Romantic Getaway in the Great Smokies

A lot of couples exchange gifts to celebrate their anniversary, but we decided before we got married to take a trip instead. So we find ourselves in the month of July with our anniversary coming up in September. However, something else was happening in the month of September and that was the birth of our first child. So we decided to take an early anniversary trip. The hard decision was finding out where to go. My wife being almost seven months pregnant, we were pretty limited in our choices.

We settled on the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. It is pretty amazing that I have lived in North Carolina all of my life, but the farthest west I had traveled was Asheville. The destination was an excellent choice because we didn’t have to fly anywhere and we could make as many bathroom stops as needed (as any woman well knows.)

I am usually the travel planner on our many journeys, but I delegated that responsibility to my wife since she knows what she can do and not do. She settled on a relaxed couple getaway for us to be pampered with massages at a spa resort.

Our trip first took us to Asheville, the largest city in the North Carolina Mountains. We made a stop at the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest privately owned home in the United States. (We later came back for the Christmas Celebration and to enjoy the wine tasting at the Biltmore Winery.

After lunch in Waynesville, we ended at Bryson City, where we stayed all but one night at the Lakeview at Fontana spa resort, with excellent views of Lake Fontana. When we were not being pampered, we went waterfall sightseeing in the Great Smokey Mountains ending up on the other side of the park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

We ended the trip by staying our last night at a Bed & Breakfast in Bryson City and taking a train ride on the Great Smokey Railway. This particular train left the Bryson City train depot and ended at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, for a one hour lunch stop beside the Nantahala River, before returning to Bryson City.

Quick Tips:

Bryson City is within driving distance of three major cities, with airport access. Asheville, North Carolina is the closest, an hour and 15 minute, to the east. Knoxville, Tennessee is two hours away from the north and if you are coming in from the south, Atlanta, Georgia is three hours away.

The entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains on the NC side is just outside the Cherokee Indian Reservation. As a reservation, they have their own police force, court system, and are monitored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While gambling, except for the lottery, is illegal in North Carolina, the Indian Reservation is exempt from this. Casinos, such as Harrah’s, is a major source of revenue for the reservation as it allows tourists to gamble in a state that outlaws it.

Best Way To Get Around:

The nearest Interstate to Bryson City is Interstate 40 which proceeds north just before Waynesville. US Highway 19 is the main highway leading to Bryson City. US Highway 441 cuts through the middle of the Great Smokey Mountains. It begins near Bryson City on the North Carolina side and ends in Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side.

Depending on time and what direction you are coming from, a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway is well worth the trip. A 469 mile long stretch of road, known for its scenic beauty, runs through the Blue Ridge Mountain range. The road begins at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley’s Skyline Drive in Virginia ending at US 441 in the Great Smokey Mountains in Cherokee, North Carolina. You can pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and take it to the Great Smokey Mountains. This sixty mile leg of the Parkway offers spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains with plenty of stop-offs for picture-taking.

Lakeview at Fontana is a spa resort nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains, minutes away from Bryson City on Highway 74. The resort is small compared to most other resorts of the type, but it added to the romantic feel of the place. The resort has 20 suites, with most of those rooms located in a typical hotel type building with the office on the ground floor and the rest as cottages. The rooms are Queen Suites or you can stay in the one, two, or three bedroom cottages.

We had a one bedroom cottage that included a full kitchen and living room. A relax pack of white plush slippers, massage oil, and scented candles awaited us. The only thing missing was a television which allowed us to talk and enjoy each other which most couples fail to do in this fast paced way of life. With the absence of a television, we checked out Scrabble from the office and had we known before hand, we would have brought our own games.

The on site coffeehouse serves a complimentary pastry style breakfast, and wine and cheese in the afternoon. The coffeehouse is also a great place to sit and relax over a game of checkers while admiring Old Smokey. If you are looking for active relaxation, take a swim in the spring fed swimming pool or the complimentary Yoga classes.

We ordered the “Treat Yourself Right” spa package that included a two night stay, two 50 minute spa treatments of our choice, daily breakfast, one lunch, and our relax packs that we received when we checked in. You began our spa package in the cozy six room spa cottage. We were instructed to take off our shoes and slip into comfortable slippers. While we waited for the masseuse, the sensual music and sound of running water started our relaxation.

My first spa treatment was the Ultimate Hand and Foot Massage while my wife was limited to only the prenatal massages. I was taken downstairs where my feet were soaked in warm water while the masseuse lathered them with hot oil all while a warm towel was draped over my face.

The second spa treatment was the Sweet Dreams Body Wrap. I was instructed to strip down and crawl underneath the sheets. The masseuse used oil blended with mint, lavender, rosemary, sage, and massaged it into my body. After she was finished, I was wrapped up to allow the oils to penetrate the skin. After thirty minutes of blissful zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s, I was awoken fully rejuvenated.

This was my first massage, and I will admit, I was a slight apprehensive since I did not know what to expect. But this turned out to be a great romantic getaway weekend as we prepared for the newest addition to our family.

The Great Smokey Mountains is one of the major mountain chains of the Appalachian Mountains along with Blue Ridge Mountains which borders it to the east. The Great Smokey Mountains straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina state line. The mountains get its name from the haze that hovers over the mountains just as the Blue Ridge Mountains have a bluish tint to it.

The Great Smokey Mountains is also home to the Great Smokey National Park, which is the most visited national park with over 9 million visitors a year. The main road, US Highway 441, also known as Newfound Gap Road cuts through the park beginning just outside Cherokee, North Carolina and ending in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There are two visitor centers, the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the NC side and the Sugarlands Visitor Center on the TN side. Visitors come to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park to hike the many trails, exploring the many different waterfalls, and the off chance to see a black bear or large elk grazing.

Exploring the Great Smokey Mountains can be done either by foot or by car. While trying to limit our walking because of my pregnant wife, we stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and grabbed an auto touring map and a waterfall map. The park has many waterfalls, some within a short walking distance of the parking areas.

We backtracked to just outside the park’s entrance to visit Mingo Falls. The waterfall is one of the tallest at 120 feet and was less than a half a mile roundtrip from the parking area. We next set out to Juney Whank Falls, which was .08 mile hike roundtrip. This waterfall is split into two sections, the upper and lower, which has a height of 90 feet. The waterfall can best be viewed from the footbridge that crosses between the two sections. We passed Meigs Falls, which can be seen while driving, on our way to The Sinks. It is not a large waterfall, but it seemed a popular destination for people who like to go cliff diving as people were parking on the side of the road. There are a lot of other great waterfalls, but which require an average of a 2-3 mile hike to visit them.

One of the most popular destinations in the park is Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in Tennessee. The road leading up to Clingman’s Dome is accessed from US 441, or Newfound Gap Road. It is a seven mile road leading to the parking area which is only open from April 1 to November 30. The parking area is only a half-mile from the top of the observation tower. However, had we known how steep it was, we would probably have passed, but my wife took her time, and in less than twenty minutes, we were at the top. At a height of 6,643 feet, it is also the highest point in the Appalachian Chain, and it gave us some spectacular views of nature’s beauty.

As we left Clingman’s Dome heading back to the visitor center on US 441, I rounded a curve when I noticed three vehicles stopped on the road, causing me to slam on breaks. As I got out of the vehicle, irate, I stopped myself when I saw everyone looking up into the trees. There in front of me, was a black bear climbing down the tree. I quickly ran to get my camera. The bear slowly climb down and at times paused looking at us. When he finally got down to the bottom, everyone scurried, but I found myself mesmerized. It wasn’t until my wife yelled at me, that I came back to earth and got back into the vehicle. While most people hike to get a glimpse of the Great Smokey Bears, we lucked up while coming down the mountain. If it couldn’t have gotten any better, we noticed more vehicles, a least a dozen parked, with people taking pictures. I looked over to my left in a large field and their grazing was a large Elk, with no care that many people were using him as a photo opportunity. We got to see two of the major wildlife in the park, without taking any of the major hiking trails.

In 1888, George Washington Vanderbilt II visited the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and it was there that the state and his family were forever linked. The Vanderbilts are closely associated with wealth and success due primarily to the family’s patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, the third wealthiest person in history. George Vanderbilt had no interest in the family business and instead decided to spend his money on a lavish estate in Asheville, NC. He originally purchased 8,000 acres of land and continued buying until the estate surpassed 228 square miles.

The Biltmore House, a tourist attraction, is the largest home in the United States, at 175,000 square feet. The home contains 250 different rooms that include 35 guest rooms, 43 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, and 65 fireplaces. George Vanderbilt had many other amenities that were not so common in his day such as; 70,000 gallon swimming pool, which could Olympic size by today’s standards, a two lane bowling alley, two-story library containing over 10,000 volumes, and an elevator. He foresaw the need for fire alarms, forced-air heating, and centrally-controlled clocks that would not be common in most homes for decades. The house also contains many priceless artifacts as the home as been left intact from when the doors first opened on Christmas Eve in 1895 to when it became a museum to the public in 1956.

This is not just a typical tour of an everyday home in America, it is an experience that can not be put into words, or pictures, for that matter, and no matter how many times people have tried. My first glimpse of this magnificent mansion was as I exited the wood line from the trail leading from the parking area. The long road leading up to the front door brought thoughts of George Vanderbilt riding in his horse carriage, probably not realizing that his home would forever have a place in history. The French Renaissance chateau looked even more awe-inspiring with the Blue Ridge Mountains towering in the background. What better place to have your summer home while enjoying tea and admiring nature’s beauty.

The Biltmore grounds are just as impressive as the house. The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The highlight of the gardens is the All American Rose Garden which features over 250 varieties of roses. The winery offers tours and a free wine tasting. There is an equestrian center on the grounds, as well biking and hiking trails. Tours can be arranged for river rafting; fly-fishing lessons, or learn to drive a Range Rover off-road.

Since a stay at the Biltmore is impossible, the next best thing is the Inn on the Biltmore Estate. It is the closest you can get to staying at the Biltmore. The estate also has its own shopping center and restaurants.

Tickets are cheaper if bought online than at the gate. Depending on the month you go tickets range from $25 to $55. It is well worth it for everything you get to experience.

The Great Smokey Railroad, constructed between 1881 and 1894, using convict labor, ran from Asheville, North Carolina to Murphy, 116 miles to the west. During the 20th century, passenger and freight traffic began to decline. In 1948, passenger traffic ended and freight traffic ended in 1985. The state of North Carolina bought the Dillsboro to Murphy leg of the tracks to keep them being destroyed. Then a revival happened in 1988, when several entities formed the Great Smokey Mountains Railway (GSMR). Each year, the railroad operates over 900 excursions and transports over 200,000 people on its tracks.

The GSMR operates two train depots, Bryson City and Dillsboro, each one operating different excursions. The ticket prices vary depending on the type of excursion and the type of train car. The open car and coach are the same price. The open car has bench seating with the car open up at the waist, great for photography. The coach car has the traditional railroad seating with two by two seating with open windows. You may freely move between the two types of cars. Upgraded seating occurs in the Crown Coach cars which are climate controlled and has large windows for viewing. First Class seating is in the Club Car, which serves meals and has a full-service bar.

Our particular excursion was the Nantahala Gorge, a 44 mile, four and a half hour trip. We headed west from Bryson City to our final destination at the Nantahala Outdoor Center for an hour lunch before heading back. The highlights were Horseshoe Curve, Nantahala River Gorge, and the Little Tennessee River. However, none of these compared to the Lake Fontana railroad trestle. Lake Fontana, a man-made lake, is also home to a number of people. As the train proceeded over the lake, houseboats covered large sections, and almost looked like a floating trailer park.

The GSMR offers many excursions available year-round such as the Fontana Trestle, Tuckasegee River (departs Dillsboro), Gourmet Wine Train, and the Whitter Sundown. Some of the excursions are only seasonal such as at Christmas, the Polar Express, October, Peanuts-The Great Pumpkin Patch Express, and in the summer and fall, the Mystery Theater Dinner Train and the Gourmet Beer Train.

The GSMR is no stranger to the big screen. Movies such as My Fellow American and Forces of Nature were filmed on the train line. However, no movie is more popular than the Fugitive, which starred Harrison Ford. In the movie, a train derailment took place where Harrison Ford’s character escaped. Some of the railroad cars that were used in that scene have been left and can be seen on all excursions which depart the Dillsboro station.

Most of the excursions also include tickets to the Smokey Mountain Train Museum in Bryson City which can be visited before or after the train ride.