We just completed our final pre-run of this year’s Smoky Mountain Tour and can report that everything flows together beautifully. We found thrilling mountain passes, hidden gems and delectable local fare, and enjoyed them all as the blooms of dogwoods and azaleas outside the car windows transitioned to mountain laurel and rhododendron.
We don’t want to give it all away, but the route from our home base in Asheville to Little Switzerland and then to Hot Springs might be the best day we have ever spent behind the wheel. Suffice to say, this tour has soul in spades.
Since our last update, we’ve added several more special stops along the route including visits to Chimney Rock State Park and Mount Mitchell, where we can enjoy an observation deck at the highest point in the eastern U.S. We’ve also added a boat ride on Lake Lure, a charming reservoir whose surrounding areas may look familiar to you (they served as primary filming locations for the films Dirty Dancing and The Last of the Mohicans).
This tour will also be a great one for the foodies among us – we’ll be dining and drinking at some of downtown Asheville’s coolest restaurants, all within easy walking distance from our host hotel, and getting lunch at unique spots along our routes each day. And on our final night together, we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner on our hotel’s 12th floor, overlooking the entire city.
And as you may already know, we’ve perfected our navigation strategy for this tour with the use of portable GPS units, each one preprogramed for the day’s drive. We’ll provide these units at no additional cost for all attendees to use. This will make the tour more relaxing while also allowing for self-guided drives.
Surprisingly, we still have a couple of spots left on this tour. If you can join us June 4-9, reserve your spot now.
