Milepost 177 to Milepost 440
We planned this long day on the Parkway due to weather and an incoming rain storm. I would divide this day into two days to provide more time to enjoy the Parkway and additional stops.
It is time to mention that if you are visiting the Parkway in early Spring, be prepared for a variety of temperatures. We experienced temperatures from the low 30’s to the mid 70’s on this trip. When we awoke in Meadows of Dan, it was in the low 30’s with frost on the ground.
We decided that we needed some hot coffee and visited Eatons Way for a hot breakfast and hot coffee. (Located in Meadows of Dan) We recommend this restaurant. The breakfast was good and the prices were low. They also make their own apple and cherry turn-overs with a honey glaze. Pick up a few for later in the day. (They open at 7AM, and we were their first customers)
At milepost 213, you will pass the Blue Ridge Music Center. It is open June-September and has a regular schedule of blue grass music.
At milepost 216, we crossed over into North Carolina. Both sides of the Parkway were still lined with Rhododendron. It was still early in the morning and we had a long day with many stops planned.
At milepost 238.5, we passed Doughton Park. This is a 7000 acre area with a campground (MP 239), 30 miles of hiking trails and restored mountain cabins to visit. We have placed this on our list to visit during camping season in the future. We noticed many well-marked hiking trails in the area.
At Milepost 294, we stopped at the Moses Code Memorial Park. This is an area for most RVs will not be able to enter. We had no problems with a 12 ft trailer but the park was not crowded. We think that the stop would have been difficult with our trailer if the park had been busy. We visited the Arts and Crafts center and saw many beautiful pieces. Enjoy the views. There are walking trails as well as horseback riding. We did not see any food or beverage for sale in April. Plan ahead and bring a picnic or snacks to enjoy in this park.
At milepost 304, pay attention as you drive over the Linn Cove Viaduct. This viaduct was built to preserve the slopes of Grandfather Mountain. We left the Parkway at milepost 305 to visit Grandfather Mountain.
Grandfather Mountain is worth a visit, if you plan ahead. The entrance fee for adults is $15 each. So, plan to spend some time in the area enjoying everything there is to see. RV’s are not allowed in the park as the roads and steep with cut-backs. Since our Scotty Travel Trailer is very small, they let us leave the trailer in the small parking area at the entrance. This parking area is really not made for RVs. If your RV is large, do not expect to be allowed to leave it at the entrance to the park.
In the Grandfather Mountain Park we drove directly to the top and parked the Jeep. We walked over the mile-high swinging bridge to the peak. If you don’t like heights, I don’t suggest crossing the bridge. It was a beautiful day, and the views were awesome. We took many photos before finding a picnic table in the park for lunch. We did not visit the park’s museum or wildlife area. It was a long day of Parkway driving and we had to get back on the road. If you are traveling with kids, be sure to plan to spend several hours in this park.
At this point, I need to mention that there were several road detours in this area. On several occasions, we had to leave the Parkway. One detour was over 25 miles and took us through Asheville, NC. Unfortunately, we missed the highest peak on the Parkway just beyond milepost 430. This detour also caused us to miss several other stops and overlooks that we had on our list to visit.
We made it to Balsam, NC by late afternoon (near milepost 440) We stayed at the Moonshine Creek spot directly on the creek. This campground sits between two mountains and is quite pretty. They also let us leave the Scotty Trailer for a few days as we make our way to the end of the Parkway. We used our new Dutch Oven for the first time to make a Mexican casserole for dinner.
We planned this long day on the Parkway due to weather and an incoming rain storm. I would divide this day into two days to provide more time to enjoy the Parkway and additional stops.
It is time to mention that if you are visiting the Parkway in early Spring, be prepared for a variety of temperatures. We experienced temperatures from the low 30’s to the mid 70’s on this trip. When we awoke in Meadows of Dan, it was in the low 30’s with frost on the ground.
We decided that we needed some hot coffee and visited Eatons Way for a hot breakfast and hot coffee. (Located in Meadows of Dan) We recommend this restaurant. The breakfast was good and the prices were low. They also make their own apple and cherry turn-overs with a honey glaze. Pick up a few for later in the day. (They open at 7AM, and we were their first customers)
At milepost 213, you will pass the Blue Ridge Music Center. It is open June-September and has a regular schedule of blue grass music.
At milepost 216, we crossed over into North Carolina. Both sides of the Parkway were still lined with Rhododendron. It was still early in the morning and we had a long day with many stops planned.
At milepost 238.5, we passed Doughton Park. This is a 7000 acre area with a campground (MP 239), 30 miles of hiking trails and restored mountain cabins to visit. We have placed this on our list to visit during camping season in the future. We noticed many well-marked hiking trails in the area.
At Milepost 294, we stopped at the Moses Code Memorial Park. This is an area for most RVs will not be able to enter. We had no problems with a 12 ft trailer but the park was not crowded. We think that the stop would have been difficult with our trailer if the park had been busy. We visited the Arts and Crafts center and saw many beautiful pieces. Enjoy the views. There are walking trails as well as horseback riding. We did not see any food or beverage for sale in April. Plan ahead and bring a picnic or snacks to enjoy in this park.
At milepost 304, pay attention as you drive over the Linn Cove Viaduct. This viaduct was built to preserve the slopes of Grandfather Mountain. We left the Parkway at milepost 305 to visit Grandfather Mountain.
Grandfather Mountain is worth a visit, if you plan ahead. The entrance fee for adults is $15 each. So, plan to spend some time in the area enjoying everything there is to see. RV’s are not allowed in the park as the roads and steep with cut-backs. Since our Scotty Travel Trailer is very small, they let us leave the trailer in the small parking area at the entrance. This parking area is really not made for RVs. If your RV is large, do not expect to be allowed to leave it at the entrance to the park.
In the Grandfather Mountain Park we drove directly to the top and parked the Jeep. We walked over the mile-high swinging bridge to the peak. If you don’t like heights, I don’t suggest crossing the bridge. It was a beautiful day, and the views were awesome. We took many photos before finding a picnic table in the park for lunch. We did not visit the park’s museum or wildlife area. It was a long day of Parkway driving and we had to get back on the road. If you are traveling with kids, be sure to plan to spend several hours in this park.
At this point, I need to mention that there were several road detours in this area. On several occasions, we had to leave the Parkway. One detour was over 25 miles and took us through Asheville, NC. Unfortunately, we missed the highest peak on the Parkway just beyond milepost 430. This detour also caused us to miss several other stops and overlooks that we had on our list to visit.
We made it to Balsam, NC by late afternoon (near milepost 440) We stayed at the Moonshine Creek spot directly on the creek. This campground sits between two mountains and is quite pretty. They also let us leave the Scotty Trailer for a few days as we make our way to the end of the Parkway. We used our new Dutch Oven for the first time to make a Mexican casserole for dinner.
