Outdoor vacation ideas for north carolina/mississippi/virginia/westvirginia or other?

[Cuda1447]

Trying to plan a vacation for this summer. Looking to keep it cheap this time around, so I don't think I want to fly anywhere. Which means driving from Tampa. I'm not looking to drive much over 12 hours, less if possible. Previous vacations have included hiking, waterfall viewing, white water rafting, rock climbing/rapelling, snowboarding etc. New hobby we have is mountain biking, although skill level is fairly low, especially for the wife. We have considered getting scuba certified and doing a scuba vacation, as we've gone once in Curacao (only 15 feet deep) and we liked it.

I'm not overly familiar with the states listed, so I'm hoping to get some insight from some of you. We've gone to Georgia/Tennessee/South Carolina for previous vacations, so I think we want to skip those states this time.

 

[shortylickens]

Virginia has caves.

 

[Cuda1447]

Virginia has caves.

Could be fun. Never done much cave stuff. Visited some old gold mines outside Vegas a few years ago. That was alright. The ATVing in the desert was more fun though.

 

[thedarkwolf]

There are plenty of options for mtn biking in NC, VA, and Wv. I'm sure if you google around you can find a bunch. I know in Wv the Slatyfork area might be a good option. I don't know how much of it is entry level but the Greenbrier River Trail is also real close by and a nice scenic ride.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

WV has caves, it has rock climbing, it has rafting, zip lining, hunting, hiking, fishing etc.

PM me if you have questions

 

[NuclearNed]

Go to Asheville, NC. It's the Mecca of outdoor fun in the eastern US. With a short drive you can climb, hike, raft, do zip lines, etc. There's even a casino fairly close.

 

[NoTine42]

Could be fun. Never done much cave stuff. Visited some old gold mines outside Vegas a few years ago. That was alright. The ATVing in the desert was more fun though.

Zip line in caves?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g39604-d1887189-Reviews-Louisville_Mega_Cavern-Louisville_Kentucky.html

 

[Herr Kutz]

I would suggest visiting Brevard, NC area in Transylvania County. There are TONS of hiking trails and waterfalls. You can view most of the waterfalls taking only shorter hikes (1-3 hours, some even on the side of the road) so you do not need to haul a ton of gear or water.

If you really want to keep it cheap I would suggest staying at one of the many campsites (with bathrooms + showers) in the area.

I was trying to make some custom google maps a couple years ago so I have a list with coordinates for quite a few of the waterfalls in the area. The lists were assembled form a few websites (mainly http://www.wncwaterfalls.info/map.html & http://geology.com/waterfalls/north-carolina.shtml) and there are also a few good iphone apps that may have even more listed.

Would recommend white water kayaking on the Nantahala River not far from the area too.

 

[MiniDoom]

Asheville /end of thread

 

[BurnItDwn]

If you plan to stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant or stay amongst civilization, Asheville is 10/10, one of my favorite places in the world.

Be sure to check not smokey mountains national park, if you like driving or riding, check out the blue ridge parkway.

 

[GasX]

Pisgah / Asheville, NC

 

[Cuda1447]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I'm gonna have to give Ashville a hard look.