Does anyone enjoy the mountains in the fall? My wife, Darlene, and I do. Welcome back to the travel part of my blog. We feel blessed to live in Central Alabama, 4 hours from the beach and 4 hours from the mountains. Since we are now both retired it is easier to go on short notice. Two weeks ago, we decided to head to The Blue Ridge Mountains. The weather has been so hot and dry, we were not sure if fall foliage would have the usual pretty colors. We needed to find out.
We had been to Blue Ridge, Georgia and Helen, Georgia a few years back. So a couple of weeks ago we started looking at those areas and some others within a 4 hour drive from our home in Trussville, Alabama. We decided to base out of Murphy, North Carolina. We planned a 4 day and 3 night trip.
Well, it took me a while to get this travel portion of my blog up with the college football section going 5 days a week now and our busy trip. Finally, here it is. We got our reservations made in Murphy, North Carolina at Harrahs Cherokee River Valley Hotel And Casino. The mid week booking was only $47 a night for a 3 star hotel, which is a good deal. You always know at a Casino Hotel the rooms will be clean, safe, and accommodating. We used Murphy as a base to see the fall foliage and colors of the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains. The weather has been so hot and dry, we were not real sure what to expect.
We left home on Tuesday morning and drove north of Chattanooga to the Cleveland, Tennessee exit off of I 75 and headed east. We stopped for lunch at Ocoee Dam Deli and Dinner. The food and service was very good. Leaving we began to see some of the fall colors, but as we headed up in elevation into the Blue Ridge Mountains, the colors became more vibrant. Our first stop was Fields Of The Woods. It is a very inspiring religious stop on the way into Murphy.
The mountain has wood carved lettering of The Ten Commandments. You can climb the 320 steps to the top or do as we did and drive up. They have several biblical passages carved into wooden rectangle boxes as well as the story of the park, its founder, and how it all came about. I thought it was very interesting. There is also a replica of Calvary with carved crosses.
We made a donation because we found the park interesting and enjoyable. There is no charge and donations are what keeps the park open. We left there and drove the 11 miles into Murphy. We stopped at a couple of local shops to look around before checking into the hotel.
The Hotel and Casino was as expected, very nice. There is a Brew Brothers restaurant and bar, a food court with 6 different restaurants, and a Gordon Ramsey’s. We got a quick bite at Panda Express and then played in the casino for about an hour before calling it a day.
The second day we headed higher up into the Blue Ridge Mountains going east and slightly north to the towns of Franklin and then Highlands. The 65 mile drive was beautiful with plenty of color. We got to Franklin, North Carolina and the town was like a Norman Rockwell Painting of a small mountain town. Mostly one street lined with shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at Riverwalk Grille. The food was good. Darlene had a bowl French Onion Soup and I had the special Ham Pot Pie.
We left Franklin and on the way out of town, we stopped at Whistle Stop Depot Antiques. It was kind of unique in that the mall was an old school house. They had the long narrow hallways with the original signs leading into the various rooms. The signs read First Grade, Gym, Principal’s Office; you get the idea. Every one of the old classrooms was full of antiques.
We then drove about 6 miles or so toward Highlands, enjoying the scenic drive. We stopped at Dry Falls, a mountain waterfall worth stopping at. The falls itself is pretty and is one you can walk behind. The walk is not very long and is mostly flat in between wooded and concrete steps. There are also two benches to stop and take a break. The trees were pretty and the clear water polishing the rocks where it fell was picturesque. The walk behind the falls had a spray that one could imagine being refreshing on a summer’s day. Since it was fall and late afternoon, we snapped the pictures quickly.
We climbed back up to the parking area and continued on a very scenic drive into Highlands. This little mountain town is very quaint and small, but somewhat pricey as well. We walked the street with many local mom and pop shops and local restaurants.
We left Highlands, North Carolina and drove 25 miles due south into Hiwassee, Georgia. The views of the lake coming down out of the mountains into this valley town was very pretty.
Then we turned west toward Clayton, Georgia and then northwest back to Murphy for dinner. We had chosen a downtown place named Poor Parson’s Pub. If you are ever within 50 miles of Murphy, North Carolina, take the time to go there and eat. Absolutely outstanding. The menu is somewhat humorous and worth reading the whole thing.
The entire kitchen is on the right when you come in the front door. A grill, an oven, cooler, and a one burner warmer to keep the butter melted for the marinade.
Darlene got the Steak Sinatra which was 2, 3 ounce filet mignonettes over lobster me ashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. I got the Chopped Steak with butter grilled broccoli. That was the best chopped steak I have ever put in my mouth. It was 100% ground filet mignon. Each meal also came with a salad and every dressing is homemade. Darlene got the Blue Cheese and I got Creamy Peppercorn. The salad bowl is a thinly sliced cucumber shaped into a bowl. It is then filled with various greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, and feta cheese. We topped of this fine meal with coffees and split a Dubai Chocolate Tart.
We left the restaurant and called it a night.
The next morning we left Murphy and The Blue Ridge Mountains heading north northwest 55 miles to Bryson City, North Carolina and The Smokey Mountains. We wound higher up and the trees were even more colorful. We got into Bryson City and it is a smaller version of Gatlinburg. The main street is lined with gift shops, candy stores, bars, and restaurants. We stopped in The Everett Street Diner. I noticed the 6 consecutive local favorite’s awards and after eating lunch, I knew why. Darlene got a salad and half club sandwich and I got the Catfish Plate. Both were very good
After we finished lunch we walked around town and looked in a shop or two. Bryson City is famous for The Road To Nowhere. It is a very scenic 6 mile drive that ends at a large tunnel. The story is our government made a mistake. Imagine that. The road used to travel to the Little Tennessee River. The government built a dam creating Fontana Lake and was supposed to join a road over the dam connecting both sides. Surprise, politics got involved and nothing got done. Bryson City capitalized on it in 1961 and now everyone that visits the town goes out to The Road To Nowhere.
We left Bryson City and drove 9 miles west to Cherokee, North Carolina. Since it was late afternoon we wanted to catch the Elk in and around town. They are such magnificent animals that God created. The 9 miles were very pretty. We got into town where The Great Smoky Mountain National Park joins. Sure enough we saw several huge Elk.
We headed back to Murphy and ate at a place called Chevelles. It was only so so. Well, you can’t pick a winner every time. We went back to the casino for a couple of hours and then turned in.
Time had passed quickly and it was Friday morning and time to head home. We went out southwest through Blue Ridge, Georgia and drove around town. We did the same thing in Ellijay, Georgia. We did stop at The Fainting Goat Winery for a quick tasting. However the goats were not out. If we had known that in advance, we may or may not have stopped.
It was a great trip and if you like to travel, I highly recommend this short trip. Thank you so much for following my blog. The next travel will be Thanksgiving, so check back then for information on traveling. If you enjoy college football, check my blog weekly. Until next time, may God bless you and yours.
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