INC NEWS - Visiting NC & VA (w/ hiking and canoeing, historical sites, art work & shopping)

[Laura Drey]

Places in North Carolina & close by in Virginia to visit

 
Why do I offer suggestions about where to travel?  I like to share what I
have learned about places to go where one does not need to go far away and
often the only cost involved is a tank of gas.  I think that everyone need
to take at least a little time off.  I believe that taking breaks helps
people to work better and prevents burn out.

The following may be copied and forwarded.  I do not care if my name is
attached to what has been written.

Undeveloped beaches in North Carolina and southern Virginia ---

Hammocks Beach State Park, also known as Bear Island, is a completely
undeveloped island.  To get to Hammocks Beach  you will need to go by ferry
(no cars) or use a rented or personal boat from Swansboro, NC.  You take a
trail down to the a beach that has a changing building and primitive
camping.  Swansboro has places to stay, restaurants and stores.  (Be aware
that you can hear bombing in Swansboro from Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville,
NC.)

Near Beaufort, NC is Fort Macon State Park with an undeveloped beach and
lots of parking, and Cape Lookout National Seashore.   A boat may be hired
in Beaufort to go to a nearby island for shelling.  There is another island
one can take a boat to with wild ponies.

False Cape State Park, outside of Virginia Beach, VA has the ocean and bay.
There are wild boars and poisonous snakes.  (Yes I saw one.)  Virginia Beach
has a park with raised walkways that goes through a swamp.  Virginia Beach
Marine Science Museum explores Virginia's marine environment and man's
interaction with it though hands-on and live exhibits.  The museum comprises
2  buildings linked by a wooded trail  There is a marsh, an aviary and the
museum houses an aquarium.  The museum leads whale and dolphin watches in
season (check with the museum). (If one takes the highways it is about 4
hours to Virginia Beach.) Nearby, in Chesapeake, is the Dismal Swamp
National Wildlife Refuge.

Books about mountains in North Carolina ---

If you are interested in crafts, where to eat and stay you may want to check
out the Craft Heritage Trials of Western North Carolina. There is a second
book for music.

Around Asheville & west ---

I discovered South Mountains State Park, the largest state park in North
Carolina.  Among the parks many trials is a 3 mile circular trial that
follows a rocky river and waterfall.  The trail goes straight up and than
straight down.  On the side by the waterfall there are many steps to climb!
(I recommend staying next to the river so that you travel the same way both
coming and going.  It is the more scenic side.  This trial leads from the
visitor center.  The road is well marked to the park and is 30 miles south
of Morganton.)

Highway 9 to Bat Cave is a pretty winding 2 lane road.  Highway 9 heads
south off of Hwy 40 in Black Mountain.   Around Chimney Rock Hwy 9 becomes
extremely touristy.

If you choose to take the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Asheville the drive
passes through many tunnels.  A restaurant located directly on the parkway
that has an enormous picture window overlooking the mountains. Off the
Parkway is SR 276, a scenic 2 lane road, that leads to the Cradle of
Forestry and numbers of waterfalls.  Cradle of Forestry Museum is worth a
stop if you are interested in forestry.  276 follows a mountain stream
through the Pisgah National Forest until Brevard.  Among the waterfalls and
cascades along 276 are: Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls.  The region
has many more waterfalls, over 250 in the area.  Continuing south on the
parkway is Graveyard Falls.  The falls are worth a short hike to see.

The southern most part of the parkway is Cherokee, NC.  Cherokee has a
museum on the Cherokees and across from the museum is a craft museum that
sells
traditional crafts.

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest (on the far western portion of the state) has
virgin forest.  Cherhola Skyway, a National Scenic Byway, is nearby.  The
byway is a new road.  (I prefer the Blue Ridge Parkway to driving on the
Byway.)


North Western NC & Nearby in Virginia

There is  a map you can get with scenic drives of Ashe County, NC.  (Ashe is
the most north western county in NC.)

A reasonable restaurant in Boone is Angelica's.  Angelica's has incredible
smoothies and vegetarian food.  There is a house along the parkway that
sells crafts.

There is a town outside of Boone, NC called Todd. (To get to Todd one drives
along a scenic road for about 1/2 hour.)  Appalachian Adventure (AA) rents
bikes, inner tubes, and kayaks.  (AA shuttles people to a river that is flat
with gentle rapids that has very little development along it.  It flows by
tremendous rock formations.  The river is beautiful and there is little
development along it.)  The Todd General Store is cute.  The store makes
sandwiches and sells all sorts of sauces, throws and pillows and unusual
things.  Outside of the General Store are occasional music performances.

Zaloo¹s, between Glendale Springs and West Jefferson, rents canoes and inner
tubes to float north on the New River.  Zaloo¹s provides shuttle service.

Valle Crusis, NC is a cute small town close to Boone.  (The town has the
original Mast General Store.)

Glendale Springs, NC has an Episcopal church with frescoes.  The Greenhouse
store has unusual things.  The Trading Post sells crafts on the Parkway.  (A
parkway entrance/exit is located in Glendale.  Glendale Springs is 3 hours
from Durham.  Glendale is about one hour from Grayson Highland/Mount Rogers
(see below) and 1 hour from Independence.)

North Western NC & Nearby in Virginia
 
Grayson Highlands State Park/Mount Rogers¹ mailing address is Mouth-of
Wilson Virginia.  The park¹s elevation is at 6,000 feet.  It has one of the
longest, steepest terrains on the east coast.  It is a beautiful park with
wild ponies.  The Appalachian Trial runs threw the park.  My favorite trials
follows cascades.  (I  think it is called something like the Log Cabin
Trial.)  There are 2 festivals there --- the Wayne Henderson Festival (with
bluegrass music in June) and a wild pony sale (to thin the herd with music
and crafts) in September.  (Mount Rogers is about a 4 hour drive from
Durham.)

Abingdon Virginia has the Barter Theater (a professional company,) a number
of craft stores and some very good restaurants.  (In August there is a craft
fair that lasts for 3 weekends and the 2 weeks between.  At the same time
there is an antique fair.  On one day there is a balloon launch.  During the
festival the theater does 2 different shows everyday.)  Abingdon is around a
5 hour drive from Durham.

Independence Virginia has 2 galleries.  One is called The Peartree and the
other is in the old Grayson County Courthouse. It is a 3 and a half hour
drive from Durham.  (It is 1 hour from Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers and
around one hour from Abingdon.)

There is the ramps festival (wild onions) with eating, music and crafts in
the spring at White Top, Virginia.

High end restaurants in Northwestern North Carolina  ---
River House (Ashe County, NC 336-982-2102)
Glendale Springs Inn (Glendale Springs, NC   336-982-2103)

Hanging Rock area

I recommend the Hanging Rock area for day or overnight trips.  In addition
you can float on the Dan River close by.  The Dan River Company rents
canoes,  tubes and kayaks.

Hanging Rock State Park has lots of trails, a wonderful view at the end of
the Hanging Rock Trail one. Additional trails lead to waterfalls and
cascades. (There is one easy, wide trail to a waterfall that is around 1
mile either way.  It is worth taking and is located at the opposite end of
the parking lot from the Visitor's Center.)
 
There are campgrounds. The campsites are clean and not so close together
that you felt squeezed in or 'out there by yourself'. There is a great
mountain lake with a sandy swimming area.  There are rowboat and canoe
rentals. The park has picnic shelters.  Hanging Rock is in Danbury, NC.
For info call:   919-593-8480.

Directions from Greensboro:  take 1 - 40 West, take the Piedmont Triad
Airport exit take Hwy 68 North to Stokesdale, in Stokesdale take 158 west
for 1/2 mile, then take 68 west to Walnut Cove.  In walnut cove take 311
north to 89 west.  89 west will intersect with Hwy 8 north and stay on 89 &
8 to Danbury.   At Stokes Reynolds Memorial Hospital turn left on Hanging
Rock Rd, which will bring you in thru the park gates.  (Hanging Rock State
park is about a 2 hour drive from Durham.)

Alternate route: ---take Hwy 85 to 40. In Kernersville take 66 N, than take
311 N to 89 & 8 to Danbury.  (I discovered a popular home cooking
restaurant,  Mickey's Country Kitchen.  Mickey's has good food.  It is
located at 2991 Old Hollow Rd. Walkertown. (The restaurant is immediately
past the turnoff at Hwy 311.)  595-8503 M - F  4 am to 9 pm,  Sat. 4 am to 2
pm

One day I took a back road and discovered a working grist mill about 5 miles
North of 40 on 68 (the exit for Piedmont Triad Airport).


Amtrak


Durham's Amtrak station is at 400 W. Chapel Hill St., across from the Mutual
Insurance Building (near downtown Durham.)  The train may be taken from
Durham to Charlotte and from Durham to Boston.  (Also there is a different
route that runs from Raleigh goes to Florida.  A third route goes from
Greensboro to Atlanta.  For schedules and fares across the country go to
1-800-USA-RAIL.
 

Laura Drey   
Updated May 2004

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