East side Roadtrip

[mikphire]

hahaa :D I could see that scenario being on Fear Factor! or some B-side horror flick- thanks for the laugh :)

just wondering if anyone had more information about what to do in Charlotte NC, or it's environs...

[UKCraig]

Don't know if you have any interest in the sport but, next time I'm in Charlotte, I'm definately going to sign up for one of these tours.

[UKCraig]

It is hard to beat going to Flamingo and hiring some local talent for boat trip. In the summer time, it is often easy to find a guide and share the boat with no one else. As far as an alterntative to airboats goes, I would use the advice of Dave Hunter and hire one of the native american guides through the Billie Swamp Tours.

I am very interested, when you get back home, to hear how the trip went. Specifically I'll be very keen to hear if you did the tour that Mark suggested? I am taking a trip to Florida in November and was considering doing a similar tour so will appreciate your feedback!

[mikphire]

Home again... sure am tired though :)
Went to all the cities I planned to go, but as usual, things come up that you don't plan and you find a place you really like and linger a little too long... Did some things that weren't recommended, and some that were.

My favourite place turned out to be Savannah. *sigh* really wish I got to spend more time there. It's as romantic and delicately beautiful as everyone said it would be. Walking under the spanish moss swaying in the sunset breeze was a catch your breath feeling. Seemed a very dreamy place, nice relaxed pace.

I didn't do the Everglades tour Mark suggested, but did one that Southern Oracle mentioned in one of her postings. In Florida I spent the most time in and around Boca Raton and Miami. Little Havana was my favourite spot in Florida. Walked round a bit on Calle Ocho and saw some domino players. nice.

I don't have my notes with me, but when I organize them, I'll give more detailed information. Just wanted to thank everyone for their advice! It helped make my trip a memorable one :)

[Mark Sedenquist]

My favourite place turned out to be Savannah. *sigh* really wish I got to spend more time there. It's as romantic and delicately beautiful as everyone said it would be. Walking under the spanish moss swaying in the sunset breeze was a catch your breath feeling. Seemed a very dreamy place, nice relaxed pace.

I would love to hear more about this place.

I didn't do the Everglades tour Mark suggested, but did one that Southern Oracle mentioned in one of her postings.

Which one was that? How was it?

In Florida I spent the most time in and around Boca Raton and Miami. Little Havana was my favourite spot in Florida. Walked round a bit on Calle Ocho and saw some domino players. nice.

Sounds fun.

It helped make my trip a memorable one :)

Glad it worked out -- and thanks for the note about the Smokey Mountains in the other thread.

Mark

[MrsPete]

June 29- Richmond, VA
July 1- Hiddinite, NC
2- Charlotte, NC
3- Smoky Mountain NP, NC/TN
4- Charlotte, NC
5- (Franklin for the day,NC) Atlanta, GA
6- Atlanta, GA
7- (LaGrange for the day,GA), Atlanta, GA
8- Jacksonville, FL
9- Boca Raton, FL
10- (Everglades NP for the day), Boca Raton FL
11- (Miami for the day), Boca Raton,FL
12- Jacksonville, FL
13- (stop for a while in Savannah, GA) Myrtle Beach,
14- Virginia Beach, VA
15- home :)

Having lived in this general area all my life, I can shed some light on this subject -- right away I see a major flaw in the plan's first days:

You're looking at the Great Smokey Mountains as a day trip from Charlotte. Actually, they're a 4 1/2 hour drive from Charlotte. You'd be better off to visit Hiddenite, then stay in Charlotte a few days, then head to the Smokeys and on towards Atlanta. With only two weeks, you can't afford to drive all the way back to Charlotte.

Now, details on these places:

Hiddenite is barely a wide spot in the road. Expect to spend about two hours in the actual mining area. Once you find the place, you'll drive up a winding road to the mine, and you'll see one thing for which the NC Piedmont is famous: red clay. Hiddenite is not a picturesque spot -- instead, you'll see cars parked anywhere they can get a spot by the road. The landscape is a mess because they're always using little Bobcats to dig up more dirt. No museum, no gift shop, no guides. Once you're in the "mine area", you'll buy a bucket of dirt and sit down to sift through it. You'll find plenty of stones -- probably nothing valuable, but it's fun. You'll see some "professionals" who are extremely intense about this. Once you're done, there's just a faucet in which you can wash up; you will be very dirty! Bring wet washcloths in a ziplock, and leave them in the sun on the hood of your car -- you'll be glad to be able to clean up before getting back into your car!

The surrounding area is country, country, country. No hotels, no restaurants . . . nothing. If you arrive in Hiddenite by noon, you'll be able to spend two hours at the mine and still be in Charlotte (comfortably) in time for dinner.

If you're interested in mining, you might want to add a stop at Reed's Gold Mine; it's just over the line into Cabarrus County. This is the site of the first-ever gold find in America. There's a little museum, and you can go down into the mine itself. I like the little film in which they show how a 10-year old boy found a huge nugget; I won't say any more so it'll be fun for you to learn about it.

Also in Cabarrus, you can see Lowe's Motor Speedway, the home of NASCAR. I'm not into that myself, but you can tour the Speedway, and there's a little museum right there by the Speedway (it's called Backing Up Classics). There are also some little race-related shops by the speedway.

Farther down the road into Stanly county, you might be interested in Morrow Mountain. It's a small state park and a small mountain, but some experts believe it is the oldest mountain in North America (the theory is that it's worn down over time). We like the old Krohn house, a little house from the 1800s in which a doctor and his family lived. Morrow Mountain is a great place to camp, though it's about an hour's drive from Charlotte. It's clean and family-oriented; it's $12/night.

In this area, be sure to eat some barbeque (um, y'all Yankees think that means hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, but it's really whole-hog pork baked slowly in a pit of coals, then pulled off the bone -- good eatin'!) and drink Sundrop and Cheerwine, two locally made soft-drinks that are only available here in this area.

Okay, what to do in Charlotte? Beats me. Though I was there today, I don't have much love for the place. Ask questions, and maybe I'll know what to suggest.

The Charlotte history museum's nice. They have the oldest house in Mecklenburg County onsite, and they have the Freedom Bell.

You can see fireworks out by Lowe's Motor Speedway, or you can go down to Carowinds (on the NC/SC line).

Once you leave Charlotte, it's a half-day's drive to the Great Smokey Mountains. There's good white water rafting in numerous places, and you'll want to see the Cherokee Reservation, though it's a bit touristy. If you really want to immerse yourself in the Great Smokey Moutains, hike and spend the night at LeConte Lodge; you cannot drive there -- you must hike.

You'll pass through the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock area on the way; it's touristy, but fun. Cashiers is lovely, as is Brevard. Lots of waterfalls in the Translvannia County area. Lots of good hiking everywhere up there. I want to go to Gorges Park, where you can go BEHIND the waterfall -- haven't been there yet myself.

Grandfather Mountain is fun; you can walk on the mile-high swinging bridge. There's a nice little zoo inside Grandfather Mountain.

Biltmore House is a great stop in Asheville. Allow half a day to tour the house and the gardens. It's the home of the railroad tycoon Vanderbilt. The house is jam packed during the flower shows in the spring and the candlelight Christmas special; however, it should be fine during your timeframe. Do not miss the "downstairs tour" of the servants' areas! I found it more interesting than the fancy upstairs areas. There's a winery on the property, but that doesn't interest me, so I've never been. There's a big emphasis on the environmental side of things at Biltmore; people assume that Vanderbilt came to this area because it was so beautiful . . . not true -- it was desolate, and his foresightedness made it into a lovely forest.

Of course, all these moutain stops aren't close together, so you'll have to get out a map and decide which route you want to take on your way to the Great Smokeys. You can't lose with any of these destinations, but you can't do them all (AND see the other things further South) in your timeframe.

Savannah -- other people've told you the truth! You must eat at Paula Dean's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. The Pirate House is okay. Take a ghost tour of the historic area after dark! It's great! The horse-drawn carriage history tours are good too. Nearby Tybee Island is nice; there's a lighthouse. Skip the Marine Science Center; their youth programs are excellent, but you'll be disappointed if you pay $6 to go into their museum -- it's about six aquariums and a touch tank.

Parking in Savannah is simply impossible during the summer months; if you are not staying in a downtown hotel, you will not be able to visit the city -- literally, you will not be able to find a place for your car. If you stay outside the city, plan to take a taxi to City Marketplace. Take this warning seriously! The tourism is unbelievable in the summer months. Do not camp at the Savannah KOA campground; I did, and it is NOT a safe place -- seriously, the police were running through there during the night looking for some criminals who were fleeing from a crime. Savannah is a city with very good sections and very bad sections. Take care.

Atlanta -- World of Cocoa-Cola, the Aquarium

Myrtle Beach -- other people already told you the truth: it's a tourist trap. If you want to go to a loud, commercialized beach, give it a try.

Hunting Island, however, is just as great as people said. Take bug spray. Climb the light house.

Questions? Please ask!

[Mark Sedenquist]

You're looking at the Great Smokey Mountains as a day trip from Charlotte.

The original poster of this thread, has already returned from her trip (see the last page of this thread) but your tips and suggestions are great and very much welcomed! Hundreds of travelers will benefit from this post! So, Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!

Mark

[mikphire]

Seems like I'll have to take another trip to the smokies :) Now why didn't you join before ;) I sure could have used the info then!
I found out some of what you said through experience :), like the Hiddenite mine- my friend's remark when we were driving to it was 'this looks like a place people get murdered' :) hehee. It was a bit scary/hairy getting there, and we did spend only a couple hours and I'm STILL trying to get the clay off my shoes!

And as a result of poor distance preparation, I saw moot in the Smokies :)

Savannah was a bit hard to find parking, but we weren't afraid of walking, so we parked a couple streets away from the Riverfront. And actually got a space in Forthsye Park. (score!)

I'll write a report soon on everything I did.
Thanks anyway Mrs Pete! some solid advice there :)

[MattPollard]

A lot of what MrsPete had to say was useful for me, I'm planning a similar trip for next spring, but coming from Washington to the Smokeys, instead of from Charlotte.