You have to reserve a spot at this incredible lodge a year in advance. It's only accessible by hiking, and is heated by propane. You get all three meals and all the wine you can drink in an hour. Sounds like a pretty incredible experience!
They close at 2!! I was so bummed; everyone was raving about it for a great downtown breakfast. "Breakfast," of course, being an important detail. Downtown is less of a lunch spot, apparently, anyway. If you have the choice, head over to West Asheville for lunch. that being said, Asheville has great food and you'll find something delicious around any corner.
Hard to find, but just follow the live music!! Park behind River Arts and walk down the steps on your left if you're looking at the building. The Wedge hosts all the live music, and there is a food truck there too. Enjoy the picnic tables and the constant noise of the trains going by. I had a great wheat beer here. I would highly recommend it, for the beer, the company, and the experience! An awesome area.
Everyone I talked to said this was the place to go. They also have breweries in 4 other Tennessee towns, and serve their beer at nearby restaurants like Calhouns. It's a two story building with a wide open lodge-feel to it.
I had the Smokies burger and thought it was pretty good. It had some BBQ sauce on it, and some bacon. The wheat brew I drank was light and decent, too. They've one a bunch of awards you can see first thing when you walk in.
The Smokies are breath-taking. The mountains are considered the oldest mountains in the world. They used to be taller than the Himalayas--imagine that! They've just been weathered down.
They are also overlaid with fascinating stories and histories. The park started in 1926 and was dedicated in 1934, and much of the trails and engineering were done as depression-era CCC projects.
There is no entry fee, which is unusual. This is because there were already people living in the park. The later addition of the $4 backcountry fee/camping fee incited a bit of an uproar.
This is an incredible drive. Factor in time for the moments you'll want to pull over for stellar photo ops of Mount LeConte, Sugarland Valley, Chimney Tops, etc.
The Gap refers to both the road and the point at was dedicated, where you can find the plaques and platforms, as well as an entrance to the Appalachian trail. At this point, the road switches from TN to NC and vice versa.
Some history that an awesome guide named Clayton imparted to me: Newfound Gap was used as a civil war trail and a substantial portion of the Trail of Tears. It was called "Indian Gap Flats" beforehand, and the Confederates actually ran it as a toll booth during the Civil War. They would actually charge the Union to cross and fight them (supposedly).
The vegetation changes dramatically as you climb. At one moment you'll feel like you're in TN, then New Hampshire, then the rain forest. Keep an eye out for black bears!
I wasn't expecting the crowds that I found up at Clingman's Dome. It is flooded. I'd say, get away from the parking lot ASAP. Clayton from Smoky Mountain Guides gave me some great advice: take the little dirt path down to the left instead of the concrete stairs. It's a bit more of a hike but is totally worth it to skip out on some of the crowds.
This is the highest point of the Appalachian trail--you go across the dome on the hike. The Appalachian trail is the dividing line between TN and NC through the Smokies, and you can see a 360 degree view in both directions from the Dome.
It is a sacred place for the Cherokees and was/is thought of as a place "where the bears dance in the mountains." On a clear day, you can see down to Fontana Lake in North Carolina, which might just look like a glowing blue cloud (it did to me). The Cherokees considered the lake to be a place of healing, and would hike down to it. There are a bunch of information boards about the Cherokees up there.
On another note about bears...Clayton says it's probably good not to eat KFC on the drive up and then leave the windows open. You'll end up finding a bear tearing your car apart. Just YouTube it if you have any doubts.
Mount LeConte is considered the "Crest of the Smokies." It is usually covered in fog--hence the name of the park. however, if you can get a view on a clear day, you'll have an idea of how beautiful and dramatic it is.
Some things I learned from an awesome guide named Clayton with Smoky Mountain Guides:
From 5000 ft up is considered a temperate rainforest, while over 6000 ft it'll get over 100 inches of snow and transform into arctic.
There is a lodge up there--LeConte Lodge--but it is reserved for almost a year out. You can only get there by hiking in and out, but once there, you get three meals a day and all the wine you can drink in an hour.
I think like this one even more then the one in Cincinnati! The museum space is bigger and more complex. I enjoyed the show, and I heard it wasn't even their best! I loved my drink at the bar (I forget what it was called but it had mezcal in it). We snacked on Octopus and paté and both were very good. I most liked the catfish dip, however! Will be returning.
Make sure you call well ahead of time, especially because you might not have cell service anywhere near here (if you have AT&T like me). And don't trust their only booking situation--I don't think it registers. I got into town around 7:30 and tried to call but no one picked up. I drove by later and called the number given for the innkeeper (it was posted on the door) but had no luck. Oh well. Ended up at a motel nearby. Bummed--it looked like a pretty great place.