Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina

Travel & Vacation Guide, North Carolina
Witness the beauty first hand on your next vacation!

Hike Down Into Linville Gorge, North Carolina’s Grandest Canyon

October 24th, 2009

By Stephen N Foster

The Linville River flows thunderously from the top of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, and its sweep and drop have formed over hundreds of years a canyon in the Linville Gorge Wilderness Park, which is part of the Pisgah National Forrest. Thus: Linville Gorge, one of the most compelling geological formations in the country and certainly on the east coast.

The Linville River, at the bottom of the gorge, flows between Lake James and Grandfather Mountain. The entire area is both stunningly beautiful and not for the unpracticed hiker. The trek down into the Gorge is challenging because you must always hike in a way such that you do not lose control and slip; and of course the hike back out is difficult because of the elevation and pitch of the ascent.

Trails into the Gorge start on both the Lake James and Grandfather Mountain sides. The western rim Cabin Trail drops almost 1000 feet in 3/4 of a mile. The Linville Gorge Trail is the major connecting trail. It parallels the river on the west side for about 12 miles.

Seven trails descend from the access road (seek out a map before you head out) to the Linville Gorge Trail. Trails also lead from Forest Road 210 to Table Rock and Hawksbill Mountains, two of the most mountains in North Carolina.

Camping is permitted in the Gorge, but it’s important to have orienteering equipment and a map. Each year a large number of people get lost in the Gorge and need to be rescued. The trails down into the Gorge are not always clearly marked, so it is important to be especially aware of where on the hike you are at all times.

It is equally important to have some base line of fitness before undertaking the hike. Ascending from the Linville River at the bottom of the Gorge is difficult and challenging and at times feels like you are walking nearly vertically.

Check in with the Ranger before you hike or camp. Obtain a permit if you need one, and take a camera because you’ll have multiple photo opportunities: the variety of animal and plant life is awe-inspiring

Access the Gorge from US 221, NC HWYs 181 and 183, and the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 314.

Stephen Foster is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Ramble: http://www.northcarolinaramble.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_N_Foster

Vacation Ideas – Thomas Wolfe Memorial Historic Site in Asheville, North Carolina, USA

July 4th, 2009

By Connie Limon

Thomas Wolfe is considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th Century American Literature. The Old Kentucky Home boarding house is one of American Literature’s most famous landmarks.

Hours of Operation

• April to October, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, closed on Monday
• November to March, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, closed on Monday

Thomas Wolfe, author, lived in the Kentucky Home boarding house, run by his mother, for ten years. He was strongly influenced by Asheville, his hometown, and by the boarding house itself. Thomas Wolfe’s writings were inspired by his childhood days in Asheville, North Carolina. The very realistic portrayals of Asheville, its citizens, which included Wolfe’s own family, prompted Look Homeward, Angel to be banned from his hometown library. Wolfe did not visit Asheville for almost eight years during the time his book was published. When Thomas Wolfe finally went home in the summer of 1937, he stayed in the boarding house with his mother and wrote the article “Return,” which was published in the Asheville newspaper.

Thomas Wolfe lived only to be 38 years old, and is perhaps the most overtly autobiographical novelist in American Literature. In his short life span, he produced four novels which are:

• Look Homeward, Angel
• Of Time and the River
• The Web and the rock
• You Can’t Go Home Again

Thomas Wolfe, novelist, also wrote numerous short stories, novellas and plays. The Old Kentucky Home boarding house has been a memorial to him since 1949. It is currently open in North Carolina as a State Historical Site. The visitor center features exhibits about Wolfe and his family as well as an audio-visual presentation about the life of Thomas Wolfe and his writing.

Tours of the Old Kentucky Home

Available for tourists today are the guided tours. During his lifetime, Thomas Wolfe, foresaw the future of his mother’s boarding house. He wrote his second novel, Of Time and the River, that foretold how the “old dilapidated house had now become a fit museum.”

A fire in 1998 later discovered to have been intentionally set almost destroyed the historic Old Kentucky Home. Intensive restoration to the historic house and the surviving artifact collection enabled the Old Kentucky Home to reopen to visitors in May of 2004.

Directly behind the historic Old Kentucky Home boarding house is a modern visitor center that opened in late 1996. The visitor center is located at 52 North Market Street and features an exhibit hall with the personal effects from the Wolfe family home, Wolfe’s New York City apartment, and his father’s stonecutting shop. Every hour, an audio-visual program on the life of Thomas Wolfe and his writing is presented. The guided tours of the boarding house begin at the visitor center. This building also features a gift shop.

Visitor Center Hours

• April to October, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday
• Sunday’s beginning June 3, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., November through March, and closed on Mondays
• 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday and closed on Mondays

For more information you can call 828-253-8304

Current Events

At the time of writing this article, an upcoming event at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Historical site on October 27th features “Witches, Haints and Booger Tales,” Spooky stories at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Hours are 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Source: Thomas Wolfe Memorial Online

Written by: Connie Limon. For more vacation ideas visit http://smalldogs2.com/VacationIdeas For a variety of FREE reprint articles and special topic articles rarely found elsewhere visit Camelot Articles at http://www.camelotarticles.com