Escape to the Highlands
This year has been a year like no other for our world, nation, and family.
A pandemic waged war.
Unrest and violence swept across cities and states.
Politics are unnerving.
And, we lost a parent.
Like many of you, the need to escape is real and somewhat necessary. Probably more than ever. However, even if you have time and money, the likelihood of going where you want to go is unrealistic. The only option, and in my case, not a bad option, is to explore the state I live in. So my husband and I took a road trip to the southwestern part of North Carolina called Highlands (and some of the surrounding area).
Highlands, N.C. is planted in the Nantahala National Forest. This dense, lush region of North Carolina is home to immense natural beauty with a generous dose of unreality. You are in a forest wonderland. Highlands is a quaint town with plenty of options for dining and shopping. By no means is this your typical town. You will not find a chain store or tacky merchandise. It’s a bit like Blowing Rock and much smaller than Asheville. It’s just the right size for a little getaway and some relaxation away from the norm. In 2016, Highlands was ranked as one of the best small towns in the south by Southern Living. I’m glad we got to experience it for a few days.
Full disclosure, I didn’t spend much time researching this trip. This getaway was planned just a few days before we left. While looking for a place to stay, there was little occupancy available. I panicked a bit, thinking we weren’t going to find a ‘hotel’, so I booked two nights at an Inn that I thought would fit the bill. What I failed to realize, ‘hotels’ are operating at half capacity. Of course! It’s not as if everyone is traveling to Highlands on a Sunday during the last few days of September!! The calendar may say it’s autumn, but the leaves have barely changed as the world is adapting to a new season. That being said, it probably wasn’t the best time to see fall foliage.
I’ll give you the rundown of where we stayed, ate, and our hiking excursions during our 2 days, 2-night mini-get-away.
I typically try to read a few blogs before I go on a trip. Bloggers give a more personal spin on travel, which I seem to relate to. I find the information to be useful and give an idea of what to expect, and that was a good place to start. I also read more official-sponsored information to plan my trips, and you’ll find hyperlinks to quite a few of them. Just click on the blue highlighted words to view addtional information on the various places we visited.
Once I have a destination, the next step is to find a place to stay- unless you’re like my parents and just wing-it. That’s how they traveled much of their life, and rather successfully I might add! But these are different times, and reservations are most necessary.
Accommodations
Most places I looked into prefer that you make your reservation online. This makes perfect sense, but I still like speaking with an actual person whenever possible. So I called. There were two rooms available, hence the urgency or so I thought, to book a room ASAP. ! I asked the kind gentleman which room he preferred, and of course, he couldn’t say since everyone has varying opinions and tastes. I ended up choosing The Laurel. It replicates a treehouse, although it’s not actually a treehouse, but juts out a bit given it the sense of being in a tree. You are however in the deep thicket of trees, so the feel is quite accurate. The room had a king bed, nice linens (they smelled really good) a chaise lounge, and a bathroom. The finishes were very basic, to my disappointment. When I go away, I prefer accommodations to be a bit more luxurious than what I experience every day. It’s no fault but my own for not looking further into the details of the room. I must say, the place was spotless!
When we arrived, the weather was a bit drab and rainy. There seemed to be no one around. We learned that the restaurant was closed for lunch and dinner on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. We were staying Sunday and Monday night, which meant we had to eat in town. The town of Highlands is about 15 minutes away. Not a big deal, but at that moment- bad weather, not a whole lot to do without traveling…disappointment crept in.
There was nothing to accomplish by being a Debbie-downer, so we set out to find our first place to hike.
Hiking
The first hike was to Whiteside Mountain. The air was cool and damp so the woods smelled particularly alive. The hike was more of an easy walk, although it was rather wet and muddy. We made it to the mountain top hoping to see a great view, but the clouds hung low and the only site was a great big void. It felt good to stretch our legs and get some fresh, mountain air despite the less than ideal weather. After our descent, we decided to go into the town of Highlands and quench our thirst.
Highlands, NC
We found our way, rather easily, into the town of Highlands. It’s a charming spot with plenty of boutiques and a variety of dining experiences to choose from. We stopped in the Old Edwards Inn and Spa. This is the place to stay if you’re able to pull it off. Unfortunately, we were not, but we did have the good fortune to sit outside at the Wine Garden. There we enjoyed a delicious charcuterie board and a nice chilled glass of wine. We arrived in our hiking clothes but did not feel out of place. It certainly is a fine establishment, but since it was outdoors, the atmosphere was quite relaxed! There may be a presumed ‘air’ about this upscale Inn, but we felt perfectly comfortable. We were well cared for and enjoyed the lovely, garden setting. After our light meal, we left town for another hike. We headed to the waterfalls.
Waterfalls
The first waterfall we stopped at was Bridal Veil Falls. It’s a 45-foot waterfall directly off of the road. The waterfall is a tributary of the Cullasaja River. Bridal Veil Falls was featured in The Last of the Mohican’s, some trivia for you. It’s easily accessible right off Route 64, certainly a place for anyone to visit-practically no walking at all.
Next, we took a short ride down the road and arrived at our second waterfall, Dry Falls. Several stairs/steps lead you down to the waterfall where you can walk behind the cascading water but expect a cool splashing as you pass behind the falls. You will expend a little more energy getting to this fall since there are steps to climb down and then back up. It’s a place to stop and take some pictures and then move on. You can squeeze both these waterfalls into a short amount of time. I consider this more of a quick visit versus a hike.
After our outdoor activities, we went back to town for dinner. We packed plenty of clothes to change into but lost interest in driving to our treetop accommodations just to turn around and head back to town for dinner. So, once again, we showed up at the doorsteps of a restaurant in our hiking clothing. No one gave us a side-eye look, so it didn’t seem to matter. I suppose the town is used to seeing all types. There are the locals that dress-up to go out to eat and the travelers/explorers, the category I’ll place ourselves in, that come as you are. We ended up eating at Wolfgang’s Restaurant and Wine Bistro. I was drawn to the seafood soup listed on the menu. Despite not having a reservation, we were quickly seated and the meal proved to be delicious. I had the local river trout which was light and prepared perfectly. I seem to always order something similar when we’re in the mountains of North Carolina. I typically prefer seawater fish, but there’s something about fresh local fish that can’t be beaten!
Breakfast at Fire Mountain
This photo doesn’t capture all the delights we enjoyed!!
I can’t speak highly enough about the amazing breakfast we had both mornings at Fire Mountain. Our meals were prepared with the freshest ingredients, proportionality perfect and aesthetically pleasing. All senses were accounted for.
It was at this point that I really appreciated where we were staying. At first, I was a little disappointed, not because the place wasn’t nice, the weather was putting a damper on us being able to enjoy all it has to offer. The folks that run Fire Mountain, truly are there to make sure you are cared for and try to enhance your stay, and delicious food helps. Unfortunately for us, we timed it poorly. As I mentioned above, the Fire Mountain restaurant is closed Sunday through Tuesday, which was a big bummer, especially after we thoroughly enjoyed our breakfasts. I can only imagine how wonderful lunch and dinner must be.
Additionally, Fire Mountain is a place to retreat to, a place for respite. The outdoor space and natural beauty are there for your enjoyment, but having cooperative weather certainly helps.
Day Two
After another fabulous breakfast, we set out to Glen Falls. It was a very short ride from Fire Mountain. The weather was forecasted to be mostly rainy all day. It turned out the weather was looking pretty promising, so my mood was elevated once again. We made our way down the winding, tree-rutted path to the bottom of the trail. At the base, we looked up and marveled at the majestic waterfall. On our ascent back up the trail we stopped at all the points along the way. There were other hikers, but for the most part, the crowds were very light, a bonus of a week-day trip.
After our visit to Glen Falls, we switched gears and stopped in at The Bascom Art Center. You enter over this lovely covered, wooden bridge.
The Bascom Art Center is a beacon for local artisans to gather and create in a space that draws from history and nature. I purchased some lovely pottery for display and hopefully use one day soon. The museum portion of the center was closed, but it still was worth a visit to see the beautiful artwork.
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After our hike in the forest, we were hungry for a good sandwich. The potter at the Bascom Center recommended Mountain Fresh Grocery and Wine Market. We had a nice sandwich and a cold beverage and then a coffee to go. We decided, rather last minute, to head to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
The ride from our hotel was supposed to be approximately 1.5 hours. We were trying to find the North Carolina entrance to the park, but the GPS kept taking us to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee entrance. After a little aggravation and loss of time, we made it to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The park is free to enter and it doesn’t close at night, so that was a relief since this was an impromptu plan. Some designated areas do close their gates, but for the most part, one is pretty free to roam all day long!
We spent a little time walking along the Oconaluftee River and enjoyed the centuries-old farming village, relocated from another site. In the afternoon, elk come down to graze in the field. Fall is mating season, so we saw some attempts at procreation.
After our back-in-history and nature viewing, we took a ride up the mountain along Newfound Gap Road to Newfound Gap. This gap is the lowest and most accessible mountain pass historically used by trappers, farmers, and soldiers during the Civil War. As for me, this is the view I was hoping for. It was where you take a moment to look out in awe and appreciate planet earth. I’ll share with you a bunch of pictures. I couldn’t decide which ones to use, so you’ll have to enjoy them all!!
Our final stop, before we headed back to Fire Mountain was to Clingmans Dome. We were hoping to catch the sunset since you’re facing west at this location. However, the clouds and fog came in so the sunset was not on display. We hiked up the trail to Clingmans Dome. Once on top of the dome, you are 6,643 feet high. The dense-damp fog only increased with our ascent. The view was hidden by the fog, but at least we can say we made it to the top of Clingmans Dome.
The Appalachian Trail runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We now can say we walked the trail, albeit ever-so-briefly. I don’t think it’s something I would or could ever do, but it certainly was fun to see it during our visit to the National Park. There also was a sign for the Mountain to Sea Trail. Now, that might be something I would love to do one day. Hey, you never know!!
We headed back to Highlands for dinner after our afternoon trip to the Great Smoky Mountain. We didn’t feel the need for a fancy meal, so we went to another restaurant affiliated with the Old Edwards Inn and Spa called four65. This was the perfect fit for our evening meal. The atmosphere was laid back and the food was delicious. I must say, our server Matt was so accomodating and completely versed in all aspects of the restaurant.
So there you have it. As you can see, you can get a lot done in just a few days.
If you read my other travel posts, you’ll learn that we tend to squeeze as much as we can in a short time. Again, this may not be the best way to travel, but I’m always feeling that I’m not sure I’ll be back in this spot again because there are so many other amazing places to see. Therefore, I try to do as much as possible. Maybe one day we’ll slow down and just stay in one spot for more than a day and enjoy peace and quiet. But, until then, we’ll push ourselves to take in as much as possible.
Lesson’s Learned
1) We all know the weather can not be predicted. When your vacation hinges on beautiful weather, you better be mentally prepared for alternative activities. It really can be a game-changer but it also can allow you to experience things that wouldn’t normally be on top of your list. Perhaps your unanticipated experiences will actually be things you really love. So try to be flexible and make the best of a situation that may not be ideal. If you allow your disappointment to take hold, you will likely miss out on extraordinary opportunities.
2) When booking your place to stay, make sure there are places nearby to eat, if not at your hotel/resort. You don’t want to drive too far at night after a long day and a late meal. The roads around Highlands are very narrow and windy. Often times, dense fog comes out of nowhere, so one needs to travel carefully.
3) Support the state and country you live in. I’m so glad we made it to the Smoky Mountain National Park. With COVID going on, our parks have become a treasure to escape to. Now I’m looking forward to going to the next National Park. Any suggestions??
I hope you enjoyed this journey with me.
I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you!
