The Great Smoky Mountains
      Smoky Mountain View
      View over the Great Smoky Mountains from U.S. 441, just north of Franklin, NC

      Around the middle of October each year, we take an extended weekend trip to enjoy fall in the Great Smoky Mountains. Of course, we look for stuff while we are there. We really enjoy foraging in the area from Asheville, North Carolina down through Dillard, Georgia.   The scenic beauty combined with the thrill of discovering new antique malls and shops make the annual trek wonderful.

         Click here to see the photo album from our October 2002 trip
         Click here to see the photo album from our October 2001 trip
         Click here to see the photo album from our October 2000 trip
      Moon Valley Until 2000, our "home" in the mountains was Moon Valley, a quiet little retreat nestled back in the mountains near Dillard, Georgia. Moon Valley had four rustic cabins and three townhouse rooms on the lake, plus two rooms in their "castle" at the top of the mountain. The castle, hand-built by the Moon family, is a real work of art. 

      Pictured here is the unique gourmet restaurant at Moon Valley. Robert "Buck" Moon, a superb chef, prepared incredible food, which was served in an very casual and friendly atmosphere.

      Sadly, the Moon family sold the property in 1999. In October of 2000, we stayed in Maggie Valley.  Maggie Valley is very favorably located -- you can visit the southern end of the incredibly beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, or you can visit north Georgia -- all in an easy drive from Maggie Valley.
      Here we are in front of one of the many waterfalls in the Cullasaja Gorge, between Highlands and Franklin, NC. Cullasaja Gorge
      Starting in October of 2001, we began staying in Asheville, North Carolina.  Asheville is a beautiful and very friendly mountain town, and it has amazingly good restaurants right on the town square. For foodies like us, it is the perfect place for a fall vacation. Asheville02-1.jpg (56823 bytes)
      Asheville02-2.jpg (82260 bytes) This is Nancy in a field of fall wildflowers just outside of Asheville.

      Nancy and Walker's Scrapbook

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