J. Arthur’s rustic charm outside duplicated inside with a massive stone fireplace in the main dining room reinforces the fact that you are on vacation in the Great Smokies.

The hungry souls lining up outside J. Arthur’s in Maggie Valley for the early bird specials are indicative of the great meal ahead. We certainly were not disappointed. Daily from 5pm to 6pm, the restaurant offers an early bird menu with your choice of beef, chicken and seafood entrees. The special includes soup or salad, main course, a choice of one vegetable, dessert and a beverage.

Although the salad was uninspired, the mixed lettuce was crisp, cold and fresh and was topped by a delicious locally grown tomato wedge. Since we are always partial to a honey mustard dressing, we did not try their signature Gorgonzola dressing. The London Broil priced at $12.99 arrived a delicate pink as requested with a lovely and light mushroom glace. The fresh mixed vegetables were perfectly crisp tender and delicious. The Prime Rib, the $16.99 main course, done to a light pink was melt in your mouth tender. The baked potato was fresh and tasty with the typical butter and sour cream on the side. A pineapple bread pudding topped off the traditional meal perfectly. Just sweet enough with the fresh whipped cream topping.

The main dining room was comfortable. The atmosphere was family friendly with an electric train running around the base of the vaulted ceilings trimmed in wood timbers. Our server was courteous, attentive, and efficient. J. Arthur’s Early Bird Special was a great deal and certainly will be added to our list of favorites in Haywood County.

Haywood County provides fertile grounds for a group of artists with diverse talents from mountain music to concert music to live theater. You will want to schedule time to experience one or several of these live performances.

Mountain Music
Mountain music has been in the heart and soul of Haywood County since before the Revolutionary War.

In Canton, there’s “Pickin’ in the Park,” held outdoors each Friday night at the Canton Recreation Park from May through September.

In Maggie Valley, from April through October, each night Tuesday through Saturday, there’s music and dance at the Stompin’ Ground, known as the “Clogging Capital of the World.”

There’s bluegrass music at the Maggie Valley Opry House nightly April through October.

Every other Friday July 4th through August, downtown Waynesville closes off part of its Main Street to have square dancing and old-time music.

The Haywood Community Band

If you are in Maggie at the Maggie Pavilion on the third Sunday evening at 6:30 P.M. from May through October, you are in for a musical treat. The Haywood Community Band performs a varied repertoire including music from Cole Porter, Johann Straus and John Philip Sousa. You can catch them at other venues throughout Haywood County during their performance season.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART)

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre born in 1997 is a volunteer supported community theatre. Stage performances are in the James Auditorium, a 255-seat traditional proscenium space that operates April through November. In the winter, productions shift to the 75-seat Feichter Studio Theatre for a second season of more experimental work. The theatre built in the style of 1920s Summer Stock theatres enhances the experience.

Dinner and the theater is a distinct possibility in between exploring the great outdoors of western North Carolina. What a fun juxtaposition!

If you are interested in hitting Harrah’s, the quickest way to Cherokee from Maggie Valley is definitely US 19. But, if you are interested in the cultural side of Cherokee, the Blue Ridge Parkway takes you on a direct route to a wonderful day of exploration.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, Scenic Ride to Cherokee
The Blue Ridge Parkway provides a unique and scenic access to Cherokee from Maggie Valley. Traveling from mile marker 455.7 in Maggie to mile marker 469.1, you will arrive at the southern entrance/exit of the Parkway. With beautiful overlooks along the way, the 30 minute ride to Cherokee is spectacular. As you exit the Parkway, you will arrive at the Oconoluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This stop is worth the ride with a Mountain Farm Museum to explore and a gentle hike along the Oconoluftee River to take.

Museum, Art Galleries, and Live Performances
But, you won’t want to linger too long. Because as you continue along US 441, 2 miles south, you will enter the cultural side of Cherokee.

One of your first stops should be the Native American Craft Shop, as much a gallery of native American art work from around the country as a retail store.

Not far up the road you will encounter the main cultural intersection .

Everyone of these activities is well worth your time.
1. “Unto these Hills: A Retelling” provides a live reenactment of Cherokee history, the second longest running outdoor drama. Summer performances only
2. Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the oldest and leading Native American Arts Cooperative in the United States, represents a wide variety of artisans. Open year round
3. The Museum of the Cherokee Indian retraces the 11,000 year history of the Cherokee of western North Carolina. Open year round
4. Oconluftee Indian Village recreates the lifestyles of the Cherokee in 1759. May through October

Maggie Valley provides crafters with some excellent resources that rival products found in the craft stores of large metropolitan areas.

Meet the Reviewers
To evaluate the quality of the shops in Maggie my sister Nancy with 50 years of crafting experience and I took a tour. A few of Nancy’s talents include an expertise in jewelry making, painting, and paper crafting. I was a Creative Memories consultant for five years and enjoy scrapbooking. Additionally, I have been sewing clothing and interior decor items for 30 years. With these skills on our resumes, we felt qualified to offer reviews of the Maggie Valley shops.

Scrappin in the Mountains
Our first stop Scrappin in the Mountains provided an exciting assortment of papers. Rather than overwhelming, the artfully arranged selection makes finding the perfect papers a pleasure. What fun scrapbooking your trip to Maggie with the custom designed diecuts including the iconic Maggie herself along with the Elk of Cataloochee! If you come for a Scrapbooking Girlfriend Getaway, the light and bright work area would add to the fun.

Pretty Crafty
Our next stop on the craft store tour took us to Pretty Crafty. Darlene the owner is usually on site and is extremely knowledgeable. In addition to a good basic selection of scrapbooking supplies, Pretty Crafty includes products for a variety of interests. Nancy found some great beading tools and some helpful tips from Darlene. If you have varied crafting interests or you have kids stuck for a rainy day vacation activity, Pretty Crafty should be on your vacation to do list.

Quilters Quarters
Within a stone’s throw of Pretty Crafty lies Quilters Quarters. Walk through the door of this cabin shop and you are guaranteed to be inspired. The fabrics are not only artfully displayed but creatively organized. Selecting the colors for your first or next quilt will be a joy. The extensive product line brings regular visitors from throughout the southeast to the doorsteps of Sandy and Tom Fogarty, Dianne and Diane. They eagerly take suggestions for classes and have a very strong class schedule for beginners to intermediate to experienced quilters.

With so much to do in and around Maggie Valley, visiting the craft shops would not ordinarily make it onto your vacation to do list. But, these privately owned shops emphasize quality and unique products with talented displays. Stop in when you are out and about; you won’t be disappointed.

Never underestimate the value of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce. The visitor center provides a variety of rack cards or information cards that highlight activities from all over western North Carolina. You will find visitor guides from the traditional like the Blue Ridge Parkway to the exotic like Santa Land. There are suggested activities for visitors of every age and every interest.

And if you are feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices, Jena and Nancy are there to help. They base their information on the feedback from the guests who have been coming back to thank them for the great tourism tips that they have been sharing with Maggie Valley visitors for years now.

The ladies’ number one pick for kids in the summer – Sliding Rock.

Make sure to stop by and introduce yourselves to Jena and Nancy and explore the many resources of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center.

Small town Maggie with a population of around 800 year round residents offers the punch of big tourists areas without the congestion.

Looking for the ideal vacation spot? Asking yourself what Maggie Valley has to offer?

How about minutes away from:

the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
the Blue Ridge Parkway,
the Pisgah National Forest,
the Elk of Cataloochee.

Don’t forget trout fishing in the Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Check out a map of the actual fishing areas in Maggie.

Move away from the naturalist’s pursuits with the following:

Antiquing around Maggie and Waynesville.
Golfing at the lovely Maggie Valley Club or Lake Junaluska Golf Course just to name a couple of courses.
Great live productions at Eaglenest.

For a great way to check out all the details please go to maggievalley.org . Please stay with us at Mystic Mountain Cabin so you can be where the action is.

On your next visit to Asheville, you will want to add the Grove Park Inn on to your list of not to be missed activities. You’ll find this grand old inn surrounded by a neighborhood of wonderful Arts and Crafts style homes. Opening in 1913, the spectacular structure of granite boulders is unique to the area.

Upon your arrival, you have options. You could just take a leisurely stroll through the lobby known as the Great Hall. Check out the 24 foot ceilings and the two 14 foot fireplaces. Then, you can explore the public areas of the inn which will lead you to some wonderful gift shops that display original arts and crafts by local artisans. But, I believe when weather permits you should splurge on lunch out on the Sunset Terrace, a casual dining experience. Along with a charming setting and great service, the menu provides a wide variety of excellent choices.

A comprehensive article in “wnc travel guide” in their Fall/Winter 2009/2010 edition provides an in-depth look at Cataloochee Ski Area and what it has to offer. This overview provides the inside story on snow making equipment in Maggie Valley, NC that allowed for a 133 day ski season in 2008. Essentially, the computer test every element of the weather that creates the optimum climate for snow. By taking the human decision making out of the equation, the snow produced by 90 snow making machines is consistent and reliable. In 2008, 100,000 skiers took to the slopes at Cataloochee.

Covering over 45 acres with 16 trails, Cataloochee visitors will find two black diamonds, one with a 740 foot vertical drop. With 4 lifts, the skiing is easy at Cataloochee. Check it out for yourself.

As of October 28, 2009 a rock slide on Route 40 has restricted access to Big Creek Trail. Until the road is repaired, this particular hike should not be attempted. If you are planning a vacation in Haywood County, there are many alternative routes to Haywood County when coming from the West. Haywood County Tourism Department provides detailed alternative routes on their website.

A great place for a picnic and in the summer a swim in the creek plan to spend at least a few hours at the trail head to Mouse Branch Falls . You’ll find a few picnic tables and barbecue grills along the riverbank. With a clean relief station close by, it is easy to make a day of it.

If you just have time for the hike, you will find that it is an easy flat trail. Approximately 1.7 miles into the hike you will arrive at Midnight Hole which is a great place to take a break. Our guide book suggested that some people swim in this big pool. We were happy just navigating down to the water’s edge to enjoy the refreshing coolness of the water.

Just another .3 of a mile down the trail you will arrive at Mouse Branch Falls For novice hikers this hike provides an easy walk and wonderful sights and sounds.

It is easy to find the trail head for Mouse Branch Falls on Big Creek Trail from Maggie Valley. The 40 minute ride takes you west on I-40 24 miles into Tennessee to exit 447. Then you double back on I-40 going East to exit 451 toward Waterville Road. From this point you are only 4 miles from the parking lot for the trail head. Stay at our cabin Mystic Mountain for convenience.

TIPS
1. Book in advance as availability is limited.
2. Mention the Scrapbookin’ Getaway to receive your free gifts from Mystic Mountain and Haywood County Tourism.
3. Decide in advance if you want to schedule a crop at Pretty Crafty.

I wanna scrapbook but can’t find the time. Check out the Scrapbookin’ Getaway for you and your girlfriends at Mystic Mountain Cabin in Maggie Valley, a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. At Mystic Mountain, you will find an assortment of cropping tools, idea books, and how-to DVD’s. Plus as a member of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority , Mystic Mountain will provide you and your friends with a wonderful Spa Gift with a retail value of $115 from HCTDA.

When you arrive, you will be treated to a Welcome bag with goodies for your first morning at the cabin. You also will find one of a kind scrapbooking gifts in your Scrapbookin’ Getaway Gift Bag along with a $40 gift certificate to Pretty Crafty, a wonderful scrapbooking supply store. Scrapbook uninterrupted from morning to night while you spend quality time with your girlfriends.

At a group rate of $174.83 per night (minimum of 3 nights) in a cabin that sleeps up to 6, you receive lodging, the spa gift, the scrapbooking gift and the $40 Pretty Crafty gift certificate. With 6 girlfriends splitting the cost, you could finally find the time to get all the scrapbooking done that you want for as little as $30 per girlfriend per night. Limited availability. Go to Mystic Mountain Cabin to check availability and book your Girlfriend Getaway now.