For our 2020 girls trip we picked a new place and picked up another member of the group!
After going to the Great Smoky Mtn National Park the last three years, we decided to go somewhere new to all of us. We ended up picking the mountains North Carolina.
We packed up Kim’s Jeep and left TN on Thursday morning.
Our first stop was The Ocoee Whitewater Center near Ducktown, TN. This was the location of the canoe and kayak slalom events during the 1996 Summer Olympics. Fun Fact: It was the first time these events were held on a natural river!
After taking a walk along the river path, we hit the road again. Later we stopped for lunch in Murphy, NC at the Red Deli Dinner.
After lunch we continued on our way to Glenville, NC where we rented a lake house on Lake Glenville for our long weekend trip. When we were about 10 to 15 minutes away, it started pouring rain and of course the top was off of the Jeep. We arrived at the lake house drenched and soaking wet, but we all had a good laugh about it!
After we were able to put on some dry clothes, we all felt much better!
For dinner we went to Slab Town Pizza in nearby Cashiers NC.
Due to the high chance of rain on Friday, we got up early to squeeze in as much as possible. The first stop was at Bucks Coffee Cafe in Cashiers, NC for breakfast.
Our first waterfall stop was southeast of Highlands NC with a hike to Glen Falls. Upon arrival we were the only ones in the parking lot at 8:30am and we had the trail to ourselves for a while. The trail is 2.4 miles round trip and has three waterfall overlooks.
Our next stop was at Bridal Veil Falls which requires no amount of hiking to see. It is located on Hwy 64 west of Highlands. The 45-foot waterfall was the only waterfall in the state that you could drive under in your vehicle. However it is now closed to traffic and the road is used for pedestrian access only.
Continuing along Hwy 64, our next stop was at Dry Falls. I think we would all agree this was our favorite waterfall of the day. It is only a 0.3 mile walk to see the 65 foot waterfall. The paved path also leads you behind the incredible waterfall.
After leaving Dry Falls we continued on Hwy 64 and made a couple of pullover stops to see Cullasajee and Bust Your Butt Falls. Both of which are visible from the road. The view of Cullasahha was obstructed by trees, but I’m sure the view is much better in late fall and winter.
For lunch we went to The Ugly Dog Pub in Highlands and made a plan for the afternoon.
After a yummy lunch we decided to hike Whiteside Mountain. The trail is a 1.9 mile loop. We opted to do the loop counterclockwise, which is the recommended way to do the loop. Going counterclockwise means you will hike up the rocky dirt trail to the top. Also it would have been difficult with the rain to have done the trail clockwise. Plus going counterclockwise means you will have a easier downhill walk back to the parking lot.
The elevation at the top of the trail is 4930 feet and has amazing views!
It did rain on us for a most of the hike, but it was worth it for the view from the top!
Upon returning to Highlands NC we made a stop at The Village Green and walked the paved path around the area and saw some beautiful flowers along the way. We also made a stop at the Cashiers Farmers Market.
Since we hiked Whiteside Mtn, we thought it was only fitting to go to the Whiteside Mountain Brewery for dinner. It was a very cool brewery with live music and we enjoyed a nice evening on the patio.
Before returning to our lake house rental we decided to drive to Highlands for ice cream and caramel apples at Kilwins.
Even though the forecast called for lots of rain, we set out the next morning for the town of Brevard, NC.
On the way there we stopped at Whitewater Falls. The round trip hike/walk to the falls is around 0.5 miles. There is an easy paved trail to the upper view of the falls and then a wooden staircase that leads you down to an observation deck to view the falls.
After leaving falls, we drove to Brevard and briefly checked out the main streets of the artsy town until it started pouring rain. We had a delicious lunch on the covered patio of The Square Root. This restaurant had something for everyone and our waiter was fantastic.
After lunch we drove to Bold Rock Cidery. I love hard ciders and this is one of my favorites. The rain had stopped briefly and we enjoyed some time in their outdoor picnic area. Unfortunately due to Covid they were not doing tours.
Of course the day would not be complete without seeing more waterfalls! So our next stop was a Looking Glass Falls.
According to the USDA’s website… “The name “Looking Glass” comes from Looking Glass Rock, where water freezes on its sides in the winter and then glistens in the sunlight like a mirror or looking glass. The falls are 60 feet tall.”
It is located on the side of US Hwy 276N. There is a set of stairs that lead to a lower observation area. There were several people swimming in the falls when we were there.
The last hike of the day was at Moore Cove Falls which was just down the road from Looking Glass Falls. It is a 1.5 mile round trip hike to the falls. You can walk behind the 50 foot waterfall if you climb down the rocks to get to the base. Michelle and I had to be the adventurous ones and went behind the falls to get the full experience.
We drove back to Cashiers for dinner and ate at the other The Ugly Dog Pub location. Another good meal and different from the Highlands location.
Sunday morning our first stop was at Calders Coffee Cafe in Highlands.
Our one hiking stop on the drive home was at Wayah Bald (located in the Nantahala National Forest) in Franklin, NC which is on both the Appalachian Trail and the Bartram Trail. The drive does require a 5 mile drive on the unpaved National Forest Road 69 which was quite eerie in the heavy fog.
Wayah Bald is at 5,342 ft. in elevation. There is a short hike to an old stone fire tower. If you were to visit on a clear day you can see all the way north to the Great Smoky Mtns in TN and south to the hills of Georgia. However it was so foggy when we where there you could barely see a few feet in front of yourself!
Our last stop before returning home was for lunch at ShoeBooties Cafe in Murphy, NC.
It was another great girls trip and I look forward to traveling again with these fabulous ladies again soon!
Picture Note: Some of the pics above were taken by my incredibly talented photographer friend Karen 🙂
So Many Places So Little Time 