Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Just north of Nantahala is quaint
Bryson City
, an ideal jumping-off point for outdoor
adventures. It's home to the huge and highly recommended
Nantahala Outdoor Center
(NOC; 828-488-2176, 888-905-7238;
www.noc.com
; 13077 Hwy 19/74; kayak/canoe rental per
day $30/50, guided trips $30-189)
, which specializes in wet and wild rafting trips down the
Nantahala, French Broad, Pigeon and Ocoee Rivers. There's also a zipline and an alpine
tower. It even has its own lodge and restaurant. The Appalachian Trail rolls across the
property too. From the Bryson City depot, the
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
(
800-872-4681;
www.gsmr.com
; 226 Everett St, Bryson City; Nantahala Gorge trip adult/child 2-12yr
from $55/31; Mar-Dec)
runs scenic train excursions through the dramatic river valley.
245 Fryemont St; lodge/ste/cabins from $110/$180/245; nonguests breakfast $6-9, dinner $20-29;
restaurant 8am-10am & 6-8pm Sun-Tue, 6-9pm Fri & Sat mid-Apr-late Nov; )
, a family-
owned lodge and restaurant. The bark-covered inn has a front-porch view of the Smokies
and downtown Bryson City.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The air is hotter, the accents thicker and the traditions more dear in South Carolina,
where the Deep South begins. From its Revolutionary War patriots to its 1860s seces-
sionist government to its current crop of feisty legislators, the Palmetto State has never
shied away from a fight.
From the silvery sands of the Atlantic Coast, the state climbs westward from the
Coastal Plain across the Piedmont and up into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Most travelers
stick to the coast, with its splendid antebellum cities and palm-tree-studded beaches. But
the interior has a wealth of sleepy old towns, wild and undeveloped state parks and
spooky black-water swamps. Along the sea islands you hear the sweet songs of the Gul-
lah, a culture and language created by former slaves who held onto many West African
traditions through the ravages of time.
From genteel, gardenia-scented Charleston to bright, tacky Myrtle Beach, South Caro-
lina is always an engaging destination.
GULLAH CULTURE
African slaves were transported from the region known as the Rice Coast (Sierra
Leone, Senegal, the Gambia and Angola) to a landscape of remote islands that was
shockingly similar - swampy coastlines, tropical vegetation and hot, humid sum-
mers.
