The Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains
Your guide from the Hemlock Inn, Bryson City

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Waynesville, North Carolina
About 35 miles from Hemlock Inn is Waynesville, where you can experience the cultural life of an authentic small town. Waynesville offers an old-fashoned Main Street lined with exquisite galleries; a community theater that has won regional awards; one of the largest international folk dance festivals in the country; a mountain folk festival; and many other unique opportunities to experience mountain culture at its best.

Here is a great day trip from Hemlock Inn to Waynesville:

Take 74 East to Waynesville. Take the third exit (Hwy. 276/Russ Ave.) There are shopping centers and fast food restaurants all along this road. When this road dead-ends into Main Street , turn right to the original business district. Park on Main Street or one of the side streets after you pass the Courthouse. This district is 2 blocks long. Be sure to visit Mast General Store, The Simple Touch, Hale’s Dress Shop, and Whitman’s Bakery (a nice place for lunch). Waynesville Hardware (across from the Courthouse) is a real experience. Another nice place for lunch is the Grill at Waynesville Country Club.

After lunch, take Hwy. 276 North to Hwy. 19, turning right ¼ mile to the entrance to Lake Junaluska. Be sure to drive all the way around the Lake. It is much larger and more beautiful than it appears from the highway.

After completing the Loop around the Lake, turn right onto Hwy. 19 to Maggie Valley . In Maggie Valley, stop at Cabbage Rose, other various shops, and Soco Gardens Zoo. Continue on Hwy. 19 South, and stop at one of the overlooks near Soco, then continue through Cherokee to Hemlock Inn.

Alternate: When you reach Soco Gap, take the Blue Ridge Parkway north to Hwy. 74 at Balsam, returning via Hwy. 74 West. You may add 10-15 minutes to your time this way, but you will see some beautiful scenery, have better roads (74 is 4-lane), and miss going through Cherokee, which is often very congested.

Driving Time: Hemlock Inn to Waynesville, 40 minutes.

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Hemlock Inn
Adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
P.O. Box 2350, Galbraith Creek Rd, Bryson City, NC 28713
phone: 828-488-2885 / fax: 828-488-8985
Reservations taken from 7:30 AM until 11:00 PM EST
e-mail: hemlock@dnet.net

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