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Road Trip from the Smoky Mountains up the Blue Ridge Parkway | Part Three
Being from Nashville, I’ve been over to the Smoky Mountains several times in my life and have been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville a couple of times, but Kaleb and I decided several weeks ago that we wanted to set out a road trip starting in the Smoky Mountains and making our way up the Blue Ridge Parkway. This road trip would deliver the most epic 6-day itinerary for your Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina adventures.
Part One will find you in Gatlinburg, Part Two in Asheville, North Carolina and Part Three is moving on to Linville Falls, NC.
DAY ONE IN LINVILLE FALLS
When you get on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville you’ll be at mile marker 384. Along the way make sure to hit up a few places. Unfortunately, the fog was extremely thick and we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us this day.
What this post really should have been called is “What we wish we would have seen for two days in Linville Falls.” Regardless, you have to make due with the time you have – Mother Nature isn’t always on your side.
Mount Mitchell
Here’s what we should have seen…
Crabtree Falls
Little Switzerland
Make sure to get off at milepost 334. We did randomly because we were sick of the fog and we ran straight into this tiny town called Little Switzerland. I found one of my new favorite bookstores ever here and it was one of the cutest, tiniest Bavarian style towns.
Arriving in Linville Falls
The Linville Falls milepost is 316.3. You can go ahead and check into the campground here before you continue exploring. Make sure to check out these places during the rest of the day.
Linville Caverns
Linville Falls
Linville Gorge
DAY TWO IN LINVILLE FALLS
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain has an entrance fee and since this is all we could see in front of us, we decided it wasn’t worth paying for. However, if the weather is nice, I would highly suggest it because it has amazing views, an awesome bridge, hiking and wildlife encounters.
Again, what we could have seen…
Blowing Rock
One of the towns outside of Linville is Blowing Rock and we really enjoyed it. It’s a pretty small town but has a lot of character. There are lots of art stores that showcase local artists, great restaurants and a very nice park in the center of town.
Our favorite find though was the Glen Burney Grocery Store. It’s an awesome, small store that plays host to the best Southern foods that the owners can find. They plan their travels around food and finding new things to stock in their store. The other thing that sets them apart is that they focus it around letting customers sample anything and everything. Want to know what something tastes like? They will literally open it up right there and let you try it before you buy your own.
Drive around and Take Photos
Face it, this third and final part of the itinerary is more backwoods than any of the others. A lot of the fun, is just driving around and seeing all the farmland and so on. So, take it all in…
Dinner at Knife & Fork
***closed***
Located outside of Linville is another town called Spruce Pine where Knife & Fork is located. We desperately wanted to try this restaurant as it came recommended to us by the owners of the Glen Burney Grocery and has won several awards. Unfortunately, we were there on a Sunday and they only served brunch that day. Go for me and let me know how it is!
Where to stay in Linville Falls
Make sure to check out the Linville Falls Trailer Lodge & Campground. It’s probably the best campground I’ve ever stayed at. If you aren’t into camping or want a change of pace, check out their Locust Loft – it’s one of the most charming and unique places I’ve ever stayed. I highly recommend it!
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I so love those fancy waterfall pictures. That’s something else I’m gonna have to learn!
Your photographs are always so beautiful.
Thank you so much Kate!! 😀
That’s a shame about the fog and not being able to see the beautiful scenery.
Wonderful photos. Love that area.
What a washout! It’s always a bummer when the weather isn’t on your side, but I admire anyone who keeps trekking through regardless. If nothing else, it’s always great to get out in nature and just enjoy the fresh air. And now you have a reason to go back! 🙂
It’s too bad it was so foggy for you! But, it happens and you’ve just gotta make the most of it! The foggy pictures are pretty cool, adds such an eerie look to everything. It does look like a beautiful place, I’m sure I’ve driven past some of these areas when I was really young and we would drive to Florida on vacation, I’d love to return and give it a proper visit!
I love this! This is going to be really helpful for us when we go on our USA road trip net year. I’m not familiar with this part of the country at all and I’d love visit those waterfalls. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the places “as they should be seen” haha
You really do take some awesome photographs Ashley! I really need to get over to this side of Tennessee and into North Carolina. I am a fond waterfall lover so Linville Falls looks like a great experience while at the same time checking out the hidden caverns and other great landmarks in the area.
Really liked this post. I dislike the people that always have perfect pictures of their travel destinations. Being a part-time blogger, I think it is important to show what we do experience and not what we should have. What a beautiful area. I love this part of the country!
Even with the bad weather, the beauty of the Smokies is pretty evident. I would definitely stop over at Little Switzerland, especially with the rain and fog – the bookshop looks so cozy. Your posts are making me realize that I need to plan a road trip in the US whenever possible. So much beautiful territory.
All your Smoky Mountain posts are really making me want to go back! Last time I wasn’t the one driving, so I think it would be fun to go back and do this drive myself.
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Oh my! I really MUST SEE it one day. So great, so calm, so AWAY-FROM-BIG-CITY. Ohhhhh, how much I miss it….. :(((
A smoky mountain road trip that will sure to give thrilling adventure. All in one adventure while also viewing their amazing scenery near smoky mountain. the falls and the beautiful rivers all around the smoky mountain sure is really magnificent.