My News 2: Creative fall foliage tours

Lori Jo Simmons with Triple A of the Carolinas was my guest today. Check out this amazing list of ideas she came up with to tour fall foliage in the Carolinas!

Also here’s a great map to track peaking foliage: http://www.foliagenetwork.com
Can’t travel this season? Watch from your computer here: http://forestry.about.com/od/fallcolor/a/fall_web_cams.htm

Here are great ideas from Triple A:

1. Bike Off the Beaten Trail

By road or by trail, North and South Carolina present many opportunities for scenic bike rides this fall.  Adventurous souls can choose mountain biking expeditions through Pisgah National Forest with Brown Dog Adventure Tours which offers day trips or overnights including food, gear and camping necessities.  Carolina Tailwinds adds to the experience biking the wineries of the Yadkin Valley.  Tours allow guests to enjoy the changing colors and sip various vintages at stops along the way. 

Brown Dog Adventure Tours
Asheville, NC
http://www.browndogadventuretours.com
(828) 277-1528
Daily rides start at $75, 4-Night trip for $695

Carolina Tailwinds
Winston Salem, NC
http://www.carolinatailwinds.com
(888) 251-3206
Tours start at $325 per person for an overnight and include wine tasting and gourmet meals and lodging at The Brookstone Inn, a AAA Three Diamond rated property.

2. Romancing the Skies

Enjoying the views at a more leisurely pace may be up your alley, or up in the sky. Try hot air ballooning and soar to thousands of feet watching the colorful landscape unfold below. Imagine skimming over a pond or coming within arms reach of the treetops. Hot air balloon rides are unlike any other transportation experience as certified pilots take you on an aerial adventure.

Skyscapes of America
Anderson, SC
http://www.skyscapesofamerica.com
(864) 221-0522
3-hour tours starting at $175 per person including a champagne toast after the flight

Yadkin Valley Balloon Adventures
Tobaccoville, NC
http://www.balloonadventure.net/
(336) 922-7207
3-hour tours starting at $210 per person including a celebration after the flight (Weekends only)

3. Ride the River Wild

Over thousands of years, the swift currents of the Nantahala River have carved a deep gorge, lush with vegetation, in the mountains of western North Carolina. Winding eight miles through this gorge, the clear waters of the Nantahala offer plenty of practice on easy Class II rapids before culminating in the exciting Class III whitewater of the mighty Nantahala Falls.  The Chattooga River is one of the very few commercially rafted class V Rivers in the Southeast.  The river gained fame as the setting for the movie Deliverance and still offers the same natural beauty, as most of the rivers banks are protected national scenic areas.

Wildwater Ltd. Rafting
http://www.wildwaterrafting.com
Chattooga Activity Center
Long Creek, SC
(864) 647-9587
Nantahala Rafting Center
Almond, NC
(828) 488-2384
Rafting trips starting at $89 per person.  AAA members receive 10 percent discount.

Nantahala Outdoor Center
http://www.noc.com
(888) 905-7238
Bryson City, NC
Rafting Trips begin at $37 per person (Nantahala guide-assisted trip Class II and III)

4. Trains through the Trees

Board the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad for an eye-popping tour across colorful valleys and river gorges of this stunning park.  Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the Great Smoky Mountains claims the title of America’s most visited national park. World-renowned for animal and plant life diversity, the train takes guests on the Murphy branch dating back to the 1800s.
Enjoy round trip excursions originating from Dillsboro or Bryson City, including the popular Mystery Dinner Theatre Train and the Rapid Transit with the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Rates start at $49 per person with a AAA member discount of 10 percent off upgrades.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
Bryson City, NC
http://www.gsmr.com
(800) 872-4681
Prices start at $49 September, November and $53 in October.

5. Horsing around with the kids
Getting children excited about touring the fall foliage is rarely an easy task. The promise of horseback riding, fishing, carriage rides and other games may do the trick.  Visiting a ranch with the family can provide a peaceful vacation that’s equally fun.

Clear Creek Ranch
http://www.clearcreekranch.com
(800) 651-4510
Burnsville, NC
All-inclusive rates starting at $155 per person

Pisgah View Ranch
http://www.pisgahviewranch.net
(866) 252-8361
Candler, NC
All-inclusive rates start at $129 per person

6. Zip Line Adventures

Zipping among the trees with nothing but a thin cord and harness for transportation may be the most immersive option for those craving color.  Scream Time Ziplines in Boone, NC offers over a mile of zip lines.  Daredevils can experience a 2000-foot long tour that is among the longest in the country.  Tours generally last about two and a half hours and guests visiting this western NC location in late October can expect the best fall colors.

Scream Time Ziplines
http://www.screamtimezipline.com
(828) 898-5404
Boone, NC
Tours starting at $89 per person

7. A Must See: Blue Ridge Parkway

One of the most popular ways to view the changing leaves is by driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration. This is the highest designation bestowed on any road. Before you go, purchase the Go Blue Ridge Card, a premium attraction pass that offers fully pre-paid access to 29 top tourist attractions and discounts on dining and shopping. It also comes with a full color guidebook that includes maps and describes each of the offers in detail. Also, plan a stop at the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center at Milepost 384 near Asheville, opening on Oct. 1, 2007. This 12,000-square-foot facility will house exhibits featuring things to see and do in the region as well as a shop with books and other items. Plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2010 are already underway. Stay tuned for upcoming events along the Parkway during 2010 to celebrate the building of the Parkway as well as the history, music and culture of the region.

http://www.nps.gov/blri or (828) 271-4779
http://www.goblueridgecard.com or (800) 887-9103
http://www.brpfoundation.org or (336) 721-0260

Local Favorite Tidbit: The Road to Nowhere Scenic Drive

“The Road To Nowhere”, as most local residents call it, is a six-mile scenic drive into the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park where it dead-ends. The drive provides spectacular views of Fontana Lake and the Appalachian Mountains and was originally named “Lakeview
Drive”, but since the road was never completed (as the government promised) residents, who were forced to leave their homes in order for Fontana Dam to
be built, gave it the name of “The Road To Nowhere”.

http://www.westernncattractions.com/hazelcreek/The_Rest_of_the_Road_To_Nowhere_Story.htm