Or, camp at nearby tent or camper sites and sear your own trout, outside on an open-air grill. Several good hikes begin near Graveyard Fields, south of the Pisgah Inn on the Parkway, at milepost 418.8. The perennial and vegetable garden is a grand, cumulative work of art. The restaurant specializes in creative cuisine using produce fresh from the garden, including a floral garnish. Test the pool and tennis court, or paddle across the lake.
Children can feed hungry goats and search for chicken eggs under nesting hens.
Near Flat Rock, the Carl Sandburg House recalls the writer's life , and the Woodfield Inn offers another historic place to stay. Whether you spend a month or a few days winding along this route, you should experience the simplicity and the majesty of western North Carolina. When you leave, don't be surprised if you're taking something special and unexpected with you. And if you're like most people, you will have found at least one place you'll want to return to again and again. Diana Renfro is a novelist and free-lance travel writer.