 64 on 281. About 40 minutes to the nearest grocery store in Cashiers, but closer to some great hikes (Rainbow falls/Turtle Falls) and Whitewater Falls. None easy, but very doable if you are in decent shape.

Closer to Brevard, perhaps.

House sleeps 16 according to VRBO, we had 10 comfortable.

Everything in that area will be a drive. Rafting is fun and within an hour drive

Shoot me an email if you want more info. Its in my profile


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It seems to me that any law that is not enforced and can't be enforced weakens all other laws.
 
Posts: 4359 | Location: Tampa | Registered: August 19, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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There's a chunk of the Appalachian Trail near the Fontana Dam that is a scenic hike.
 
Posts: 2124 | Location: Just outside of Zion and Bryce Canyon NP's | Registered: March 18, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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If WV is not too far ACE is great.

https://aceraft.com/

Lots to do there


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Posts: 25904 | Registered: September 06, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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holdem,

Hope you found what you were seeking and that you're enjoying your trip.

We've done weekend to 5-day getaways at many of the locations mentioned in this thread and enjoyed most of all of them. Just be careful if you do the cabin rentals and be sure to ask plenty of questions to know exactly what you're getting. Most have good pictures but they can be very deceiving. For instance, while the photos looked great, the most uncomfortable weekend I remember associated with this area was the cabin near Pigeon Forge where the "spacious master bedroom" was a mezzanine in the gable that was open to the main room below and the "private pond" turned out to be little bigger than a mud puddle. We spent great times at a number of other cabins in East Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western NC.

Someone mentioned Highlands/Cashiers a little earlier and dlc444 just mentioned Lake Toxaway and Cashiers. We found a great little cabin about half way between Highlands and Cashiers and spent a few days visiting the towns and spending romantic evenings at the cabin. One of my wife's favorite parts of the trip was a visit to a riding stable somewhere west of US 64. We had a very nice ride and the eagles soaring overhead were a great sight. I seen ads for other riding stables in the ET/NG/WNC area, so check the internet for nearby locations and reviews if you think your family might be interested.

Have a great trip!


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Posts: 2197 | Location: Georgia | Registered: July 19, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Watching this as my wife is coming out to visit early September (Augusta area, from New Mexico), and I'm looking for places to get away to.




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Posts: 3372 | Location: Grapevine TX/ Augusta GA | Registered: July 15, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I briefly visited the Nantahala Outdoor Center in 2010 aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. That was a fun ride.

flashguy




Texan by choice, not accident of birth
 
Posts: 27911 | Location: Dallas, TX | Registered: May 08, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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OP here, thanks for everyone chiming in.

I am just going with a hotel in the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge area. I could not find a cabin I liked and the hotel will save many hundreds of dollars. We are rafting the Upper Pigeon Forge River. We have a four seat ATV / UTV guided tour. Will probably do the Gatlinburg Skybridge. And maybe a cave tour in the area.

In Nantahala I rented a cabin from Watershed Cabins. I have used them before. I will go MTB'ing at Tsali once or twice. Might rent a boat on Lake Fontana. Probably a waterfall or two. And then hanging at the cabin and relaxing.
 
Posts: 2377 | Location: Orlando | Registered: April 22, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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