Sweet mountain retreat

<p>The North Carolina mountains have long been a traditional summer respite from Florida's torrid summers. And if you are thinking of such an escape from the heat and humidity, your timing couldn't be better.</p><p>Asheville, the gateway city to both the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains, hosts Bele Chere, the largest free outdoor music festival in the Southeast, July 24-26, says Dodie Stephens, public relations manager of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. And if those days don't work for you, Stephens says the city also hosts the free Shindig on the Green every Saturday evening from July through September.</p><p>What is especially fun for visitors unfamiliar with Asheville or who haven't visited recently is the growing independent culinary scene, Stephens says. "Asheville is full of farm-to-table restaurants, local coffee shops, breweries, sidewalk cafes and tailgate markets." </p><p>This summer is also an ideal time to visit one of America's premier destinations and its most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer, says Wit Tuttell, public relations director of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism. In honor of the anniversary, the park has a new Web site, www.greatsmokies75th.org, which gives a virtual tour of planned activities. (See "Planning Your Getaway for more Great Smokey Web sites.)</p><p><b>MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS</b></p><p>With so much to do, how do you get started planning your trip? Asheville, which is about eight hours by car from Gainesville, is an ideal starting point — especially if you haven't visited the city recently. Because Asheville offers such a variety of things to do as well as an array of dining and lodging experiences, here are some ideas to help you choose what's most appealing to you: </p><p><ul><li><b>Biltmore Estate.</b> If you've never been to Biltmore, the largest private home in the United States, or if you haven't toured the home and estate grounds in several years, it's worth a visit. This spring, the estate opened the Louis XV Suite for the first time. The four restored guest rooms on the second floor are significant to the history of George Vanderbilt's grand mansion, which was completed in 1895, as his daughter Cornelia was born in the Louis XV Room and her own two sons were born there in 1925 and 1928.</li> </p><p><li><b>Summer at Biltmore.</b> Special summer events are the Summer Evenings Concerts July 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and Aug. 1 and the Flower Carpet, Aug. 14-30. For regular admission prices and ticket information for special events, check out www.biltmore.com; regular admission tickets purchased online are discounted. In the summer, admission is free for youths 10 to 16 when accompanied by adults. (Youth admission is charged during the school year.) If you'd like to spend more than one day at Biltmore, consider purchasing your ticket after 2 p.m. because the next day is free, or purchase a regular ticket with a next-day upgrade for $10. And if Biltmore is your key Asheville destination and you are looking for an upscale retreat, the Grand Bohemian Hotel, in nearby Biltmore Village, opened this April, (828-505-4042); www.bohemianhotelasheville.com.</li></p><p><li><b>The Grove Park Inn.</b> On the National Register of Historic Places, this lodge-style hotel, (828-252-2711), www.groveparkinn.com, is justly famous for stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and for its great hall — with a 24-foot-high ceiling and anchored by two, 14-foot-high stone fireplaces. Among the many famous guests, writer F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in Room 441 for two summers. Hotel restaurants and bars are open to the public; a drink on the Sunset Terrace is worth the trip — wherever you are staying in Asheville. The hotel complex includes a spa and golf course.</li></p><p><li><b>Thomas Wolfe Memorial.</b> For anyone with a literary bent, a trip to the modest boardinghouse that's the scene of the famous coming-of-age novel, "Look Homeward Angel," is hard to resist. The house is open every day but Sunday, and the admission ($1 for adults and 50 cents for students) is hard to beat; www.wolfememorial.com.</li></ul></p><p><b>ASHEVILLE'S DOWNTOWN SCENE</b></p><p>Lively Downtown Asheville, with the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the South outside of Miami, is a destination in itself. (And if time is limited, focusing your visit on downtown is a reasonable option.) Asheville's well-organized and professional visitor's center, at 36 Montford Avenue, downtown, is a good first stop to pick up maps, coupons, brochures and recommendations. The center also houses two local trolley companies and Moving Sidewalks Segway Tours; (828-258-6129). Here are a few highlights (see www.ExploreAsheville.com for details):</p><p><ul><li><b>River Arts District</b> is a hip and upcoming warehouse-turned-arts-district. Independent eateries and pubs (no chains) transition to live music venues at night.</li></p><p><li><b>Grove Arcade</b> is a restored 1920s architectural gem with lots of shops, dining, and an open-air public market selling fresh local produce.</li></p><p><li><b>Woolworth Walk</b> features more than 150 local artists in one venue as well as an old-fashioned soda fountain.</li></p><p><li>Before you leave, stretch your travel budget by taking advantage of some of the inexpensive or free things to do in this pretty mountain city:</li></p><p><li><b>Enjoy a bike ride.</b> Bring your own or rent a mountain bike from any of the local shops that rent bikes to tour this bike-friendly town.</li></p><p><li><b>Check out the diverse pub and music scene.</b> A lively nightlife is part of the downtown scene. A local favorite is Jack of the Wood, a Celtic-style pub, which usually offers live music every night except Tuesday, www.jackofthewood.com.</li></p><p><li><b>Dance in the moonlight.</b> The Asheville Drum Circle provides free music on Friday nights in Pritchard Park.</li></p><p><li><b>Catch a play.</b> Each summer North Carolina's longest-running outdoor troupe, the Montford Park Players, performs Shakespearean plays for free on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.</li></ul></p><p><b>DESTINATION: SMOKIES</b></p><p>While it may be hard to tear away from Asheville's many attractions, the Great Smoky Mountains offer an equally enticing variety of things to do and places to stay. If this is your first trip to the Smokies, as they are called, or if you haven't visited recently, Cherokee, the home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, is the place to start. The authentic attractions in Cherokee are on the "reservation," which is called the Qualla Boundary, not on the more touristy outskirts of town.</p><p>If you picture images of tacky souvenir shops, think again. </p><p>"Cherokee was recently named Travel Attraction of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society," notes Wit Tuttell of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Attractions include the famous outdoor play, "Unto These Hills," the story of the Eastern Band, presented for its 58th summer at the Mountainside Theater and the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a living replica of a traditional village, (www.cherokee-nc.com/index); the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, interpreting the tribe's history in the Smoky Mountains (www.cherokeemuseum.org); and tribal art galleries, such as Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual. For general information on Cherokee, check out www.cherokee-nc.com or call (800-438-1601).</p><p>Part of the appeal of a Smoky Mountain escape is relaxing and enjoying the mountain scenery and nearby hiking trails, scenic drives, streams and river falls. Here are some suggestions:</p><p><ul><li><b>Cabins.</b> A classic way to experience Cherokee and the Smokies is to rent a cabin. One well known local agency, Yellow Rose Realty (www.yellowroserealty.com), rents cabins not only in Cherokee but in a number of mountain vacation towns including Bryson City, Sylva, Dillsboro, Nantahala and Lake Fontana.</li></p><p><li><b>Lodges and resorts.</b> The area offers a variety of accommodations from lodges and resorts to five-star camping. A long-time favorite is Fryemont Inn, a bark-covered lodge built in 1923 that's on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn overlooks the village of Bryson City and the national park, (800-845-4879); (www.fryemontinn.com). Two other well known resorts are Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsville, (828-479-3433); (www.snowbirdlodge.com), which packs picnics and backpack lunches for guests hitting the hiking trails, and Fontana Village Resort, (828-498-2106); (www.fontanavillage.com). In addition to suites and cabins, lodgings at Fontana include houseboats and RV and tent camping. Besides biking and hiking trails, the resort offers horseback riding.</li></p><p><li>A quite different accommodation also in Bryson City is <b>Falling Waters Adventure Resort</b>, a yurt tent village inspired by the nomadic Mongols. While the yurts don't have individual bathrooms (bathrooms are located a short walk away), each yurt does have an adjustable skylight, ceiling fan, space heater (mountain nights can be cool), coffee makers, refrigerator, queen-sized bed and futon. Bryson City is also the home of a vintage locomotive that operates throughout the summer.</li></ul></p><p><b>OTHER FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS:</b></p><p><ul><li><b>White water rafting.</b> Not for the beginner are Cheoah Class IV/IV+ rapids, which have recently been created by scheduled water releases. The Cheoah River Rapids, among the longest and steepest in the Southeast, are becoming one of the top whitewater runs in the United States for experienced rafters; (828-479-3790); (www.cheoahriver.com or www.grahamcountytravel.com).</li></p><p><li><b>Scenic Drives.</b> The Cherohala Skyway, completed in 1996, winds up and over 5,400-foot mountains for 15 miles in North Carolina and descends another 21 miles into deeply forested areas of Tennessee. The road crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests — hence, the name "Cherohala." The drive is known for its long, sweeping corners (favorites of motorcyclists) and views, (www.cherohala.com).</li></p><p><li><b>Virgin Forest.</b> The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, near Robbinsville in the Nantahala National Forest, is one of the last remaining stands of virgin timber in the Eastern United States. The forest is dedicated to Kilmer, the poet who wrote "Trees" and later died in World War I. A particularly beautiful part of the forest is a two-mile trail that passes under ancient poplar trees, (828-479-6431); (www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/joycekilmer.pdf).</li></ul></p>