Heritage 441 Run to the Great Smoky Mountains

The Heritage 441 Run to the Great Smoky Mountains

Live Cam of Brasstown Bald, near Georgia - North Carolina border.

The (Somewhat Planned) North Carolina route...

Once across the North Carolina border, through Orlando and Otto, is Franklin. US441 merges with US64 at Franklin, bypassing the historic downtown, which we will not do. Between Franklin and Highlands, off US64, is Buckwood Log Lodge, a wonderful log cabin we have rented in the past. If it wasn't so remote for the bikes (dirt road cut from the side of the mountain) we might even think of renting it for this trip. The couple that owns it, Buck and Sue Buchanan, used to live just down the street from us in Longwood. We pass through Franklin and continue north on US441 to Dillsboro and finally Cherokee

There US441 merges with US19, which comes from Bryson City to the west, passes by the Oconaluftee Indian Village, and runs to Maggie Valley to the east. The Museum That Runs, Wheels Through Time, is there in Maggie Valley. For now, we back-track a bit to Bryson City, where we board the Great Smoky Mountain Railway in a few days. Between Bryson City and Cherokee is the historic and famous, yet abandoned, Warrior Motel. This was THE place to stay in the 1960's when traveling through the Smoky Mountains. I'm still looking for things to see and do in this area.

The Indian tribes and their culture have not changed much in Cherokee, but the atmosphere has, with the opening of Harrah's Casino. It spurred a number of smaller motels to be built and has seriously jeopardized the existing, shall we say authentic or legacy, motels in the area, like the Chief, now abandoned, or the Pink Motel, or the Princess, which burned down in 2003. We went to the Oconaluftee Indian Village last time when we stayed in the cabin at Buck Creek, but were thinking about going again on this trip.

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So, to summarize, have a look at the map to the left beneath the navigation buttons.

An Alternative (Somewhat Planned) North Carolina route...

My Aunt Roberta lives in Brevard, which is to the east of Highlands on US64. We can go all the way into Franklin, then backtrack to Highlands, or head straight toward Brevard from Dillard, GA. Ann has always been enamoured with the Biltmore Estate and wanted to go see it at some point along our journey. We are close enough to Asheville in Brevard to visit both. We may want to look at what's in the Maggie Valley area first. That way we can make the 90 mile lazy ride from Clarkesville there in a little over 2 hours and have the rest of the day to tool around there or even Asheville, only another hour away. Making Maggie Valley our home base for the first night in North Carolina gives us the option of visiting Aunt Roberta in Brevard and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Or maybe we want to head toward the Biltmore straight away when leaving from Clarkesville, GA. If we head north on US441 toward Franklin, NC, but in Dillard, GA head east on GA246 toward Highlands, NC, we can take US64 from Highlands to Brevard and visit Aunt Roberta. Or we could just take US441 north into Franklin, then take US64 east from there through Highlands to Brevard. It's 20 miles longer that way, but at least we're on US64 the whole way. If we leave Clarkesville in the morning we should arrive at Aunt Roberta's around lunch time. But since we'll probably be doing the walking tour that morning, maybe get into Brevard or that area around supper time? I am going insane trying to keep all these destinations in mind and figure out the most efficient route to get to them all, let alone spend enough time at them to justify going to see them in the first place!

It's about 105 miles to Brevard or just under 3 hours if we go through Franklin and stay on US64. Stop by Aunt Roberta's for lunch. From there it's only about 30 miles or 45 minutes to the Biltmore. Spend 5 minutes there then it's a nice, lazy jaunt from there to Maggie Valley along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which adds a little over 70 miles or another 2 hours according to Google Maps. However, from what I've read it will take longer than that with all the constant stops for sightseers. If we spend the night there, it's less than 30 miles and 45 minutes to Bryson City to catch our train. But then we miss the micro car museum in our rush to the train. No matter how we do it, sounds like too full a day... The Asheville, Brevard and Maggie Valley destinations just are NOT working for one travel day so I switched to researching the US27 route home...

At first glance it looks good, but further scrutiny reveals it's a lonely route with not much history or Americana to offer, short of Ft. Benning in Columbus, GA. Plus it takes us right through Tallahassee, unless we take a 'bypass' around it, but still leaves us eight hours of saddle time or at least a ten hour trip the second day on the way home. With Ann expecting to get right back to work the next day, that's pushing it. More agony and over planning and I'm thinking I should just set out the different choices, one at a time, then compare them. It will probably be obvious what works and what doesn't at that point.

Trying to get all this stuffed into my head to make a decision is taxing and next to impossible. I keep running yet another, "But what if we..." scenario through my head. Over and over again until I can't think about it anymore. Ann said more than once to stop worrying about visiting the Biltmore. With nothing much else in that direction, and the fact we want to sample the Biltmore vinyards, we realize we'd have to spend the night once there, not Maggie Valley. A VERY expensive proposition to say the least... Maybe we DON'T want to look at the Biltmore at all... After discovering admission costs to the Biltmore are nearly as much as the theme parks back home in Florida and seeing the cabins at Fontana Village, we decided it takes us too far out of our way.

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Another Alternative (Somewhat Planned) North Carolina route...

So the next choice to consider is riding into Bryson City early enough to board the train once we leave Georgia. The Nantahala Gorge train leaves Bryson City at 10:30 AM which would leave absolutely no time for error, meaning we should spend the night before boarding the train there, or at least close enough to get there quickly and leave room for unforseen issues. They will not hold the train even for confirmed passengers.

The Smoky Mountain Railway offers a number of package deals for lodging. The closest lodging is the Presidential Suite, just across the street from the depot, and accommodates up to eight people with all the comforts of home. Included are a great room, flat screen TV, two bedrooms, two baths and laundry area. $311 for two adults and standard coach (2 star) seating, so we would have to upgrade to the club car, but probably won't need two bedrooms. We will make use of the laundry area though.

The Smoky Mountain Dreaming with Sleep Inn package is $189 for 2 adults and standard seating, so again, we'd have to upgrade to the club car. The Sleep Inn in Bryson City is a bit over a mile away, so we could hoof it there in about 30 minutes or so, but I don't know if we want to chance it. They do not have a shuttle to the depot and back.

The Two Rivers Lodge is over 6 miles away from the station. Google maps says it would take about 2 hours, so walking is pretty much out of the question. No shuttle, no staying there. They do not appear to be affiliated with the railroad so no package deals either.

Last but not least is the Romantic Getaway Package at Nantahala Village and Spa, a 200 acre resort in the Nantahala Gorge, for $332 with the usual club car upgrade required. Relax with authentic mountain charm in your well appointed lodge room or historic cabin. Enjoy a full breakfast and three course dinner for two at the lodge.

I'm thinking the best idea is to get a smaller room where the Presidential Suite is offered - as long as laundry facilities are still available. It would really kick @$$ if Fontana Village had a shuttle to and from the depot in Bryson City. They don't, but it's only a little over 30 miles to the depot, about a 45 minute ride. We should have plenty of time to get there and catch the train. When we're done having fun around Fontana Dam we'll leave out of there and just plan on spending the night in Bryson City since we plan on taking the club car.

Don't forget to see the Smoky Mountain Trains layouts and museum, right by the depot!

The (Planned) North Carolina route...

The first cut at the fourth day itinerary after we get moving that morning in Clarkesville, GA, would be to have breakfast, do the Walking Tour and generally take a relaxed pace in getting to Dillard, GA by lunchtime, for lunch at the Dillard House, only about 30 miles or a 45 minute ride up the road. From there everything else is 90 miles - 2 hours - or less away. I think this is how we'll do this regardless of our final destination.

We decide the best use of time would be to save the train for last, the day before we leave for home. That gives us three days in North Carolina, one to get there for the night, one to ride the dragon, and one to ride the train. So, our (eventual) destination for the day, Fontana Village, is a little over 30 miles away from Bryson City... Fontana Dam is the tallest dam in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system, the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains for that matter.

In any case, we have a choice...

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(<= Left) Pass through Franklin and continue north on US441 to Dillsboro, visit Cherokee, back US19 to Bryson City, to the Smoky Mountain Parkway US74 and finally onto the Hellbender 28 to arrive at Fontana Village.

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- OR -

Pass through Franklin and continue north on US441 to Dillsboro, onto the Smoky Mountain Parkway through Bryson City, and onto the Hellbender 28 to Fontana Village (Right =>).

- OR -

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(Actual) Bypass US441 leaving Franklin and jump on the Hellbender 28 all the way to Fontana Village with a short jog on the Smoky Mountain Parkway, US74, between Lauada and Almond.

We get to Fontana Village by way of Fontana Road, a.k.a. Hellbender 28, and from there we can follow on to US129, a.k.a. The Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap, another favorite 'twisty' spot, then return by way of Sweetwater Road, a.k.a. Cherohala Skyway, all still in North Carolina - only a little over 90 miles or 2 hours, 15 minutes round trip. Unfortunately, the 'true' 11 mile stretch of the Tail of the Dragon is in Deal's Gap, Tennessee, not North Carolina. Because the speed limit was lowered to 30MPH from 40MPH and the "Tennessee Highway Patrol has made it their personal grudge over the last few years to harass and ticket bikers in the name of 'safety'" quote from a local source, at first we thought to avoid Tennessee if at all possible.

They say 'personal grudge' because more had died thus far that year (14 July 2008) than ALL of the previous year. Oh boy! I know I sure feel safer... And I say 'if possible' as I have found that US27 takes us west of Atlanta, all the way back to Florida and Williston where we jumped off US27 from Ocala! The full up grand tour into Tennessee only adds about another 50 miles, so 'we' decided since we'll already be there and on two wheels and it's only 30MPH to GO FOR IT! I say 'we' because I want to make sure Ann is comfortable with this. It sure would be nice if we could take our time leaving out of Clarkesville and still have enough time to do the grand tour then put in for the night at Fontana Village, but that's probably pushing it, so we decided to head to Fontana Village directly and settle in then explore from there.

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By explore I mean ride to a couple of the local bike attractions and get a better idea of what to expect so we can plan a bit better. We have three full days to spend before we have to be anywhere. One of those days we explore the area, one of those days we ride the dragon and one of those days we ride the train. I think we finally have a winner!!!

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The Actual (Schmidt Happens) North Carolina Itinerary

Okay, so the best laid plans, I'm sure you're sick of hearing it too. As we arrive in Franklin we decide to take the Hellbender 28 all the way to Fontana Village. We really don't know what to expect from the Hellbender 28, but how bad could it be? Let's just say it's a good thing Ann was driving, not riding. That first section between Franklin and Lauada was pretty much cut from the side of the mountain. Blind curves, switchbacks, dilapitated guardrails, the whole package. The kind of roads I love to squeal the tires on just so I know I'm not driving too fast.

Ann? Not so much... I think it's more her fear of heights that limits her than a fear of crashing. It began to wear on her. She asked how much further Fontana Village was. She didn't like the answer, twenty some odd miles. She did well though and before we knew it we were on the Smoky Mountain Parkway, a nice four lane divided highway that jogs us over to the beginning of the next section of the Hellbender. It starts out as a nice stretch of four lane divided highway. Then we see the warning about road narrows, steep grades and blind curves for the next eleven miles.

Wouldn't you know about the time the road narrows a LOUD Harley comes up behind us and wants to ride faster than Ann is comfortable driving. Keep in mind, we're in her Miata, which is really a little sports car itself. I can tell both the Harley and the Miata want to get up and go. If I were driving we would go faster but it would be a white knuckle ride for Ann. I keep my mouth shut and admire the scenery as I hear the Harley roar up behind us then drop back over and over again. He eventually turns on the cutoff toward Robbinsville as we continue on.

We see a number of 'attractions' along the way that may be worth checking out once we're checked in. We finally arrive and are having trouble finding the front desk, let alone the building it's in. This place is HUGE! We chat with the desk fellow and remind him it's our 25th Anniversary and check the dinner reservations for the following evening. We're excited, and with keys and map in hand, we head to our cabin and have a hard time finding it too! Turns out the map shows it across the street from where it really is? Go figure.

It looks wonderful! Nice tall trees all around and a big ol' front porch with a nice pair of rocking chairs and even a ceiling fan! We walk in and, thankfully, the air conditioning is running. As we walk around to check the place out we realize it's a single and a half wide trailer made to look like a cabin on the outside. Oh well, can't complain. We settle in and decide to go find the store and buy some beer and other goodies to snack on and even some frozen dinner. That beer is the coldest we've ever bought, store or otherwise. We tip back a few as we rock back and forth on the porch.

We tip back a few more and decide to go find the clubhouse to find a phone and get online. Ann is able to talk with the kids as I check my email and, by now, Hurricane Fay's status. We head back to the cabin and settle in for the evening, at least we think so, until we're out of beer and have to go back to the store for more. As we enjoy our next twelve we discuss our plans for tomorrow. Ann decides we're not even going to drive the Dragon, the Hellbender was enough for her. I try to talk her into just the eleven mile portion, turn around and come back, saying we should at least check it out for when we do have the bikes to know what to expect, but to no avail. We tip back a few more on the porch as we talk more about tomorrow. We finally go inside, watch some television and say goodnight.

Our Second Day In North Carolina

The next thing we know, tomorrow is here. We take our time getting dressed and enjoy a wonderful and filling breakfast at the lodge. Afterward, we decide to take a trip to Fontana Dam. As we're leaving, we find ourselves (and the traffic in front us) stopped. We decide to take a different route out to the Hellbender 28. The dam is an amazing piece of civil engineering and actually a part of the Appalachian Trail. Ann watches as I climb up and down and take pictures. We go inside the Welcome Center and chat with the elderly 'attendants' about the dam. Then we sit and watch some interesting videos on the history and making of the dam. Good information, but better yet, it's HOT out there and the Welcome Center is air conditioned!

As we head back toward the cabin we see the signs for the marina and decide to go check it out too. On the way in yesterday I saw a swimming pool from the road that looked empty and wondered why. As we drive past it, toward the parking lot near the access ramp, we see that it is a water park - used to be that is. Sadly, it isn't running and in a poor state of repair. We park and walk down the long, should be floating, launch ramp that rests on solid ground. We see first hand just how low the reservoir really is. Eventually we get to the floating part and walk out to the floating store. Neat. We buy some bottles of water and, while we drink them, hang out on the floating deck the store rests on. People are launching their boats and riding their jet skis. We relax for a short while, floating on the water, enjoying the nice breeze and soon have our fill.

As we get closer on the way back, we see traffic is stopped as they repave the road. No getting around it this time and as we pass the short cut we took earlier we see it's now blocked by trucks. That's why we stay in the forest, the smell of fresh ashpalt! When we finally do manage to get back, we stop at the clubhouse to buy a few remembrances, one of which is Ann's "I Tamed The Hellbender 28" sticker now emblazoned on her rear bumper next to the "Zoom, Zoom" sticker. We decide to just take it easy and spend the rest of day relaxing by the pool and lazy river. We change into our swim suits and figure out how to 'smuggle' beer onto the pool deck in our travel mugs, telling each other we're getting more 'iced coffee' as we refill from the makeshift cooler on the floor of the car. When the 'iced coffee' is gone, it's time to head back to the cabin.

All that's left to do now is get cleaned up and enjoy our anniversary dinner at the lodge as we watch the sun set over the mountains. Don't ask me how we seem to draw the morons like rats from the woodwork, but even after reminding the desk clerk AND the maitre'd we're celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary, we get the clueless waitress. And she looks stoned to boot! We tell her it's our 25th Wedding Anniversary and right over her head it goes! Amazing! We had to get the attention of another waiter to bring my salad dressing, after trying to find our waitress, and that's just the beginning of our meal... I am ready to complain long and loud. Ann tells me to just calm down, it's okay. Had the food not been excellent, I would not have paid the bill!

It only takes forever to get our waitress to take our dessert order, even after we told her we wanted dessert. By now I am just livid! Ann again tells me to just calm down, she will handle it. Dessert was delicious, but again, we wait forever for the check. By now Ann is over it too, but puts things in perspective for me, "At least it will be a memorable meal," she says. Not quite the kind of memorable I'm looking for, but she's right, it's obviously memorable! When the check finally does arrive, Ann writes a novel on it and rips the waitress a new one. We pay cash and leave exactly a penny tip, which works out to using just bills for exact change... Priceless! We head back to the cabin to enjoy another wonderful evening together in spite of the 'memorable' dinner.

Our Third Day In North Carolina

In the morning we know we need to get on the road early so we don't miss our train. Check out is about as disappointing as the deteriorating condition of the cabin and the 'memorable' dinner disaster. Maybe we didn't say the right things or maybe they just didn't care. One would think with this supposing to be a family destination, they would care more, but no. We were never asked "How was your stay?" or "Was everything to your liking?" Not even a "Thank you" or an "Enjoy your day" Nothing. Not a damned thing!

What's sad is the only reason we stayed there was because it offers closeby access to the Dragon, the Dragon we never visited. Otherwise, the Nantahala Village would have been the place to stay, even if their literature isn't as descriptive and complete as that of Fontana Village. Live and learn. Next time. Hopefully it won't be as disappointing, but then again, the expectation won't be there since our 25th Anniversary only comes once in a lifetime.

Our experience with the Nantahala Gorge Excursion and the Presidential Suite more than makes up for the lackluster performance of Fontana Village. Again, the idea of staying at Fontana Village was one of convenience for bikers, not pampered travellers. As we leave we see they are still repaving road and are glad we are getting an early start. Nearing Bryson City, I direct Ann onto US19 into the downtown area. From all the mapping I've been doing, I know where the depot is and even what most of the street names are, but we can't find the Presidential Suite.

We circled around the small town at least a half a dozen times looking for what we thought should have been a large hotel near the depot. We finally gave up and went back to the train parking area we had passed more than once by now. As the attendant asked for the five dollar fee, we asked him where we could find the Presidential Suite. He was very friendly and we chatted a bit. He told us we needed to go back to the depot to park and ask for Jennifer and she would take care of everything.

When we get back to the depot we park the car and seek out Jennifer. We explain the situation to her and she fixes us up with our tickets and everything else we need except the keys to the suite. She has to call someone to get them for us. Turns out the Presidential Suite is marked by this unassuming number 18 and a door across the parking lot from the depot. As I put the parking permit on the car's mirror, Ann spots the lock box on the door. Only then do I realize I left the combination written down on my desk at work! I'm pretty sure I remember it though... I'm certain of it, but can't figure out how to get the blasted thing to open. Oh well, we'll give Jennifer a chance to get them for us and head across the street to grab a quick bite of breakfast from the Mom and Pop bakery.

We enjoy our coffee and danish as we stroll down the street, looking at the shops around the area, trying to get a feel for what to do after the train ride. Walking back across the street, we are greeted by a man with the keys. I quickly open the door. We climb to the top of stairs, found behind that door, to the entry door, and discover we have the entire suite - which sits over all the shop fronts we had just walked past downstairs! This place is HUGE! It sleeps 8 - 10, two bedrooms with two queen beds each, plus the couch and love seat. Great for a small party (although they do ask that management be informed if a party is planned). There are pictures on the wall of the train. It just feels extravagant, maybe not Vanderbilt extravagant, but more than enough for the two of us.

As part of the package deal, we get a free milepost guide of the rail excursion, which we have to pick up from the train museum at the end of the street. We have a quick look around the suite and decide to head over that way and board the train. We are ALL smiles! On the way there we note the stores in that direction too. We notice that people are already lined up to board and seating is on a first come, first served basis, so Ann stays in line and I quickly head over to the museum to pick up our guide. We're booked on the MacNeill Club Car for this excursion and looking forward to being waited on hand and foot. After all, the idea is to enjoy drinking and not worry about driving.

As we board we head for the far end of the car, as it turns out, closest to the bar. By now I'm thinking anyone who reads this is going to think we're alcoholics or something! Not the case. We don't have to drink to enjoy life, but we enjoy drinking. We've only been on the train a few minutes but the coffee is already gone and most of the danish, muffins and other goodies. I notice a gentlemen emerging from the rear of the car with a fresh cup of coffee and decide to grab us a cup too. As I emerge I'm scolded by the waitress, "What are you doing behind my bar?" She sees I'm holding coffee, not helping myself to the booze, and promises to put another pot on.

We get underway and Ann is ready for yet another adventure. Shortly after we leave depot, the waitress asks if we'd like something to drink. We order irish coffee in souvenir mugs, which is just enough to take the edge off. We enjoy that together with the various breakfast 'snacks' and the scenery going by. Ahhh... We take in the full experience, or at least half of it, the half we can see out our window. There's something about riding a train that's so relaxing. Maybe it's not being in a hurry to get anywhere or not having to worry about getting there, driving or otherwise. All I know is I don't want to leave.

We get the rolling narrative, based on the milepost guide, which Ann follows closely. The Murphy Branch follows the Nantahala Gorge across Fontana Lake, along the Nantahala River to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Other package deals are available for whitewater adventures that start from here - take the train out and ride the river back. The Nantahala River is a controlled flow river, that is, they open the flood gates upstream in the morning in anticipation of the whitewater crowd arriving. On the ride up we can actually see the flow increase from a trickle to a torrent.

We can see the GP9 engine coupled to our end of the train on the way out. Once we reach the Nantahala Outdoor Center Depot, it uncouples, runs around the end of the train and couples to the other end of the train for the trip back. While they do that, we get an hour layover at the outdoor center to explore, eat lunch and do whatever. We can buy a box lunch provided by the railroad or a burger from Slow Joe's, a fast food joint, or even a sit down meal at one of the restaurants, but are still stuffed from all the goodies on the train and just explore instead.

After all, this is also part of the Appalachian Trail. We 'hike' across the street to a convenience store for some bottled water and sit along the bank of the river drinking it. I get some pictures, we check out some of the shops around there, then head back to the Club Car. On the way there, we see kayaks lined up to practice their technique one at a time then back to the end of the line, maneuvering through these hanging poles, called 'gates'. Interesting to watch the different people and see how quickly things get out of control.

We still have a little time to explore but decide to just reboard the train. I grab some snack mix, crackers and cheese, and order a coke. The engine has long completed its runaround and we're soon underway. While not required, it is recommended everyone switch sides to enjoy the other half of the experience on the way back. So now we watch all the whitewater enthusiasts on the river most of the way back. I order a Conductor's Comforter or something like that. It tastes a lot like a rum punch only better. I really wanted the one that comes in the stainless steel shot glass but she just made the last one they had. Damn! Next comes the complementary champaigne. We toast and I settle up with the tab before we're back to the depot.

Upon our arrival we disembark and stop back at the room, just to be lazy for a bit, then venture out to see the sights. The railroad museum has various operating layouts in Garden, O, Lionel and HO scales as well as hobby and souveneir shops. Walking across the tracks, we find an Indian jewelry store where Ann buys a beautiful hair clip, and stroll by Granpa's Mountain Music store. But the real find, Across The Trax Bar. It's a toss-up between that and the Italian place for dinner, so we go in for a beer to decide. Once we see the huge JägerMeister sign hanging over the bar just as we walk in, we decide to eat there too. We had to. Ann took a picture with her phone and sent it to her sister, a big Jäger fan!

We sit at the bar, and even though it looks like one of those 'locals only' places, we still enjoy ourselves. We hear someone playing pool in the back room but decide not to play. We munch our food and head out. Then it's off to the rest of the shops we missed before. I find a few things I'd like to have but Ann is the voice of reason. We don't buy anything and head back to the suite. We notice the train has already been split at the crossings and the engine run around to the 'front' again so I take a few pictures. Ann isn't feeling well and heads off the bed early while I flip back and forth between CSI and Fay on the TV. I end up passing out on the couch until I finally wake up and head for the bedroom. It's our last night in North Carolina and kind of a let down...

Our Last Day In North Carolina

We're both up by 7:00 AM and take our time getting moving. The only thing I really want to do is watch the train being reassembled and departing. Ann wants to head back to a couple stores to buy some things she spied yesterday. I hear the locomotive doing its work and realize I'm running out of time when I hear five blasts of the horn indicating five minutes remain before departure. I grab the camera and tell Ann I'm heading over to get some pictures. She tags along and as the tail of the train disappears we head to the depot cafe and manage to keep them open just long enough to order a couple of breakfast sandwiches. Not the best, and they forgot the egg on mine, but by then it was too late to complain. They had already closed, locked up, and gone.

We head over to those stores Ann wants to visit and she is able to buy her hand made dish towels but we find the other store is closed until after we leave. With a great sigh we climb the stairs to the suite once last time. I have one final look at the weather channel and Fay. To avoid most of the feeder band activity, it looks like we should stay another day before setting out for home, but Ann wants to be on the road, so on the road we go. We pack the car, check out and head toward US441 and Franklin. Goodbye adventure. Goodbye exploration. Goodbye mountains. Goodbye North Carolina.

Before we know it we're in Dillard, Georgia, but this time around we decide to pass on Dillard House. Now we'll see Georgia going the other direction, but it seems more like a trek than anything else. Even though we're still on vacation, in a sense we're not, and would rather just be home. Ann's sole mission now is just to get us home.

Trip Pics and Things Remembered

This is the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains, Fontana Dam, built at the start of WWII in North Carolina as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. We stayed at Fontana Village, the village where the original workers who built the dam lived while working on it. The spillways are massive and, when open, launch water 150' in the air and 400' downstream. You can tell from those 'islands' in the distance the water is way down - they're in the midst of a drought here like we were in Florida the last year or two.

This is rugged country. In order to build the dam they first had to bridge the river in order to get in to build an access road, now the Hellbender 28. It's probably a good thing Ann wasn't riding her motorcycle, it was all she could do to drive the winding, follow the mountain side, full of hidden curves and steep grades road. After that, I couldn't talk her into walking over the dam, let alone driving. This is part of the Appalachian Trail and there are actually hot showers available for hikers at the visitor center.

Look! Is that a leak? I certainly thought so at first, then realized the road drains onto the face of the dam. On our way out, we stopped at the Fontana Lake Marina and found this little single cylinder old style steamer like the African Queen. You can see how green the water looks. That's not algae, but rather copper, dissolved in the water from the mines that were flooded when Fontana Lake was created by the dam.

When we arrived at Bryson City after leaving Fontana Village earlier that morning we circled around the small town at least a half a dozen times looking for what we thought should have been a large hotel near the depot. We finally gave up and just parked. Turns out the Presidential Suite is marked by this unassuming number 18 and a door. We walked up the stairs behind that door to find we had the entire suite over all the shop fronts downstairs!

This place is HUGE! It sleeps 8 - 10, two bedrooms with two queen beds each, plus the couch and love seat. Great for a small party (although they do ask that management be informed if a party is planned). The pictures on the wall are of the train.

It just feels extravagant, maybe not Vanderbilt extravagant, but more than enough for the two of us. Ann can watch whatever she wants if I'm not watching something she likes. And she can get a good night's sleep while I snore away in the other bedroom. Two bathrooms and even laundry facilities.

Here we go on our Great Smoky Mountain Railway excursion through the Nantahala River Gorge. I just love this picture of Ann and that sparkle in her eyes. Maybe it's because we're in the club car? NO! It's not the alcohol! It's the no kids allowed because of the alcohol policy! You can see the GP9 engine coupled to our end of the train on the way out. Once we reach the Nantahala Outdoor Center Depot, it uncouples, runs around and couples to the other end of the train for the trip back.

While they do that, we get an hour layover at the outdoor center to explore, eat lunch and do whatever. They offer whitewater packages too where you ride the train here and take the river back. We opted for the Presidential Suite package. Believe it or not, Slow Joe's is a fast food joint!

The Nantahala River is a controlled flow river, that is they open the flood gates upstream in the morning in anticipation of the whitewater crowd arriving. On the ride up we could actually see the flow increase from a trickle to a torrent. The ducks don't care, and neither do I. They float, and we're nagana find out if I do. Ann just wouldn't stand still long enough for me to get a good picture.

You can see that the outdoor center was built with sports and safety in mind. The kayaks lined up and practiced technique one at a time then back to the end of the line, maneuvering through those hanging poles, called 'gates'. It was interesting to watch the different people and see how quickly things could get out of control.

That should be us on that bike! Sigh... Oh well, at least we got to run the 'rapids'. At first I didn't see what it was, then Ann stuck her head through and I had to laugh. The pictures themselves are hilarious, Ann looks right at me while everyone else looks downstream. I just couldn't get my fat head to fit with Ann yelling at me the whole time to stick my head in more... I look like I belong on a viking ship, not a raft, and where are my horns? Hehehe.

We cross an old style strap girder trestle over the Fontana Lake, albeit much further upstream than Fontana Village where we stayed the night before. I left this picture big so you get all the detail. Looks like someone beat me to the glass insulators though. They warned all the open car passengers to remain seated and within the car at all times. Wonder why...

When we got back we stopped back at the room to just be lazy for a bit then ventured out to see the sights. The railroad museum has various operating layouts in Garden, O, Lionel and HO scales as well as hobby and souveneir shops. Walking across the tracks, we found an Indian jewelry store where Ann bought a beautiful hair clip and strolled by Granpa's Mountain Music store.

But here's the real find, Across The Trax Bar. It was a toss-up between that and the Italian place for dinner, so we went in for a beer to decide and just ate there. Once we saw the huge YaegerMeister sign hanging over the bar just as we walked in, we had to. Ann took a picture with her phone and sent it to her sister, a big Yaeger fan!

I snapped this first one as we headed back to the Presidential Suite for the evening. They had uncoupled the train over the crossings and run the engine back around to this end. The next morning before we checked out, we watched as as it pulled out and I snapped the rest of these.

We really enjoyed the club car and highly recommend it AND the Presidential Suite to anyone interested in riding the Nantahala Gorge Excursion. The original idea was to be able to drink and not have to worry about driving anywhere after we got back. We had a few drinks and munched on the plentiful breakfast treats, cheese and crackers, snack mix, had a few more drinks, munched some more...

Here are the luxury coaches and the train store / conductor's cafe. For those not as fortunate as us, this is where you had to go to get drinks, pick up your lunch, etc.

These are the railfan open coaches.

These are the remaining coaches and our last look before we checked out and hit the road for home.

We took one last look at the weather and the track of Hurricane Fay before we left. Wish we were back there right now... Sigh.