A while ago, we took a drive to Murphy, North Carolina in Cherokee County. We were looking for interesting places to camp that weren’t too far from home. The drive took us through the Nantahala National Forest and along the Nantahala River. This area is near the Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina.
The word, “Nantahala” is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun”. It’s a very beautiful part of our state! The Nantahala River is a favorite place for Whitewater Rafters, Canoeists, and Kayakers. I haven’t tried whitewater rafting but I think it would be fun! There were many places to rent a raft along our route.
Nantahala Outdoor Center-NOC
Along the Highway, we came upon this area, which had rafting centers(Nantahala Outdoor Center), zip lines, outdoor gear stores and more! It’s not far from Bryson City, North Carolina. We only stopped to take photos, but if you are into rafting, this is the place to be!
Nantahala River Rapids
We drove through the town of Murphy, North Carolina. It looked like a cute little town. I spotted some cool looking restaurants that we will have to try the next time we are there.
We looked on Trip Advisor for “things to do” in Murphy and we found the Hiwassee Dam.
If you are not familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is a National Parkway noted for its scenic beauty. It is America’s longest linear park and runs for 469 miles. It runs through the states of North Carolina and Virginia from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. We only drove it for about 50 miles but it was very beautiful! The maximum speed limit is only 45 mph, which makes it a very relaxing drive!
Scenic Overlooks
The Parkway runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.
We recently had a chance to get away and go camping for 3 nights. We decided that we didn’t want to drive farther than about 2 hours, this is mainly due to gas costs while hauling our travel trailer. I have an app. on my phone which shows a map of RV campgrounds all over the United States, it’s called “Park Advisor”(RV Parks & Campgrounds), it can be downloaded from Google play. It really comes in handy! I have used it while traveling out of state too!
We usually like to go to KOA Campgrounds because they are for the most part, nice & clean places, with easy drive-thru sites. We have the KOA Kard which gives us 10% off of camping fees. The Lynchburg, Virginia area sounded interesting to us and it’s close to the Blue Ridge Parkway so that’s what we chose!
It’s very easy to look up the campsites online and see what’s available for certain dates, then I called to confirm and paid the downpayment, which was equal to one night’s stay. I decided it was a good opportunity to purchase the KOA Value Kard, which costs $39 for the year and gives us 10% off on camping fees as well as other perks.
We packed up the camper, loaded our dog(Poppie) in the truck, and headed down the road. Check-in was 2:00 and we arrived at about 2:45. It always takes longer when hauling our camper. It was an easy drive for us!
The campground is actually about 20 miles northwest of Lynchburg, very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, in Monroe, Virginia. Our first impression was that it was smaller than some other KOA campgrounds(which is good) and had lots of trees, which we love!
Shaded sites can make a BIG difference on hot summer days!
I had always heard about The Poconos and the resorts there with the heart-shaped tubs and champagne glass jacuzzis. It was at the top of my Bucket List for many years. I didn’t realize how beautiful the scenery would be!
The Pocono Mountains or “The Poconos” as they are commonly called, are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This area is a popular recreational area, with skiing, hiking, boating, and fishing. The location is great, it’s only about a 2-hour drive for people who live in New York or Pennsylvania. It’s about an 8-hour drive for us from our home in North Carolina but it was well worth it!
Mt Pocono Overlook – Nicholas A Tonelli / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
How the Poconos became the “Land of Love”
During World War II, many GI’s took their leaves with their girlfriends and wives in the Pocono Mountains. This area took on a romantic appeal for them and many returned after the war on their honeymoons or vacations. In 1945, Rudolf Von Hoevenberg opened lodging in the area which consisted of some cabins and the main lodge, called The Farm on the Hill, this was the first honeymoon resort of the Pocono Mountains. Many other resorts sprung up in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1963, after a story in Life Magazine, it was labeled the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”.
Unfortunately, in the 1990s, “Honeymooners” had started choosing other locations and some of the resorts were forced to close.
A New Century, a fresh new look
In 2005, the Great Wolf Lodge opened in Scotrun, Pennsylvania, which renewed people’s interest in the Poconos. Several of the resorts started renovating and couples(and families) started coming back to the area. Several more indoor waterparks have opened as well as new resorts. The small towns in this area are quaint and charming, with small shops, antique stores, and great restaurants!
Great Wolf Lodge – Carlos Pacheco from Toronto, Canada / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
Our time in The Poconos
We stayed at Paradise Stream in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania. There were others to choose from but frankly, I found savings on Groupon and I wanted to take advantage of that. Mt. Pocono is about an 8-hour drive from our home in North Carolina. The drive through Pennsylvania is quite beautiful, very green, with rolling hills and mountains. We arrived late in the afternoon and quickly checked in.
NOTE: the taxes and fees are quite high as well as a daily resort fee(please read the small print). At least this is my experience booking through Groupon.
It was worth it for us, we were so happy to finally be there! There are several room options at Paradise Stream; Cupid’s Suite, Diana’s Oasis Suite, Garden of EdenApple Suite, Champagne Tower Suite, and, the one we chose, Lakeside Villa Suite. Our room was on Lake Eden and was more like a small cottage.
Our Cottage
We had a deck with a table and chairs, overlooking the lake, which was very relaxing and had great views of the lake!
*Click HERE to receive our Newsletters with more fun travel ideas!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
