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Tag Archives: smoky mountain

Best Western Plus River Escape Inn & Suites, Dillsboro, N.C.

Best Best Western we ever stayed at. Fly fishing out the back door, hot breakfasts, very friendly and helpful staff, and comfortable beds!

American Press Travel News-April 26th-Dillsboro, N.C.-“Bob & Barb On the Road Again”  and “Stopping to Smell the Roses & the trout.” We found out first hand why this Best Western Plus has so many great reviews. We are now one of them, too! With close up views, just feet away from, & on the trout infested Tuckasegee River, and great Smokey Mountain views, we enjoyed everything about this great country hotel. The price is right, the staff were extremely friendly (even got my lost cell phone back to me by mail from Josh) the pool was great, the included hot breakfast was as good as it gets from any hotel, the parking was most convenient. We sure enjoyed those fresh cookies and hot coffee anytime, as we headed to and from our room every day. Rooms have premium channels, the view and sound of the river off the rear of our suite was a treat to remember. I was even able to stretch a fly line on the river, just behind our accommodations  (see the pics of that episode) and then headed to the cute little city of Dillsboro, for a great dinner at Kostas and the next night at Haywood Smokehouse too! So many rivers and streams in this area, which includes the delightful city of Silva, loaded with great shops such as antiques, gift and country home decor businesses. Every one of these shops had delightful owners and shopkeepers that we met. Of special note, we really enjoyed, or should we say our “sweet teeth” loved Dillsboro Chocolate Factory. Is this area recommended?  Very highly, especially if you like to fish for trout!  Contact the hotel direct at: 828-586-6060 Their website is bwriverscape.com  or you can call their reservation number 800-528-1234.

Barb and I loved living just off the Tuckasegee River. Quite peaceful eating the Best Western hot breakfast overlooking this great trout river.
24-inch Brown trout. What a fight on a light tippet!
Rainbow Trout from the “river that runs through it.”
Face to face with a 24-inch brown trout off the Tuckasegee River on a Wooley Bugger!

Cataloochee Guest Ranch, Maggie Valley- A Mountain Afar, But Close To So Many Hearts

 

American Press Travel News- June 27th,-Maggie Valley, Haywood County, North CarolinaCataloochee Guest Ranch was opened in 1934 by Mr. Tom and Miss Judy Alexander. It was  moved to its present location in 1938. The Ranch is still run by the third generation descendants of Mr. Tom and Miss Judy. As their brochure rightly proclaims “The Ranch is “where the march of time slows down to a walk.”  the high mountains here really do have deep roots! Barb and I relaxed, enjoyed country buffet cookouts for dinner of steaks and taters along with all the country fixin’s you’d also love. We also sampled their country breakfast which included their wonderful homemade syrups, jams and biscuits. that you will savor in your mouth and on your mind for a very long time.

This is a wonderful place for your whole family. We watched a small boy catch his first fish in their stocked pond, which the ranch then cooked for his dinner. They have all sorts of planned activities for children as well for adults.  There are so many outdoor recreational opportunities in and around this 5000 foot elevation, cool, over 1000 acre ranch. We hiked, found and identified numerous edible mushrooms, plants and trees with a professional field guide. Their garden, becomes your garden each and every meal! Every day you can take take trail rides. When you arrive you feel like you are a member of their family with their rich local heritage. Every night their local admiring neighbors, were scheduled to come and meet the guests. We listened to local musicians and were even able to pet a real friendly wolf.

Perhaps due to the history of several generations of the Tom and Judy Alexander family, there was a feeling here that we were home, really at home again! It’s really hard to say just how comfortable we were at this ranch. It was very hard to leave and we actually stayed a bit longer than usual before we left the cool mountain air, the friendliness of our hosts and the truly serene nature of this fine resort. So, I guess one way to say it was, we had a very hard time saying goodbye!

Call 1 (800) 868-1401 119 or local 828-926-1401 cataloocheeranch.com located on  Ranch Road., Maggie Valley, NC 28751 Cataloochee Ranch.com

Also, we will review so many fine restaurants in the coming days on aptravelnews.com.  We will be posting these and many more opportunities for visitors in the next day or so.   We took part in visiting the Cataloochee Valley area full of transplanted elk. The bulls were bugling their dominancy over their herd of cows-quite a display! The people we met, the dinner with the Mayor of Waynesville and his wife, the fine other folks we learned so much about them and from them, their Agri-tourism lifestyle and businesses offerings, and their goals, as well as their already fruitful successes will be portrayed as well. 

Boys first fish at Cataloochee Lodge trout pond This ranch is always making "keeper memories."
Boys first fish at Cataloochee Lodge trout pond This ranch is always making “keeper memories.”

 

Special event: Wolf Man who owns 4 wolves introduces this highly tame wolf to guests at the Ranch. A big hit with everyone!
Special event: Wolf Man who owns 4 wolves introduces this highly tame wolf to guests at the Ranch. A big hit with everyone!
A side trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway for never ending views!
A side trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway for never ending views!

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