summer hiatus ideas

What kind of activities are you interested in? Hard to make suggestions without knowing that.

Great point! Thanks for asking. We like to eat, enjoy some music, dance a little, hike a bit, gamble from time to time, hang with our dogs, and otherwise hang around the campground in/out of our rig. Does that help?

You are more urban oriented than we are so I'll let others make suggestions. We like to get as far away from cities and tourist hotspots as possible.

Eastern Band of Cherokee opened a new casino in Murphy last fall so they will welcome your gambling visit. There probably is some musical entertainment there also.

The Georgia Mountain Fair (Hiawassee) has summer music events. You are also close enough to Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin to attend any of the performances there. If you want local music, check with the Chamber of Commerce in each town around - there are very few weekends that do not have a Volunteer FD dinner/fund raiser/music event or a church group raising money with a dinner & music. Also by then the local farmers/tailgate markets have opened and many of them have events with live music and food.

Most of the small towns in Western NC (Murphy, Bryson City, Franklin, Sylva) have a craft brewer that serves food & often has live musical entertainment.

For hiking, Murphy is close to Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and Nantahala National Forest in NC. Both offer thousands of miles of trail to pick from. By Memorial Day most of the Appalachian Trail through hikers are north of that area so that trail has much less traffic than early spring.

If white water interests you, Nantahala Outdoor Center can provide either: "here's your tube, there's the river" or "sign this liability waiver, put on this helmet & life vest, I will be your guide".

Coming from Murphy NC to Blue Ridge GA through the NC Mountains is a great road trip. Brevard, NC music festivals, but not sure of the schedules. Highlands, NC is a quaint boutique town with some nice restaurants...no fast food restaurants allowed. Lots of scenic falls throughout the area. Campfire Lodging near Ashville is a real nice CG. MountainStream RV Resort is just off the BluebRidge Parkway. Good luck.

If you're going to be in the Smokies, there is a play in Cherokee that is a must see. Unto These Hills is at night at an open air ampha theater. Very worth the money and time. If you're going to Asheville the Biltmore Estate tour is really good. If you're taking in the Gulf coast, Pensacola is really nice. Make reservations at Ft. Pickens Nat. Park well in advance. There is a great museum at the Navy base and you may catch the Blue Angels in practice. New Orleans is a great place for food and music. If you want to go first class, try a restaurant like Commanders Palace, Arnauds or Antoines. Bring about $300.00 for a dinner for two. Bayou Segnette State Park is a great place to park. Only 20 min from the Quarter. The WWII museum and movie is fantastic. If you like fishing. Grand Isle SP is about an hour and a half below New Orleans. Great park, check for availability. If you don't like fishing, there really isn't much reason to go there Have fun!!!