north carolina – Page 4

Biltmore Estate

One of the most visited attractions on the North Carolina side of the Smokies is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The largest private residence in the United States is located right in the heart of the Smokies and it is a wonder to view. From room upon room decorated as they would have been back in the day, to the gardens that cover the grounds and world class restaurants, the Biltmore Estate is an all day excursion.

George Vanderbilt’s dream, the Biltmore Estate was completed in 1895. This 250 room home was the center of a small city that included barns, gardens and was a working farming community. From the library, still containing volumes classic literature to the kitchens that were designed to serve a small family to a huge gathering, seeing this wonder of architecture, roaming through the halls and imagining living in a 178,000 square foot home. You get to visit almost every part of the home, from the swimming pool to the beautiful grand dining room. And, if it is a gorgeous day outside, you are going to spend part of your day in the gardens.

The grounds around the Biltmore Estate are a testament to the English Landcape garden style of landscaping. Pathways and trails run through outdoor paradises that are decorated with flowering plants that change dramatically throughout the year. The main garden area, called the Italian Garden changes from season to season and it draws in fans of landscaping and photographers alike from srping to summer. The Tulip Festival each spring is one of the highlights of the Biltmore Estate season as tulips in every color spring forth, lending thir beauty to the landscape designs of Frederick Law Olmsted. And, while you are strolling around outside, you will probably get a bit peckish – let’s go eat.

The food scene at Biltmore is out of this world. From small bistro style restaurants to fine dining buffets at the Deerpark Restaurant, there is no end to your choices. The Stables Cafe is the closet restaurant to the house itself be located with the shops to the right of the home if you are looking at the front of the Biltmore House. Eclectic choices abound on the menu and there is a little something for everyone. But maybe you are looking for a that place for a special Sunday brunch. In this case you should head to the Deerpark Restaurant. Located in what used to be stables on the grounds of the estate, the Deerpark is a buffet like you have never seen before. The food is as good as the scenery and you will have choices that you won’t see at most of your local buffets.

All in all, a visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, is one of the most fun experiences you will have outside of the GSMNP. The beautiful home, the immaculate grounds and the dining options will keep you captivated throughout the entirety of your stay. Get there early and catch the early morning air from one of the balconies or maybe you want to spend time with a camera to your eye exploring the gardens, whatever you interest, Biltmore has something for everyone.

Biltmore Estate
One Lodge Street
Asheville, NC
800-411-3812
www.biltmore.com

Moses Cone Manor

Whether you call it the Moses Cone Manor, Flat Top Manor, the Moses Cone Memorial Park or the Parkway Craft Center, the former home of Moses Cone that seats along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a majestic piece of architecture that has stood the test of time. Moses Cone was a textile entrepreneur that created countless jobs in the area during his heyday. The home itself was given to the National Park Service after his death but it is certainly something that he himself would have loved to have seen done. Nowadays a visit to the Moses Cone Manor lets you see the handy work of countless crafters and artisans of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.

Moses Cone was a huge name in the textile industry during the 19th century. He and his brother Cesar started their careers as traveling salesmen. The brothers found that their knowledge of dry goods from their time on the roads gave them a foothold in the textile industry. Eventually, Cone moved his operations to Greensboro North Carolina. The people of the highlands of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains had need of plain durable clothing. Cone started manufacture denim and other such fabrics to be used by companies like Levis that made clothes that the people of the area needed and loved. While he made his money through the textiles industry, he also gave back to the area through job creation and through his philanthropic actions.

He also built a home on top of the mountains, Flat Top Manor. The home takes its name from the proximity of Flat Top Mountain. Built at the turn of the century, the Flat Top Manor was finished in 1901. It has 23 rooms and measures in at 13,000 square feet. Built in the Victorian Neo-Colonial style, large white columns surround the front of the house. Dormers up top and leaded glass in ever window make this a wonderful example of this style and because it is open to the public throughout the year, people get to roam though the halls and experience the home much the way that it would have been when it was built.

Flat Top Manor is also known as the Parkway Craft Center. It is home to one of the exhibits of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. With craft demonstrations daily and a wonderful gift shop, this is a huge stop for tourist visiting the area. Each year, more then 200,000 visitors come to the Parkway Craft Center to see the crafts that are for sale, learn more about the crafters and the crafts that are being made and of course, to visit the home itself. Next time you are traveling the blue Ridge Parkway, stop at Milepost 294 and visit the home of Moses Cone: Flat Top Manor.

Moses Cone Manor
667 Service Road
Blowing Rock, NC
828-295-7938
http://www.blueridgeheritage.com/attractions-destinations/moses-cone-manor

Scottish Tartan Museum

It was easy for the people from the Highlands of Scotland to find a home in the Smoky Mountains. They found in the Smokies a place that resembled home, a place that looked like the land they had left. The Scottish and the Irish that live din other parts of the former British Colonies made the move to the Smokies as well. As the communities in the Smokies formed, these people shared there past, their heritage and their cultures with others, with their new neighbors. In Franklin, North Carolina, there is a quaint museum that celebrates the Scottish heritage of the Smokies like no other. The Scottish Tartan Museum tells the history of a people by telling the history of the Tartan.

Tartan is the fabric that not only is used in the manufacture of the traditional kilt but it is an identifier for the various Scottish Clans that exist. The museum was formed out of the Scottish Tartan Society which started in Scotland in 1963. The museum is a tribute to this unique fabric. From pieces of tartan that are decades old, to representations of the way that kilts are made and worn this is one of the best niche museums that you will ever encounter. It is well maintained and curated, the pieces have been lovingly collected and there is a story, well told, to go with each piece.

And after you get out of the museum, if you are really feeling the Scottish vibe then you can go through their gift shop and pick up a piece of Scotland to take home. From bumper stickers with the Scottish fag to your very own kilt this gift shop has everything – everything Scottish. Music to books, t-shirts to food stuffs, there is a little something for everybody and it is worth the time just to stop by the gift shop if you don’t have time to walk through their museum.

Next time you visit the North Carolina side of the Smokies, stop by Franklin. Head to downtown Franklin, literally, their original downtown. Their downtown is very much like the downtown that you might have encountered in the 50s. Small shops and cafes on the street, you park right in front of them and walk inside. The Scottish Tartan Museum is no different. It is located right at the dge of downtown. Park in front and go right in. The museum is located downstairs on the left as you go in, but when you walk through the doors you are in the middle of their gift shop.

Take the family into the Scottish Tartan Museum, and learn a lot more about the people that founded most of the towns around the Smokies. Learn about the Scottish people that moved into the area through the vehicle of the fabric they used to make a very unique piece of clothing called the kilt. Walk through a museum dedicated to a fabric, a people and a lifestyle. Visit Franklin, and step into the Highlands. Who knows maybe you will leave with a kilt around your waist and smile on your face.

Scottish Tartan Museum
86 E Main St
Franklin, NC
828-524-7472
http://www.scottishtartans.org/

Grove Arcade

The Grove Arcade is one of the most interesting shopping locations in Asheville, NC. Boutique shopping and galleries line the Grove Arcade building and the eateries bring some of the best food to the foodie scene in Western North Carolina. The Grove Arcade building also has a delightful history and this building that at one point was meant to enliven the skyline and architecture of the city of Asheville.

EW Grove came to Asheville in 1910. This millionaire businessman and builder fell in love with Asheville and it still bears his name at the Grove Park Inn and the Grove Arcade. Grove built the Inn first and then decided to add some flare to the downtown area of Asheville. He designed the Grove Arcade to be a cultural center, full of shopping and restaurants in downtown Asheville. The original plan was for the Grove Arcade to be a 5 story structure with a 14 story tower on top. Grove passed on in 1927 without seeing the completion of this new project. The base was finished but the tower was never added. This 260,000+ square foot building became one of the largest in the area and was full of offices and shopping very quickly.

The federal government took over the building during World War II to help with the war effort and the building continued to see government service into the 1980s. With the 1980s, there came a move to re-energize the downtown area and in this move the people of Asheville wanted to see the Grove Arcade building returned to its original purpose. The building was placed on the register of historical places and through a massive renovation, the Grove Arcade reopened on 2002. This new version of the Grove Arcade included shopping, restaurants, markets and 42 luxury apartments. It is still the largest building of its type in Western North Carolina and it is the jewel of the downtown Asheville renovation project.

Shops

Alexander & Lehert
Andriana
Asheville NC Homecrafts
Bath Junkie
Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
Caravans
The Challenge Golf Group
Enter the Earth
Four Corners Home
Makeup at the Grove Arcade
Mission at the Grove
Niche
Roberto Coin
Stenevson Rare Coins & Jewelry
Studio Flora Diva
Tic-n-Time
Vaquera
Virtuoso: Visual Music Eductation and Arts Lounge

Galleries

Alexander & Lehnert
Asheville NC Homecrafts
Mountain Made

Restaurants

Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
Burgerworx
Carmel’s Kitchen & Bar
Chorizo
Modesto
Nutz About Fudge
Sante Wine Bar & Tap Room
Thai Basil
True Confessions

The Grove Arcade is some of the best shopping in Asheville, NC. Boutique shops and galleries all under one roof with a lot of history behind not only these locally owned shops but the location as well. Head down to the Grove Arcade one Saturday, get there early and grab some lunch. Hang out and people watch for a while. Drop some cash on some of of a kind merchandise and learn why THE shopping destination in Asheville, NC is the Grove Arcade.

The Grove Arcade
One Page Avenue
Asheville, NC
828-252-7799
http://www.grovearcade.com

Asheville Tourists Baseball

Much like their counterparts on the Tennessee side of the Smokies (The Tennessee Smokies), the Asheville Tourists were the 2012 league champions in the Class A South Atlantic League. This championship team with the odd name supplies the people of Asheville and Western North Carolina with some of the finest baseball that you will ever see in the state of North Carolina.

Baseball in Asheville dates back to 1897. Back then the team was part oft he North Carolina team and though there were certainly breaks in the history of baseball in Western North Carolina (World War I for instance), baseball has been alive and well in the city of Asheville for well over 100 years. Owners have changed, players have changed and the teams that use the minor league teams in Asheville to farm their new talent from have changed but the fact that Asheville has a great history with the sport has never changed. Currently, the team which has been based out of Asheville since 1984 and has had the name the Tourists since well before that point, is a farm team for the Colorado Rockies. They are owned by former US Senator Mike DeWine and his son Brian DeWine is the team president.

The Asheville Tourists have a couple of interesting pieces of trivia:

They are the only professional sports team that has the word ‘Visitors’ over the visiting team on the scoreboard and ‘Tourists’ over the home teams side of the scoreboard.
They also got a mention in the movie Bull Durham. They were the team that Crash Davis finishes his career at after he lives the Durham Bulls.

Asheville Tourists Mission Statement:

To provide the families and residents of Western North Carolina a special and affordable place to make memories together experiencing America’s Past Time. To intertwine the Great Game of Baseball with the community through charitable acts and community involvement. To pass the game onto the next generation and enhance the quality of life in the community, thus remembering why baseball truly is America’s Past Time.

The Asheville Tourists play ball at McCormick Field. This field was built in 1924 and was named after a local doctor. The baseball stadium seats around 4,000 people. The field was renovated in 1992 and the right field wall was heightened to about 36 feet which almost as tall as the Green Monster at legendary Fewnway Park. This is one of the great ball fields in minor league baseball.

If you are visiting the Smoky Mountains, stop by the Asheville Tourists and take in a game. Spend the day with a ball park hot dog in your hand and a smile on your face.

Asheville Tourists
30 Buchanan Place
Asheville, NC
828-258-0428
theashevilletourists.com

Santa’s Land

Theme Park & Zoo

Right outside of Cherokee, NC is a smallish theme park that needs to be on your list of things to do at least once when you are in the Smoky Mountains. This attraction is part theme park, part zoo and all Christmas all the time. Themed as if you are visiting the North Pole, Santa’s Land is a way to capture the spirit of the Holidays during anytime of the year.

The theme park side of Santa’s Land is a huge draw. Designed with the youngest members of your family in mind, the rides and attractions at Santa’s Land provide hours of entertainment. Whether you are looking for a Rudolph themed roller coaster or a trip around the pond in a paddle boat, the attractions and rides at Santa’s Land are excellent.

Attractions:

Rudicoaster
Santa’s Express Train
Kiddie Cars
Boat Ride
Paddle Boats
Helicopter Ride
Old Fashioned Carusel
Ferris Wheel
Umbrella Ride

Also, on the theme park side of things is Santa’s Village. You step into the North Pole and get to walk the streets and lanes around Santa’s house. Visit Frosty’s T-Shirt Shop or Santa’s Snack bar. Take pictures around the elves’ homes and even get to visit the big man himself. Yep, you can get a jump on the Holiday season and surprise grandma with a picture of the kids with Santa Claus and Mrs Claus. Also, if your child is already thinking ahead to Christmas they can let Santa know what they want for Christmas.

The other side of Santa’s Land is Zoo Land.

Santa’s Deer Barn – Feed the deer, pet the deer, in general you get to get up close and personal to white-tail deer like you never have before.
Baby Bears – Each year, Santa’s Land gets a new set of baby bears. Ruff and Buff, as they are always named, get fed three times a day and you will able to get up close to these wonderful little critters without the fear of mama bear getting a little too close. If you want a sure fire way to see a black bear cub in the Smokies, this is a sure-fire bet.
Kangaroos – Yes, Santa’s Land even has kangaroos. This might seem unusual but they are wonderful to watch and have become one of the biggest draws at the park.
Santa’s Goats – The goats get to roam around in their own unique environment. Climbing up and down the ramps that allow them to get to the top of the houses the live in, provides hours of entertainment. You might even get to pet on the of the goats if you feed them.
Lemurs and Monkeys – Of course, just like at any zoo, the monkeys and lemurs are the stars. Except for the baby bears, these might be the most interesting and entertaining animals at the zoo.

Santa’s Land is one of the roadside attractions that gives you a glimpse into the past. Wanting to let the kids experience the days of yore, you will not find a better place in the Smokies than Santa’s Land. Visit the zoo, ride the rides and talk to Santa himself – only at Santa’s Land.

Property Management

So you have purchased a rental cabin and you have decided that you want to rent it out as an investment property. While the vacation rental industry is alive and well in the Smokies, and it can be a highly lucrative business, there are basically two ways to manage your vacation rental property: V action Rental By Owner (VRBO) or through a Property Management Company (PMC).

VRBO

Running your vacation rental as a VRBO is still a valid way to do business. In this scenario, you take the bookings, manage the property, handle the cleaning, the maintenance and take the payments. Of course, that also means that you are handling the booking, the maintenance, the cleaning and all of the other things that go along with renting your investment property as a vacation rental. The good side of a VRBO is that you keep all of the money from the rentals, the bad part is that you are the owner and the property manager, something that can be difficult if you live in town and almost impossible is you live further away. Most people do not want the hassle of renting the property themselves, instead they opt to hire a Property Management Company.

Property Management Company

iring a property management company is the way that most investment property owners chose to run their vacation rentals. A PMC does exactly what the name suggests, they manage your vacation rental for you. Here is a short list of what the PMC should be doing for you:

Marketing – The PMC should be spending their time making sure that people know your cabin is available to rent. In print ads, radio spots, TV ads or online, the PMC should be reaching out through the various marketing medias to get more and more people into your cabin.
Reservations – The PMC is going to take those reservations as they come in and make sure that the guest is booked and that that money paid as a deposit is held for the reservation. They will handle all of the questions from the guests about the reservation and the property, saving you countless hours on the phone or spent emailing back and forth with potential guests.
Maintenance – When something breaks in the cabin, you have to fix it during the stay of the current guest or before the next guest comes in. The PMC will take care of those maintenance items that happen over time. They will also let you know when there are items that need your attention as the home owner becoming your eyes and ears.
Housekeeping – After every guest checks out, the vacation rental property has to be cleaned. Scheduling that can become very time consuming, the PMC can make sure that the cabin stays clean and well maintained, even for those last minute bookings.
Payment Distribution – At the end of the month, or whenever your contract describes, the PMC will distribute the money that you have earned from the bookings throughout the previous period.

Using a PMC does mean that you are going to take a smaller profit for each night rented but when you look at the amount of time that will be consumed for each rental, it becomes easy to see that a PMC can be your best friend when you try your hand at an investment property.

Real Estate

There are many opportunities for those looking for Real Estate in the Smoky Mountains. Whether you are looking for an investment property, commercial property or a home to relocate to, real estate of every shape and size abounds in the cities around the Smokies.

Relocation

After you have visted the Smokies for the third or fourth time in one year, you are going to start thinking that you ought to just move to the area. And for those of us that have relocated to the SMokies, we welcome you with open arms. When you start looking, there are a few pointers that might help you in your relocation efforts:

Look to the outlying areas for the best deals. Right in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg is going to cost you (even in a buyers market). Head to the cities that feed into the main towns for the best deals on land and homes.
Check out the school systems and see what each area has to offer.
Find a job – Unless you are retiring to the area, you are probably going to be looking for work. You will find in the Smokies as in lots of tourist areas that the jobs are seasonal, based on the number of people that are in town. If you are headed to a tourist area to live see what the seasonal jobs are going to look like and prepare yourslef and your budget accordingly.

Commercial Property

Maybe you are looking at bringing a business to the Smokies. If so, the economy boom that the area experienced and then the downturn that the country had has left many store fronts and buildings vacant. Obviously you can find a Realtor to assist you with the search for the perfect piece of property but it might be a good idea to spend some time in each of the areas. See where the traffic is actually flowing. Look for the empty store fronts, find a local and find out why they are really empty.

Don’t be suckered in by a good deal only to find out that the traffic pattern has changed and now that part of town is a ghost town during the best part of the year. Do your research and make sure that you know as much or more about the area as the Realtor before you start the actual buying process.

Investment Properties

The real estate boom in the 90s and early part of the 21st century has left a lot of cabins open for new investors to walk in and buy for a great price. In most cases, it is true that investment properties in the Smokies are cabins but of course there are exceptions to this rule. If you happen to decide that you want to get into investment real estate in the Smoky Mountains, here are a few things to watch for before you buy:

Have the cabin inspected. Make sure that past renters and property management companies have done a good job of maintaining the cabin.
Check the roads that your future renters will be taking into the cabin. Make sure that they are well maintained, talk to the HOA for the area the cabin is in and see who maintains the roads in winter.
Check and see if the cabin is on city sewer, a septic tank or on a privately held utility for waste removal. This becomes crucial to know when you are dealing with issues at your rental property.
Check out the property management company that is currently managing the cabin, see how it is renting and see what they do for the cut of the profits.

Investing in real estate in the Smokies is always a good idea but you need to do some research and make sure you know what you are getting into. The upside of a rental property in the Smokies is that you always have a place to stay when you decide that you need a break from city life and need a vacation of your own.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Fluent Flavor Spoken Here

One of the premier restaurants in Asheville has recently expanded to the other side of the mountains. Tupelo Honey Cafe strives to take southern cuisine to the next level. They take the traditional and the extremely southern, you know soul food, and they turn it on ts head and put their own spin on it. The original location in Asheville expanded there to a second location. Now, with the new location in Knoxville, Tupelo Honey Cafe is bringing their take on southern tradition to the next level.

Their menu reads like a Sunday dinner at your grandmothers house… but different. They take those comfort foods from our youth and make them their own. Cheesy Grit Cakes, Appalachian Egg Rolls and Homemade Pimento & Cheese are on tap for the starters. If you are looking for a good sandwich then you can sink your teeth into When Shrimp Met Taco, Southern Fried Chicken BLT or a Grateful Dead Black Bean Burger. Their menu items cover everyone’s taste. From those in your group that live a vegetarian lifestyle to those that want BBQ, there is something for everybody. And part of the something for everybody includes their selection of Main Courses. Shrimp and Grits, Chorizo-Crusted Colossal Sea Scallops with Basil Cream Sauce and a BBQ plate. Go look at their menu online and you will feel your mouth start to water.

And now, because dessert is as southern as…well as apple pie, let’s look at their desserts.

Brown Butter Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean and Caramel Sauce
Honeybee Apple Pie
Naked Chocolate Cake a La Mode
Banana Pudding
Blueberry Hill Thrill Cream Cheese Pie
Old Fashioned Soda Parlor Float

One thing that has become a part of our culinary choices is a gluten free menu and the gluten free menu at Tupelo Honey Cafe is terrific. Full of flavor and wonderful, the gluten free menu is extensive and gives the choice of southern favorites without gluten but with all of the flavor.

Locations:

Downtown Asheville
12 College St
Asheville, NC

Market Square Knoxville
1 Market Square
Knoxville, TN

Southside Asheville
1829 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, NC

Make the Tupelo Honey Cafe a stop on your next trip to the Smokies. You can choose either side of the mountains now and enjoy southern favorites with a more modern style. Experience the flavor and thrill of eating at Tupelo Honey Cafe.

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Mystery Hill

A Great Place to Visit

I love a good roadside attraction and Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock, NC is one of the best that you will find in the Smokies. It is on the side of the road before you get to Blowing Rock proper and if you are looking for a fun activity for you and the family, this is the place to stop. plus, once you get there you will find that there are actually three attractions in one: Mystery Hill itself, the Appalachian Heritage Museum and the Ntaive American Artifacts Museum.

Mystery House and Hall of Mystery
The Mystery House was the first of the attractions at Mystery Hill and the longest running in the area. This house is the place where the laws of gravity seem to cease to exist. Due to the location of the house, or maybe the makeup of the mountainside that it is built into, the basic laws of physics don’t really work right. Try walking through a room that make sit feel like you are at a 45 degree angle the whole time. Maybe you will wonder why the Mystery Platform seems to make people appear to be taller or smaller depending on which side you are on. Then you also have the Hall of Mystery where you and the family get to be hands on with science and various experiments. Make a bubble big enough to put your child in, play with holograms and experience the Flying Mirror.

Appalachian Heritage Museum
Then you can walk through a museum dedicated to the people and the culture of the mountains. This museum came to Mystery Hill in 1989 from its former home on the campus of Appalachian State University. The museum is still in the same house it was in while it was on ASU campus. The whole house, one of the first in the area to have electricity was moved to the Mystery Hill location and now it tells the story of the people that lived inthis area and settled the Appalachian area. Personal belongings, furniture, and other pieces of home life speak to the lifestyle of the people.

Native American Artifacts Museum
Starting from a collection of three arrowheads, this collection of Native American Artifacts now houses 50,000 pieces. There are artifacts from 23 states and the pieces cover almost all of the time periods of Native American history. Obviously there is a focus on the Cherokee that called Western North Carolina home, but there are also pieces from other tribes and locations around the US. This museum is a 70 year testament to a people and to the collectors love for the native peoples that created the original societies in the Americas. From arrowheads to pottery to ceremonial items and artifacts from the everyday this is a perfect museum for those people that want to see the artifacts of a past people.