Great Smoky Mtn Railway: 119 Front St, Dillsboro, NC 28725 (828) 586-8811
An old fashioned train ride! It goes for several miles through a few counties. They even have a dinner car. Try the Open Car seating because it is best for viewing everything around you and easiest to take pictures. - From Balsam Loop turn left onto Hwy 74 West toward Sylva. Take Exit 81 (Dillsboro). Follow the exit ramp to the traffic light. Turn left. Take the 3rd street on the right to get to the train depot.
Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for children. Call for information on departure times, ride length, etc. www.gsmr.com

Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts: 307 Shelton St, Waynesville (828) 452-1551
The museum is also know as the Shelton House. It was built in 1875 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The exhibits include 19th century crafts, furniture, dulcimers, etc.
From Balsam Loop turn right on Hwy 74 toward Waynesville. Take Exit 98 and turn right at the yield sign. At the traffic light, turn left. You will go thru several traffic lights. Pass Bogart’s restaurant on the right. At the next traffic light (beside Main St Realty), turn right on Pigeon St. Shelton St is the 2nd road on the right. The Shelton House is the large white house almost immediately on the left.
Call for prices and business hours. http://www.blueridgeheritage.com/ArtsandCrafts/Museums/MuseumofNorthCarolinaHandicrafts.html

Ghost Town in the Sky: US Hwy 19, Maggie Valley NC 28751 (828) 355-5391
A different kind of amusement park! Ghost Town offers an old fashioned bank robbery and shoot out on “Main Street”, a Can-Can girls show, and live music at the Saloon. There are several rides for both adults and children, as well as being able to have your picture taken in Old West attire, gold mining, and much more! Even getting to the park is a ride! There is a chair lift that takes you up 3,370 feet to the park, which is located at the top of the mountain!
Tickets can be purchased at the Ghost Town Welcome Center. It is $29 for adults, $21 for children ages 3-10, and Free for children 2 and under. www.ghosttowninthesky.com

Fun Factory in the Smokies: 1024 Georgia Rd, Franklin NC 28734 (828) 349-8888
The Fun Factory really is what the name says it is! There are games, mini golf, bowling, go-carts, laser tag, and an entire area especially for the younger kids. This area has a “Foam Factory”, a giant inflatable slide, a carousel, and more! There are also several restaurants in the “Factory”, so when you work up an appetite you don’t have to go far to satisfy it!
From Balsam Loop turn left on Hwy 74 toward Sylva. Take Exit 81 (Dillsboro). At traffic light go straight. You will go about 20 1/2 miles. Merge onto Georgia Rd. You will see signs for the Fun Factory that will take you straight there.
Call for prices and business hours. www.thefactory.bz

MISCELLANEOUS THINGS TO DO:

Local Activity Calendar: http://www.maggievalleylive.com
*This website provides links to all the local areas and their activities at any given time period. Look to the top of the page for “tabs” listing all the local areas and their calendar.

Waynesville Country Club / Golf Course: http://thewaynesvilleinn.com/golf/rates.htm

Trout Fishing: (Requires NC Fishing License – can be purchased @ Walmart for $20)

Shopping: Unique shopping located in Waynesville at Exit 98 (we are located @ Mile Marker #93)
Also: Exit 81 (Dillsboro) & Exit 83 (Sylva)

Cherokee: Shops, Casino, Fishing on reservation www.cherokee-nc.com

http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=9 (Unto These Hills is a VERY popular outdoor play, retelling the story of the Trail of Tears - suggest you get your tickets online in advance)

If you enjoy comedy, check into “Carolina Nights” comedy club/dinner theater: www.maggievalleyusa.com or call them at (828) 926-8822.

Concerts are held fairly regularly at: www.eaglenestnc.com

The “Stompin Ground” has clogging!

If you feel like a little drive, this is SO worth seeing!! We are about 45 minutes from The Biltmore House www.biltmore.com If you miss it this visit - the best time to see it really is around Christmas!!! At this time of year however, the gardens are truly a sight to see!

Parkway/Sunburst:
This is an all day excursion. There are overlooks on the Parkway, and once you turn onto Sunburst/Route 215, there are waterfalls, beautiful views, hiking trails, and even places to go camping. The total trip from the Parkway and then back to Balsam (without any stops) takes 1-2 hours. It is VERY much worth it!
From Balsam Loop turn right toward Waynesville. Go under the overpass and make sure you are in the left lane. The entrance to the Parkway is almost immediately on the left after the overpass. At the stop sign to the Parkway, turn left. You will go several miles. When you see a black & white sign for 215 on the right, turn left on 215. This is the area we call Sunburst. BE CAREFUL! The road is narrow and winding with 2-way traffic. When you are ready to come back, keep going on the main road until you get to a stop sign (you may think you’ve gone too far....keep going!). At the stop sign, turn left. This will take you up and down a mountain, around curves, etc. Stay on this road until you reach a traffic light. There will be an Exxon/Subway station on the right of the light. Turn left. Pass Bogart’s restaurant. Go thru 4 traffic lights. At the 5th traffic light turn right (an Exxon station & Huddle House will be on your left). Immediately after you go under the overpass, turn left onto Hwy 74 West. From there, go until you pass a Rest Area on the left. Get in the left lane at the top of the mountain. Pass the Parkway entrance on the right. Go under the overpass. Pass Candlestick Lane on the left. Take the next road on the left (Balsam Loop). And you’re back! (An easier way might be to go all the way thru Sunburst and then turn around and come back thru the Parkway to the cabin).

River Runners, Inc.: PO Box 156, Topton NC 28781 (828) 488-4857 or (800) 237-7238
Take a ride down the rapids of the Nantahala river! There are several rafting companies in Nantahala, but we have taken this ride ourselves from River Runners and prefer it above all the others. It is family owned and operated and everyone is very friendly and helpful. They will help you find the perfect fit in type V lifejackets, and even take a picture of your raft going down the wildest part of the river: The Falls! There are 4 ways to go: Guided, Guide Assisted, Unguided, and by “funyak”. The Guided trip includes an experienced guide on your raft to show you how to properly use the oars and will take you in the right direction at the forks in the river. A Guide Assisted trip means that a guide will be placed in a raft 1 to 2 rafts ahead of you so you can follow him where you need to go. An Unguided trip involves traveling in a raft by yourselves the whole way. This is the trip we usually take, but if you are unfamiliar with whitewater rafting, we suggest you take a Guided or Guide Assisted trip. The “funyak” trip is for the experienced rafters. A “funyak” is basically a rubber kayak. You can get a 1 or 2 person “funyak”. All the guides are trained in CPR and Advanced First Aid.
From Balsam Loop Rd, turn left toward Sylva. Pass Sylva and Bryson City (do not turn off on any exits). Once Hwy 74 joins Hwy 19 and forks, take the left fork up the mountain. River Runners is about 1 mile up on the left directly across from the Nantahala Village Resort & Spa.
Wet suit rentals: $5. Guided Trips: $30 per person. Guide Assisted Trips: $27 per person. Unguided Trips: $20 per person. 1 person funyak: $25. 2 person funyak: $35. Call for business hours.
Note: There are several places down the river to eat. It’s always fun to stop halfway through your trip for lunch. Just remember that the rule for swimming after you eat also applies to whitewater rafting! Our favorite place is a little BBQ shack about midway down. You’ll know you’re in the right place by the smell!

We hope you enjoy your stay!