Road trip from Asheville, NC to Savannah, GA
June 3, 2023 1:52 PM   Subscribe

Never been in this part of the world before. Is there anything we should see along the road to Savannah? We have time to poke along. Interesting towns, shops, things we can’t see in Northern CA. Thanks!
posted by Gusaroo to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Do you have time to detour to Charleston for a day or two? It's lovely.

Saluda near Asheville has a cute tiny main street.
posted by greta simone at 2:01 PM on June 3, 2023


The Church of the Cross in Bluffton, South Carolina and the surrounding dock area is pretty neat. Burnt Church Distillery, also in Bluffton, is worth a stop for food and cocktails. Both have a historic significance to the local community.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:02 PM on June 3, 2023


I really enjoyed visiting Biltmore in Asheville. Have been there on two different occasions. Makes San Simeon look like a tract home.
posted by jcworth at 2:21 PM on June 3, 2023


The Columbia Marionette Theater is on my list to get to; their performances may not fit your schedule though.
posted by achrise at 6:17 PM on June 3, 2023


GET YOU SOME BARBECUE

WESTERN NC BBQ

SC BBQ WITH THE WEIRD MUSTARD SAUCE

WHATEVER THEY GOT IN SAVANNAH PROBABLY GENERIC SOUTHERN WHICH ISN'T FAR FROM MEMPHIS STYLE
   H U S H
P U P P I E S

posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 3:04 AM on June 4, 2023 [6 favorites]


The Blue Ridge Parkway, especially Skyline Drive, is considered one of the most picturesque roads in the country. I'd also recommend stopping at some of the waterfalls along the route, many of them are just off the road and don't require hiking in.

Seconding BBQ. Really, it hits different out here.
posted by ananci at 5:24 AM on June 4, 2023


Congaree National Park is the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. You definitely do not have swampland like that in Northern CA. Canoeing or kayaking is the best way to see it, and local outfittters do guided trips, but there are also lovely trails and boardwalks to hike through the swamp.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:01 AM on June 4, 2023 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Yeah, you're not far from some of the most beautiful waterfall country on the eastern seaboard. I did a week-long waterfall hiking vacation last year and both the NCTripping.com waterfall maps (with roadside falls separated out if you prefer not to hike far) and the Romantic Asheville waterfall pages were very helpful in prioritizing efficient day trips to see falls. You have easy roadside falls like Looking Glass and the more strenuous but oh so worth it hikes to sites like spectacular Rainbow Falls and its slightly upriver companion Turtleback Falls.

50 minutes southwest of Asheville is Dupont State Park, with accessible gems like Triple Falls and High Falls along a loop trail. Further southwest is Upper Whitewater Falls, one of the tallest in the eastern US and a spectacular sight (but the observation platform is relatively far away so you can't get that close), and then a few miles over the border in SC is Lower Whitewater Falls (haven't been to that one). Those two are probably too far out of your path to Savannah.

Better aligned with your trip is Chimney Rock state park and Lake Lure, on Route 74 going southeast between Asheville and Charlotte. Great natural beauty and a small beach with mountains on all sides. I was completely charmed by the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a decommissioned stone bridge saved from destruction by the local garden club and turned into something really beautiful. (Note the "Rainbow Falls" near here is not the fabulous one mentioned above).

Seconding Charleston; it's got so much rich history and beauty. So does Savannah, though, and it may be better to take your time to enjoy one instead of rushing to do both?

Biltmore is overpriced; it's a huge mansion with pleasant gardens but I wasn't too impressed with the overall experience. If you go, the backstage tour is more interesting.

If you like roadside oddities, Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden in Bishopville SC, about 45 min east of Columbia, is worth a stop. He's a very sweet and talented self-taught folk artist.
posted by mediareport at 10:21 PM on June 4, 2023 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Oh, since you mention towns, I'll add that Hendersonville, a half-hour south of Asheville, has done some pretty things with its downtown, plus has Celtic Creamery, with the best, creamiest ice cream I've eaten in years.
posted by mediareport at 5:03 AM on June 6, 2023


Response by poster: Thank you all. I had spotty internet and cell, but we ended up going through Hendersonville (nice town) then somehow winding along a few smaller roads (hwy 321 for part of it) so we could see the towns rather than zipping by on the highway.
posted by Gusaroo at 7:39 AM on June 6, 2023


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