USA- FLORIDA AND THE SOUTH'S BEST TRIPS

5 Sunny Point Cafe Cafe $ downtown action. Parking is $5 per day; pets
are free.
(www.sunnypointcafe.com; 626 Haywood

Rd; breakfast & lunch $8-12, dinner $8-17; 4 Campfire Lodgings Campground $$

h8:30am-2:30pm Sun & Mon, 8:30am-9pm (%828-658-8012; www.campfirelodgings.com;
116 Appalachian Village Rd; tent/RV sites $38/45,
Tue-Sat) In the morning, solos, couples, and yurts from $115, cabins $160; pa) All yurts
should have flat-screen TVs, don’t you think?
ladies-who-breakfast fill this bright West Sleep like the world’s most stylish Mongolian
nomad in one of these furnished multiroom
Asheville spot that’s loved for its hearty, tents, on the side of a hill with stunning valley
views. Cabins and tent sites are also available.
homemade fare. The huevos rancheros, with

feta cheese and chorizo sausage, is deservedly

popular. The cafe embraces the organic and

fresh, and even has its own garden. The biscuits 6 Blue Ridge Parkway

are divine.

5 Tupelo Honey New Southern $$ 4 Grove Park Resort $$$

(%828-255-4863; www.tupelohoneycafe.com; Inn Resort & Spa

12 College St; breakfast $7-15, lunch & dinner (%828-252-2711; www.groveparkinn.com; 290

$10-28; h9am-10pm) This long-time favorite Macon Ave; r from $269; paiWs#)

is known for New Southern fare like shrimp This titanic arts-and-crafts-style lodge,

and grits with goat cheese. Tupelo-born Elvis which celebrated its centennial in 2013, has

would have surely loved the nutty fried chicken hale-and-hearty decor that conjures an era of

with milk gravy and smashed sweet potatoes. adventure. But don’t worry modern mavens, the

Breakfasts are superb, but no matter the meal, well-appointed rooms come with 21st-century

say yes to the biscuit. And add a drop of honey. amenities. Look for inspirational quotes

4 Aloft Asheville scattered across the property. Fees include a

Hotel $$$ $25 daily resort fee and a $5 self-parking fee.

(%828-232-2838; www.aloftasheville.com; 51 The pet fee is $130 per reservation.

Biltmore Ave; r from $242; paiWs#) At 4 Sweet Peas Hostel $

first glance this new downtown hotel looks like (%828-285-8488; www.sweetpeashostel.

the 7th ring of hipster – giant chalkboard in the com; 23 Rankin Ave; dm/pod/r $28/35/60;

lobby, groovy young staff, a neon lounge with paiW) This spic-and-span hostel gleams

bright retro chairs. The only thing missing is a with IKEA-like style. Picture shipshape steel

wool-cap-wearing bearded guy drinking a hoppy bunk beds and blond wood sleeping ‘pods’.

microbrew – oh, wait, over there. We jest. Once Noise can filter up from the bar below, but the

settled, you’ll find the staff knowledgeable, the hostel’s style, sociability and downtown location

rooms large with lots of counter space, and the make it a winner.

atmosphere convivial. Aloft is also close to the

99

The Great Smokies Hike, camp,
mountain-bike and stargaze

DENNIE CODY / GETTY IMAGES © #

7The Great

Smokies

Alas, Hobbiton and Narnia don’t exist. But the Smokies are a
wonderland of their own: home to technicolor greenery, strutting
wildlife, whispering waterfalls and the irrepressible Dollywood.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 4–5 DAYS
160 MILES / 257KM
85 miles Km
GREAT FOR...
Cades Cove # Sevierville
Wild animals, old JGB
cabins and, well,
Sunday drivers BEST TIME TO GO
# Dollywood
Pigeon # September to October
for fall color; April to
Forge June for greenery and
waterfalls.
115 miles
I ESSENTIAL
#Gatlinburg # Roaring Fork PHOTO
#12 Motor Road
Follow an old wagon The tree-covered
road past hardwoods slopes snapped from
and waterfalls the Newfound Gap
Overlook.
##10
K BEST FOR
50 miles #6# OUTDOORS
Clingmans Dome
The last half-mile is a ##3 Cycling the Cades Cove
doozy on the hike to loop on an official ‘no-
the summit Museum of The car’ morning.
Cherokee Indian
Bryson # Stories of triumph 101
City and tragedy are
movingly told
lL 25 miles

7 The Great
Smokies

While the beauty of the Great Smokies can be seen from your car, the
exhilarating, crash-bang, breathe-it-in wonder of the place can’t be fully
appreciated until you leave your vehicle. Hold tight as you bounce over
Nantahala rapids. Give a nod to foraging black bears as you bicycle Cades
Cove. And press your nose against windows in downtown Gatlinburg, where
ogling short stacks is the best way to choose the right pancake place.

e# 0 20 km Km#Sevierville 1\#5
0 10 miles
]Û441

# #Pigeon Forge 1\#3 14 Dollywood

\# Maryville TENNESSEE ]Û321
Joyce Kilmer-
Û]321 ## #Sugarlands Gatlinburg FG15
WSillidckerroncekss
Townsend #\ Visitor Center 9 1#\1 12 Roaring Fork
Motor Nature Trail

#8 Mt LeConte

10#Cades #7 Newfound Gap
Cove Overlook

FG15 ]Û441

#6 Oconaluftee
Visitor
Clingmans
Great Dome # #Mingus5Center
Smoky Mountains Mill 4
‚
National Park 2 miles to
GF#3\# Cherokee 6
Bryson
City [Ù19

NORTH CAROLINA #\#2

lLNantahala FoLnatkaena

NFaotiroenstal Û]19 \#

Sylva

#Û]129 1

H# Nantahala #\ Nantahala
Outdoor Center
GFp104
15

1 Nantahala down the roiling class lamps into town. Trips on 7 The Great Smokies
Outdoor Center IV-V Cheoah ($169 to the red-and-yellow trains
$189), launching from include a Great Pumpkin–
Splash, bang, wheeeeee... nearby Robbinsville. themed trip in the fall
There’s no easing into and the Christmas-time
this trip, which starts in At the Adventure Polar Express, which
the mountain-fed rivers Center, which is part stops at the North Pole to
and rugged valleys of of the NOC campus, pick up Santa.
western North Carolina, sign up to zipline or to
a region famed for its climb an alpine tower. 5 4 p110
fantastic kayaking and Also on-site are an
white-water rafting. outdoor store, a year- The Drive » Continue 10
round restaurant and
The Nantahala lodging, which includes miles north on US 19.
Outdoor Center (NOC; campsites, cabins, a
%828-488-2176, 888-905- hostel and an inn. The TRIP HIGHLIGHT
7238; www.noc.com; 13077 Appalachian Trail crosses
Hwy 19/74; kayak/canoe rental the property, and the 3 Cherokee
per day $30/50, guided trips Great Smoky Mountain
$30-189) launches trips Railroad stops here. The Cherokee people
on the class II and III have lived in this area
rapids of the Nantahala The Drive » Follow US 19 since the last ice age,
River from its sprawling though many died on
outpost near Bryson north about 12.5 miles on a the Trail of Tears. The
City. Ride a group raft twisty, wooded path that winds descendents of those who
or a two-person ducky past rafting companies and escaped or returned are
through the wide, oh-so-many signs for boiled known as the Eastern
brown river gorge. The peanuts. Take exit 67 into Band of the Cherokee.
company also offers downtown Bryson City. Make time for the
white-water trips on six Museum of the Cherokee
other Appalachian rivers. 2 Bryson City Indian (%828-497-3481;
Experienced paddlers www.cherokeemuseum.org;
can brave the 9-mile trip This friendly mountain 589 Tsali Blvd/Hwy 441, at
town is a great basecamp Drama Rd; adult/child 6-12yr
LINK for exploring the North $10/6; h9am-5pm daily,
YOUR Carolina side of the until 7pm Mon-Sat Jun-Aug).
TRIP Smokies. The marquee The earth-colored halls
attraction is the historic trace the history of the
f Appalachian Great Smoky Mountains tribe, with artifacts
Trail Railroad (%800-872- such as pots, deerskins,
4681; www.gsmr.com; 226 woven skirts and an
The AT crosses US 441 at Everett St; Nantahala Gorge animated exhibit on
Newfound Gap Overlook. trip adult/child 2-12yr from Cherokee myths. The
$55/31 ; hMar-Dec), which tribe’s modern story is
6 Blue Ridge departs from downtown particularly compelling,
Parkway and plows through the with a detailed look
dramatic Nantahala at the tragedy and
From Oconaluftee Visitor Gorge and across the injustice of the Trail of
Center, drive south on Fontana Trestle. The Tears. This mass exodus
US 411 to the entrance of former Murphy Branch occurred in the 1830s,
the parkway. Line, built in the late when President Andrew
1800s, brought unheard- Jackson ordered more
of luxuries such as books, than 16,000 Native
factory-spun cloth and oil Americans be removed

103

7 The Great Smokies from their southeastern money because you’ll park. The worn, wooden
homelands and resettled want to take a jar home. structures, including
in what’s now Oklahoma. Here you’ll also find a barn, a blacksmith
The museum also interactive exhibits shop and a smokehouse,
spotlights a fascinating about the park’s history give a glimpse into the
moment in Colonial-era and ecosystems. Helpful hardscrabble existence of
history: the 1760s journey guides ($1) about specific Appalachian settlers.
of three Cherokees to attractions are also
England, where they met available. For this trip, The Drive » Drive half a mile
with King George III. the Day Hikes pamphlet
and the guides to Cades north on US 441. The parking lot
The Drive » Drive 3 miles Cove and the Roaring is on the left.

north on US 441, passing the Fork Motor Nature Trail 5 Mingus Mill
Blue Ridge Parkway. are helpful supplements.
Interested in old
4 Oconaluftee Behind the visitor buildings and 1800s
Visitor Center center, the pet-friendly commerce? Then take
the short walk to Mingus
If they’re offering Oconaluftee River Trail Mill (self-guided tours free;
samples of regional follows the river for 1.5 h9am-5pm mid-Mar–mid-
preserves at the miles to the boundary Nov). This 1886 gristmill
Oconaluftee Visitor of the Cherokee was the largest in the
Center (%865-436-1200; reservation. Pick up Smokies. If the miller
www.nps.gov/grsm; Hwy 441; a free backcountry is here, he can explain
admission free; h8am-7pm camping permit if you how the mill grinds corn
Jun-Aug, closing hours plan to go off-trail. The into cornmeal. Outside,
vary rest of the year), say adjacent Mountain Farm the 200ft-long wooden
yes. But pull out your Museum (%423-436- millrace directs water to
1200; www.nps.gov/grsm; the building. There’s no
h9am-5pm mid-Mar–mid-Nov water wheel here because
& Thanksgiving weekend) is a the mill used a cast-iron
19th-century farmstead turbine.
assembled from
buildings from various The Drive » Return to US 441
locations around the
and turn left, continuing toward
DETOUR: Gatlinburg. Turn left and drive
THE TAIL 7 miles on Clingmans Dome Rd.
OF THE DRAGON
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
Start: 1 Nantahala Outdoor Center
6 Clingmans Dome
A dragon lurks in the rugged foothills of the
southwestern Smokies. This particular monster is At 6643ft, Clingmans
an infamous drive that twists through Deals Gap Dome is the third-highest
beside the national park. According to legend, the mountain east of the
11-mile route, known as the Tail of the Dragon, has Mississippi. You can
318 curves. From the Nantahala Outdoor Center, drive almost all the way
drive south on US 19/74 to US 129. Follow US 129 to the top, but the final
north. The dragon starts at the North Carolina and climb to the summit’s
Tennessee state line. Godspeed and drive slowly. And Jetsons-like observation
may you tame the dragon like a Targaryen. tower requires a half-mile
walk on a paved trail. It’s
a very steep ascent, but

104

NATIONAL PARK TRIP PLANNER 7 The Great Smokies

Established in 1934, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (%865-436-1200;
www.nps.gov/grsm) attracts more than nine million travelers per year, making it the
most-visited national park in America.

Newfoundland Gap Rd/US 441 is the only thoroughfare crossing the entire
521,000-acre park, traversing 33 miles of deep oak and pine forest, and wildflower
meadows. The park sits in two states, North Carolina and Tennessee. The
Oconaluftee Visitor Center welcomes visitors arriving on US 441 in North Carolina;
Sugarlands Visitor Center is the Tennessee counterpart.

Orientation & Fees

Great Smoky charges no admission fee, nor will it ever; this proviso was written
into the park’s original charter as a stipulation for a $5 million Rockefeller family
grant. Stop by a visitor center to pick up a park map and the free Smokies Guide
newspaper. The park is open all year although some facilities are only open
seasonally, and roads may close due to bad weather. Leashed pets are allowed
in campgrounds and on roadsides, but not on trails, with the exception of the
Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River trails.

Camping

The park currently operates seven developed campgrounds. None have showers
or hook-ups. Reservations (%877-444-6777; www.recreation.gov) are required at
Cataloochee Campground, and they may be made at Elkmont, Smokemont, Cosby
and Cades Cove. Big Creek and Deep Creek are first-come, first-served.

Traffic

If you’re visiting on a summer weekend, particularly on the Tennessee side,
accept that there is going to be a lot traffic. Take a break by following trails into the
wilderness.

there are resting spots arrive quickly. Consider tribute to a $5 million
along the way. The trail wearing layers and donation from The
crosses the 2174-mile bringing a rain poncho. Rockefeller Foundation
Appalachian Trail, which And in case you’re that helped to complete
reaches its highest point wondering, a dome is a land purchases needed
on the Dome. rounded mountain. to create the park.
President Franklin
From the tower, on The Drive » Follow Clingmans D Roosevelt formally
a clear day, enjoy a dedicated Great Smoky
360-degree view that Dome Rd back to US 441. Mountains National
sweeps in five states. Cross US 441 and pull into the Park in this spot in 1940.
Spruce- and pine-covered overlook parking area. The overlook sits at the
mountaintops sprawl for border of North Carolina
miles. The visitor contact 7 Newfound and Tennessee, within
station (h10am-6pm Apr- Gap Overlook the 5046ft Newfound
Oct, 9:30am-5pm Nov) beside Gap. Enjoy expansive
the parking lot has a There’s a lot going at the mountain views from the
bookstore and shop. intersection of US 441 parking area or hop on
and Clingmans Dome the Appalachian Trail for
The weather here is Rd. Here, the Rockefeller a stroll.
cooler than at lower Monument pays
elevations, and rain can

105

AMERICA / ALAMY © WHY THIS IS A
CLASSIC TRIP
AMY C BALFOUR,
AUTHOR

As a kid, I loved reading adventure
novels set in imaginary kingdoms,
those otherworldly places filled
with misty mountains, abandoned
fortresses and a giant or two. The
Great Smokies feel like one of those
kingdoms, especially in spring when
the forest is a luminous green, the
animals are waking up and the trails
meander into drifting fog.

Top: Cascades, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
Left: Wedding Chapel, Pigeon Forge
Right: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

7 The Great SmokiesThe Drive » From here, follow

TIM FITZHARRIS / GETTY IMAGES © US 441 north into Tennessee for
about 5 miles to the parking lot.
MALCOLM MACGREGOR / GETTY IMAGES ©
8 Mt LeConte

Climbing 6593ft Mt
LeConte is probably
the park’s most popular
challenge, sure to give
serious hamstring burn.
The Alum Cave Trail, one
of five routes to the peak,
starts from the Alum
Cave parking area on
the main road. Follow a
creek, pass under a stone
arch and wind your way
steadily upward. It’s a
5.5-mile hike to LeConte
Lodge, where you can
join the Rainbow Falls
Trail to the summit.

5 4 p110
The Drive » Continue on

Newfound Gap Rd. Turn left into
the parking lot at Little River Rd.

9 Sugarlands
Visitor Center

At the juncture of Little
River and Newfound Gap
Rds is the Sugarlands
Visitor Center (%865-
436-1291; www.nps.gov/
grsm; h8am-7pm Jun-Aug,
closing hours vary rest of yr),
the park headquarters
and main Tennessee
entrance. Step inside
for exhibits about plant
and animal life (there’s a
stuffed wild boar only a
mama boar could love),
and a bookstore. Several
ranger-led talks and
tours meet at Sugarlands.

107

7 The Great Smokies The Drive » Turn onto The narrow loop b Gatlinburg
road has a speed
Little River Rd for a gorgeous limit of 10mph and Driving out of the park
25-mile drive beside lively can get crowded (and on the Tennessee side
flowing waterways. The road maddeningly slow) in is disconcerting. All at
passes Elkmont Campground high season. For a more once you pop out of the
then becomes Laurel Creek tranquil experience, ride tranquil green tunnel of
Rd. Watch for cars stopping your bike, or walk, on a trees and into a blinking,
suddenly as drivers pull over to Wednesday or Saturday shrieking welter of cars,
look at wildlife. morning from early May motels, pancake houses,
through late September mini-golf courses and
TRIP HIGHLIGHT when cars are banned Ripley’s Believe It or Not
from the road between Museums. Welcome to
a Cades Cove 7am and 10am. Rent a Gatlinburg. It’s Heidi
bike at the Cades Cove meets Hillbilly in this
This secluded valley Campground Store ($4 vaguely Bavarian-themed
contains the remnants to $6 per hour). Also tourist wonderland,
of a 19th-century recommended is the catering to Smokies
settlement. It’s accessed 5-mile round-trip hike to visitors since the 1930s.
by an 11-mile, one-way Abrams Falls. Trailhead Most of the tourist
loop road that has parking is after the attractions are within
numerous pull-offs. From Elijah Oliver Place. the compact, hilly little
these, you can poke downtown.
around old churches and Stop by the Cades
farmhouses or hike trails Cove Visitor Center The Gatlinburg Sky
through postcard-perfect (%877-444-6777; h9am-7pm Lift (%865-436-4307;
meadows filled with deer, Apr-Aug, closes earlier rest of www.gatlinburgskylift.com;
wild turkeys and the yr) for ranger talks. 765 Parkway, Parkway light
occasional bear. For good 7; adult/child $14/10.50;
wildlife viewing, come in 4 p110 h9am-11pm Jun-Aug, varies
the late afternoon when rest of yr), a repurposed
the animals romp with The Drive » Return to the ski resort chair lift,
abandon. whisks you high over the
Sugarlands Vistor Center then Smokies. You’ll fill up
turn left onto US 441, which your camera’s memory
is called Parkway between card with panoramic
Gatlinburg and Sevierville. Drive snapshots.
2 miles to Gatlinburg.
5 4 p110
WATERFALLS OF THE SMOKIES
From Parkway in downtown
The Smokies are full of waterfalls, from icy trickles Gatlinburg, turn right onto
to roaring cascades. Here are a few of the best: Historic Nature Trail/Airport Rd
»»Grotto Falls You can walk behind these 25ft-high at the Gatlinburg Convention
falls, off Trillium Gap Trail. Center. Follow it into the
»»Laurel Falls This popular 80ft fall is located down national park, continuing to
an easy 2.6-mile paved trail. the marked entrance for the
»»Mingo Falls At 120ft, this is one of the highest one-way Roaring Fork Motor
waterfalls in the Appalachians. Nature Trail.
»»Rainbow Falls On sunny days, the mist here
produces a rainbow.

108

TRIP HIGHLIGHT d Pigeon Forge e Dollywood 7 The Great Smokies

c Roaring Fork The town of Pigeon Forge Dolly Parton’s theme
Motor Nature Trail is an ode to that big- park Dollywood (%865-
haired, big-busted angel 428-9488; www.dollywood
Built on the foundations of East Tennessee, Dolly .com; 2700 Dollywood Parks
of a 150-year-old wagon Parton – who’s known to Blvd; adult/child $57/45;
road, the 6-mile Roaring be a pretty cool chick. hApr-Dec) is an enormous
Fork loop twists through love letter to mountain
strikingly lush forest. Born in a one-room culture. Families pour
Sights include burbling shack in the nearby in to ride the country-
cascades, abundant hamlet of Locust themed thrill rides and
hardwoods, mossy Ridge, Parton started see demonstrations of
boulders and old cabins performing on Knoxville traditional Appalachian
once inhabited by radio at the age of 11 and crafts. You can also tour
farming families. The moved to Nashville at the bald eagle sanctuary
isolated community of 18 with all her worldly or worship at the altar
Roaring Fork was settled belongings in a cardboard of Dolly in the Chasing
in the mid-1800s, along suitcase. She’s made Rainbows life-story
a powerful mountain millions singing about museum. The adjacent
stream. The families that her Smoky Mountain Dollywood’s Splash
lived here were forced to roots and continues to Country takes these
move when the park was be a huge presence in themes and adds water.
established about 100 her hometown, donating
years later. money to local causes and The Drive » Return to
riding a glittery float in
For a waterfall hike, the annual Dolly Parade. Parkway and follow it north 4½
try the 2.6-mile round- miles into downtown Sevierville.
trip walk to Grotto Falls Wacky museums and Turn left onto Bruce St and drive
from the Trillium Gap OTT dinner shows line one block to Court Ave.
Trailhead. Further down Parkway, the main drag.
the road, check out the f Sevierville
Ephraim Bales cabin, Are you an Elvis fan?
once home to 11 people. Step into the low-key Elvis On the front lawn of the
Museum (%865-428-2001; downtown courthouse
The Roaring Fork Auto www.elvismuseums.com; 2638 (125 Court Ave) you might
Tour Guide, for sale for Parkway; adult/child $17/7.50; see a few happy folks
$1 in the Oconaluftee h10am-6pm Sun-Fri, 10am- getting their pictures
and Sugarlands visitor 8pm Sat), which is chock- taken in front of the
centers, provides details full of clothing, jewelry statue of a young Dolly
about plant life and and cars (including a 1967 Parton. Wearing a
buildings along the drive. Honeymoon Cadillac) ponytail, her guitar
No buses, trailer or RVs given away by the held loose, it captures
are permitted on the generous singer. Tickets something kind of nice.
motor road. are steep, but you can You know where’s she’s
save $5 by pre-purchasing from, where her music
The Drive » At the end of online. is going to take her,
and how it all ties in to
Roaring Fork Rd turn left onto The Drive » Turn right onto this tough, but always
E Parkway. Less than 1 mile beautiful, mountain
ahead, turn right at US 321S/ Parkway and drive 2 miles country.
US 441. Drive 7 miles to Pigeon southeast. Then turn left onto
Forge. Dollywood Ln/Veterans Blvd and
follow signs to Dollywood, about
2½ miles away.

109

Eating & Sleeping

Bryson City 2 glowing purple sunrises from the eastern-facing
cliffs at Myrtle Point. As for meals, there’s beef
7 The Great Smokies 5 Cork & Bean Cafe $$ and gravy with mashed potatoes for dinner,
scrambled eggs and Canadian bacon for
(%828-488-1934; www.brysoncitycorkandbean. breakfast.

com; 16 Everett St; breakfast $6-12, lunch

$7-9, dinner $7-25; h8am-9pm) Big windows Elkmont Campground

frame the Cork & Bean, a chic restaurant and 4 Elkmont Campground Campground $

coffee house in downtown Bryson City. With an (%865-436-1271; information nps.gov/grsm;
Little River Rd; sites $17-23; hearly Mar-Nov;
emphasis on locally grown and organic fare, c) The park’s largest campground is on
Little River Rd, 5 miles west of Sugarlands
you’ll feel less guilty digging into the eatery’s Visitor Center. Little River and Jakes Creek run
through this wooded site and and the sound of
crepes and sandwiches after your local hike. rippling water adds tranquility. There are 200
tent and RV campsites and 20 walk-in sites. All
Look for eggs benedict, huevos rancheros and are reservable beginning May 15. Like other
campgrounds in the park, there are no showers,
Belgian waffles on the weekend brunch menu. or electrical or water hook-ups. There are
restrooms.
The adjacent coffee house is a welcoming, cozy

place to surf the net.

4 Fryemont Inn Inn $$

(%828-488-2159; fryemontinn.com;

245 Fryemont St; lodge/ste/cabins from

$110/$180/245, nonguest breakfast $6-9,

dinner $20-29; hrestaurant 6-8pm Sun-Tue,

6-9pm Fri & Sat mid-Apr–late Nov; pWs)

The view of Bryson City and the Smokies from Cades Cove a

the porch of the lofty Fryemont Inn is hard to

beat. This family-owned mountain lodge, which 4 Cades Cove

opened in 1923, feels like summer camp with its Campground $

bark-covered main building and a common area Campground

flanked by a stone fireplace. No TVs or AC in the (%865-448-2472; information www.nps.gov/

lodge rooms. Wi-fi is available in the lobby. The grsm; sites $20) This woodsy campground with

room rate includes breakfast and dinner at the 159 sites is a great place to sleep if you want

on-side restaurant, which is open to the public. to get a jump on visiting Cades Cove. There’s a

Dinner entrees include trout, steak and lamb. camp store, drinking water and bathrooms, but

no showers. There are 29 tent-only sites.

Mt LeConte 8 Gatlinburg b

4 LeConte Lodge Cabins $ 5 Pancake

(%865-429-5704; www.lecontelodge.com;

cabins per person adult/child 4-12yr $126/85) Pantry Breakfast, American $

These rough-hewn log cabins near the summit (%865-436-4724; www.pancakepantry.com;

of Mt LeConte are the park’s only non-camping 628 Parkway; breakfast $7-11, lunch $8-10;

accommodation. There’s no electricity, no real h7am-4pm Jun-Oct, to 3pm Nov-May; c)

showers, and you have to hike at least 5.5 miles This welcoming place is the granddaddy of

to get here. But you’ll be amply rewarded by Gatlinburg’s many pancake houses. Chow

110

down on a wide variety of pancakes, from wild 4 Bearskin Lodge Lodge $$
blueberry to Sugar & Spice, as well as cheese-
swollen omelets and whipped-cream-smothered (%877-795-7546; www.thebearskinlodge.com;
waffles. The building looks like an overgrown
Smurf house. Breakfast offered all day. 840 River Rd; r from $110) This shingled riverside

lodge is blessed with timber accents and a bit

more panache than other Gatlinburg comers. All

5 Smoky Mountain Brewery Pub $$ rooms have flatscreens and fireplaces, as well

(www.smoky-mtn-brewery.com; 1004 Parkway; as private balconies jutting over the river. And
mains $9-23; h11:30am-1am) For filling pub
grub and decent microbrews, head to this busy it’s an excellent value.
brewery with lots of TVs and walls covered with
dollar bills. Can’t make up your mind from the 4 Hampton Inn Hotel $$
menu? Go with the pizza.
(%865-436-4878; www.hamptoninn3.hilton. 7 The Great Smokies

com; 967 Parkway; r $139-179, ste $219;

piWs) Yep, it’s part of a chain, but the

5 Wild Boar Saloon hotel sits in the thick-of-the-action on Parkway.

& Howard’s Steakhouse Steaks $$ Decor is modern, and furnishings include an

(%865-436-3600; www.wildboarsaloon.com; easy chair and ottoman. Rooms with king beds

976 Parkway; mains $9-30; h10am-10pm Sun- have a fireplace. Ahhh.

Thu, until 1:30am Fri & Sat) Since 1947 this dark

creekside saloon has been serving burgers, ribs

and a tasty pulled pork shoulder drenched in

homemade sauce. But it’s known for its steaks

and for being the oldest joint in town.

111

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Climb the 248 steps

ED RESCHKE / GETTY IMAGES © North Carolina’s

8Outer Banks

This slender chain of barrier islands wears its heart on its fragile
sleeve – the windswept dunes, bird-filled marshes and solitary
lighthouses are products of a unique, ever-shifting geography.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 3 DAYS
112 MILES / 180KM
0 miles lL##1
Corolla GREAT FOR...
Drive on the beach and
look for wild mustangs JBG

33 miles Kitty# 28 miles BEST TIME TO GO
Kill Devil Hills
Jockey's Ridge #Hawk Learn about the Wright May through October
State Park #2 Brothers, first siblings for beach days and
Watch the sunset from #3# outdoor fun.
a towering sand dune of flight
I ESSENTIAL
# Rodanthe PHOTO

101 miles mKHatteras # Avon Cape Hatteras
Village Lighthouse for an
Cape Hatteras # ##7 eye-catching link to
Lighthouse the past.
Climb 248 steps to the
top K BEST FOR
FAMILIES

Taking a wild horse
tour on the beach,
north of Corolla.

113

North a ticket ($7) and climb
214 steps. Learn more
8 Carolina’s about the surrounding
Outer Banks marshes at the nearby
Outer Banks Center for
Wild mustangs kick off this trip, which starts in Wildlife Education (www
the untamed northern reaches of the Outer Banks. .ncwildlife.org/obx; 1160 Village
From here, the road flows south on a thread of Ln; admission free; h9am-
barrier islands, the first line of defense against the 4:30pm Mon-Sat).
roaring Atlantic. Nature is a big draw, with sand
dunes, sea oats and coastal views as constant The Drive » Hwy 12 starts
companions. The history impresses too, with lost
colonists, flying machines, terrifying shipwrecks in Corolla. Follow it south past
and a floating platoon of Doritos. beach cottages, shopping
centers and sand dunes. After
TRIP HIGHLIGHT Numerous commercial Duck and Southern Shores,
outfitters also offer turn left onto US 158 south. US
1 Corolla tours, including Corolla 158 is also called the Bypass or
S Croatan Hwy.
Over 100 wild horses, Outback Adventures
descendants of Colonial (%252-453-4484; www. TRIP HIGHLIGHT
Spanish mustangs, graze
among the sea oats corollaoutback.com; 1150 2 Kill Devil Hills
north of Corolla. There’s
no paved road north Ocean Trail, Corolla; 2hr tour The hilltop monument
of town, and the main adult/child $50/25) run by a at Mile 7.5 is a majestic
highway is...the beach. knowledgeable long-time calling card for the
local, Jay Bender. Wright Brothers National
Check out a few Memorial (%252-473-2111;
exhibits about the Historic Corolla www.nps.gov/wrbr; Hwy 158,
horses at the Wild Horse Village is home to Bypass Milepost 7.5; adult/child
Museum (www.corolla the Currituck Beach $4/free; hvisitor center 9am-
wildhorses.com; 1129 Corolla Lighthouse (www 5pm) in Kill Devil Hills.
Vilage Rd; admission free; .currituckbeachlight. It is is NOT, however,
h9:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am- the sight of the world’s
4pm Sat Jun-Aug, 10am-4pm com; adult/child $7/free; first airplane flight.
Mon-Fri Sep-May) run by the Nope, the 12-second ride
Corolla Wild Horse Fund. h9am-5pm Mar 23-Nov started at the bottom
The group also leads 23), the northernmost of the hill, and a 6-ton
two-hour wild horse of the Outer Banks’ boulder marks the spot.
tours (adult/child $45/20). six lighthouses. The Orville Wright was at
impressive all-brick the controls during the
sentinel has guided history-making flight on
sailors since 1875. The December 17, 1903. His
grounds are free, but to brother Wilbur steadied
appreciate the view, buy the wings as the plane
left the ground.

There’s a life-size
reproduction of the
Wright’s flying machine
in the visitor center
plus numerous exhibits
about the brothers, who
funded their research

114

]#Norfolk e# 0 40 km with proceeds from
0 20 miles their bicycle shop in
:: Dayton, Ohio. Don’t miss
the ranger-led ‘Flight
:: Room Talk,’ a 30-minute
talk that describes the
:: VIRGINIA brothers’ ingenuity and
:: perseverance.

:: Behind the monument,
look for a bronze-and-
:: steel replica of the plane.
Scramble across the wing
:: lLCurrituck (it’s allowed!) to get a feel
: 4:00 miles to Sound for its complexity.

FG: : 10 5 4 p119
The Drive » Continue south
‚: :
on US 158 to Mile 12.
##\1 Corolla 8 North Carolina’s Outer Banks
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
\# Û]158
3 Jockey’s
Elizabeth äb12 Ridge State Park
City
Kick off your shoes for
Albemarle Kitty Hawk ]Û#\ 158 a leg-stretching climb
Sound up Jockey’s Ridge (www
#350 miles to .ncparks.gov; Hwy 158
Kill Devil Hills 2 Bypass, Mile 12; admission
FG6 free; h8am-9pm Jun-Aug,
3 Jockey’s hours vary rest of year), the
‚ # ##\ Ù[64 Ridge State largest sand dune on
Columbia Ù[64 Park the East Coast. With a
Fort Raleigh National 4 360-degree view that
Historic Site
LINK
#Bodie Island 5 YOUR
Lighthouse TRIP
äb12
a Lowcountry &
#Pea Island National 6 Southern Coast
Wildlife Refuge
For a mood-drenched look
NORTH Rodanthe #\ into the past, drive west to
CAROLINA I-95 south and Charleston.

Û]264 6 Blue Ridge
Parkway
äb12
Leave the beaches for the
\# Swanquarter Pamlico Sound mountains by taking US 64
west to I-40 west.
#\ Avon

Buxton
#H Km# #Hatteras Village #\
#\8
7
äb12 Cape
Hatteras
Ocracoke p118 Lighthouse
#\

Portsmouth #\

#\ Cape
NLoaotikoonuatl
Cedar Island Seashore
Ferry

115

JOHN MARCIANO III / GETTY IMAGES ©sweeps in the Atlantic
Ocean and Roanoke
8 North Carolina’s Outer Banks Sound, it’s a gorgeous
spot to watch the sunset.
Impress your friends with
tales (and video) of your
hang-gliding prowess by
booking a lesson with
Kitty Hawk Kites (%877-
359-2447, 252-441-2426; www.
kittyhawk.com; 3933 S Croatan
Hwy; hang gliding $99, bike/
paddleboard rental per day
$25/59, kayak rental per day
$39-49), which also has a
satellite office inside the
park.

The Drive » Follow US 12

south through the town of Nags
Head to Hwy 64 west, which
crosses the sound. On Roanoke
Island, turn right to follow Hwy
64 through Manteo to Fort
Raleigh Dr.

4 Fort Raleigh as suggested by the word Outdoor Drama (www
National Historic Site ‘Croatan’ carved into a .thelostcolony.org; 1409
tree? Learn more at the
Roanoke Island is the site visitor center (www.nps National Park Dr; adult/
of one of North America’s .gov/fora; 1401 National Park
most enduring mysteries. child $26.50/9.50; h8pm
A group of 116 British Dr, Manteo; admission free; Mon-Sat Jun-late Aug), a
colonists disappeared popular musical about
from their settlement hgrounds dawn-dusk, visitor the colonists by Pulitzer
here in the late 1580s. center 9am-5pm), which has Prize–winning North
Were they killed by exhibits and a short film. Carolina playwright
drought? Did they try Paul Green. The play
to sail home? Or did In summer, sit outside celebrated its 75th
they leave with a local for the Lost Colony
Native American tribe,

TOP TIP:
COASTAL NC NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER

TOP TIP: This comprehensive visitor center (www.fws.gov/ncgatewayvc; 100

Conservation Way, Manteo; h9am-4pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun), which opened in 2012,
provides information about the region’s 11 national wildlife refuges and their activities,
from a Red Wolf Howling Safari at Alligator River to the Wings over Water Wildlife
Festival in October. Multimedia exhibits examine the region’s flora, fauna and history.

116

anniversary in 2012. 5 Bodie Island Corolla Wild horses on the beach
Before the show, wander Lighthouse
the 16th-century style late Apr-early Oct; c), which
Cape Hatteras National opened to visitors for
Elizabethan Gardens Seashore (www.nps.gov/ the first time in 2013.
(www.elizabethan caha) is a mesmerizing The 1872 lighthouse
gardens.org; 1411 National Park place. Its boundaries has its original Fresnal
Dr; adult/child $9/6; h9am- extend some 70 miles lens, a rarity. Entry is by
7pm Jun-Aug, shorter hours across the whisper-thin guided tour. Tickets can
fall-spring) next door. Trails barrier islands of Bodie, be reserved by phone or
pass by flower gardens, Hatteras and Ocracoke. purchased on a first-
the world’s largest statue come, first-served basis.
of Queen Elizabeth I Today you can survey In the visitor center a
and a live oak that was the landscape from atop small museum spotlights
probably alive when the the 156ft Bodie Island the lighthouse keepers
colonists arrived. Lighthouse (%252-441- who tended the light. The
5711, ticket reservations island and lighthouse are
The Drive » Return to Hwy 255-475-9417; Bodie Island pronounced ‘body.’
Lighthouse Rd, Bodie Island;
12. Follow it south into Cape museum free, tours adult/ The Drive » Oregon Inlet
Hatteras National Seashore. child $8/4; hmuseum
From here it’s 6 miles to Bodie 9am-6pm Jun-Aug, to 5pm rolls into view just south of the
Island Lighthouse Rd and almost Sep-May, tours 9am-5:45pm lighthouse. After the marina,
60 miles to Hatteras Village. Hwy 12 swoops onto Hatteras
Island.

117

8 North Carolina’s Outer Banks DETOUR: Today, as you walk
OCRACOKE up its 248 steps (equal
to a 12-story building),
Start: 8 Hatteras Village imagine being the
Why take the free Hatteras to Ocracoke ferry? To lighthouse keeper,
slow down and escape the modern grind. Gone are carrying the 5-gallon,
the ubiquitous beachwear shops and BrewThru 40lb canister of oil on
convenience stores of the Carolina coast; instead, your back each day.
you’ll find handmade craft stores, organic coffee Today, rangers don’t
shops and hemp design boutiques. You can camp advise the climb on an
by the beach where the wild ponies run, enjoy a fish empty stomach. Guided
sandwich in a local pub, bike around the narrow full-moon climbs are
streets of Ocracoke Village or visit the 1823 Ocracoke offered in summer.
Lighthouse. For the ferry schedule, see www.ncdot
.gov/ferry. A two-story museum
in the former double
6 Pea Island TRIP HIGHLIGHT keepers’ quarters provides
National an overview of the island’s
Wildlife Refuge 7 Cape Hatteras interesting history.
Lighthouse
More than 350 species The Drive » Drive 12 miles
of migrating birds have What happens when
landed at this refuge erosion and tidal south, passing through Frisco
on the northern end movement have caused and into Hatteras Village. When
of Hatteras Island. To a 4800-ton, 1.25-million- you see the ferry landing, stay
scan for birds, stroll the brick lighthouse to end left for museum just ahead.
half-mile, fully accessible up within almost 100ft
North Pond Trail or step of the shorelines? You 8 Hatteras Village
inside the visitor center pick it up and move it,
(%252-987-2394; www of course. That’s what More than 500 ships
.fws.gov/peaisland; Hwy 12; happened to the black- have met their maker in
hvisitor center 9am-4pm, and-white-striped Cape the battering waves off
trails dawn-dusk) where the coast of the Outer
there’s a spotting scope. Hatteras Lighthouse Banks. In Hatteras
In summer, check the (www.nps.gov/caha; climbing Village, the Graveyard
online calendar for turtle tours adult/child $8/4; of the Atlantic Museum
talks and canoe tours. A hvisitor center 9am-5pm (%252-986-2995; www.
90-minute bird walk is Sep-May, to 6pm June-Aug, graveyardoftheatlantic.com;
offered Friday mornings lighthouse late Apr-early Oct) 59200 Museum Dr; admission
at 8am; call for for in 1999. After 60 years free, donations appreciated;
additional dates. of erosion stabilization h10am-4pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct,
attempts, the National closed Sat Nov-Mar) displays
The Drive » Continue south Park Service authorized shipwreck artifacts
this controversial dating back hundreds
on Hwy 12 passing through the project. Over 23 very of years. One highlight
villages of Rodanthe, Waves slow days, the lighthouse is a WWII enigma
and Salvo. was moved – safely – (encryption-decryption)
2900ft from the shore, machine recovered from
completely unscathed. a German submarine
that sunk in 1942.

5 4 p119

118

Eating & Sleeping

Duck Nags Head

4 Sanderling Resort & Spa Resort $$$ 5 Tortugas’ Lie Seafood $$

(%252-261-4111; www.sanderling-resort.com; (www.tortugaslie.com; 3014 S Virginia Dare Trail/
1461 Duck Rd; r/ste from $299/539; paWs)
The Sanderling, fresh off a five-month Mile 11; lunch $9-18, dinner $12-24; h11:30am-
renovation, just got posher. Impeccably tasteful
rooms shine with modern but welcoming style 9:30pm Sun-Thu, until 10pm Fri & Sat) The
and come with decks and flat-screen TVs.
Weary business travelers should head straight interior isn’t dressed to impress – surfboards, 8 North Carolina’s Outer Banks
to the new adults-only tranquility pool. Several
restaurants and a spa are on-site. For a sunset license plates – but who cares? The reliably
cocktail, look for the ever-patient Garfield
behind the lobby bar. good seafood, burritos and burgers go down

well with the beer. And kids will be perfectly fine.

Guy Fieri stopped by in 2012 and scrawled his

signature on the wall. Fills up by 6:30pm.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Southern Shores 4 Campgrounds Campground $

5 John’s Drive-In Seafood, Ice Cream $ (%reservations 800-365-2267, 252-473-2111;

(www.johnsdrivein.com; 3716 N Virginia Dare www.nps.gov/caha; tent sites $20-23) The
Trail; mains $2-13; h11am-5pm Mon, Tue &
Thu, until 6pm Fri-Sun May-Sep) A Kitty Hawk National Park Service runs four summer-only
institution for perfectly fried baskets of ‘dolphin’
(mahimahi) and rockfish, to be eaten at outdoor campgrounds on the islands, which feature
picnic tables and washed down with a milkshake.
Some folks just come for the ice cream. cold-water showers and flush toilets. They

are located at Oregon Inlet (near Bodie Island

Lighthouse), Cape Point and Frisco (near Cape

Hatteras Lighthouse) and Ocracoke. Sites at

Ocracoke can be reserved; the others are first-

come, first-served.

Kill Devil Hills 2 Hatteras Village 8

5 Kill Devil Grill Seafood, American $$ 5 Breakwater Restaurant Seafood $$$

(%252-449-8181; www.thekilldevilgrill.com; (%252-986-2733; www.breakwaterhatteras.
Beach Rd, Mile 9¾; lunch $7-11, dinner $9-20; com; 57896 Hwy 12; mains $20-38; hfrom 5pm
h11:30am-10pm Tue-Sat) Yowza, this place is Tue-Sat) This restaurant beside the sound has
good. It’s also a bit historical – the entrance is a been serving food for more than 60 years. Come
1939 diner that’s listed in the national registry here for steamed seafood, fresh fish and and big
of historic places. Pub grub and seafood arrive daddy crabcakes.
with tasty flair, and portions are generous.
Check out the specials, where the kitchen can 4 Breakwater Inn Motel $$
really shine.
(%252-986-2565; www.breakwaterhatteras.
4 Shutters on the Banks Hotel $$
com; 57896 Hwy 12; r/ste inn $159/189, motel
(%800-848-3728; www.shuttersonthebanks.
com; 405 S Virginia Dare Trail; r $149-289; $104/134; paWs) The end of the road
paWs) Formerly Colony IV by the Sea, this
welcoming seaside hotel now exudes a bright doesn’t look so bad at this three-story inn.
and sassy joie de vivre. Inviting rooms come
with plantation window, colorful bedspreads, a Rooms come with kitchenettes and have private
flat-screen TV, a refrigerator and a microwave.
decks with views of the sound. On a budget?

Book an older ‘Fisherman’s Quarters’ room,

with microwave and refrigerator. The inn is near

the ferry landing.

119

Greenville Cascades lend a
picturesque air to downtown

JTP / GETTY IMAGES © Greenville #
& Cherokee
Foothills Scenic 9

Highway

This trip begins with a Revolutionary battle on a mountaintop,
rolls through woodland valleys steeped in legend and ends
with dramatic cascades in the center of Greenville.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 0 miles 2 DAYS
Kings Mountain 172 MILES / 277KM
81 miles National Military
Caesars Head Park GREAT FOR...
State Park A Revolutionary War
Watch migrating turning point JB
hawks soar on the
thermal breezes lL BEST TIME TO GO
#1
#3 April to November for
#4 Greenville leafy canopies and
The downtown hiking; September
mK##]7 waterfall is a stunning to November for the
centerpiece Hawk Watch.
Table Rock State 158 miles
Park I ESSENTIAL
Hike to the top of a PHOTO
mountain famed for its
granite face Table Rock Mountain’s
93 miles huge granite face.

K BEST FOR
HISTORY

Kings Mountain,
where a pivotal battle
took place during the
Revolutionary War.

121

Greenville & TRIP HIGHLIGHT

9 Cherokee Foothills 1 Kings Mountain
Scenic Highway National Military
Park
Cherokees once roamed the upcountry foothills,
which they called ‘The Great Blue Hills of God.’ As Major Patrick
Geologically known as the Blue Ridge escarpment, Ferguson learned on
it’s the spot where the Blue Ridge Mountains the summit of Kings
drop dramatically to meet the Piedmont. Frontier Mountain, threatening
patriots, secretive moonshiners and the mighty American patriots is
Duke Energy have all used the region’s hills and never a good idea. In
streams to their advantage. The dynamic heart is the fall of 1780, General
Greenville, with its downtown waterfalls and lively Lord Cornwallis ordered
city sidewalks. Ferguson to subdue the
frontier militias of the
western Carolinas. In a
message to the patriots,
who were known as the

FG6 Ù[64 #\

Pisgah Hendersonville [Ù74
NFaotiroenstal
NORTH
Brevard #\ CAROLINA

Tryon #\ VÓU26

Landrum #\

Û]276 Ù[25
äb11
#Caesars Head State Park 3

#Table Rock State Park 4 äb8 Û]176

Inman#\

äb11 Hagood Mill ]Û276

Historic Site & #\
Folklore Center
#6 Û]178 Greer
#\ Salem `ß#\ 183 \# Taylors

`ß130 Pickens ]#7 Greenville
ß` Km#183

#5 #\ Mauldin \# SOUTH CAROLINA
#\ Simpsonville
Duke Easley
Energy
World of Û]123
Energy
Museum

#\ VÓU85 WXÕ385

Clemson 63 miles to
RHeasretrwvoeillr
‚ FG13

Overmountain Men, the slopes. After a 9 Greenville & Cherokee Foothills Scenic HighwayThe Drive » Take SC-216 to
Ferguson proclaimed, ‘If short period of intense
you do not desist your fighting, Ferguson was Brood River I-85 south. Follow it to exit 92
opposition to the British dead and his troops and SC-11 south, which is the
Arms, I shall march this decimated. Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy
army over the mountains, (if you get to giant Peach –
hang your leaders and lay At Kings Mountain aka the peach butt – you’ve
waste your country with gone too far). The profile of a
fire and sword.’ National Military Park Cherokee is emblazoned on
(%864-936-7921; www.npps. markers along the byway. Drive
In response, 900 gov/kimo; Hwy 216; admission 10 miles.
annoyed frontiersmen free; h9am-5pm, to 6pm Sat
crossed the mountains, & Sun Jun-Aug) a 1.5-mile 2 Cowpens
joined forces and paved interpretative trail National Battlefield
surrounded Ferguson explores the forested
and his 1000-man battlefield. At the visitor On January 17, 1781,
army. Comfortable with center, a 26-minute film American commander
close-range combat, describes the fight, which Daniel Morgan executed
the patriots used the was a turning point in a brilliant tactical
mountain’s thick trees the Revolutionary War. A maneuver (the double
as cover as they climbed small museum spotlights envelopment) against a
the battle’s major players. larger, better-equipped
British force during the
Forest #\ Kings Battle of Cowpens. His
#\ City Mountain success inspired Colonial
Shelby forces on their path to
]Û221 #\ final victory at Yorktown.
At Cowpens National
Cowpens #2 äb11 VÓU85 #1 Ll Battlefield (%864-461-
2828; www.nps.gov/cowp;
National \# Gaffney Kings Mountain 4001 Chesnee Hwy, Gaffney;
Battlefield National Military admission free; h9am-5pm,
auto loop closes at 4:30pm),
VÓU85 Park
LINK
YOUR
TRIP

#] Spartanburg 6 Blue Ridge
Parkway
]Û176
After ascending Table Rock,
take US 25 north for a post-
hike microbrew in Asheville.

\# Jonesville d Hogs & Heifers:
#\ Union a Georgia BBQ
Odyssey

For some old-school BBQ,
follow I-85 south toward
Lexington.

e# 0 20 km 123
0 10 miles

AURORA PHOTOS / ALAMY ©don’t limit yourself to the car, walk 30 steps and
auto loop, which skirts say ‘Wow!’ The overlook
9 Greenville & Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway the central fighting area. at Caesars Head State
Signs scattered across Park (%864-836-6115;
the actual battlefield www.southcarolinaparks.com; TRIP HIGHLIGHT
mark the positions of 8155 Geer Hwy, Cleveland;
the different companies admission free, trail access $2; 4 Table Rock
and explain Morgan’s h9am-9pm mid-Mar–early State Park
tactics. Even if you’re not Nov, to 6pm rest of year,
fascinated by military visitor center hours vary) Table Rock Mountain
history, the strange falls cheerfully into the is the region’s marquee
tranquility of the place latter category. This lofty natural attraction. A
makes it worthy of a viewpoint atop the Blue 3124ft-high mountain
stroll. Ridge Escarpment offers with a striking granite
a sweeping panorama face, it’s ready-made for
The Drive » From the park, of regional mountains photographs. According
and foothills. From here, to Cherokee legend,
continue south 50 miles on Table Rock Mountain juts the mountain served
SC-11. The byway passes farms, into view almost dead as a table for a giant
fields, produce stands and ahead. During the fall chieftain, who ate there
Baptist churches before rolling Hawk Watch (September after a hunt. While
into the woods. Follow US 276 to November), migrating dining, he used Stool
as it twists upward through hawks catch thermals Mountain as his seat.
the park. here – and impress
visitors – as they travel The 7.2-mile round-
TRIP HIGHLIGHT south for winter. If you trip hike to its summit at
do want to exercise, try Table Rock State
3 Caesars the 4.4-mile round-trip
Head State Park hike to a view of 420ft
Raven Cliff Falls.
Sometimes you want
to earn your stunning The Drive » Take Hwy 8 to
view – with a 10-mile
hike or an all-day bike SC-11 south then drive 4.6 miles.
ride. Other times you just
want to step out of your

TABLE ROCK STATE
PARK: THE CIVILIAN
CONSERVATIONS CORPS

In 1933 President Franklin D Roosevelt established
the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a workforce
of 250,000 young men. Its mission? To conserve
and improve America’s resources. Within 10 years
Roosevelt’s ‘Tree Army’ had laid 28,087 miles of
trails and created or improved more than 800
state parks. The CCC built 16 state parks in South
Carolina. Construction of Table Rock State Park
began in 1935. CCC projects at Table Rock include
the concession building, a lodge, most cabins, all
trails and the 36-acre Pinnacle Lake.

124

Table Rock Mountain View from the summit

Park (%864-878-9813; annual Music on the your legs at…a nuclear
www.southcarolinaparks Mountain Series. Need power plant. But hey, why
more options? There’s not? The self-guided tour
.com; 158 Ellison Ln, Pickens; camping, plus swimming inside the Duke Energy
and fishing in Pinnacle
admission adult/child $2/free; Lake. World of Energy Museum
(%800-777-1004; www.duke-
h7am-7pm Sun-Thu, to 9pm 4 p127 energy.com/worldofenergy;
The Drive » Return to SC-11 7812 Rochester Hwy, Seneca;
Fri & Sat, extended evening admission free; h9am-5pm
hours mid-May–early Nov) is a south and drive 19 miles to SC- Mon-Fri, noon-5pm Sat) at the
popular local challenge. 130. Turn left and continue south Oconee Nuclear Station is
For a good view of 10 miles, passing through the a pretty darn interesting
the mountain, take a town of Salem. SC-130 becomes look at how electricity
seat at the park visitor Rochester Hwy. has been produced in
center, which is also an the region, from the use
information center for 5 Duke Energy of water power to coal
the scenic highway. World of Energy to uranium. The nuclear
Museum plant went online in 1973,
Visitors can spend and today it can provide
the night in one of 14 After all those trees and electricity for more than
cabins constructed by waterfalls, it just seems 1.7 million average-sized
the Civilian Conservation right to stop and stretch homes.
Corps. The second
Saturday of the month,
catch a bluegrass jam
here as part of the

125

9 Greenville & Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Main Street itself
GREENVILLE: rolls past a lively array
MICE ON MAIN of boutiques, eateries
and craft-beer pubs.
Inquisitive children and fun-loving adults (with good Whimsical quotes from
eyesight) will get a kick out of a downtown scavenger notables such as Oscar
hunt in Greenville called Mice on Main. The treasures Wilde, Erma Bombeck
are nine bronze mice placed in different spots along and Will Rogers – called
Main St between the Hyatt Regency and the Westin ‘Thoughts on a Walk’ –
Poinsett. The project, inspired by the childhood book dot the sidewalk. In the
Goodnight Moon, was the brainchild of a local high evening, the trees are
school student, Jim Ryan, who wanted downtown illuminated by twinkling
to feel like a special place. As you find the mice, white lights. Stop by the
located on both sides of the street, you’ll learn more visitor center (%864-233-
about the city. Pick up a list of mouse-hunt clues at 0461; www.visitgreenvillesc
the visitor center (206 S Main St) or online (www .com; 206 S Main St; h8am-
.greenvillecvb.com). 5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat,
noon-4pm Sun) for a public
The Drive » Take SC-130 wooden waterwheel. The art map and clues for
mill was in continuous Mice on Main.
south to E Pickens Hwy/SC-183. commercial operation
Turn left and drive 14 miles. until 1966. Today it’s For exercise, try the
At US 178, turn left and drive back in production on the
3 miles. Turn left onto Hagood third Saturday of every Swamp Rabbit Trail
Mill Rd. month, when there’s also (http://greenvillerec.com/
live bluegrass music. Also swamprabbit), a 17.5-
6 Hagood Mill on-site are two relocated mile path for hikers
Historic Site & log cabins, one dating and cyclists on an old
Folklore Center to 1791, as well as an old railway line that links
moonshine still. downtown to Furman
You’ll find more than a University. Pop into the
historical mill at this The Drive » Return to SC-183 regionally famed Mast
streamside site (%864- General Store (www.
898-2936; www.co.pickens. and follow it east 20 miles into mastgeneralstore.com; 111 N
sc.us; 138 Hagood Mill Rd; downtown Greenville. Main St; h10am-6pm Mon-
admission free; h10am- Thu, 10am-9pm Fri & Sat, noon-
4pm Wed-Sat) in Pickens TRIP HIGHLIGHT 6pm Sun) for outdoor gear
County. Several hundred and old-time candy then
petroglyphs have 7 Greenville sample peach whiskey at
been discovered in the
upcountry, and in 2003 a Greenville has one of Dark Corner Distillery
collection of stick-figure America’s most inviting (www.darkcornerdistillery.com;
carvings were found on a downtowns. The Reedy 241 N Main St; hnoon-6pm
rock near the mill. These River twists through Mon-Sat). The Dark Corner
17 carvings are scheduled the city center, and its is the nickname given
to be displayed in a new dramatic falls tumble to the secretive upland
on-site exhibit hall by the beneath Main St at Falls corner of Greenville
end of 2013. The site’s Park (www.fallspark.com). For County, which was famed
namesake attraction, the a photo of the falls, stroll for its bootlegging and
1845 gristmill, has a 20ft onto the graceful Liberty hardscrabble Scots-Irish
Bridge, a 345ft-long residents.
suspension bridge.
5 4 p127

126

Eating & Sleeping

Table Rock State Park 4 and Southern cuisine. Located beside the Reedy
River, upstream from Main St.
4 Table Rock State Park
5 Lemongrass Thai $$
Campground & Cabins Campground $
(%864-878-9813; www.southcarolinaparks. (www.lemongrassthai.net; 106 N Main St; lunch
com; 158 Ellison Ln, Pickens; campsites $16-21,
cabins $52-181; a) The 14 CCC-built cabins $9-12, dinner $12-16; h11:30am-2:30pm
(one to three bedrooms) come with air-
conditioning, kitchenettes and coffeemakers. Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm Mon-Thu, 5:30-10:30pm Fri
Campers have their choice of 93 campsites with
water and hookups, spread across two separate & Sat) Dine on delicious noodle dishes, curries 9 Greenville & Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway
wooded camping areas. There are also five walk-
in sites ($9 to $13). All sites can be reserved. and Bangkok street dishes, with jazz playing in

the background, at this stylish Thai restaurant

tucked in a narrow space on Main St.

4 Drury Inn & Suites Hotel $$

(%864-288-4401; www.druryhotels.com; 10

Carolina Point Pkwy; r incl breakfast $108-148;

paiW) It’s not downtown, but the price

Salem of a room includes a nightly happy hour with a

hearty array of appetizers plus there’s a filling

4 Sunrise Farm B&B B&B $$ breakfast buffet. Friendly staff to boot. The

(%864-944-0121; www.sunrisefarmbb.com; hotel is on I-85, 7 miles from downtown. For a

325 Sunrise Dr, Salem; incl breakfast r $110-195, better rate, check the hotel coupon books that

cottage $163-183; paWc#) Join Cisco the are found at visitor centers, or try the e-saver

Bolivian llama and sheep, pygmy goats, cats and rate online.

a Lhasa Apso on acres of pastoral lands. 4 Pettigru Place B&B $$

(%864-242-4529; www.pettrigruplace.com;

Greenville 7 302 Pettrigru St; r incl breakfast $145-225;

paW) The five rooms at this downtown B&B

5 Coffee Underground Cafe $ are quaintly Victorian, but they do have modern

(www.coffeeunderground.biz; 1 E Coffee St; conveniences, from Keurig coffeemakers to

pastries and desserts $2-5, mains $7-11; h7am- wi-fi to flat-screen TVs. Some have jacuzzis and

11pm Mon-Thu, 7am-midnight Fri, 8am-midnight fireplaces. Helpful host.

Sat, 8am-10pm Sun) Try the chicken wrap and 4 Westin Poinsett Hotel $$$

the Black Tiger milkshake at this welcoming (%864-421-9700; www.westinpoinsett

indie coffee shop. The chocolate chunk cookies greenville.com; 120 S Main St; r $209-269;

are darn good too. It’s located at the bottom of paiW#) This grand hotel, which

the stairs at the corner of Main and Coffee Sts. originally opened in 1925, is in the heart of

5 Lazy Goat Mediterranean $$ downtown, just steps from Reedy River Falls.

(%864-679-5299; www.thelazygoat.com; 170 Past guests include Amelia Earhart, Cornelius

River Pl; lunch $5-15, dinner small plates $5-10, Vanderbilt and Bobby Kennedy. Decor is classic

dinner mains $12-25; h11:30am-9pm Mon-Wed, but fresh, and beds come with a pillow-top

to 10pm Thu-Sat) Mediterranean-inspired small mattress. Parking is $6 per day; pets are $75

plates with influences of Greek, French, Italian per stay.

127

Beaufort Antebellum architecture
abounds in this charming town

STEPHEN SAKS / GETTY IMAGES © #

Lowcountry &

10Southern Coast

Century-old churches, timeless marshes, ancient oaks and
Spanish moss: on this Lowcountry loop, the past rises up to say
hello. Except on Parris Island, where it yells, ‘Move it marine!’

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 15 miles 3 DAYS
Drayton Hall 265 MILES / 426KM
20 miles This 1738 plantation
Middleton Place survived two wars GREAT FOR...
Meditate in beauty in
sprawling gardens BJ
designed in 1741
BEST TIME TO GO
##3 J%
##2 From spring to fall for
# Charleston the Gullah Festival,
Jacksonboro produce at roadside
stands and sunshine
# for outdoor fun.

Yemassee I ESSENTIAL
PHOTO
#
Sunset at Hunting
# Edisto Island State Park.
Beach
128 miles K BEST FOR
###7 #8 CULTURE
##6 Hunting Island
State Park Learning the traditions
of unique coastal
Watch the sun set over communities, from boot
the marsh camp to bottle trees.

Marine Corps 119 miles 129
Recruit Depot Penn Center
Learn about Navajo Martin Luther King
Code Talkers in the strategized here in the
museum
1960s
105 miles

Lowcountry

10 & Southern
Coast

The Lowcountry welcomes travelers with a warm \# Hampton
embrace – straight from the 1700s. This coastal region, Yemassee \#
which stretches from Charleston south to Georgia, is a
tangle of islands, inlets and tidal marshes. This drive
sweeps in plantation life, military history, Gullah culture
and a landmark African American school, all set among a
moody backdrop of coastal wilds.

Ridgeland \#

1 Charleston Patriot’s Point in Mt VÓU95
Pleasant. To explore
Charleston is a city for Charleston’s historical ‚ ]Û278
savoring. Stroll past district, see our walking
Rainbow Row, take a tour (p136). 18 miles to Bluffton \#
carriage ride, study the
antebellum architecture 5 4 p135 GF11
and enjoy shrimp and The Drive » From the wharf,
grits. Historically, the city Hall (%843-769-2600; www
is best known for its role follow Calhoun St west through .draytonhall.org; 3380 Ashley
in the start of the Civil Charleston to Hwy 61, also
War. The first shots of the known as Ashley River Rd. Follow River Rd; adult/child $18/8;
conflict rang out on April it north for about 10 miles.
12, 1861, at Fort Sumter, h9am-5pm Mon-Sat,
a pentagon-shaped island TRIP HIGHLIGHT
in the harbor. Boat tours 11am-5pm Sun, last tour
(%boat tour 843-722-2628, 2 Drayton Hall 3:30pm, built in 1738 and
park 843-883-3123; www.nps. unique for its Georgian-
gov/fosu; 340 Concord St; Three plantations – Palladian architecture. It
adult/child $18/11; htours Drayton Hall, Magnolia was the only plantation
9:30am, noon & 2:30pm Plantation and Middleton along the Ashley
summer, fewer winter) depart Place – border Ashley River to survive the
from Aquarium Wharf River Rd, their gardens, Revolutionary and Civil
at the eastern end of swamps and graveyards
Calhoun St, and from hidden behind a line of
oaks and Spanish moss.

The first plantation on
the drive is Drayton

130

‚185 miles to ÓVU26 \# Goose
Creek
FG9

Summerville #\

h^17A #äb61 3 Drayton
Hall
#4 Walterboro Middleton
Place #2

ÓVU95 SOUTH CAROLINA äb61 J%

h^17A [Ù17 #]#1 Charleston 10 Lowcountry & Southern Coast
#I
#\ ß`174
p136
Jacksonboro

Ù[17

#Edisto Island 9

Scenic Byway

Edisto \#
Island

Ù[21

##\ #\5 Beaufort

Burton

#\ #7 #8

Port Penn Hunting
Royal Center Island
State Park
#6

Marine Corps
Recruit Depot

Hilton e# 0 20 km
\# Head 0 10 miles

Island

Wars. It also survived LINK b Savannah to
the great earthquake of YOUR the Golden
1886. The plantation is TRIP Isles
unique because it has
been preserved, but 9 Greenville From Beaufort, follow
not restored. After a & Cherokee Hwy 170 to soak up the
guided tour of the house, Foothills Scenic history of Savannah.
stroll the grounds on Highway
paths wandering along
the river and around a Follow I-28 west to
marsh. crashing cascades in
downtown Greenville.

131

10 Lowcountry & Southern Coast The Drive » Continue north burned the main house stores before visiting the
in 1855, but a guest wing,
on Ashley River Rd/Hwy 61. Pass built in 1755 and later South Carolina Artisans
Magnolia Plantation then drive restored, still stands Center (www.scartianscenter
another 3 miles. After passing today. It contains a .com; 318 Wichman St;
the exit to Middleton Inn, turn museum with Middleton h9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm
right for the gardens. family furnishings and Sun). Here, folk art, fine
historical documents. art and traditional crafts
TRIP HIGHLIGHT fill several rooms in a
Enjoy she-crab soup rambling house.
3 Middleton Place and other Lowcountry
dishes at the highly Boardwalks and
Designed in 1741, the vast regarded Middleton trails wind through 842
gardens at Middleton Place Restaurant (%843- acres of swampland at
Place (%843-556-6020; 266-7477; www.middletonplace the new Walterboro
www.middletonplace.org; .org; 4300 Ashley River Rd; Wildlife Sanctuary (www
4300 Ashley River Rd; gardens lunch $13-16, dinner $14-34; .walterborosc.org). One path
adult/child $28/10, house h11am-3pm & 6-8pm Tue-Thu tracks the Savannah
tour add $15; h9am-5pm) & Sun, 6-9pm Fri & Sat ). Stage Coach Rd, which
are the oldest in the dates to Colonial times.
US. One hundred slaves 5 p132 Entrances are off Jefferies
spent a decade terracing Blvd at Beach Rd and
and digging the precise The Drive » Follow Hwy 61 Detreville St. The park’s
geometric canals. original name, the Great
The property was the north to its junction with US 17A. Swamp Sanctuary, was
Middleton family seat Turn left. Take US 17A south for scrapped in 2013 because
from the 1700s through 24 miles. the town council thought
the Civil War. the word ‘swamp’ had
4 Walterboro negative connotations,
The grounds are a mix especially for urban
of classic formal French The town of Walterboro visitors. We beg to differ.
gardens and romantic calls itself the ‘The Front
woodland settings – one Porch of the Lowcountry,’ The Drive » From Walterboro,
lonely path leads to a and a red rocking chair
band of stone cherubs greets guests at the continue south on US 17A to
blissfully rocking out. welcome center (%843- Yemassee. For brochures and
There are also flooded 538-4353; 1273 Sniders history, turn right at US 17 and
rice patties and fields Hwy; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat). continue to the Low Country
of rare-breed farm Downtown, shoppers can Visitor Center at Frampton
animals. Union soldiers peruse a dozen antique Plantation. Otherwise, turn
left on US 17 and continue to
Beaufort.

BLUE BOTTLE TREES 5 Beaufort

That tree in the distance? The one with the branches The streets are lined
sprouting empty blue bottles? Say hello to your with antebellum homes.
first bottle tree, a tradition that traces back to Magnolias drip with
9th-century Congo. According to lore, haunts and Spanish moss. Boats
evil spirits, being of a curious nature, crawl inside shimmer on the river.
the bottles to see what they can find. They become Gobs of cafes and
trapped and then are destroyed by the morning galleries crowd the
sunlight. Stop and listen. On a windy night you might downtown. The town is
just hear them moan. so darn charming that
it’s often the backdrop

132

JOHN ELK / GETTY IMAGES ©

Charleston House and grounds at Middleton Place

for Hollywood films set Stanley Kubrick’s Full TRIP HIGHLIGHT
in the South, from The Metal Jacket.
Big Chill and The Prince 7 Penn Center
of Tides to Forrest Gump. The Modern Marine
Walk, eat, shop...or just Wing at the Parris Island East of Beaufort is
nap on the porch at your Museum (%843-228-2951; a series of marshy,
B&B. www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil; 111 rural islands including
Panama St; admission free; St Helena Island,
5 4 p135 h10am-4:40pm) describes considered the heart
The Drive » Take the Sea marine participation in of Gullah Country. The
recent wars. Check out nonprofit Penn Center
Island Pkwy over the river then the Navajo Code Talkers (%843-838-2432; www.
turn right onto US 21N, following display – not one of their discoversouthcarolina.com; 16
it about 5½ miles to Parris transmissions was ever Penn Center Circle W; adult/
Island. Take the first exit toward compromised during child $5/3; h11am-4pm
Malecon Dr. Follow the signs to WWII. Another exhibit Mon-Sat) preserves and
the museum. spotlights famous former celebrates Sea Island
marines, including Gene culture. Here, the York
TRIP HIGHLIGHT Hackman, Shaggy and W Bailey Museum traces
George Jones. Check the history of Penn
6 Marine Corps the website for dates School, established in
Recruit Depot for the popular Friday 1862, which was one of
graduations. You may the nation’s first schools
More than 17,000 men be asked to show ID for freed slaves. Martin
and women endure boot and car registration Luther King used the site
camp each year at the before driving onto the in the 1960s as a retreat
Parris Island recruiting grounds. for strategic, nonviolent
depot (www.mcrdpi. planning during the Civil
usmc.mil), which has The Drive » Return to the Sea Rights movement.
trained marines since
1915. The experience Island Pkwy and turn right. Drive
was made notorious by almost 5 miles east to Dr Martin
Luther King Jr Dr. Turn right.

133

10 Lowcountry & Southern Coast GULLAH CULTURE Lowcountry drive. It
stretches along Hwy
African slaves were transported across the Atlantic 174 from the Atlantic
from the Rice Coast (Sierra Leone, Senegal, the Intracoastal Waterway
Gambia and Angola) to a landscape that was south to Edisto Beach
shockingly similar – swampy coastlines, tropical State Park.
vegetation and hot, humid summers.
Swoop over the
These new African Americans retained many waterway then take
of their homeland traditions, even after the fall of the first right to the
slavery and into the 20th century. The resulting Dawhoo Landing parking
Gullah (also known as Geechee) culture has its area. A map here lists
own language, an English-based Creole with many byway attractions. Turn
African words and sentence structures, and many around for a nice view
traditions, including fantastic storytelling, art, music of the graceful McKinley
and crafts. The Gullah culture is celebrated annually Washington, Jr Bridge.
with the energetic Gullah Festival (www.gullahfestival. Continue south to King’s
org) in Beaufort on the last weekend in May. Farm Market for local
produce, baked goods,
The Drive » Return to the Sea the coast as your reward. jams and Cheerwine.
At the nature center
Island Parkway. Follow it east (h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, open For history, visit the
over expansive marshes then daily Jun-Aug) you can learn sometimes-open Edisto
cross the Harbor River Bridge. about local wildlife. The Island Museum and
boardwalk behind the the 1831 Presbysterian
TRIP HIGHLIGHT nature center is a great Church. Next up? The
place to catch the sunset. snakey Edisto Island
8 Hunting Island The park was also the Serpentarium (www
State Park setting for the Vietnam .edistoserpentarium.com;
War scenes in Forrest 1374 Hwy 174; adult/child
With its tidal lagoons, Gump, which were filmed $15/11; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat
maritime forest, bone- in the marsh. Jun–mid-Aug, hours vary
white beach, and 3000 Thu-Sat spring & fall, closed
acres of salt marsh, 4 p135 winter) followed by the
Hunting Island State The Drive » Backtrack north mystery tree – look right,
Park (%843-838-2011; into the marsh, to see
www.southcarolinaparks.com; on US 21 to its junction with US its seasonal decorations.
2555 Sea Island Pkwy; adult/ 17N. Drive almost 30 miles. Turn Last is Edisto Beach
child $5/3, tent sites $17-38, right onto Hwy 174. State Park (%843-869-
cabins $210; hvisitor center 2156; www.southcarolinaparks
9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm 9 Edisto Island .com; adult/child $5/3, tent
Sat & Sun) is a nature lover’s Scenic Byway sites from $21, furnished cabins
dream. There are also 8 from $80), with camping
miles of hiking and biking With its old churches, just steps from the shore.
trails. On a rainy day, try grassy marshes, and From here, return to
climbing the 175 steps moss-draped oaks, the Charleston.
inside the lighthouse 17-mile Edisto Island
(admission $2; h10am-4:45pm Scenic Byway is a classic 5 p135
Mar-Oct), with lofty views of

134

Eating & Sleeping

Charleston 1 pepper jelly. It is one hot mess. Enjoy a small-
bite menu on Thursday and Friday nights, and
5 The Ordinary Seafood $$ steak or seafood (with fresh shucked sea island
oysters in season) on Saturday nights.

(%843-414-7060; www.eattheordinary.com; 5 Sgt White’s Southern, Barbecue $

544 King St; small plates $5-25, large plates $24- (1908 Boundary St; mains $7-12; h11am-3pm
Mon-Fri) For hardcore local flavor, come here.
28; h3pm-close Tue-Sun) Inside a cavernous A retired marine sergeant serves up juicy BBQ
ribs, collards and cornbread.
1927 bank building, this buzzy seafood hall 10 Lowcountry & Southern Coast

and oyster bar feels like the best party in town.

The menu is short, but the savory dishes are

prepared with finesse – from the oyster sliders 4 Cuthbert House B&B $$$

to the lobster rolls to the nightly fish dishes. (%843-521-1315; www.cuthberthouseinn.

4 Ansonborough Inn Hotel $$$ com; 1203 Bay St; r incl breakfast $179-245;

(%800-522-2073; www.ansonboroughinn. paW) The most romantic of Beaufort’s

com; 21 Hasell St; r incl breakfast $209-259; B&B’s, this sumptuously grand white-columned

paiW) The interior of this intimate hotel mansion is straight out of Gone with the Wind II.

looks like an antique sailing ship. Droll neo- Antique furnishings are found throughout, but

Victorian touches like a Persian-carpeted glass monochromatic walls add a fresh, modern feel.

lift, closet-sized British pub and formal portraits Some rooms have a river view. On his march

of dogs add a sense of fun. Huge guest rooms through the South in 1865, General William T

mix old and new, with worn leather couches, high Sherman slept at the house.

ceilings and flat-screen TVs. Complimentary

wine and cheese social from 5pm to 6pm. Hunting Island State Park 8

Middleton Place 3 4 Hunting Island

5 The Inn at Middleton Place Inn $$ State Park Campground Campground $

(%843-556-0500; www.heinnatmiddletonplace. (%reservations 866-345-7275, office 843-838-
com; 4290 Ashley River Rd; r incl breakfast 2011; www.southcarolinaparks.com; 2555 Sea
$169-400; W#) In contrast to the antebellum Island Pkwy; tent/RV sites from $19/31, cabin
plantation houses on Ashley River Rd, this cool $210; h6am-6pm, to 9pm early Mar-early
inn is a series of ecofriendly modernist glass Nov) At South Carolina’s most-visited park,
boxes overlooking the Ashley River. Rooms have you can camp under pine trees or palm trees,
shuttered floor-to-ceiling windows, handcrafted with several sites just steps from the beach.
furniture and hardwood floors. Rate includes All are available by walk-up or reservation, but
admission for two to the plantation. reservations are advisable in summer.

Beaufort 5 Edisto Island Scenic Byway 9

5 Low Country Produce Southern $ 5 King’s Farm Market Fresh Produce $

(www.lowcountryproduce.com; 302 Carteret St; (2559 Hwy 174, Edisto Island; h9:30am-6pm
breakfast $5-9, lunch $5-10, small bites under $8, Mon-Thu, to 6:30pm Fri & Sat, to 5pm Sun, closed
steak & seafood $12-25; h8am-6pm Mon-Wed, Jan) It’s not just about the fresh produce, the
to 8:30pm Thu-Sat, to 3pm Sun) At this cafe macadamia nut cookies, the key lime pie, the
and market, the decor is glossy while the food blackberry cobbler, the breakfast quiche, or
is naughty. Take the Oooey Gooey, a grilled the sandwiches and casseroles. It’s also about
pimiento cheese sandwich with bacon and garlic the easy-going friendliness. C’mon already,
come in.

135

STRETCH . Husk
YOUR LEGS
CHARLESTON Every great walking tour begins with
just the right lunch, which is always
Start/Finish: Husk a sure thing at Husk (%843-577-2500;
Distance: 1.8 miles www.huskrestaurant.com; 76 Queen St; brunch &
Duration: Three to four hours lunch $10-16, dinner $27-30; h11:30am-2:30pm
Mon-Sat, 5:30-10pm Sun-Thu, 5:30-11pm Fri &
Few cities evoke the same storied Sat, brunch 10am-2:30pm Sun). The creation
romanticism as Charleston. But of acclaimed chef Sean Brock, Husk
the romance can overshadow the is one the South’s most buzzed-about
darker elements of the city’s past. restaurants. Everything on the menu
This stroll, which includes a slave is grown or raised in the South, and
mart, a dungeon and a city park, the menu changes daily. The setting,
examines the city’s compelling but in a two-story mansion, is elegant but
contradictory history. unfussy.

Take this walk on Trip The Walk » Follow Queen St east to Meeting

a St. Turn right. Walk one block south to Chalmers
St, the city’s red light district in the 1700s. Cross
136 Church St. The museum is ahead on the left.

Old Slave Mart

Charleston was a major marketplace
for the African slave trade. In 1856
the city banned the selling of slaves
on the streets, which drove merchants
indoors. The Old Slave Mart Museum
(www.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/osm.htm;
6 Chalmers St; adult/child $7/5; h9am-5pm
Mon-Sat) sits inside one of the resulting
auction houses. Text-heavy exhibits
illuminate the slave experience and
slave trading; the few artifacts, such
as leg shackles, are especially chilling.
For first-hand stories, listen to the oral
recollections of former slave Elijah
Green, born in 1853.

Save $2 with a combination ticket to
the Old Exchange.

The Walk » Continue east on Chalmers St to

State St and turn right. Walk south to Broad St.
Turn left. The Old Exchange is one block ahead.

Old Exchange &
Provost Dungeon

This 1771 Georgian-Palladian custom
house (www.oldexchange.org; 122 E Bay
St; adult/child $8/4; h9am-5pm; c) is
certainly impressive, but it’s the brick
dungeon underneath that wows the
crowds. On the docent-led tour of this
basement space, you’ll learn about the

1111

1111
J% 1 1 1 1
Franklin St Waterfront
Queen St 1 1 11 Range Park

Husk Vendue # Old Slave Mart

#

King St State StChalmers St# Old Exchange
Church StElliott St & Provost
Broad St Meeting St Dungeon

NeSwaSvtage St Orange St Tradd St E Bay St
Legare St
Logan St Water St
Atlantic St
Lenwood St Nathaniel ChHaarrlebsotron
Greenhill St Russell HPoriucesseA#l Cooper River
Limehouse St
Ladson St
Gibbes St Lamboll St Church St E Battery

S Battery

Murray Blvd White Point # The Battery & White
Gardens Point Gardens

e# 0 400 m Ashley River
0 0.2 miles

pirates imprisoned here in 1718 when it The Walk » From the gardens, walk north on
was part of a battery guard house. The
British kept American patriots captive Meeting St.
in the space during the Revolutionary
War. After the war, several of them Nathaniel Russell House
returned to the building to ratify the
United States Constitution. Built in 1808, the Federal-style
Nathaniel Russell House (www
The Walk » Follow E Bay St south. As you .historiccharleston.org; 51 Meeting St; adult/
child $10/5; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm
climb onto the promenade, grab your camera for Sun, last tour 4:15pm) is noted especially
photos of Rainbow Row, a line-up of candy-colored for its spectacular, self-supporting
townhouses. spiral staircase and its English garden.
Russell, a merchant from Rhode Island,
The Battery & was known in Charleston as The King
White Point Gardens of the Yankees. The home underwent
major renovations in 2013, which added
Soak in more history at The Battery, exhibits and preserved architectural
the southern tip of the Charleston features.
peninsula that is buffered by a seawall.
Fortifications and artillery were here The Walk » Continue north on Meeting St.
during the Civil War. In the gardens,
stroll past cannons and statues of Its junction with Broad St is known as the Four
military heroes, and ponder the risk- Corners of the Law, with a post office, a state
filled lives of the pirates who were courthouse, City Hall and a church each occupying
hanged here. From the promenade, look one of the corners. Broad St here is known as
for Fort Sumter. The island fortress was Gallery Row. Follow Meeting St to Queen St for a
fired upon by Confederates on April 12, cocktail at the speakeasy-style bar at Husk.
1861 – the first shots of the Civil War.

137

138

Georgia &
Alabama

GEORGIA AND ALABAMA ARE A
MICROCOSM OF THE SOUTH – on the one
hand, they’re home to jet-set cities and urban
glitterati, and on the other, a slow lifestyle
steeped in tradition and history. In Georgia,
Atlanta tempts visitors with slick design
hotels, hipster bars, sensational restaurants
and world-class cultural attractions. There’s
wine-drenched Dahlonega in the north; prim
Savannah, a gorgeous Southern belle with
an edge in the south; and tempting barbecue
throughout. Alabama, immersed in captivating
civil rights history, is also home to two iconic
sports venues, and offers Birmingham,
an endearing up-and-coming city, and a
progressive example of the new South.

Savannah Gracious antebellum architecture at every turn (Trip 11)

LILLISPHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES ©

TENNESSEE Chattahoochee
NationalForest
4 Florence Athens Huntsville Blue Ridge #\
#\
Georgia & ]# Dalton #\
Alabama ]#
Wheeler Lake Dahlonega
#\ Guntersville
Decatur ]# Lake Calhoun #\ #\
Starkville
William Guntersville ÓVU20 FG12 #\ Jasper #\
MISSISSIPPI B. Bankhead #\ Rome
Meridian National Forest #\ Roswell

]# FG14 Cullman ]# #\

Bienville Gadsden #\ Marietta #\
National
Jasper#\ Piedmont ]#
Forest
Laurel Fayette#\ #\ ÓVU20 Atlanta

]# Birmingham ]# #\ Oxford FGNewnan 14 VÓU75
#\
]# Hattiesburg GF #\ Leeds #\
DeSoto
12 Bessemer Talladega
National Forest
Tuscaloosa

GF\# Eutaw
GFÓVU20
T]#NaFvalSeoltarireodelnemstgaAaal #\LABA1MM4Co#\AlanntAtgloeoTnxama]#llnaeCdsriestyyer e#\T#\Ausukb#\#\eugrLenLaea#\GnPerChattne]#i#\tgnyeix#\]#ÓVU8C5 oTlhuomm1b2ausst#\on
Alabama Ri
Union
Springs
Walter
Grove Hill Greenville #\ #\ F George
#\ #\ Georgiana Reservoir
Troy
Albany #\

#\

Jackson

Dothan ]#

Gulfport Biloxi ]#Mobile ]# Pensacola VÓU10

]# ]# ÓVU10 #\ Fairhope FLORIDA

]# Pascagoula ]#

Tallahassee

b Savannah to the Golden Isles d Hogs & Heifers: A Georgia BBQ
4 days Odyssey 3 days

Explore Georgia’s most elegant city then Savor the smoky, spicy sweetness of
discover her islands and beaches, too. Georgia’s pit-roasted, whole hog barbecue.

c Georgia & Alabama Backroads e Civil Rights Tour 4 days
4–5 days Honor the freedom fighters who rose
up in peace and changed America.
Leave your city woes behind, and rejoice
in the pine-dappled countryside. f Appalachian Trail 5–7 days
Trace the iconic trail that begins in
Georgia and ends in Maine.

140

GF15 Greenville e# 0 NORTH CAROLINA DON'T
0 100 km MISS
]#
50 miles Savannah

\# VÓU77 Savannah has
European elegance, a
#\Gainsville Hartwell Florence Southern spirit, shady
Reservoir ÓVU385 ]# squares, tasty cafes
VÓU85 and a historical core
Columbia that is as inviting as it
^# Brood is pedestrian-friendly.
Athens SOUTH ]# Sumter Experience it on

FG]# CRleasrekrvHoiilrl CAROLINA River Trips bd
13 Augusta
Sweet Auburn
Covington ÓVU20 ]# Lake
Moultrie A historical corner of
#\ downtown Atlanta that
gifted us Martin Luther
#\Jackson Louisville #\ W#\aynSeasvboro King, a pastor’s son who
annah River became the ultimate
]#Macon ]# humanitarian and world
leader. Explore it on
#\ Charleston
Trip e
Fort Valley Swainsboro
Dublin #\ Westside Provisions

FG#\ #\Statesboro Atlanta’s new and
13 tasteful complex of
ÓVU16 gourmet delis, burger
joints, imaginative
VÓU75 GEORGIA ]# Savannah diners, fine-dining
rooms and one rather
#\ Cordele Hinesville cavernous, bustling pub,
#\ not far from Midtown.
Midway#\
cTaste it all on Trip
4#\Tifton #\ Douglas FG11 ATLANTIC

#\ Darien OCEAN

Brunswick #\ #\

4 4#\ Adel St Simons

Thomasville ]# Cumberland Island
#\ Kingsland#\ #\ National Seashore
Valdosta
St Marys

]# Jacksonville

GIORGIO FOCHESATO / GETTY IMAGES © Birmingham

Unlike Alabama’s
other cities and towns
scarred by oppressive
history, Birmingham
deftly balances its
progressive present
with its dark past. See

it on Trip e

Great Smoky Mountains National Park The heart of the Appalachian Trail (Trip 15)

141

Savannah Plantation oaks,
elegant homes and leafy squares

PAUL GIAMOU / GETTY IMAGES ©

Savannah to the

11Golden Isles

Georgia’s Golden Isles are a 100-mile stretch of maritime
forests, wildlife-rich estuaries, wild beaches and coastal towns
that evoke a bygone era. Georgia’s best-kept secret is out.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS 4 DAYS
165 MILES / 266KM
0 miles lL##1
Savannah GREAT FOR...
Antebellum
architecture, leafy JG
streets and squares
BEST TIME TO GO
147 miles # Sunbury Crab
Jekyll Island Company From March to May
Turn-of-the-century for warm weather but
lore, good cycling, tolerable humidity.
stunning beaches
I ESSENTIAL
##6 122 miles PHOTO

# St Simons Little St Simons Driftwood Beach,
Island where full grown oaks
##8 Island end up as driftwood,
Empty beaches, raw roots and all.
nature, silence
K BEST FOR
mK# St Mary's OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES

Little St Simons Island
for days on the beach
and amazing kayaking.

143

11 Savannah to the
Golden Isles

Georgia has one of America’s most diverse and interesting shorelines. Its
barrier islands are (mostly) pristine jewels and it’s home to one-third of the
entire East Coast’s salt marshes, and preserved 18th- and 19th-century
Southern architecture. Plus it’s just a damn fine place to get away from it all.
And when you begin in artsy and elegant Savannah, this trip becomes even
more breathtaking.

TRIP HIGHLIGHT 5pm Mon, 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, To sip coffee with the
unshaven, it’s all about
1 Savannah 1-5pm Sun), a 19th-century Sentient Bean; start your
villa which exemplifies day here and follow our
Like a Southern belle English Regency–style walking tour through this
with a wild side, this architecture, known for charming city (p190).
grand historical town its symmetry. Modernists
revolves around formal will appreciate the 5 4 p152
antebellum architecture striking, and ambitious,
and the revelry of SCAD Museum of Art The Drive » The gateway to
local students from (p191). The Jepson Center
Savannah College of for the Arts (p191) makes Brunswick and the Golden Isles
Art & Design. With its for another fun peek. The is US 17, which rolls south from
gorgeous mansions, and shopping on Broughton St Savannah through several tiny,
wonderfully beautiful is underrated. Handbag picturesque Georgia towns. It’s
squares, Savannah obsessives should duck about 40 miles from Savannah
preserves its past with into Satchel (%912-233- to Midway Pass, then take a
pride and grace, but she 1008; www.shopsatchel.com; 15-minute detour east on US
has ample grit and soul. 84 past Fort Morris until the
311 W Broughton St), owned road ends.
Here, even an aimless and operated by the
wander is life-affirming. designer herself. She also 2 Sunbury
Make sure to visit manufacturers her goods, Crab Company
Forsyth Park, and the and there is no better
Owens-Thomas House photo op in town than This restaurant (%912-
(www.telfair.org; 124 Abercorn the Avenue of the Oaks at 884-8640; 541 Brigantine
St; adult/child $15/5; hnoon- the Wormsloe Plantation Dunmore Rd; mains $8-27; h5-
Historic Site (p168). 10pm Wed-Fri, noon-10pm Sat,
noon-7:30pm Sun) is one of

144

ÓVU16 50 miles to 11 Savannah to the Golden Isles those truly special finds
that elude most travelers.
GF13 GF10 ‚ Here you’ll find a Key
ÓVU16 West–style treehouse
SOUTH built with reclaimed
GEORGIA CAROLINA wood from old barns
and department stores.
Hinesville #\ [Ù17 ÓVU95 The menu is whatever is
ÓVU95 fresh that day: blue crab
Ù[84 lL caught that morning by
Ù[84 the son, shrimp caught
#\ Ludowici I##Ù[17 1]# by the neighbor and
Midway #\ Savannah p190 oysters brought in by the
# uncle. All of it is steamed
Riceboro \# Wormsloe and chased by cold beer
Plantation overlooking the gorgeous
St Catherine’s Sound.
Sunbury Crab
Company The Drive » Head back to US

#2 17 and follow it south for another
40 miles into the small town of
AltamahaRiver VÓU95 Darien.
Ù[17
Û]341 3 Darien

Everett Darien is a simple,
#\ relatively sprawling yet
quiet town sheltered by
#]Û341 3\# Fort King trees and surrounded by
Darien \# George marsh, with a middling

Thalma#\nn #[Ù17 6 Little St Simons LINK
Island YOUR
TRIP
[Ù82 Brunswick #\#7 Sea Island
##\5 St Simons Island d Hogs & Heifers:
Waverly #4#\ a Georgia BBQ
Odyssey
#\
Savannah includes a stop on
ÓVU95 ß` #520 this decadent, carnivorous
8 Jekyll Island jaunt into the pit-smoked
soul of Georgia’s spiciest,
Ù[17 ATLANTIC juiciest kitchens.

\# Cumberland OCEAN a Lowcountry &
Island National Southern Coast
Woodbine
Seashore Hop across the border,
#\ Cumberland Island from one historical town to
another, where the food only
Kingsland # gets better.

KmSt Mary's 145

#\#9

#H \#

p151 Yulee Fernandina
\# Beach

ß`A1A

VÓU95 FLORIDA

Timucuan
Ecological And
Historic Preserve

e# 0 20 km
0 10 miles

11 Savannah to the Golden Isles historical core dotted 4 Brunswick by a causeway, which leads
with middle- and rather dramatically to the St
working-class homes, but The town of Brunswick Simons isles
there is one remarkable is a vaguely historical
site. Fort King George town worth a stroll 5 St Simons Island
(%912-437-4770; www for its antique shops
.gastateparks.com; 1600 Wayne and potpourri of Roughly the size of
St; adult/senior/youth 6-18yr/ architectural styles Manhattan, St Simons is
child under 5yr $7/6.50/4/free; along its main drag, the largest of the Golden
h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 2-5:30pm Newcastle St, and Isles and the most
Sun; c) is a remarkably throughout its Old developed, with a clutch
reconstructed version Town National Register of cute shops and cafes
of Georgia’s first fort, a Historic District. Even and an L-shaped pier that
British outpost dating better is the pleasant juts out over the sea. The
back to 1721. The fort marina where egrets pier is part of Neptune
overlooks a vast estuary, and pelicans soar and Park (www.glynncounty.org;
and is surrounded by dive and weathered old 550 Beachview Dr), which
mossy oaks. Expect to shrimp boats bob on the unfurls with a lawn and
spot egrets and storks canal. The land seems two play areas all the
and to be serenaded by to be carved by rivers, way to the old St Simons
songbirds. It’s a beautiful canals and inlets on all Lighthouse Museum
scene. There are also two sides. An interesting way (www.saintsimonslighthouse
restaurants of note here. to kill an afternoon is .org; 101 12th St; adult/child
to hop aboard a genuine 5-11yr $10/5; h10am-5pm
5 p152 shrimp trawler. The Mon-Sat, 1:30-5pm Sun).

The Drive » Thus far, US 17 Lady Jane Shrimp Boat Activities on St Simons
(%912-265-5711; www range from a satisfying
has often felt like it was hugging .shrimpcruise.com; 1200 two-hour kayak trip with
the interstate, nothing more than Glynn Ave; adult/child under Ocean Motion (%800-
a glorified frontage road. For 6yr $40/25; h3:45pm Wed & 669-5215, 912-638-5225;
the next 19 miles, however, the Fri-Sun; c) takes tourists www.stsimonskayaking.
roads diverge, and US 17 begins out trawling for shrimp com; 1300 Ocean Blvd; per
snaking through the estuary and in the St Simons Sound. person $45), through the
courting the sea breeze. Before you know it, the island’s marshes, or you
shrimp is peeled and could head over to King
served. & Prince Golf Course
(%912-634-0255, 800-342-
The Drive » Brunswick is 0212; www.kingandprince.com;
201 Arnold Rd; resort guests/
separated from the Golden Isles public per person $75/115;
h8am-5pm) at Hampton
TOP TIP: Club, one of Georgia’s
FIRST FRIDAYS IN finest. East Beach, the
BRUNSWICK island’s best, can be
accessed at Massengale
If you happen to be in Brunswick for First Friday Park, where there is
(www.brunswickgeorgia.net; Newcastle St; h5-8pm), held ample parking. Here
the first Friday of the month, you’ll enjoy perusing the white sand rolls south
local art and antique galleries, and enjoy wine and for more than a mile to a
bites with the locals. point backed by scrubby
dunes.

146

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: 11 Savannah to the Golden Isles
WHY I LOVE SAVANNAH

After graduation from SCAD, Elizabeth Seeger decided to stay in Savannah and pursue a
design career under her own steam. These days, her company, Satchel (p144), is growing
rapidly. Here’s why she chose to stay in town after graduation to launch her business.
Savannah offers me the pleasure to be able to do what I love in a picturesque
location, and the fact that it’s affordable is key to my being able have a boutique and
a workshop on the best shopping street in the city. The lifestyle is laid back – I walk
less than a mile to work everyday, and stroll back with a beer in hand every evening –
and the Lowcountry scenery is spectacular. The bright green marsh grass on the
drive to Tybee Island in the summer is truly breathtaking. All 12 years I’ve been
here (since starting SCAD in 2001) I’ve lived in the historic district, in homes as old
as General Oglethorpe himself! On the weekends I go to the Forsyth Park Farmers
Market (www.forsythfarmersmarket.com; Forsyth Park; h9am-1pm Sat) for some fresh
local goodies, so I can always make dinner for friends at the drop of a hat. Here in
Savannah, we love entertaining in our homes and on our porches, which is why I love
all of our consignment stores, like Habersham Antiques Market (%912-238-5908;
www.habershamantiquesmarket.com; 2502 Habersham St; h9:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm
Sat) and Clutter (%912-354-7556; www.facebook.com/ClutterFurnishingsAndInteriors; 1100
Eisenhower Dr; h10am-5:30pm Tue-Sat). This weekend alone I found a set of Limoges Pot
de Creme & Baccarat Coupe Champagne Glasses. But if sitting on your porch with
a libation isn’t your thing, there’s always something going on. Connect Savannah
(www.connectsavannah.com) is a great place to start if you’re looking for some nightlife.
I love having drinks at Circa and Pinkies, and if you’re into live music you have to
come to Savannah Stopover (www.savannahstopover.com), our new local indie music
festival that‘s held the weekend before South by Southwest (SXSW), and is kind of
a warm-up for bands en route to Austin. It’s held over four days, in over 10 locations
and features 75-plus bands. Come for a weekend, stay for a week, rent a house here
next summer – and before you know it, you may move here. After all, life here is just a
little more enjoyable than everywhere else.

While the coast Dr. That’s where you’ll find the forest and climax
is obviously lovely, marina with transport to the maritime forest) make
inland residential island next door, if you have a it a haven for kayaking,
neighborhoods draped reservation, of course. interpretive nature tours
in regal, mossy oaks and birding, all of which
are likewise magical. TRIP HIGHLIGHT are led by naturalists
Wandering the quiet who are intimately
clean streets beneath 6 Little St knowledgeable about the
those mighty trees can be Simons Island local ecosystem. It’s a
positively Savannah-like. miraculous getaway –
This unhurried, full of European
5 4 p152 10,000-acre island is fallow deer, sea turtles
The Drive » The soothing an unspoiled jewel. and gators – that is
Four successive stages preciously undeveloped.
drive to the end of the island of vegetation (dune But access is an issue, as
passes stables and seaside meadow, wax myrtle the only way to enjoy it
estates along Hampton Point and sweet grass, pine

147

DENNIS K JOHNSON ©

WHY THIS IS AKEN HOWARD / ALAMY ©
CLASSIC TRIP
ADAM SKOLNICK,
AUTHOR

Savannah is seldom mentioned
when considering America’s great
cities, but there are few – if any –
that are more beautifully planned.
It’s a city elegant with plazas,
shady with oaks and colored with
art, modern and antiquated. South
Georgia’s charm grows and deepens
as you visit humble shrimping ports,
vast estuaries, pristine islands and
one spectacular driftwood beach.

Top: Forsyth Park, Savannah
Left: Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island
Right: St Simons Island Lighthouse

148