The story below is an excerpt from our July/August 2017 issue. For the rest of this story and more like it subscribe today, log in to read our digital edition or download our FREE iOS app. Thank you!
By land, air or water, enjoy a Blue Ridge adventure that fits you to a tee.
Pining for a mountain getaway but want to experience something new? Try your hand at fly-fishing, sling your own pottery masterpiece, or strap yourself in for a loop-de-loop in a World War II biplane. Adventure doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it, so while you’re at it, pamper yourself with accommodations fit for a king. And don’t forget this year’s big astronomical event: a rare total solar eclipse on August 21. The Blue Ridge region offers plenty of prime spots to view this unique blackout of the sun.
Fly Fishing at Smithgall Woods State Park, Helen, Georgia
Arriving at Smithgall Woods State Park, I’m still thinking about last night’s delicious Chilean sea bass, served with a perfect view of historic downtown Dahlonega at the Back Porch Oyster Bar, and about the luxuriously quirky Mountain Laurel Inn and Spa, with its mix of Moroccan, Indonesian and Appalachian art.
In the Smithgall visitor center, however, my attention turns to the classroom wall, where interpretive ranger Sarah Kelehear is projecting images of native insects that live in these streams: stoneflies, mayflies, neon green caddisflies, water pennies and pinching Dobson flies.
Their presence, she notes, signifies that trout are lurking nearby. Kelehear passes around a selection of artificial “flies”—the only type allowed in the park’s 5-mile stretch of Dukes Creek, a catch-and-release zone—made with furs, feathers and worm-like rubber.
“One of the reasons we have such big, pretty fish,” she points out, “is because people are not taking them out of the streams.”
Late morning, workshop participants head down to the creek to watch the sport in action and try their hand at casting in the adjacent field. Jimmy Harris, a guide with Unicoi Outfitters, ties a fake mayfly to his line and stealthily moves through the water. Trout are smart, sensitive and as aerodynamic as torpedoes, he explains, trudging slowly upstream before stopping short of two fallen logs that form a V, creating a small dam. Harris deliberately walks closer, flushing four or five fish from their hiding place. “Trout are a lot like human beings,” he says with a grin. “They’re not going to intentionally stay in a place that takes a lot of energy.”
Hiking at High Hampton Inn, Cashiers, North Carolina
At High Hampton Inn, a concierge who looks and sounds a lot like Antonio Banderas escorts us to Caroline Cottage, with its prime view of Rock Mountain and Jewel Lake. Gone are the fancy modern amenities: TV, WiFi, air conditioning. In their place are genteel politeness and manners, with anything I need—an alarm clock, ice, a mini-fridge—magically appearing at a moment’s notice. As dusk falls and the temperature drops, even in summer, the requirement that men wear jackets to dinner doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. And with dishes like chicken piccata, New York strip with bleu cheese crust, and shrimp and grits, the buffet is anything but primitive.
The next morning, I stroll past fern glades and glorious flame azaleas, through tunnels of arching umbrella magnolias, on my way to the peak of the 4,618-foot Chimney Top Mountain. A half-mile from the top, I spot a single rhododendron blossom resting lightly on the ground, then above me, the mother plant, and the impressive, panoramic view I’ve been hearing about.
Before checkout on the last day at High Hampton, my massage therapist Janet gently places smooth hot stones in the middle of my back, legs and neck, melting the muscle soreness of the long hike. Afterward, I relax in a Chinese-red rocker, feel the breeze, and watch kids play in Jewel Lake beyond a massive shade tree, savoring my new home-away-from-home, one that I don’t want to leave.