Summer vacation advice; help!

[Zoning Goddess]

I'm trying to plan a short vacation with my 10-year old, to get him out of totally flat central FL for a few days. We'd like to find someplace fun for kids in the mountains, maybe NC or north GA. He's especially interested in hiking and historical sites. Anybody know any good small towns or campgrounds?

 

[biscuit]

Two of my favorites are a couple of state parks near my hometown in Upstate South Carolina (Yes we have Mountains). Table Rock State Park has great hiking; and Lake Jocassee, at Devils Fork State Park, is incredible. Below are links to the official web sites. Check out the photo gallary in each.



Devils Fork State Park

Table Rock State Park

 

[nerudite]

I loved the Great Smoky Mountains when I was about 13 or 14... lots of fun stuff to do. Have you tried water rafting with him yet? The Nantahala is a good river to start, or if he's more of the adventurous type of 10-year old (like I was), he may enjoy the Chattooga or Ocoee. Here's a company that runs all three: http://www.noc.com/.

My aunt lives in the little town of Franklin, NC, which is a short distance to all of these rivers (maybe within an hour or two), Great Smoky Mountains NP, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was so beautiful there.

 

[Dan]

When I lived in Orlando, it seemed like a lot of folks took getaways to the Asheville, North Carolina area. I've never been there, but it sems like a neat destination; a thriving small city, the mountains, and enough diversions to keep an inquisitive kid busy.

 

[Repo Man]

I have gone hiking north of Chattanooga, TN and it was a real nice area. There is the Kennesaw Mtn. area near Atlanta which combines Civil War battlefields with nice hiking trails. Savannah, GA is always a nice place to go too.

 

[giff57]

My brother lives in Dahlonega, great little town. Short day trip to Helen (discussed in another thread), and the birthplace for all cabbage patch dolls, Cleveland, Ga.

 

[jmf]

When I lived in Orlando, it seemed like a lot of folks took getaways to the Asheville, North Carolina area. I've never been there, but it sems like a neat destination; a thriving small city, the mountains, and enough diversions to keep an inquisitive kid busy.

I liked Asheville when we went but it was soooooo expensive. Now, granted we had to think of the exchange rate to Canadian dollars but still......

If I went back I would stay somewhere outside Asheville but still close enough to do things in Asheville. The best part was the Parkway, what a beautiful drive!

 

[Queen B]

North Eastern Georgia is very pretty. My mother was living in that area for a short time, she became very ill and was hospitalized. For a break one day, my brother and I took a little drive. We went to over 12 waterfalls in one day, one of them you could even drive underneath. It was a wonderful day we both remember. Near Toccoa as I believe.

 

[prudence]

I Savannah, GA is always a nice place to go too.

I agree, Savannah is nice. Also, Columbia, SC...

You could go west to Biiloxi...lots to see there.

 

[PlannerGirl]

i went to biloxi and HATED it beyond words

hell with a fake beach

 

[H]

http://ngeorgia.com/parks/tallulah.html

in N GA.

 

[H]

Ps.

If you go by Dillard Ga. I recommend the Dillard House to eat!!

My parents used to take me there as a kid and I was in heaven. I was last there about 2 years ago and it was still every bit as good as I remembered with scenery that makes you not want to leave.

Their website also has good other local links like Dahlonega, where your 10 year old can mine for gold! Trust me, it is fun for kids. When they find a piece (and they usually do), they think they are soooooooooooooooooo rich and cool!

Feel free to ask me any Q’s, I grew up in Atlanta and spent all my summers in North Ga.

Enjoy!

http://www.dillardhouse.com/

 

[Cyburbian-ess]

When I worked in the private sector, one of our clients was in western North Carolina and Asheville. It is gorgeous there!

I'm not sure if you are familiar with an organization called "Hand Made in America" that is based in Asheville. Basically they have coordinated both a craft heritage trails system and a garden trails system throughout 21 counties. Visitors purchase a guidebook that leads them through several hiking trails that encompass artisan communities, etc. I used this as an example of a "best practice" in rural tourism. Check it out!
http://www.handmadeinamerica.org

 

[biscuit]

Ps. If you go by Dillard Ga. I recommend the Dillard House to eat!!

MMMMMMMMMM! Dillard House. That is some good eating.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

MMMMMMMMMM! Dillard House. That is some good eating.

I seem to remember a co-worker mentioning this place years ago. Is that the one where they serve "family style" with big platters of food placed on the table?

 

[biscuit]

Hello, my name is biscuit and I will be your tour guide this morning.

I seem to remember a co-worker mentioning this place years ago. Is that the one where they serve "family style" with big platters of food placed on the table?

Yep. It's a family style resturant in an old house. The food is not spectacular but it is good country cooking with a great atmosphere.

There's a lot to do in the tri-state area of Oconee County, SC; Rabun County, GA; and Franklin/Macon Counties, NC. There is rafting on the Chattooga; Shopping at overpriced boutiques with the Atlanta summer crowd in Highlands; Visiting the Stumphouse Tunnel, really cool for a ten year old boy, Issaqueena Falls, and other sites in and around Walhalla; Whitewater Falls on the SC, NC line, the tallest waterfall in the eastern US; and hiking trails all over the place.

Just pick guidebooks from all three states and pick and choose your activities. Unless my memory has failed me, I think none of the sites are, at the most, more than an hour or two apart from one another.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.