valleykat

I decided to start a new thread for my recap of this part of our recent vacation. Thanks to all who offered advice in my previous thread earlier this month, we avoided any trouble and had a very enjoyable time.

We arrived in stifling 95 degree heat in Atlanta. Our luggage would not fit in our premium rental car, although we had managed to fit it in the full size (supposedly smaller) car we took from home to LAX. After a couple of attempts with premium cars, they offered us a SUV at no additional charge. The first one they sent us to had inadvertently been given to another customer. About an hour's time had passed by this point and we were starting to melt. The AVIS employee who had given away the SUV said he would take care of us. Were we ever thrilled when he drove up with a brand spanking new 2005 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer edition! All this for the price of a full size car (I had a free upgrade coupon)! Way to go AVIS ATL! We had the car for two weeks, so we really got a steal.

We went directly to dinner at Mama Mia's when we arrived in Stone Mountain (no traffic enroute). This was a great tip STARR! The proprieter greeted us at the door and went into lengthy descriptions of the specials. He continued to make small talk and check on things throughout our meal. We were all very pleased with this affordable and delicious meal. It was 9 pm by the time we checked into the Marriot Stone Mountain Inn, just in time for the laser light show, but I wish we would have had the chance to enjoy the hotel more. It was beautiful with lush landscaping and a nice pool. Our room was oversized and looked like it had been recently renovated, though it is an older property.

We started off the next day with the sky tram to the top of the mountain. We decided that it was too hot to hike either way. After returning to the bottom, we went to the museum and watched the film. Then we went to Crossroads which is little more than gift shops and food in a very nice atmosphere. The highlight here was the 4D movie. I didn't know what 4D meant. In addition to viewing it with 3D glasses, other special effects included water, air and movement. It was great fun. We went on the boat cruise next and left about 3 pm.

Not much traffic to speak of. We arrived at Talulah Falls too late to see the film on it's history which I had really wanted to do. We hiked to the suspension bridge, quite an effort, 750 steps down and then back up; very strenuous to say the least. The Quality Inn in Clayton was fine, pretty average. Even though we had already had Italian the night before, Mama G's seemed like the best choice for us; we were too tired to go any distance. It seemed to be the popular place to be in town. We lucked out by arriving a little before most of the crowd. There was a consistent wait for tables throughout our meal, and this was a Wednesday night. I ordered the Greek pizza which is supposed to be their specialty. I was not disappointed.

We stuck to 441 and 74 to get to the Nantahala rafting centers the next morning. It was a nice easy drive, probably took about 90 minutes to reach the Nantahala Outdoor Center where we had lunch. We had a nice little meal at River's End overlooking the river. Then we drove back east a little ways to Rolling Thunder River Company, the outfit we booked our rafting trip through. We had a ball navigating the river. It was just the right speed for us first timers.

More details to follow in my next post. I've got to keep up with the laundry; just returned last night.

cmcfong

Tell us more, sounds like a good trip!

starrsville

Valleykat, thanks so much for your update. I was driving up to the mountains today and thought about you. I left too late to risk Atlanta traffic so went back roads all the way - and wondered how you faired.

I'm glad Mama Mia's is still good. I LOVED it when I lived in Stone Mtn. And, I'm glad you enjoyed Mama Mia's in Clayton. Visitors up here are surprised at how good it really is - but the owners were from New York and they do a great job.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip. Glad the first part started out trouble free - after you got your spiffy ride that is!

The rhododendrons are in bloom right now. All the doors and windows are wide open and the pups are keeping watch and barking at who knows what. I LOVE the mountain air! Of course, it's raining - but I do live in a rain forest Nice and cool after a sweltering day south of Atlanta.

atlswan

Thanks a lot for the update. I was wondering how things went for you. I'm going to have to experience Mama Mia's after that great write up!

By the way, I don't know what 4-D is either. But I do enjoy visiting Crossroads when I'm there. I especially like their Christmas shop's handblown glass ornaments.

Your rental car experience is akin to one I had at Logan Airport back in the later 90s. We'd ordered a humble compact and they'd given away the one we reserved. The only compact they had's visor was broken. We ended up with a brand new limited edition Jeep Cherokee with all the bells and whistles for the compact price. Good things DO come to those who sweat!

valleykat

Mama Mia's and Mama G's were definitely great finds, delicious food at remarkably low prices. I wish we had some place local that compares to them.

After our rafting adventure, we retraced our morning route back to where the 441 and the 23 split. We took a short jaunt on the 23 north to the Blue Ridge Parkway. If we'd have blinked, we'd have missed the exit, but we caught it. We traveled 35 miles on the Parkway to the Pisgah Inn. What a drive! We were on the top of the mountain with vistas on both sides of the road. I believe we passed the highest point of the Parkway. It was beautiful. The Pisgah Inn was humble, as I was aware, but the views were great. The restaurant was average.

It was just a short trip down the 276 in the morning to Slide Rock. We were among the first three cars there and had the place practically to ourselves. After much hesitation and trepidation, my daughter and I took the plunge. My husband and younger daughter chickened out. Our fear was based on the bumpy ride down and the cold water at the bottom. Other sliders before us took some pretty rough smacks to their bottoms. We managed to figure out the smoothest path down and somehow I was dumped in the shallowest part of the pool. I didn't even get my hair wet, but it sure was freezing at 48 degrees! My daughter, who is a competitive swimmer, submerged completely and said that it literally took her breath away and she was somewhat disoriented at first. It is not for the faint of heart. Next, we stopped at Looking Glass Falls which was right off the road enroute to our next destination, Chimney Rock.

We had run into some tourists at Slide Rock who were coming from Chimney Rock and recommended a lunch spot, the Riverwatch Deli and Grill. It was a nice lunch right on the river. We were very impressed with the views from Chimney Rock, especially the girls who were a little bored with the "just trees" we had viewed near Mt. Pisgah. We took the moderate lower hike to the Falls. It was a very pleasant walk.

Our lodging at Geneva Riverside left a lot to be desired. We were promised a large room with a small deck when I made my reservations. It was unavailable and we were given a very modest room with two double beds and a very small bathroom for the same rate. This motel is very dated and in need of renovation. My parents joined us at this point and their king room was nicer with a much bigger bathroom, but it is still a two star motel at best. The Tiki Bar and Grill which lured me here in the first place looked new and very nice. Hopefully, it is the first step in a major renovation. This place has a lot of potential. The pool and bar were so crowded that we stayed away; apparently they had a wedding party and a family reunion there that weekend. Instead, we opted to play miniature golf at a really nice little course in the village right on the river. It was very tastefully landscaped and well maintained.

We had dinner at Laura's House in Chimney Rock Village, a traditional Southern style, family restaurant and bakery. I was a little worried because the place was nearly empty on a Friday night, but I needn't have been concerned. We had another excellent meal. For $8.95, we got to choose one entree from three (on our visit, it was fried chicken, meatloaf or catfish), two sides, and either biscuits or cornbread. There was quite a wait because they had to fry up a fresh batch of chicken since that was the popular choice in our party and it was fairly late in the evening. They apologized profusely however and kept the biscuits and cornbread coming. I had the catfish, a first for me, and loved it. The owner here too was a constant presence. They have a booming bakery business which is really taking off, and the desserts were huge, delicious and cheap.

With the exception of our disappointment with the Geneva Riverside motel, we thoroughly enjoyed this leg of our trip.

We headed to Myrtle Beach the following morning for our family reunion, which was a blast.