Fall
We decided to take a road trip that would take us along the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had heard how beautiful the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway was so we thought we’d give it a try.
First Stop - Southern Ohio
Our first stop took us to central/southern Ohio to the Hocking Hills State Park area. What a beautiful place. Gently rolling hills let us through small towns and farmland. We finally ended up at Ravenwood Castle for the evening. We had reserved the Candle Makers Cottage for the night. It was a cute place; it would be great for family reunions or even a wedding. Our cottage was well equipped including a microwave, sink, and refrigerator however, the wifi did not work in the cottage and the tv did not have cable service (only DVDs you could check out in the main castle. The bathtub was a jetted garden tub which was a little tricky to get in and out of to take a shower. Perhaps I should have explored the amenities a little further as my traveling partner was not impressed with the lack of media services. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. You have to drive several miles for any dining or shopping options.
Next Stop - Asheville, NC
We stayed at a very nice Holiday Inn Express in Asheville with the intent of checking out the Biltmore Estate before heading to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unfortunately, there was no availability at the Biltmore for the morning hours so we did a little shopping and headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
What a beautiful drive filled with twists turns and some incredible scenery. We stopped at the ranger station before starting and found out that several areas had detours due to rock slides. So glad we stopped as she told us where to detour saving us a great deal of time. Our destination for the night was the Switzerland Inn, Litter Switzerland, NC.
Switzerland Inn
The Switzerland Inn was on the other side of a detour so we had to backtrack a little but it was certainly worth it. The place is a little pricey for the area but there isn’t a whole lot to choose from. The hotel was reminiscent of older times, with cabin-like decor and floor-to-ceiling windows in the main lobby area with spectacular views. The rooms and grounds were well kept although neither the sink nor our shower wants to drain. There were several shops across the parking lot as well as ice cream and candy shops. Their website had mentioned a fitness center; when I asked the front desk where I might find it she explained that no one used it so they turned it into the ice cream shop. Our room was spacious enough that I was able to get in a modified workout with the hand weights I brought.
The food was great and the service at the restaurant was good.
Next Stop - Gettysburg, PA
We headed to Gettysburg to check out the historical sights but first, we spent the night at an Air BnB called The Britton Farmstead. It is a little off the beaten path but a very cute place. We stayed in room #3 which takes up the entire third floor. The hosts were nice, the room was clean with great views of the surrounding farmland.
The next day we hired a private tour guide from the Visitors Center which I highly recommend. He took us around to sites that interested us and some that we had no idea would interest us. We had a great morning with our guide Dennis, he was a great storyteller and very knowledgeable. Gettysburg is an incredible place. Although I’m not a big history buff, even I was in awe at what went on in this town and the surrounding area. The Civil War was a very dark time in our country’s past.
Time to head home
What a great little road trip but it’s time to head home.
