Get Away This Fall: Photographers share their favorite autumn drives.
West Virginia
Heading north on W.Va.16, drive through the mountains, passing through the towns of Oak Ridge and Beckwith. Drive over the New River into Chimney Corner, and take a short side trip 10 miles west on U.S. 60 to Gauley Bridge. After Gauley Bridge, head back east on 60, passing through Ansted and Victor. Continue east, past Mountain Cove and Hico until you reach U.S. 19. Drive south on U.S. 19 to the New River Gorge Bridge Canyon Rim Visitor Center. From there, travel into the gorge on W.Va. 82, Fayette Station Road. Continue on Fayette Station Road, a narrow one-way road, back into Fayetteville.
Where to Stay
Historic White Horse Bed and Breakfast. Fayetteville, 304-574-1400, historicwhitehorse.net
West Virginia Mountain Memories. Ansted, 304-658-5800, wvmountainmemories.com
Country Road Cabins. Hico, 1-888-712-2246, wvcabins.com
What to See
Cathedral Falls. Located on the Midland Trail, Cathedral Falls gets its name from the steep-sided stone cliffs, which surround the falls with walls reminiscent of a Gothic church. It’s located just east of Gauley Bridge on U.S. 60. 304-343-6001, midlandtrail.com
Hawks Nest State Park. Features a nature center, hiking, an aerial tramway, jet-boat rides and golf. There is also a lodge within the park that has accommodations, a restaurant and an outdoor pool for guests. Whitewater rafting is available nearby. Ansted, 1-800-CALL-WVA, hawksnestsp.com
Contentment Complex. Originally the Antebellum home of Civil War Col. George Imboden, Ansted’s first mayor, today it houses the Fayette County Historical Society. In addition to the house, the George Eades Museum and a restored one-room schoolhouse is also available for tour. Tours are offered three days a week or by appointment. 304-465-5617 (New River Convention and Visitors Bureau), newrivercvb.com/ansted
Bridge Day: October 20, 2007. Held every third Saturday in October, this event celebrates the construction of the New River Gorge Bridge. Hundreds of extreme sports enthusiasts will BASE jump or rappel off the bridge while thousands of spectators watch. Tours into the gorge are available and the Taste of Bridge Day food festival will be held the Friday before at Smokey’s Restaurant at the gorge. New River Gorge Bridge, 304-465-5617, officialbridgeday.com New River Gorge National Park and New River Gorge Bridge. The New River Gorge National River Park offers climbing, fishing, hiking and biking, camping and whitewater rafting. 304-574-2115 (Canyon Rim Visitor Center), nps.gov/archive/neri/bridge.htm
Historic Fayette Theatre. Located in Fayetteville Historical District, the theatre was originally built in the late 1930s. In the 1990s, the Fayette County Historical Society restored the building and reopened it for performances. Events include stage performances, musical concerts and film viewings. Fayetteville, 304-574-4655, historicfayettetheatre.com/default.aspx
North Carolina
Starting near Asheville, take Brevard Rd., N.C. 191 south past Avery Creek. Follow N.C. 191 and just before Brevard, take N.C. 280 west towards Boylston Creek. From N.C. 280, head north on U.S. 276, into Pisgah National Forest. Follow U.S. 276 past the ranger station, Sliding Rock, Looking Glass Falls and the Cradle of Forestry until you hit the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Continue left on the parkway, towards Graveyard Fields and then to Devil’s Courthouse. Just past Devil’s Courthouse, head north on N.C. 215, towards Canton, where N.C. 215 connects to N.C. 110. Hop onto N.C. 110 to I-40, and follow the interstate back into Asheville, driving past Candler and Enka. Note: there are no gas stations or facilities between Brevard and Canton.
Where to Stay
Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast. Asheville, 1-888-811-3053, pinecrestbb.com
The Loralei Inn. Canton, 828-648-6738, theloraleiinn.com
Owl’s Nest Inn & Engandine Cabins. Candler, 1-800-665-8868, egandineinn.com
What to See
Cradle of Forestry in America. A historic site commemorating forestry conservation. The 6,500-acre site, located on U.S. 276, features its Forest Discovery Center, home to an interactive exhibit hall, a gift shop, a café and various events. Near Brevard, 828-877-3130, cradleofforestry.com
The Botanical Gardens at Asheville. A garden that features plants native to the southern Appalachian mountains. The gardens showcase a variety of native species, including some rare plants as well. Tours of the garden are available, and there is also a gift shop and visitor center on site. 828-252-5190, Ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. The museum commemorates Black Mountain College, a liberal arts school owned and operated by the faculty in the early 20th century, during the Great Depression and World War II. The museum features changing exhibits, seminars, lectures and other events. 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org
Asheville Urban Trail. The walking tour is comprised of public art pieces from local artists and also highlights local area attractions. The trail is approximately 1.7 miles long and takes about two hours to complete. Free self-guiding maps are available at Pack Place and other information areas; guided tours are also available at Pack Place for a small fee. Asheville, 828-258-0710, urbantrails.net/asheville_nc/urban.html
Colburn Earth Science Museum. Exhibits include a gem collection, an exhibit on North Carolina’s minerals, an interactive weather station and a fossil collection. Asheville, 828-254-7162, colburnmuseum.org
Ghost Tour of Asheville. A 90-minute walking tour that covers the city’s darker history in areas including downtown, with a tour guide explaining stories of haunted building and unexplained ghostly occurrences. Tours are at night, and cameras are encouraged. Reservations are required. 828-355-5855, ghostandhaunt.com/asheville
Kentucky
From Harlan, follow U.S. 421 north and then turn onto Ky. 1679, Little Shepherd Trail. About a 38-mile stretch, Little Shepherd Trail offers some of the most beautiful vistas from the ridge of Pine Mountain. This autumn drive will bring you into Kingdom Come State Park, off U.S. 119, just outside of Cumberland. From the park, take Ky. 160 to bring you into Benham, near Lynch.
Where to Stay
Benham School House Inn. Benham, 1-800-231-0627, kingdomcome.org/inn/index.html
Cumberland Manor Bed & Breakfast. Middlesboro (one hour from Harlan), 1-866-648-4299, cumberlandmanor bedandbreakfast.com
Apple Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast. Barbourville (one hour from Harlan), 606-546-5328, appletreeinnbedandbreakfast.com
What to See
Kentucky Coal Mining Museum. Located in an old commissary built in the 1920s, the museum features more than 30 exhibits of coal mining artifacts, antiques, photographs and machinery. Benham, 606-848-1530, kingdomcome.org/museum/index.html
Poor Folk Arts and Crafts Store. The Poor Folk Arts and Crafts Guild established this market as a place to sell guild members’ homemade souvenirs and gifts. It holds everything from quilts and sweatshirts to antiques and birdhouses. Cumberland, 606-589-2545, kingdomcome.org/destinations/cumberland/ poor-fork-arts-crafts.html
Kingdom Come State Park. Located near Cumberland, amid Pine Mountain. It features four mountaintop overlooks, 13 hiking trails, two picnic shelters, camping, a 3.5-acre fishing lake with paddling, miniature golf and a gift shop. 606-589-2479, kingdomcome.org
Did You Know?
Kingdom Come State Park is named after the popular Civil War novel “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,” by Kentucky author John Fox Jr. Kingdom Come State Park is home to more than 1,200 acres of natural wilderness. Cumberland, home to Kingdom Come State Park, is considered the black bear capital of Kentucky. The Cumberland Tourism Commission hosts an annual Black Bear Festival, featuring bluegrass music, food and entertainment, as well as giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about the black bear.
Did You Know?
Constructed in 1977 with an arch span of 1,699 feet, the New River Gorge Bridge was once the world’s longest steel-arch bridge. This record was broken in 1993, when construction completed on Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, which has an arch span of 1,804 feet. At 876 feet above the ground, the New River Gorge Bridge is the second highest bridge in the country; it is second to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, which is 1,178 feet above the Arkansas River.
Photography by: Tim Barnwell, Frank Ceravalo, Bob Schatz and Chuck Summers
