April 29 – May 4, 2022
We left Charleston on I-26 headed northwest to I-40. Unfortunately due to an accident on I-40 east, at that point, we had to detour on smaller roads until we reached Swanannoa, North Carolina – our third stop of the trip. Never heard of it you say. Allow me to introduce you. Swanannoa is a small town about 10 miles east of Asheville, 10 miles northeast of the Biltmore Estate, and 6 miles west of Black Mountain. So, aside from its proximity to well known sites, why do we stop here? One of our favorite campgrounds is here.
Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground
What’s so special about this particular campground?
If a distinctive camping experience is what you’re looking for, Mama Gertie’s is the place for you! Carved into the side of a mountain, we offer stepped sites with campground views on our lower tiers. Our top or 3rd tier offers stunning vistas. Four sites boast private decks with a swing, cafe table and fire pit.
Mama Gertie’s
We like the top tier sites with the amazing views however, pulling a 41 foot fifth wheel up there is not for the faint of heart. In addition to the steep grade, you must also negotiate several sharp turns. The road is scarred by those who drug the rear of their unit going up or coming down. Fortunately with the help of a guide we made it up and into our pull-thru site without incident.
That evening we relaxed with a bottle of wine and enjoyed the view.
Laundry
The next day was devoted to my least favorite thing – laundry. I had intended to do this at our last stop but that turned out to be the day the campground water was turned off. Oh well, Mama’s has a nice laundry facility with 4 modern washers and dryers on the lowest level (plus two more on the top level).
Cúrate
The next day we drove into Asheville to walk around and enjoy a late lunch at a tapas restaurant that we had discovered on an earlier trip.
Cúrate is a celebration of authentic Spanish cuisine. For those who have visited Spain, the Cúrate menu will bring back memories of the country’s best jamón Ibérico, vermuterías, and lively tapas culture. In recognition of the restaurant’s all-Spanish wine list, Cúrate was listed as one of America’s 50 Wine Restaurants We Love in 2021 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Cúrate means ‘cure yourself’ in Spanish, reflecting the belief held by Chef Katie Button and her family that there are curative effects in sharing good food and wine with family and friends. Experience the essence of Spain in downtown Asheville… one plate at a time.
Cúrate
We started off with
- tabla de quesos (selection of Spanish cheeses)
- croquetas de jamón (creamy jamón ibérico fritters)
- patatas bravas (crispy fried potatoes topped with a slightly spicy tomato and garlic sauce).
For our final plate we ordered some jamón (Iberian ham) and manchego cheese slices. We paired all of this with glasses of a couple of Spanish wines but found both a bit too dry for our taste. All-in-all delicioso.
Blue Ridge Parkway to Mount Pisgah
The following day we took I-40 west and turned off on the Blue Ridge Parkway heading southwest toward Mount Pisgah. The dogwoods were blooming and trees just beginning to bud at the higher elevations. Unfortunately the rhododendron were not out yet. We stopped at several of the overlooks to enjoy the view along the way until we reached the Pisgah Inn. There we split a soda and chocolate chunk cookie before heading back.
Tupelo Honey
Later that evening we drove back into Asheville for dinner at Tupelo Honey a scratch-made southern food restaurant that was highly recommended by friends. Of course we had to try their cathead buttermilk biscuits served with blueberry jam and honey. Yum! We each had a cup of their Fire Roasted Poblano and Corn Soup followed by blackened mahi-mahi with crispy brussels for Bill and caesar salad with fried chicken for me. Awesome fried chicken!!
Blue Ridge Parkway to Linville Falls
For our final adventure here we returned to the Blue Ridge Parkway headed northeast to Linville Falls. Again we stopped at a number of overlooks along the way.
We turned off the Blue Ridge Parkway to drive through Linville Falls to the Linville Falls Visitor Center and trail to the falls. The hike to the falls was an easy .4 mile hike. While we were there debating about taking one or both of the optional hike extensions, it started to sprinkle. (We did have rain jackets but left them in the truck). As the rain intensified, we took shelter under a nearby tree. It didn’t take long until the deluge started and the tree could no longer shield us. Already soaked, we trudged the now muddy trail back to the truck where we dried off as best we could. As soon as we were inside the truck, the rain turned into hail. Once the storm subsided, we decided to bypass our planned stop in Black Mountain in favor of returning to the RV where dry clothes awaited. Needless to say, I ended up doing more laundry that afternoon.
We made it up – can we make it down?
Well, what goes up must come down. It was time for us to leave Mama Gertie’s for our next leg. We were told to call the office when we were ready to leave and they would escort us down by an alternate route. Unfortunately no one picked up so we left a message. After about a 15 minute wait, a cart appeared with a worker collecting trash. We managed to convince him to run interference for us so that we could drive down the dedicated up portions of the route and avoid a couple of the worst turns. A bit nerve-wracking but we made it! We were on our way to the next stop. See you there.
