Yearly Archives: 2016

If you’re planning a biking outing in Maggie Valley, you want to visit the best trails you can find. Maggie Valley boasts a wide variety of different types of bike trails with scenic views of the Great Smoky Mountains.  When selecting the best bike trail for you and your family or friends, take a moment to identify the ingredients that will make the bike ride fun for you.  For instance, do you want a smooth, relaxing, easy ride or do you prefer more of an uphill climb full of challenges, twists and turns?  Once you have a good understanding of what type of experience you are looking for, then it is time to review your options and pick out the trail that will give you the best experience.

Summer is just around the corner and with summer comes a host of festivals in the Smoky Mountains.  Maggie Valley, NC, is a popular summer vacation site and famous for quite a few things. It is scenically gorgeous and therefore attracts tourists from across the country and also from other parts of the world. The summer festivals are extremely popular and draw thousands of visitors on a annual basis to not only experience the natural beauty of the Smokey Mountains but to also enjoy a wonderful display of the art and culture of the area.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s longest linear park, covering a distance of 469 miles, and is one of America’s most scenic mountain drives. Although not a National Park, this parkway is primarily maintained by the National Park Services. It was built mainly to connect the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to the Shenandoah National Park. Passing through 29 counties staring from Rockfish gap in Virginia up thru North Carolina (NC), the southern terminus of this parkway is between the Smoky Mountain National Park and Cherokee Indian Reservation, N.C., which is around 21 miles from Maggie Valley. The entire stretch is noted for offering the best scenic drive experience and has a number of notable landmarks and pure natural beauty, without the chaotic intervention of commercialization.  Overflowing with flora, fauna and wildlife, this stretch makes an amazing vacation destination or is just as beautiful to drive through!

There is something special about Asheville, North Carolina, and the world is just beginning to find out! This prosperous mountain town offers an eccentric and eclectic downtown, hundreds of studios and galleries, a culinary culture, world famous craft beer, a lively and thriving music scene, and of course, the majestic landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The natural beauty of the area is amazing!  Starting from the beautiful mountain backdrop, the grandeur of the Biltmore Hotel Estate, and all the wonderful quaint shops and delectable restaurants, the ambience of this quaint mountain destination is one that is a mixture of mountain charm bursting with flavor and energy.

Ashville is lined with sidewalk cafes (with one restaurant chain), several independent coffee shops, and dozens of art theaters, boutique shopping, and parks. This preferred tourist destination is located just forty minutes from Maggie Valley, NC.  This city promises not to disappoint you! Here are some of the popular things to see and do in Asheville.

Explore The North Carolina Arboretum

Spanning 434 acres, the North Carolina Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, southwest of Asheville, and is an arboretum and botanical garden. Admission is free, but parking is limited. The arboretum is still in development and offers hiking trails and bike paths, and a collection of a river garden and a sacred garden.

Some of those views present in the arboretum gardens include the Blue Ridge Quilt Garden that offers patchworks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, The Cliff Dickinson Holly Garden, (featuring native and foreign collections) and the Heritage Garden, (which is a craft demonstration garden).

Play at the Sliding Rock Waterfall

Sliding Rock Waterfall on Looking Glass Creek, aptly named because the main aspect of this waterfall is the natural water slide where you can slide over the rocks to the basin below. This is a beautiful natural phenomenon, unique to the area. The gentle slope is about 20 meters long and leads into a basin of 2 meters deep.

This waterfall is a popular place for visitors looking for adventure and also looking to cool down in the hot summer by taking a dip in its’ ice cold water.  It also provides two viewing platforms, parking at the top of the falls, stairs leading to pools and ramps to help the climb. Changing rooms and toilets are provided, and a lifeguard is present sometimes (especially on summer weekends). Otherwise, the natural slide is used at your own risk, and young children should slide on the lap of an adult for safety reasons.

Visit the Folk Art Center

The Folk Art Center is located outside of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a museum with art and crafts from local vendors. It houses the offices of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the National Park Service, and the Eastern National. The museum is managed cooperatively by these factions is the most popular attraction of the circuit.

The center of the museum contains three art galleries, a library, an auditorium, and an information center. The Allan stand Craft Shop is one of the main attractions of the center, which offers over 3,500 artifacts from the early 20th century.

The Biltmore Estate

You can experience the wonder of Biltmore Estate, which houses a priceless collection of antiques and arts original to the Vanderbilt home. It is touted as the biggest privately maintained mansion in America. You can enjoy the spectacular views of the woodlands and gardens, which make a perfect place for leisurely strolls. The most theatrical view of Biltmore House can be enjoyed with a drive to the winery from the house.

The nearby Antler Hill Village offers a relaxing environment learning, shopping, and dining opportunities. You can stay at the village hotel and the Inn at Biltmore Estate for a day or two while exploring the outdoors, which includes the greenway and several great hiking trails.

Have fun at Splashville

Splashville is one of the latest free attractions of Asheville, offering a fun, family place to cool off in summer. Located in Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville, Splashville is an ideal interactive water park for all ages.

Splashville has random water spray arches that rise and are specially designed to soak and cool off in the summer heat. Given its location, you can enjoy the fountains and then relax on the green lawns to dry and warm up in the sun.

Enjoy the World Coffee Cafe

The World Coffee Cafe is located at the corner of Battery Park and Wall Street in the heart of downtown Asheville. The sky bar of the World Coffee Cafe is located at the top of the building and offers balconies with breathtaking views of the city.

While admiring the landscape, you can enjoy your choice of drinks, appetizers and delectable desserts! The Flatiron Building, which houses the café, also houses 60 additional shops, including a spa, attorney’s office, a church and all kinds of healers and therapists. A feast for the senses awaits you at World Coffee Cafe, a stop not to be missed in the city of Asheville.

Explore the Asheville Urban Trail

The Asheville Urban Trail is a walk of 2.8 km long through the center of the city. It includes 30 stops along the way with public sculptures that mark these stops. The ride was built by volunteers with donations from several businesses and private sources to promote public art and support the improvement of the quality of city life.

Visit the Basilica of Saint Lawrence

The minor Basilica of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Lawrence was built in 1905. It received the status of a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1993. It includes the largest freestanding dome d Amerique North, which measures 17 m by 25 m.

The interior of the basilica is decorated with statues of St. Lawrence, St. Cecilia, St. Rose of Lima, St. Patrick and St. Peter Apostle. It also contains a marble altar with a painting in a fresco of the Last Supper highlighted. The basilica is known for its many elaborate stained glasses with significant biblical events and characters.

Take in a Show or Concert

The Asheville passion for the arts does not stop at handicrafts. Dynamic Asheville residents and visitors can enjoy concerts and plays thanks to the presence of several theater companies in town. Asheville is full of concerts and theaters. It covers all kinds of genres.

The Brevard Music Center is located 45 minutes from downtown Asheville and hosts the Brevard Music Festival, offering an abundance of musicians. The Asheville Community Theater, one of many companies located in Asheville, offers a plethora of plays. This is one of the oldest theaters in the country and the oldest in the city, which offer shows for more than 60 years.

Climb Mount Mitchell

The most remarkable structure of North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak, Mount Mitchell, dominates with a height of 2037 meters. Located about 50 km northeast of Asheville, this is an adventure that awaits you.

There is a road of 7.4 km long starting from the Blue Ridge Parkway and a 300-meter trail to climb the mountain. At the top, you will discover the tomb of Dr. Mitchell and an observation platform to admire the breathtaking scenery. Wildflowers, blackberries, and blueberries are a food source for the birds of the area and make this place a true natural paradise to visit.

Asheville, which has been called the “Paris of the South”, is a truly unique urban oasis in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains!  Don’t miss this gem of a city during your visit to North Carolina! Add this on your list of to-dos when planning your visit to Maggie Valley.  Remember, Asheville is just a short 40-minute drive from Maggie Valley – perfect for a day trip!  Call today and make your reservation at Creekside Lodge in Maggie Valley! You can reach us at (800) 621-1260 where our friendly staff will be happy to secure your dates for a wonderful mountain get-away!  We look forward to welcoming you to Creekside Lodge and making your trip a wonderful memory!

The Great Smoky Mountains provide a stunning landscape of alluring dense forest, miles of warm streams, and vast lowlands that make it a must see for nature lovers. It is a unique geographical location and home to rare plant and animal species that people come from far and wide to view and enjoy.  The park’s management has done a great job of preserving this delicate habitat for its residents without compromising visitors’ ability to catch a glimpse. If you are at the right place at the right time, you could see some of the rare animals that make the Great Smoky Mountains their home.  The following are just some of the animals found here:

Maggie Valley, North Carolina is a wonderful vacation spot to just get away from it all!   It is a town blessed with plenty of peaceful tranquility! But, if you are in need of a little bit of retail therapy, Maggie Valley also provides a wonderful shopping experience!  Located just a stone’s throw from Creekside Lodge, quaint shops line the streets of Maggie Valley.  Local shopkeepers will make you feel right at home with a generous dose of southern hospitality!  You will not find the conventional shopping plaza, with the usual fashion chains here.  Instead, you will find lovely little fashion boutiques, unique gift shops, specialty shops, and art galleries.   Take the opportunity to recharge your batteries by sampling a piece of delicious homemade fudge or maybe just relax on the sofa with a welcoming drink of cold ice tea!

Maggie Valley is a charming town located in the beautiful North Carolina Smoky Mountains! At first glance, most tourists might get the impression that Maggie Valley is a sleepy little place and the perfect setting for those who want nothing more than to relax and get away from all the stress of the city. Although Maggie Valley truly is an oasis of relaxation and tranquility, it has so much more to offer! Maggie Valley is also the home of many different outdoor adventures, such as hiking, skiing, whitewater rafting, sight seeing, horseback riding, and many other activities. So whether you’re in search of a great outdoor adventure in the wilderness, or a quiet, romantic getaway, Maggie Valley is the perfect place for you! Creekside Lodge is a favorite cozy mountain establishment here that can provide both tranquil relaxation or be a comfortable home base between your adventure and activities!

Hikers can enjoy the sensational, scenic beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains throughout the entire year.   Every different season offers its own type of reward. During the winter, hiking can allow you to experience the new vistas and trails that reveal certain stone chimneys, walls and foundations, which remind you of the past residents. The deciduous forests shed their leaves and the outdoors takes on a new appearance. During the spring season, hikers will be treated to a plethora of fauna and flora amidst the wild growing spruce trees, wildflowers and beautiful luscious grass. During the summer season, walkers can seek out the cooler retreats that are present amongst the splashy streams, the fir-spruce forests and the cascades and roaring waterfalls. Hiking during the crisp autumn air sharpens the senses and provides the opportunity to feast your eyes on a vast array of breathtaking autumn colors. According to the folks at Creekside Lodge, you will want to experience all 4 seasons!

Horseback riding is among the most popular of activities to do in the Great Smoky Mountains. The iconic scenery and luscious mountain trails make an ideal setting for a wonderful outdoor experience! There are several local horse stables close to Creekside Lodge that provide traditional facilities, riding instructions, and both short and long trail rides, offering a wonderful opportunity to explore the hills and the beautiful Smoky Mountains. A leisurely horseback ride can be the perfect way to start or end a relaxing vacation day.

For the serious horse lover, a great place to visit is the Western North Carolina Agricultural Centre located the town of Ashville. This Centre is famous for hosting horsemanship championships, horse shows and similar events.  A drive into the beautiful city of Ashville can make a wonderful day trip!

Once you have decided to add a horseback riding experience, just where can you find the best horseback riding trails? Here are a few recommended stables:

Cataloochee Ranch: This is one of the best-known horse ranches in all of North Carolina. Ideal for horse lovers, you can easily take a morning ride amidst a mile high type meadow where you will find that the mountains stretch, ridge beyond ridge to almost the very edges of eternity. Once you go there, you can savor the quite ambience, the lush display of rhododendron and the green forest trails that intricately wind through the entire ranch and amidst the Great Smoky Mountains. In any case, whether you are an expert or a novice rider or something in the middle, the experience of horseback riding on the Cataloochee Ranch is sure to be one of your best mountain memories! The ranch offers half-day as well as full-day rides and the ideal time to visit is April thru November. All horseback riding activity is strictly directed by professionals and riders are grouped according to the level of their riding skill. Your professional guides are responsible to decide the pace and the terrain based on skill level, terrain, and present weather conditions.

Little Creek Outfitters: Located in Hot Springs in Western North Carolina this ranch is an ideal place to experience the beautiful views of the Appalachian Mountains! The facility offers horseback riding for 1 to 5 persons on a full-day or half-day basis and overnight rides can be arranged here. The horse will walk, canter or trot with you on its back during the overnight and sunset rides. Highly professional wranglers will be your guides and are always equipped with first aid kits and radio communication with the head Ranch office. This is a great place to saddle up and enjoy a leisurely, long ride amidst the wildflowers and beautiful and lush trails!

Smokemont Riding Stables: This ranch in Cherokee offers the best hourly rates amongst all other horse ranches in the area. Located approximately 15 miles from Maggie Valley, you can experience a horseback ride during a climb up the mountain and enjoy the trail amidst the beautiful scenery and flowing waterfall. The ranch has various levels of rides based on the skills of the riders. The trail follows the beautiful path along the Ocanaluftee River in and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Sandy Bottom Trail Rides: For those riders interested in half day horseback riding, one can easily choose from amongst the several packages that offer the most relaxing and intuitive horse riding lessons in the Maggie Valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway area. The Sandy Bottom trail is a one to four hour secluded trail through the wooded lands and high country parts that ensures horseback riders enjoyment of the best scenic, panoramic mountain views!

Whether you are a horse enthusiast or just someone who wants to try out a new outdoor adventure, horseback riding can enhance your visit to Creekside Lodge and make your stay even more enjoyable! Don’t wait! Call Creekside Lodge at (800) 621-1260 today to book your reservation to enjoy your own mountain adventure!

 

 

Fly-fishing is a pastime where an artificial fly is attached to a fishing rod and used to bait fish. It is a popular sport that requires a special technique in order to cast a nearly weightless fly to bait the fish and reel them in. This can be done in mountain streams, lakes or even the open sea. One of the most beautiful places to go fly-fishing is in the clear mountain streams that surround the Creekside Lodge in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. You can catch a number of species of fish when fly-fishing, but the most popular fish caught is trout

Choosing the Right Equipment

Regardless of where you decide to fish, choosing the right kind of gear is vital to successful fly-fishing. Flies are the little bits that you attach to the end of your line to bait the fish into biting on the hook. They are designed to imitate the kinds of foods that tempt fish, such as small invertebrate and insects. The three common types of flies are nymphs, dry flies and lures. Each one attracts different kinds of fish and selecting the right one to use is as important as choosing the right kind of fishing rod.

If you are new to fly fishing, choosing the right rod for you can be a daunting task! Fly fishing rods vary in length from 6′ to 15′. Choosing the right rod for you depends on where you wish to use it and how it matches with your line and the size of your fly.

Another thing to consider when picking your rod is the “action”. A fly rod’s action is a description of its flex. Lighter fly rods have slow action and heavier rods are faster.

A slow action rod has nodes the entire length of the rod, which enables it to bend all the way. They are good for small streams where you have to cast the fly with a touch of finesse so as not to spook the fish. Slow action rods are more difficult to cast well if there is a lot of wind in the area.

Medium rods flex are easier to use as they flex along the top third or half of the rod and work well for medium-skilled casters. They give you a better of feel of how it strikes the water as compared to a rod with a fast action.

Fast-action rods have stiff backbones with the flex happening in the top third of the rod. This stiffness puts more strain on the tippet, which means that inexperienced anglers will lose large fish. Fast-action rods are good for casting over long distances and require an experienced caster.

Once you have selected a suitable rod, the next step it to choose the right reel. A fly reel’s function is to balance out the weight of the rod, store the extra line and to provide a smooth run for the fish that you have just caught. It is customized for right-handed or left-handed people and is placed just above the grip of your rod. A good reel has a weight that balances well with that of your rod with enough capacity to hold the right length of for your preferred mode of fishing.

Good reels also come with drag systems that are designed for the types of fish that you are going after. For large fish in open water, you’ll want a powerful disc drag; however, a click check reel will do the job when fishing for small species.

The final part to consider when purchasing your equipment is clothing.

Clothing is an important ingredient that could make the difference between a good fishing day and a miserable one. When selecting clothing, it is best to choose clothes that will help you blend in with your surroundings so you won’t spook the fish. Clothing with insulating layers are best so you can get right out into the water without becoming soaked.

Technique

Fly-fishing is a lot more complex than simply tossing the lure into the water. To be good at it, you must learn the basics of fly-fishing. First you must analyze your surroundings in order to understand what bait will work best to catch the fish you’re after. If you are fly fishing for trout, it is good to know that trout get spooked easily and are unlikely to be tempted into feeding if you are within sight. Trout typically like to feed in locations where they have access to good food and have protection from predators (that’s you) at the same time.

Casting

Casting is the process of getting your bait into the ideal location to snag some fish. What is important to remember is it is almost impossible to throw the fly itself very far. Before you step out into the water you’ll want to practice your casting and remember these five principles:

  1. When you start to load the rod remove all slack from the line.
  2. As you come to towards the end of your cast accelerate and then come to a complete stop.
  3. Keep your throwing hand in a straight line. Do not let it go in an arch.
  4. If you are casting a long line, ensure that your cast has a longer stroke. Imagine a clock face and if the line is short, aim your back cast to 11 o’clock and your front cast to 1 o’clock. For longer lines think 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.
  5. When you reach the end of your back cast, pause before casting forward. This gives the line time to straighten out. The longer your line, the longer you’ll need to pause.

Tips for Fly-Fishing

Handy ideas for fishing in streams are:

  • • Fish the areas in between fast and slow moving water as this where trout like to rest.
  • • Learn to use nymphs because the main components of a trout’s diet lie immediately below the water’s surface.
  • • Don’t let the line of the lure land right above the fish because this can spook them. Your goal is to draw the fish out of their comfort zone.

Tips when fishing in lakes:

  • • Stay near the bank. This is where most of the fish food is located. Stick to locations with lush vegetation.
  • • Choose areas where a stream flows into the lake. These provide good sources of oxygen, protection and food.

Have Fun

Learning to fly fish may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but with practice, you will be amazed at how much better you’ll become! Fly-fishing can be a truly relaxing and enjoyable experience, especially when done in a beautiful, mountain setting such as the clear, rushing streams close to <<>>in Maggie Valley, NC.

Don’t delay! Call Maggie Valley Creekside Lodge at (800) 621-1260 to book your fly-fishing getaway today!

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Creekside Lodge received a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor in 2016!
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