Mount Airy NC and the Mayberry Days Festival

nocarolina


At Dillsboro NC, I turned east on US 74, which took me over to the southern edge of the Asheville metro area, and from there it was southeast a short ways on ALT US 74 through the town of Bat Cave ( holy real-life locations, Batman! ) to famous Chimney Rock Park. 

Well, that answers my question!!!!  Looks like I posted mine at the same time you posted yours!  I loved Chimney Rock and would recommend it to anyone.  It is a bit pricey to get it but worth it in my opinion.

Many thanks, Cheesehead, for the Hathaway's recommendation. I love fried chicken, so this place is a definite must for one of my future Tarheel roadtrips ( at two trips per year, it shouldn't take me too long to get over to Monroe. ) If you enjoy Chimney Rock, you're gonna love this thread; I took dozens of photos up there, and I'm going to post 15 to 20 of the best ones. This is going to last a while, so you folks might want to run to the kitchen and pop some popcorn, grab a soda/beer/whatever, and get comfortable.

After passing through the entrance of Chimney Rock Park ( currently being turned into a NC state park ), I drove a couple of miles up the mountain to the "toll booth" where I paid the $14 admission fee ( worth every penny, too ), and then headed the last mile or so up to the parking lot.

Here's where the fun starts: a ride up in a twenty-six story ( 258 feet ) elevator shaft carved out of solid rock. The trip takes about thirty seconds.

I really didn't expect this photo to come out decently enough to post, but my Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS ( free plug ) never ceases to amaze me.

"Welcome aboard the elevator up to Chimney Rock. No pets, no smoking, no eating, no drinking, no necking, no weed, no swimming, no drag racing, and no open fires. Have a good time!"

Cant wait for more:-)

nocarolina


"Welcome aboard the elevator up to Chimney Rock. No pets, no smoking, no drinking, no necking, no weed, no swimming, no drag racing, and no open fires. Have a good time!"

NC,

SSSHHHH!  Don't tell them I had a beer from the cooler while enjoying a picnic lunch at one of their secluded picnic spots.
Speaking of, the park is loaded with great trails to hike and have a picnic lunch.  There are even spots as you head up once past the "toll booth" where you don't have to hike to have a picnic.

You must have gone during the week.  When we were there on a weekend two weeks ago, they were carting busloads of people up and the wait to the elevator in the cavern stretched way out to the end.  We were fortunate to get up there before the buses came.  We beat the crowd and saw the line when we came down.  With the elevator taking only 8-10 at a time, we would have been waiting a while.  For those of you in good shape, you can bypass the elevator and hoof it up if desired.

Also, I might add, if you are afraid of heights, you may want to rethink your visit out on to chimney rock.

Sorry NC, I didn't mean to steal your thread....

No problem, Cheesehead, feedback is always welcome. It was a weekday ( Thursday afternoon ) when I was at Chimney Rock, and I'm sure glad that it wasn't a weekend; I'm not a big fan of crowds or long lines. The one disappointment that I had at CRP was not being able to get photos of Hickory Nut Falls. It's a fairly long trek on foot to the base of the falls, and unfortunately my bad hip doesn't allow for much of that ( take my advice and steer clear of ice-covered parking lots! )     

Stepping off the elevator, you pass through the Sky Lounge before heading out to the stairway up to the top of Chimney Rock; lots of goodies, edible and otherwise, for sale inside.

Next time you cruise US 52 through Southeastern Indiana, take a right on hwy 1, (just before Cedar Grove) and drive on down to Klump's Tavern in New Alsace. Many people think the have the best chicken in Indiana. Call them first because I'm not certain of their hours.

You can type Klump's Tavern in Google Map's and find the location.

Thanks, spiticus. I've driven Hwy. 1 south from Cedar Grove before and have probably passed the place, but since I don't drink, I don't ordinarily pay any attention to taverns along the road. I'll keep this one in mind, though. 

This "bridge in the sky" leads to the stairway that accesses the top of Chimney Rock.

Since my car was parked 258 feet below me, I took this sign very seriously...

nocarolina


waiterhell, this was an eight day trip and my report is currently on day #3 ( Thursday, Sept. 24th. ) I arrived in Mount Airy late in the evening of the 24th, and the Mayberry Days Festival took place on the 25th and 26th ( the Festival's coming, be patient. ) Of course, you're entitled to your opinion about Snappy Lunch, but, among Roadfood members who've eaten there, you're definitely in the minority. In fairness though, I really disliked the burgers at both Dyer's in Memphis and the Triple XXX in West Lafayette IN, and I'm certainly in the minority there. One man's meat is another man's poison , I guess.
By the way, I just read the "NC Reviews" thread that you opened last January. No offense intended, but you seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder. The roadfooders who posted on your thread suggested that, instead of complaining and insulting the Sterns, you share your knowledge of Carolina roadfood with us by submitting restaurant reviews. I couldn't agree more.
                                   www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?m=476637

funny thing -
 
no offense taken.  you took some great pics
 
yet, the 'chip on my shoulder', read in context. was an expression of frustration that all THIS culinary site seems to assume is that North Carolina is just all about BBQ.
 
It's not that much a "chip", more about limited amatuer perception
 
sorry that we're only perceived as merely the origin of true 'cue
 
      no lobster rolls here
 
.......and I'm certainly not trying to bother the Stern's efforts
 
I still enjoy this site,  despite its misses...
 
     so, you want local insight or posturing?
 
There are far nore interesting foods here if you know where to look  
 
 

My favorite Mayberry experience is not actually in Mayberry.
Mayberry Porkchop Sandwiches (maybe the only real original version) can be found on I-77 Exit 3, just north of the VA-NC state line in Fancy Gap, VA (212-924-5160) in a roadside shack next to the gas station at that exit. He is now in a trailer there, lost his shack.  Best pie, sandwiches, burgers in that region.  Special chile sauce and coleslaw on that porkchop sandwich is unique I think.

John Gilpin

waiterhell, I'm a bit confused by your post. I certainly understand what you're saying about North Carolina being more than just a "barbecue state", but I know for a fact that neither the Sterns or anyone else involved with Roadfood.com has ever implied that barbecue is the only thing that NC has going for it food-wise. If you look at this website's list of reviewed restaurants in the Tarheel State, you'll see that, while barbecue does tend to dominate the list, there are also numerous places listed that have been recommended for regional varieties of seafood, chicken, hot dogs, breakfast items, desserts, vegetable dishes, sandwiches, and even burgers. There's something for everyone ( even picky eaters like myself. ) Do you know of any NC specialties that have never been mentioned on this site or in the Sterns' books? If so, I'd like to know about them, and I'm sure all other roadfooders would too.

Thanks, John, for letting me know about the place along I-77. I'll be coming through Fancy Gap ( one of my favorite communities ) in February, on the way home from the RF Glee Club gathering in Charleston, and I'll have to check it out.

Looks like Mt. Airy has lost some of its small-town charm...

Brad

Brad, I learned about this late last night just before going to bed, and I immediately hit the panic button, since I still have family in Mount Airy. Fortunately, I've verified that no one that I know was involved, but of course my heart goes out to the victims' loved ones. I'm just heartsick about this; I've always considered Mount Airy to be the kind of "ideal" small town where things like this just can't happen, but now I know better and I'm having a bit of trouble dealing with it. Thank God that the piece of human trash responsible is behind bars, and I hope that there's a lethal hypodermic needle in his not-too-distant future.  

nocarolina


By now it was early afternoon and time for lunch, but over the years I've had a great deal of trouble finding an acceptable place to eat in this area. There's a few McDonald's and Hardee's in this part of the state, but that's certainly not what I was looking for. Near the town of Gilbert, I noticed that a new restaurant had opened, so I decided to give it a try.

I used to make a trip to Williamson once a month and you're right the dining choices are pretty slim. In fact more often than not the mom n pop places basically open cans and unthaw frozen stuff. One of the more popular places to eat on the KY side is the cafe inside the Food City grocery chain. Always crowded around meal time but the food is very ordinary. Fellow up there told me if you opened a place serving good food you would soon go under

Brad_Olson


Looks like Mt. Airy has lost some of its small-town charm...

Brad

Yeah Brad, I saw that on the Charlotte news last night.  I was disappointed to see that.  For Mt. Airy, that is not the norm. 
Looks like the perpetrators have Charlotte connections. 

Like any big city, Charlotte has some crime.  I saw enough of that where I grew up and I lived by you in Milwaukee/Madison area.  Difference is down here, they act very swiftly with justice and don't screw around.  You can see it in the attitudes of the way people in this area talk.  I would walk around Charlotte all night long before I would walk 5 minutes in Milwaukee at 1AM. 

Too bad some thugs made the news and those wanting to visit may be turned off.  Don't be.  People down here take care of others and truly care about each others well being.  And this comes from a recently transplanted Yankee.

By the way, how close were you to the tornado a couple of years ago?  My Mother-in-laws house was leveled by that thing.  She lived right on the Yahara river and was on the front page of the Wisconsin State Journal.  NBC national news showed me carting great grandma out of the wreckage.  My 2 seconds of fame....

nocarolina


waiterhell, I'm a bit confused by your post. I certainly understand what you're saying about North Carolina being more than just a "barbecue state", but I know for a fact that neither the Sterns or anyone else involved with Roadfood.com has ever implied that barbecue is the only thing that NC has going for it food-wise. If you look at this website's list of reviewed restaurants in the Tarheel State, you'll see that, while barbecue does tend to dominate the list, there are also numerous places listed that have been recommended for regional varieties of seafood, chicken, hot dogs, breakfast items, desserts, vegetable dishes, sandwiches, and even burgers. There's something for everyone ( even picky eaters like myself. ) Do you know of any NC specialties that have never been mentioned on this site or in the Sterns' books? If so, I'd like to know about them, and I'm sure all other roadfooders would too.

NC,
I have found that North Carolina has every kind of possible cuisine one could possibly imagine, especially when getting near a major metro area.  However, there are 3 things I will take exception with.....There is no decent prime rib or reasonably priced good steak houses around here, good pizza places are hard to come by, and there is WAY too much fried food.  Yeah, I know, go ahead and say it.....I am down south so get used to it.

It also sounds to me like the people killed werent just random strangers attacked without provocation, it sounds to me like the victims were acquainted with the shooter. I think it was a planned crime that went wrong such as perhaps robbing the TV store.

Back to the road trip:-)

You're right, ALRUI; enough bad news for one day. I'll resume this report after I've fixed some dinner for myself.

In this view to the east, you can see Lake Lure, which is a man-made body of water. Seen from above, it looks more like a river than a lake.

This way up to the top of Chimney Rock...

I'm loving these Chimney Rock photos!

waiterhell, I'm a bit confused by your post. I certainly understand what you're saying about North Carolina being more than just a "barbecue state", but I know for a fact that neither the Sterns or anyone else involved with Roadfood.com has ever implied that barbecue is the only thing that NC has going for it food-wise. If you look at this website's list of reviewed restaurants in the Tarheel State, you'll see that, while barbecue does tend to dominate the list, there are also numerous places listed that have been recommended for regional varieties of seafood, chicken, hot dogs, breakfast items, desserts, vegetable dishes, sandwiches, and even burgers. There's something for everyone ( even picky eaters like myself. ) Do you know of any NC specialties that have never been mentioned on this site or in the Sterns' books? If so, I'd like to know about them, and I'm sure all other roadfooders would too.


NC,
I have found that North Carolina has every kind of possible cuisine one could possibly imagine, especially when getting near a major metro area.  However, there are 3 things I will take exception with.....There is no decent prime rib or reasonably priced good steak houses around here, good pizza places are hard to come by, and there is WAY too much fried food.  Yeah, I know, go ahead and say it.....I am down south so get used to it.
 
nocarolina, sorry about that confusion issue, yet I hear you, Cheesehead....
 
you won't find much quality prime rib around here....unless some state lobbyist takes you out to Angus Barrn
just north of RDU airport ( http://www.angusbarn.com/index.htm )
 
pizza is a local hit or miss experience and fried food doesn't include HOME cooked  sunday after church pan fried chicken, right?   ; )

btw, i have no issues with the sterns' industry on-line here

this is just not new england and we grew up accostumed to road food/dives

.......of course, there's always k & w cafeterias....what we cynically call 'the wobble and gobble' here    ; )

I don't know about you, waiterhell, but I love K&W cafeterias, and have ever since I was a kid. I have relatives in Winston-Salem, and my twice-yearly visits to your city always include a meal at K&W's Healy Drive location. Great fried chicken; even better, IMHO, than Indiana's famed Gray Bros. Cafeteria. Their chocolate cream pie is another favorite of mine. I'm not sure from your "wobble and gobble" comment whether you're a K&W fan or not... care to elaborate?   

I hear ya.....
 
 
We just ate there 2 nights ago
 
it's slipping (since my 1st experience at the old knollwood street location grand opening mid-sixties), but still decent every month or so on healy

wh--I will agree with you about pizza, although ayersian doesn't agree with me.  It's just crap in the South.  We've started making it at home.  I think that the Triangle in particular has a lot of really great places to eat, and you're right, a large variety.  It's tougher in smaller towns.

Lovely pictures of Chimney Rock, Bob!

Nancy, if several thousand of us roadfooders were to contact Lou Malnati's here in Chicago and do some heavy-duty begging and pleading, maybe they'd take pity on us and open a restaurant in Charleston ( yeah, right... and I still have that swampland in New Hampshire for sale!  ) 

Yeah, but you know I always hear the 'water' excuse--that the dough at the great pizzarias in the NE and places like Chicago is so good because of the 'water'--not because the person who's making it doesn't know what they're doing.  @@

Nancypalooza


Yeah, but you know I always hear the 'water' excuse--that the dough at the great pizzarias in the NE and places like Chicago is so good because of the 'water'--not because the person who's making it doesn't know what they're doing.  @@

We built a wood fired pizza oven at my dads house in Santa Cruz, CA years ago & my sister has built one since & I can assure you the water has nothing to do with the quality of the pizza dough, they both make dough that comes out full of those lovely air bubbles & is light & crispy. I'd love to be able to blame my well water here in NC for my home made dough being mediocre but I think its the cook/techniques:-)

My husband's family vacationed in the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock area when he was little and he wants to go back there. After seeing your pictures, I will encourage this trip. How beautiful!!! Thank you for all the great pictures. 

An acrophobic person's dream come true!... 

I'm having a difficult time selecting the last several Chimney Rock photos that I'm going to post. It's like being the daddy of twenty kids and trying to pick out the half-dozen that you love most of all.

This way back to the Sky Lounge...

I don't make a habit of photographing public washrooms, but I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of the Sky Lounge's "scenic" men's room.

I haven't been a member of roadfood.com very long but I've been through a lot of the trip reports and I really love them. But even though there isn't a lot of food shown in this one, I have to say I really look forward to see what has been recently posted. BTW... because of a real fear of heights, Chimney Rock is a place I wouldn't go near, but the photos are great. I know you can't post all of them, but they have been beautiful and majestic and really great to see....even the one of the washroom. 

Allan

Thanks, Allan. I'm glad that you and others who've commented are enjoying the photos. I wish that I had more in the way of food photos, but my stomach ( and my wallet ) can generally only handle three meals a day. What I'm really sorry about is just how unimpressive several of the meals have been so far, both for myself and for all you roadfooders who look at this thread to see photos of delicious roadfood-type meals; instead you're getting pics of inferior fast food crud like I got stuck with at Bojangle's. Happily, the food situation on this trip gets somewhat better from this point on.  

Having ridden the elevator back down to the mountain's "lobby", I  headed towards the parking lot...

... only to discover something else worth photographing ( and no, NOT the rest rooms. )

nocarolina


I don't make a habit of photographing public washrooms, but I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of the Sky Lounge's "scenic" men's room.

NC, that is hilarious you posted the men's room.  The murals were painted so well that I had a hard time finding my way out of that damn thing!!! The door was sort of hidden because the paintings blended the seams so well.  The Mrs. had a hard time in the Ladies room so I am told.

Lake Lure was neat.  There were a lot of road food looking places around the lake we noticed on our way back to the
Charlotte area.  We didn't stop due to full stomachs already.