Comments on: Best Gifts for Travelers That Will Actually Be Used https://www.roadtripsandcoffee.com/gifts-for-travelers/ Wed, 28 May 2025 22:59:55 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: Jason Barnette https://www.roadtripsandcoffee.com/gifts-for-travelers/#comment-26006 Wed, 14 Feb 2024 13:07:46 +0000 https://www.roadtripsandcoffee.com/?p=72207#comment-26006 In reply to Susie.

Susie,

First, I have no idea where you heard that Brevard wasn’t safe for solo travelers. It’s one of the safest and friendliest cities in North Carolina. I’ve spent close to 100 days visiting the town as a solo traveler and never had a problem.

Second, it’s not possible to drive from Asheville to the Alum Cave Trail. That’s the most popular trail in the park. Parking is typically gone for the day shortly after sunrise. So, I absolutely recommend spending a night in Gatlinburg. I recommend driving the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Cherokee. That’s a 2.5-hour drive straight through. Give yourself 6 hours for scenic overlooks and hiking trails. Then, it’s about an hour from Cherokee to Gatlinburg. Spend the night. Then, hit the Alum Cave Trail early the next morning. After the hike, return to Gatlingburg for breakfast at The Pancake Pantry, the first pancake house in Tennessee.

Third, you can drive about 1.5 hours north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens. Excellent trails there.

Finally, you will likely see spring flowers in the lower elevations around Asheville, Brevard, and Cherokee. But the higher elevations, like Craggy Garden and Mount Pisgah, won’t see spring flowers until mid-May.

If you have any others questions, please feel free to send me an email!

]]> By: Susie https://www.roadtripsandcoffee.com/gifts-for-travelers/#comment-25977 Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:10:45 +0000 https://www.roadtripsandcoffee.com/?p=72207#comment-25977 Hi
I am planning my trip in the final week of April. it will be a total f 7 days. The first day I will be flying in and getting situated. Liely flying into GSP or AVL. On the 7th day this will be reserved to travel back home. with that I will have a total of 5 days solid.. I was hoping to hike the Alum Cave trail, visit the Biltmore, then travel he blue ridge parkway through North Carolina. I don’t know if three days are enough since I do want to hike along the way (but like to start my day early and be out most of the day). I am having a hard time figuring out if I can base myself in Asheville the entire time recognizing that I may have a 2 hour drive to the Alum cave trail ( this is where I may spend one night closer to this area and then the rest of the time will be in Asheville). Given this do you think that on average i shouldn’t be driving more than one hour or so to get to my daily destinations along the parkway and again back to my hotel? I heard Brevard is not a safe destination for solo travelers – do you have any thoughts? Finally, will I be able to see flowers and lots of green foilage during this time of year?

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