Tag: Road Trips

Pisgah National Forest and Chimney Rock

The final day of our August Summer cool down trip to the mountains took us on a drive along the parkway through The Pisgah National Forest. I was unfortunately on the third row in the car so the views were challenging and there are no pictures but the drive is spectacular. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48114

The road winds back and fourth to higher elevations, through tunnels with views all around. The Pisgah Inn, looked to be quite rustic with a walk-able campground close by, exactly what you expect on a Mountain getaway. We stopped for a warm breakfast and beautifully breathtaking views. THIS is definitely a photographic must stop. Cute gift shop, friendly wait staff and a small provitions area where you can pick up pre-packed freshly made foods to grab and go (perfect for a pic-nic). Pay them a visit when in the area. http://www.pisgahinn.com/ Enjoy their beautiful scenic deck, large enough for any crowds that might gather and sit in the cozy rocking chairs overlooking this amazing view (see below).

Along this beautiful drive you will pass sliding rock, a great place for family fun and a dip in the cool mountain water. We didn’t stop on this trip but I have before and it’s an exhilarating dip. Be warned that you’ll just have to find a spot to pull off the side of the road (as there’s not really a parking lot), and you might need to walk a piece, the line is typically quite long but you’ll be glad you braved a little slippity slide and you’ll dry off by the time you get back to your car. Water shoes and clothing are a must for this activity. https://www.romanticasheville.com/sliding_rock_north_carolina.htm

Another pull off spot is, Looking Glass Falls. We lucked up and found a close parking spot so the walk wasn’t very long at all. This is a great spot to see a waterfall from the side of the parkway without actually having to hike, in case those abilities are a struggle for anyone in your group. There are steps and you can make your way down to the water, even swim up under the falls if you want. We were there on a Saturday and it was packed. I have stopped in this same spot mid week and there’s definitely less traffic on a random weekday (just a note for best accessibility).

Our last stop on this windy trip was back over to Chimney Rock. I was so excited to be back in this area as it’s one of my favorite childhood vacation memories with my parents. I haven’t visited this area in 30+ years so the memories are vague but there. Along this route we passed more mountain side traps; antique stores, farmers markets, orchards and there’s even a small village with campgrounds, hotels, restaurants and a small theme park. It actually looked like a fun place to stop and spend a few days. Upon entering the gates to Chimney rock itself you are asked to pay an entry fee per person and it’s not super cheap so be prepared. You’ll want to spend a little time there in order to make it worth the money. There are multiple hikes along the water and trail paths or you can do as we did and just take the elevator up to the observation desk and climb the short distance the rest of way. (We had a tired two year old in tow so hiking wasn’t going to be the most peaceful option.) https://www.chimneyrockpark.com/

The view from the top is pretty breathtaking. Looking down on Lake Lure, a place I have yet to visit, surrounded by the mountain peaks is definitely something to see. The experience was mostly as I remembered it from my childhood. The great thing about Chimney rock is that it is rather friendly to all abilities, even if you can’t climb you can enjoy the views from the observation deck. (Check their website first to make sure the elevator is open at the time of your planned visit) It’s a great place for an entire family. The staff was friendly and full of information. Where’s a fun gift shop that includes snacks but by now most of you will guess what I am about to say about that. There are just too many great stops along the way to pass up packing a pic-nic and enjoying lunch in nature. Another fun trip in the books, one we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to take. Family time is the best time, always.

Saluda, North Carolina

By the time August rolls around each year we’ve typically had enough of the heat and on top of that we’ve had an unusually dry summer. This year we decided to head toward the mountains for a reprieve from the scorching temps. The humidity was still high but the temperatures were a bit lower and even though there was an 80% chance of rain we lucked out and the trip was not a wash out. We saw a couple of small showers but the rain mostly crossed over while we were sleeping. PERFECT viewing conditions!

Saluda, North Carolina is about 130 miles North West of Columbia. We took a Friday off from work and jumped in the car early in order to have time to fit a few things into the day. There’s just so much to do in the area that making a decision of what to try this time versus next was a bit of a challenge.

To plan your trip to the area take a look at: http://saluda.com/ You can’t possibly watch that clip and not want to go check that little town out. I had stopped in Saluda, N.C. a few times traveling to other spots but had never made it a destination or given it the time that it deserves. When I say small, I do mean the town is small. A couple of City blocks, 20 store fronts or so but goodness there’s quite a bit packed into the area. Restaurants, a museum, a B& B or two, several high end shops, a couple of historic hardware and antique stores. Cute, Cute Cute!

Saluda, famous back in the day for their railroad has so much to offer. We began our visit by grabbing lunch at Wards Grill. While the town is quite small the historic stretch of building is filled with a variety of different types of stores that are all so inviting you can’t possibly pass them by. While some are high end others are historic in nature such as the general store and an antique shop. Deciding where to grab lunch was a tough call as there are a few locally owned options to chose from and every single one of them looked to offer a delicious experience. Because we had big dinner plans we opted for a smaller fare of a BLT and a famous Sausage burger at Wards Grill.


After our visit in town we drove about 5 minutes to the starting point of Pearson’s Falls. Be forewarned that cell signal is hard to come by in this spot so you might want to have an idea of where you are traveling. I can only imagine how beautiful this area must be during fall.

At the gate we were greeted by a friendly park ranger. The cost is $5/person to enter. He promised that there’s no real way to get lost on this trail and if we didn’t come out in a reasonable time he’d be in after us. Pearson’s Falls has public “green” restrooms, a water fountain and plenty of pic-nic spots with various tables and benches (some covered). I believe you can reserve the covered pic-nic area for larger groups. While the hike is short, 1/4 mile each way, it is mostly up fairly steep stairs. I would classify it as a medium grade. Strollers and wheelchairs are not the best idea. We passed a few families when we were hiking in, and all of them commented that going up is much easier than coming down. It wasn’t a bad hike at all. Other than those few families coming out we had the place to ourselves the hour or so that we were there. It was extremely peaceful. There are many benches along the trail that would be perfect for sitting and enjoying the sounds of nature. I told my husband more than once that it was a perfect spot to sit with a book and just take in the quiet.

Our trip continued into the Mills River, Hendersonville area for a long weekend with family but I will break the visit up by day and tell you about the other attractions separately. Saluda, NC is actually a great day trip from the Columbia area. Fill the tank with gas and hit the road to climb a mountain today.