Summer 2017 (Part 2) – Asheville, NC & The Blue Ridge Parkway
Upon the completion of our Camp Hosting responsibilities we were on to our next chapter for summer 2017. Departing Assategue we were headed to a visit in Asheville, NC. The drive from Assategue to Maryland is a long way so we decided to break-it up into 2 days with a convenient stop to see Joanne’s brother Steve and sister-law Debbie in Raleigh, NC. One of the nicest parts of RV’ing is the ability to conveniently stop to see friends and relatives along the way.
Before getting to Raleigh our path would take us on an adventure with a drive over the Chesapeake Bay bridge and Tunnel. Now driving a car though the tunnel is one thing, but driving a Class A, towing a car, is another thing! I am pretty comfortable driving our rig, though I would be lying if that first trip thru the tunnel with the toad didn’t have me commenting more than once over that 20 miles ” Boy this is tight…” Trust when I say that you need to really pay attention when making this drive with no distractions at all!
Joanne was able to capture some nice pics crossing the bridge though I was doing little else but paying attention to the road.
Exiting the bridge we got caught up in a little traffic in the Virginia Beach and Newport areas though continued on our way to Raleigh. Now Joanne’s brother is an RVer with a 5th wheel and though we explained our height concerns maneuvering into his development we ended up in a cul de sac at the end of his street and though we tried to avoid some low hanging trees we were unable to cut the the circle wide enough and ended up boxed in with the toad and like a 70 degree angle. Steve, (Joanne’s brother) said just disconnect so we could back up and get around. Unfortunately we have found that our blue-ox setup doesn’t do well when trying to disconnect or connect unless we are straight. It binds very hard and makes disconnecting at an angle like this nearly impossible. Ultimately we had to break a rule we have and had to jockey from front to rear while connected for about 10 minutes before we were able to get around. Fortunately we had someone watching the tow bar making sure we didn’t ever get close to snapping it. Whew… we dodged a bullet there. We always try to scope out every route to avoid situations like this as they tend to be very stressful and can be expensive…
Visiting the Olson’s & Aunt Di in Raleigh, NC
Visiting family was fun and the next day we continued on the Asheville, NC. We arrived late afternoon at the entrance to our campground “Campfire Lodgings”. Now Joanne had read some positives reviews and we know people that have stayed there, though each had warned us about the dirt narrow road with switchbacks to the top of the mountain where the Campground is. We took it slow and made our way to the top though more than once we questioned if we were really on the right track. Upon completing the last switchback there was a sign announcing literally ” we had made it”.
Campfire Lodgings entrance…
Our First sunset at Campfire Lodgings…
A view from our campsite…
Nature showing us her colors…
The nightly gathering place for sunsets…
Now this is a small campground and a bit pricey though we felt since we had camped all of July for free why not splurge a little in Asheville for the week. We both agreed the camp-site was literally just spectacular and the views were amazing. The campground staff were exceptionally nice and helpful and also delivered us some wood for a couple of campfires during our stay. Our site included a concrete, immaculate pad with a fire pit, full hook-ups, trash receptacle, and a view that my description doesn’t do justice of.
Each night we could have just embraced the sunset view from our site though most congregated about a hundreds yards from our site where the vantage point was even better (or I can say “even more amazing”). We met several other campers there each night and got to hear their stories and experiences while experiencing the breathtaking views of the Smokies and Blue Ridge. One night we were privileged to listen to a group of 20 somethings that assembled an impromtu concert of folk and Blue grass that made the sunset experience even more memorable.
With the next day being our first full day in Asheville we had already bought tickets in advance/on-line for the Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Estate is an extremely large and picturesque private estate and tourist attraction near Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Castle-like mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, with 178,926 square feet of floor space. Buying $55.00 tickets per person in advance saved us about $10.00 per ticket than the on-site price. Then we added the self guided audio tour option for additional $10.00. Our total 7 day in-advance cost for our Biltmore Day was $141.20 (including taxes).
The Biltmore is a must for anyone visiting this area, though mind you, you have to arrive early as it does get crowded. You drive through some beautiful grounds to a parking area where you next board a shuttle bus system to the Biltmore House. The audio tour is a must, in our opinion, and was very well produced and exceptionally informative. Entering the main entrance you are immediately in awe of the opulence that existed within this family. George Washington Vanderbilt II was such a forward- thinking imaginative genius and when you add to that limitless economic resources you can build anything you want. Between his personal art collections, the house architect Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the results are still amazing in every way 125 years later.
The house tour at a leisurely pace took us about 2.5 hours. We were continuously wowed and impressed with each new room and viewing station. The audio tour made the entire experience come alive. After the home tour we decided to view the gardens and greenhouse. Every color, flower, plant & vegetation had been meticulously planted with the same foresight as the home and really takes your breath way. Originally nearly 125,000 acres was owned by the Vanderbilts with the hiring of Gifford Pinchot and later Carl A. Schenck to manage the forests. Carl A. Schenck established the first forestry education program in the U.S., the Biltmore Forest School, on the estate grounds in 1898. Later much of this area was used to establish parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest.
Next we continued on a drive around the grounds and a visit to Antler Hill Village. Here we visited the Biltmore Winery for a tasting (included in our tour price), And stop for an early dinner at Cedrics Tavern and then a stop at the Biltmore Creamery where we had the best Ice Cream waffle cone we have ever had.
After driving through more of the property we exited the Estate and headed back to Camp fire Lodgings for another sunset, followed by a camp fire and a glass of Biltmore Red… An incredible Day!
Day 2 we decided to visit and hike “Chimney Rock State Park”. The drive is about 25 miles southeast of Asheville and took us on one of the most picturesque switchbaced roads we have ever been on. Now I know why we bought a Mini Cooper convertible… It was for drives and days like this!
The ride was approximately an hour on the best amusement roller coaster you can imagine and the best part was as the driver I was running the ride. Being in nature, driving a road like this, in our mini convertible has every ride at Disney beat hands down!
Arriving at Chimney Rock you can’t miss the Granite outcropping that gives this park it’s reputation. The trail and steps are well outlined and maintained, given the elevation and the number of steps you need to make the climb it can honestly be a little challenging. We certainly saw our share of huffing and puffing on our route to the top. Along the path there are several detours and viewing points. One is the famous Devil’s Head balancing rock.
Hickory Falls Trail at Chimney Rock
After hiking to the very top and then descending for the view from “Chimney Rock” we decided to take another hike on the other side of the park to Hickory Nut Falls. The hike is pretty easy and you are rewarded by a 404 ft. water falls. Not a lot of water this time of year though the mist coming off the pool at the base was nice in the 90 degree summer day.
The drive home that day was just as nice as going as we backtracked along the same switchbacked path. More of that roller coaster… As the weather started to turn we headed back to get some late afternoon rest as a storm hit us. We have been blessed with good weather and a night relaxing inside the motorhome was fine. We cooked dinner and finished off that Biltmore Red…
The next day we decided to take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit the Pisgah National Forest. Our original plan was to visit 7 different waterfalls. The first falls seemed to allude us despite the maps and GPS. Unfortunately we found ourselves on another very winding, switchbacked road ending at a little town with a name that alludes me. We ended up following the gps and traveling some dirt back woods logging trail until it ended in the middle of nowhere. Thank goodness the low -to- the- ground Mini didn’t bottom out and we arrived back at a church in the little car unscathed, where the locals had a laugh regarding our off road adventure. They were very helpful and quickly gave an amended route.
Next stop was the Pisgah National Forest and a drive by Sliding Rock. It was very crowded here and people were definitley having fun. We continued on our drive and stopped by Looking Glass Falls perhaps the best known waterfall in the area. It’s right next to the road along US276 north. We ended in Pisgagh taking a 4 mile hike through the woods and were rewarded with a remote Falls that was very nice and the best part there was no one there. The trail was Cove Creek Trail.
Leaving the Pisgah and traveling the Blue Ridge, we decided to head into Asheville for some people watching and a visit to the Wicked Weed Brewery for dinner. Fortunately we were first treated to a street fair which was fun though because we didn’t have ID they refused to serve us a beverage at the street fair. Now people say we look young for our age though this really was ridiculous…
We headed to Wicked Weed Brewery where we had no issue being served and enjoyed a terrific sampling and an excellent meal. We returned back to Campfire Lodgings for one more sunset before starting our next day departure packing.
While packing the next morning the dew and clouds were hanging in the valley which made for a picturesque sunrise and Campfire Lodgings had one more treat for us before our dparture. While packing up I heard some noise over by the adjacent building and upon turning the corner saw a rather curios black bear trying to access the dumpster. Before I could grab my camera he scrambled into the woods; though the sighting was just one more reason why we loved this Camp site.
We departed for the beginning of our return to home. Our next stop was to Atlanta GA so we could ready our RV for storage at NIRV Centers. Arriving in the rain was fine and we spent the next couple of hours cleaning the RV for storage. We had planned pretty meticulously this entire trip and the goal was to put everything we needed to bring back to CT in our Mini Cooper. Joanne and I are pretty efficient packers and after cleaning out the fridge and any left over sand, from our days at the beach, we were able to load our clothes and camera into the Mini. Our hope was to be able to pack everything we needed to return with while still being able to put the top down to drive North on the Blue Ridge. After emptying our tanks and completing all our cleanup, we enjoyed our last meal in the RV for awhile.
We met the Service Manager next morning and went over some warranty work needed to be done while in storage and left for the beginning of our nearly 100 mile drive back to CT. While our RV adventure was over, we had a couple of adventurous days still in front of us. Todays drive would take us through part of the Smokies, through Cherokee, NC, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway until we arrived back in Asheville/Arden.
We have never used Airbnb before and thought we would try it on our the way home. The first night we stayed in Asheville/Arden , NC in a Tiny House. Now our home in Ct is over 2800 sq feet and we had just lived in less that 350 sq feet for the last 5 weeks so we thought we would be fine in the Tiny House. While the House had gotten a 5 star rating, it really was just ok when compared to our Motorhome. It rained all evening and the time we spent in this small home was really what we can only put a positive spin as “an adventure” . Sleeping in the loft with the tin roof 6 inches from my nose in a thunder storm was not the experience we had imagined when we booked it. Metaphorically it was like taking a “6 hour MRI” . The home depot bucket serving as a compost toilet with saw dust to cover the deposits was really more than we had bargained for. We are both seasoned campers though clearly we have been spoiled by our Newmar Motorhome. We are both glad we had the experience, though will be hesitant to do it again. The best part of the visit was dinner at Rocky’s Chicken Shack, which had been recommended by our host. The meal was very good and we could walk to it. We got up early the next morning and passed on a shower and headed to breakfast at JK’s Kitchen. It is a cute little breakfast cafe’ we would highly recommend.
Todays drive was to take us up the remainder of Blue Ridge Parkway to the beginning of the “Skyline Drive” Our plans were to stop at our next Airbnb in Woodlawn, VA. We had reservations to stay at “Shirley’s Homestead” The first 3 hours the weather wasn’t cooperative and we had to drive with the top up. While the sites and stops were still fun, the clouds and rain really weren’t helping. Once the weather cleared we were able to put the top down and really enjoy the afternoon drive along the balance of the Blue Ridge.
Shirley’s Homestead AirbNb – Woodlawn, VA
Arriving at Shirley’s late afternoon we were treated to a beautiful home/accomodation. Shirley takes tremendous pride in her estate and it shows in every way. She is a terrific host. After showering we decide to head off for our evening plans. We had decided to stay here as it was close to the Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. The small town atmosphere combined with the hours of fiddle music and food truck food made for a very memorable evening. Returning to Shirley’s, we finished the evening with a little red wine on the back porch under the moonlight.
Welcome to the Fiddlers Convention – Galax, VA
Departing Shirley’s the next day we had a long drive to just outside of Philadelphia, PA. With our Airbnb experiences now behind us our last night heading North was going to be spent visiting our good friends the O’Hara’s. We haven’t visited their family for some time and it was great to see nearly their entire family for dinner. As in the past, they made us feel right at home and it was such a great way to finish our summer vacation.
Our last night of summer trip 2017 – visiting The O’Hara’s in PA.
The next day we left around Noon and arrived back home in CT about 7:00 PM.
Fortunately the entire vacation and plan had come to together and we both commented that we are very fortunate to have spent a fantastic Summer 2017 experiencing so many people and places.
We now have have to get back to work, to save and plan, for our next stop on this Revolutionary Journey….
Cheers!
