Escape to the Mountains on this Annual Journey that showcases the very best of this beautiful Western Carolina region. Visit the largest privately owned home in America. Take a nostalgic mountain train ride; discover the mystic Cherokee Nation and experience breathtaking views at Chimney Rock Park. Fantastic food & fun!!
Day 1 - Arrive Asheville
Arrive in Asheville, NC with a “Deluxe Welcome Reception” and greeting by a tour representative. Enjoy an “Old Fashioned Mountain-Style Party” with a barbeque dinner, bluegrass band, and cloggers. Jump in and have fun learning true Western Carolina “old-time” dances! Sit by a cozy campfire roasting marshmallows before the closing entertainment. Mountain Inn & Suites (or similar), Asheville / North Carolina/ (D)
Day 2 - Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
After an expanded deluxe continental breakfast, it’s on to Dillsboro, NC, for a ride aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, for a relaxing narrated ride and breathtaking views of the scenic mountains and colorful countryside of western North Carolina. Browse the shops in Bryson City before heading to Cherokee, NC and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino for “Lady Luck” fun with lunch on own. Afterwards, it’s on to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian to explore the fascinating interpretive legends that prevail about these first Americans in this state-of-the-art museum. Freshen up before the evening activities at the Fiddlin' Pig. Mountain Inn & Suites (or similar), Asheville / North Carolina/ (B,D)
Day 3 - Biltmore Estate
Enjoy the hotel’s expanded deluxe continental breakfast followed by a daylight visit of the Biltmore Estate mansion, gardens, conservatory, the Biltmore Winery, and a picnic lunch in the covered pavilion. We’ll have time for shopping at the specialty shops next to the house in the stables area, the historic horse barns, viewing the gardens and managed woodlands. We’ll have free time in the afternoon to explore Asheville or just relax at the hotel before an evening cook-out dinner, beautiful mountain dulcimer music, a nature history program, and viewing from the top of “the rock” at Chimney Rock Park: a 1,000-acre park full of natural wonders, including a 26-story elevator within the mountain, a breathtaking 75-mile view, and nature trails. Mountain Inn & Suites (or similar), Asheville / North Carolina/ (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Return Home
After an expanded deluxe continental breakfast, we bid farewell as we depart Asheville for home. (B)