One of my goals for the blog this year is to recap my trips more thoroughly. Sharing our favorites activities and the not so great ones. I want to create more helpful and honest travel recaps, because I know the first thing I do when I go to a new city is google places to go, things to eat, and most importantly the best photo ops.
I’m starting my first trip recap with my most recent trip to North Carolina. Now I know Waynesville may not be a highly visited area, but I need to start somewhere.
Activities, other than snow sports, are a bit difficult to come by here, so we had to get creative. Here are some of our favorites:
- Asheville outlets: They have all of the common outlet stores but the best part was the Dillard’s. I didn’t know outlet Dillard’s existed, but I am hooked. I found two Draper James dresses for under $20!
- Tube World: My family and I have this terrible tradition of going to tube world every year, and not tubing. Not because it isn’t a good time, but because we discovered a different slightly mean tradition. Every year we pull into the parking lot of tube world and watch people for about an hour or so crash, fall, knock each other over etc. It’s absolutely terrible, but also absolutely a good time.
- Cataloochee Ski: Skiing was the main pull for our trip, and Maggie Valley is our favorite spot. Before anyone tries to tell me that skiing in North Carolina isn’t real skiing, try and remember that I’m from Florida. Maggie Valley is a cute little ski area with a few runs, and an extremely relaxed environment! I reccommend getting there about a half an hour before the slopes open so you can pay, grab your gear and hit the slopes before it gets too crowded.
- Pisgah National Forest & Devils Courthouse: A very manageable hiking trail, for those of us who are not professionals, with an amazing view. The best part? Bendel got to tag along!
- Mast General Store: a must stop for any sweet tooth. They have the cutest old fashioned candy store downstairs! There are also a bunch of other adorable shops around this one. Most are dog friendly!
- Kandi’s cakes & Bake Shop: I debated putting this on the activities or food list. Kandi’s is an adorable bakery with perfect photo ops and delicious pastries!
- Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery: A must stop for any pet parent. They make the treats in store!
Dining on Vacation is one of my family’s highlights. On the 12 hour car ride in we ate Chick fil a for every meal; judge us all you want. Just to give you an idea of how serious we take our food we waited in line at Biscuit Head for over 45 minutes just to see what all of the hype was about. Update: it was AMAZING.
Our favorite restaurants in the area are:
- Sweet Onion – a steakhouse style restaurant that makes all of their desserts in house!
- Biscuit Head – I recommend the mimosa fried chicken biscuit. Apparently sweet potato butter was a thing I didn’t know I needed in my life.
- Moose Café – Casual southern food with the best chicken and dumplings!
- Frankie’s – the pizza was amazing. They have a ton of different Italian entrée options, but the highlight of our meal was the desert!
- J. Arthurs – a classic NC place. We’ve been going here ever since I can remember and I have yet to have a bad meal. The French onion soup is a must!
Our Not – so – favorite restaurants in the area are:
- Sauced – if you know what bowling alley pizza tastes like, then I don’t need to say anything else.
- Maggie Valley b
- Fat Buddies – great debate in my family on where to place this on our list, but when it comes to BBQ in North Carolina I think we all agreed we could do better.
- Smoky Mountain Sub Shop – I may be biased but nothing compares to a Publix sub (if you know then you know).
I would love to hear any recommendations you may have! Happy Traveling!
