We were up bright and early and enjoyed an excellent breakfast at the Pisgah Inn before checking out. We had to wait for the morning fog to clear, but htat was just a good excuse to have another cup of coffee and explore the unique gift shop once again.
Heading north on the Blue Ridge Parkway it was mostly downhill to Asheville. At one scenic pull-off you can view the famous Biltmore House and grounds some 7 miles in the distance. This turn of the century home of George Vanderbilt boast 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, indoor pool, bowling alley, and a large collection of historic art and collectables. The gardens are magnificent and include a collection of more than 2,300 roses. Admission is a bit pricy ranging from $25 to $44 per person depending on time of year. It is worth a one-time visit though. Go early and plan on at least 3-4 hours tour time. It is crowded in the summer.
Having visited the Biltmore before we continued north on the BRP to our exit onto US 74A just east of Asheville. US 74A is rather mundane for a number of miles but suddenly, with NO WARNING SIGNS, you are into some tight switchbacks crossing through Hickorynut Gap at Gerton. US 74A then follows Hickory Creek to its junction with Broad River at Bat Cave.
We took a little detour north on NC 9 to scout out the twisties and were somewhat disappointed finding only the typical sweeping curves of many local mountain roads.
We revisited one of our favorite spots in North Carolina, Chimney Rock Park. The massive 315-foot monolithic rock gives the park its name. Visitors can climb to the Chimney via several paths which consist of decking and steps, one passing through the 185 step Needle's Eye with massive boulders narrowing to barely allow passage. There is also an elevator which will take you to within 30 feet of the top, but that's no fun.
Plan on spending a few hours here at least because there is lots to explore. such as Moonshiner's Cave, the Opera Box, Perengrin's Rest, Inspiration Point, Devil's Head and Exclamation Point. Hike the 3/4 mile trail out to the 400 foot high Hickory Nut Falls. Several Movies have been filmed here including The Last of the Mohicans, Firestarter and A Breed Apart.
Admission to the park was $14 for adults and $6 for youths 6-15. Children under 6 are free. Chimney Rock is well worth the admission charge. There are some nice picnic spots on the winding road climbing to the Chimney. Bring your lunch and enjoy the outdoors.
Backtracking we headed south on US 64 toward Hendersonville. Traffic on this route was maddening, but we wanted to explore south of Hendersonville so we stuck with it.
From Hendersonville we took US 25 south through Flat Rock and Tuxedo. Making a wrong turn onto Old US 25 south we were suddenly in the middle of nowhere on some second class pavement crossing into South Carolina. Stopping to get our bearings we took a left onto Saluda/Mountain Page Road and motored up to the quaint, off-the-beaten-path town of Saluda, North Carolina.
Saluda is perhaps best known for its Coon Dog Day Celebration held every year on the Saturday following the 4th of July. In addition to a 5k Race, local hunters bring their coon dogs to see which one can jump the highest trying to catch a coon set atop a pole in the town square. The event is said to draw large crowds.
After walking the historic downtown sidewalk we had lunch and coffee at the brightly painted Tosh's Whistle Stop Cafe. The outside seating offers a scenic view of downtown main street.
Leaving Saluda we headed east on US 176 which follows the old railroad tracks more or less. The railroad, when it was operational, had the steepest mainline grade in the eastern US descending some 1000 feet in 4 miles. US 176 is just as steep. Throw in some switchbacks and poor pavement and it is a fun, exciting ride.
At Tryon we turned north on NC 108. Traffic was heavy due to the closing of nearby I-26 due to an accident. Passing through Columbus we took a left onto NC 9 heading for Lake Lure where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed. We hoped to find a place to stay for the night.
The Lake Lure Inn and Spa looked a little too stuffy and the Beach Motor Inn looked a little trashy. The local travel and tourism office was closed and a brochure rack outside didn't have anything that clicked with us. We were back on the bikes heading east on US 64 looking for a place to stay.
As usual when you are looking for something in particular it is not easy to find. We rode some 25 miles all the way to Forest City before spotting a Holiday Inn Express on US 74A a short time before dark.
We grabbed a quick bite at the Sonic next door and hit the bed. We had a big day planned to return to Robbinsville via South Carolina's Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway (SC 11).
