Summertime has arrived. The call of the road lures us out onto the open highway. Road Trips can be a great way to get away from it all if you can divorce yourself from all your electronic gadgets. You really can be unreachable. To avoid the Road Trip from hell keep this story in mind.

A Car Bigger Than a Tin Can
After spending a decade uneventfully driving up and down Interstate 95 between Orlando and Philly with my husband and my young son, I decided to branch out and explore with my older sister and our two six year old boys, Jason and John. It was 1985. The boys were enjoying their last summer before beginning kindergarten. The outing began when Terri arrived in her new Datsun Starlet, a car about the size of a VW bug. It was a new car for her so I didn’t see it until she arrived from Key West to pick us up for the ride to Pennsylvania. What a shocker! Not much bigger than a tin can. Keep in mind I didn’t usually travel in luxury. At the time, my husband and I owned a 1980’s Ford Fiesta before it was fashionable. Just think smaller than a Ford Fiesta.

Get me to the demerol
First stop Durham, NC to visit an elderly, childless aunt who is one of those superb southern cooks and an avid reader of Southern Living Magazine. My son who to this date eats a very select diet would devour Aunt Imogene’s fried chicken, garden fresh green beans, and home made biscuits just to get a piece of her fantastic chocolate pound cake. Unfortunately within 24 hours of our arrival, I came down with a bladder infection severe enough to make it into the Guineas Book of World Records. It necessitated a trip to my aunt’s doctor and a prescription for an antibiotic and demerol for the pain if you can believe that.

Full out assault
Our trip to Pennsylvania was delayed a day. The two six year old cousins who had always been inseparable found themselves to be arch enemies after spending 11 hours crammed in the back seat of the Starlet and then having to be on their best behavior at Aunt Imogene’s. An afternoon trip to the mall to get the active boys out of Aunt Imogene’s resulted in a full out assault in the back seat. My son Jason, yes, my quiet, peaceful son, attacks my nephew and actually rips his T shirt off. Shocking to see since he had never raised a hand to anyone ever. In my son’s defense his cousin had a major problem with motion sickness and to combat it was constantly in motion in the car – lying upside down one minute, backwards the next. In John’s defense, having been born and raised in Key West, he never had to spend more than 5 minutes in the car traveling around the island. Culture shock for both boys.

Look out he’s going to blow
A day on Demerol and we were back on the road again to our final destination Grandmom and Granddad’s house in Levittown, Pa. Needless to say getting my son back in the car took some real fast talking. Two hours into the second leg of our trip, we hear coming from the back seat. “John is going to blow up. John is going to blow up all over my blanket.” Jason still traveled with his blanky. Upon turning around to figure out what in the world John was doing, I realized blow up really meant throw up and I didn’t have anything handy for him to blow up in. I grab and empty some small Tupperware container. Fortunately, Aunt Imogene’s Southern hospitality always compelled her to send food along for the ride. The food was not what we needed but thank goodness for that Tupperware. There we were on 95 heading through downtown Baltimore when my sister quickly exists the road so John can empty his stomach.

The rest of the ride to Pennsylvania was uneventful thanks to a McDonald’s Happy Meals promotional that included plastic blocks called Popoids. By the time that trip was over we had a complete set of Popoids and a desire never to set foot in a McDonalds again. By the end of the trip, we were trying to distract the two cousins whenever we passed a McDonalds billboard. To no avail.

Oh no, not again
What else could possibly go wrong. I discovered the day after we arrived at my parents that I am severely allergic to Sulfa, used to treat bladder infections. I found myself covered from head to toe in hives, itching, intolerable hives. This time I am off to my parents’ doctor. And of course our trip to start back to Florida was delayed.

When we finally start our journey back home, I was groggy on antihistamines and covered with calamine lotion. Even though I was a married Mom, it was still very embarrassing every time we stopped for a Happy Meal. In retrospect, the best part of that trip for me was the complete set of popoids that we collected along the way.

My advice to anyone traveling with children includes:

1. If you have a child who you know suffers with motion sickness, check in with your doctor before beginning your trip. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

2. Make sure that you have your health insurance card with you when you travel. Understand your benefits when you are out of network. My bladder infection could have been a very expensive problem without those benefits.

3. Make sure that you pack according to the size of your car. With today’s hand held electronic game devices that certainly is easier to do. But, remember kids need space and time to get out and run around. Allow time for those stops in your travel plans. Check out Moms Minivan for fun games and toys to make and use while in the car.

4. Finally, McDonald’s provided a great treat for the boys while traveling. It was something for them to look forward to. Just make sure to have a variety of foods in the car and decide ahead of time how often the children get to choose the place to stop for meals. For some off the interstate eateries, check out Roadfood.com.

We know that for many of you this may be the first time you have stayed at a vacation rental home; so, at Mystic Mountain we make every effort to put any uncertainties you may have to rest.

Here are just a few ways we show our appreciation for your business:

Mystic Mountain Regular Updates
When you book a stay at Mystic Mountain, we keep in touch. From your initial inquiry to your check in and check out, we make sure we are there for you. We keep you in the know through each step of the process with email notifications of receipt of deposits, payments, and lease agreements. We also provide you with a variety of websites in each email to help you plan your visit.

Mystic Mountain Welcome Package
At Mystic Mountain, we want you to have all the details you need to feel secure in your decision to stay with us sight unseen. Our informative Welcome Package includes:
1. Entry information
2. Directions to Mystic
3. Important emergency contact numbers
4. Facts about the cabin that will help you settle in
5. Travel brochures to help you plan your visit

Mystic Mountain Welcome Bag
We know that many of you are traveling long distances. So, we want to make sure that if you arrive too late to hit the grocery store you have breakfast covered. In the Welcome Bag you will find everything that you need for a continental breakfast – coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and a muffin mix (you just add water and bake).

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.

With limitless activities in Maggie Valley and the surrounding areas of Haywood County, the choices can overwhelm first time visitors. Repeat visitors also can use guidance in seeking out unique things to do in the area. A few good guide books certainly can help you make the most of vacation time.

These are a sampling of the guide books that you will find at our vacation rental cabin, Mystic Mountain Cabin.

North Carolina’s Best Wildflowers Hikes by Kevin Adams has always been my favorite. The hikes provide a variety of options for the novice to the experienced hikers. Plus it is almost inevitable that the wildflower hikes will also include waterfalls, streams, old growth forests and the like. Organized by the months of the year, you can always find a wonderful hike but April is by far the best month of all in Maggie Valley.

Best Hikes of the Pisgah has several fun hikes. We did the Lovers’ Leap hike in Hot Springs and the Max Patch hike in Haywood County. Both of these hikes provide spectacular views- Lovers’ Leap of Hot Springs and the French Broad River and Max Patch of miles of multiple mountain ranges. The only caveat with this book – you need to double check on directions to the actual trail head.

You can’t go wrong with any of these books. Purchase them in advance of your trip or stay with us at Mystic Mountain Cabin and put them to work for you after you arrive.

In Maggie Valley, the traveler will find a convergence of the Smoky Mountain National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Pisgah Forest. With so much to see and do, it can be a challenge to plan a trip that includes the best rides.

That’s where America Rides Maps comes into play. Wayne Busch, an experienced motorcyclists, decided to share his love of riding the mountains in an assortment of excellent maps designed for ease of use. These detailed maps help you not only plan your vacation but also effortlessly get where you want to go. Driving around the mountains can be challenging. These maps take the guess work out of the ride.

For as little as five dollars, you can have five of the best rides around Maggie including tours of the Blue Ridge, Hot Springs, and the Devil’s Triangle of the Pisgah. Another map provides directions to some of the best roadside waterfalls in the area. With a dozen maps to choose from, there is sure be a driving tour that will interest you.

Wayne’s blog, The Cultivated Biker, provides a wealth of information for all travelers. Check it out. You will be glad that you did.

Planning a trip to Maggie Valley or the surrounding area, you will want to have an accurate impression of the local weather in order to pack appropriately. A fun and reliable site, Ray’s Weather Center, does more than provide an accurate weather forecast of each county in Western North Carolina. It also provides wonderful photos and local conversation. You will find drop down menus devoted to outdoor activities like birding and wildflower photography.

Links to webcams and a road conditions site along with an online almanac helps take the mystery out of packing for your visit to Maggie Valley and the surrounding area.

Where to get a good meal? The question that each of us faces when on vacation. Mark and I have some favorite local lunch spots that have original menus with meals from scratch.

Whitman’s on Main in Waynesville
Whitman’s on Main, a quaint bakery and deli in an historic building, is always busy at lunch. The eatery is comfortably appointed with tin tile ceilings and brick interior walls. While waiting to place your menu at the counter, you watch the cooks at work in the meticulously clean kitchen. The servers always greet you with a smile with ready answers to any questions you may have. The menu is filled with comfort foods with an original twist. You can always find a tasty special. Fresh salads and sandwiches and delicious soups dominate the menu. We always like to grab a chicken potpie on the way out the door for an easy and delicious dinner. Get reviews .

The Patio Bistro, Waynesville
The Patio Bistro in downtown Waynesville, another favorite, is best enjoyed during the warmer months. The charming European style patio accented with distinctive clay and iron sun images provide a perfect place to enjoy a healthy wrap sandwich. Another restaurant where the original menu provides a variety of soups, salads, wraps and even a quiche of the day – all from scratch. Ordering at the counter, you can choose to accompany your sandwich with one of many fresh salads on display in the deli case. You can find Patio Bistro, opened seven days a week, at 26 Church Street.

Country Vittles in Maggie Valley
The unassuming strip restaurant at 3589 Socco Road is a favorite with the locals. Hailing from Durham, NC with an aunt and grandmother who prided themselves on their fresh biscuits and fresh vegetables made with country meat, I feel particularly qualified to comment on the vegetable plate served here. It is excellent. Mark always orders the chef’s salad loaded up with everything that makes a chef’s salad special. Since we always go for those two menu items, I leave it to you to explore these items or many of the other fresh luncheon items on the menu. Country Vittles has seasonal hours and is only open for breakfast and lunch so check before going.

The Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway
If you are looking for a memorable lunch spot, the Pisgah Inn should definitely be on the list. This elegant 1950s restaurant is situated on the highest overlook of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We have never ordered an item on the menu that didn’t meet with our approval. From fresh trout to delicious salads, foods are served by a well trained staff in a unique environment. The Pisgah Inn opens in late March and closes at the end of leaf season. It is sure to please everyone in your group.

TIPS
Before you rent:
1. Review photos carefully.
2. Review guests comments.
3. Establish an internet relationship with the owner.
4. Pick up the phone and talk to the owner.
5. Pay over the internet through a secure credit card processing company.

Renting a vacation home from a private owner does not have to be a leap of faith. We take a number of steps at Mystic Mountain Cabin to eliminate the doubts.

On a Local, State, National, and International Level
1. Membership in the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce shows that we are serious about our business and the community in which we operate.
2. Listing on several prominent websites including VRBO and the HomeAway networks requires a substantial financial commitment, an indication that we are a stable owner.
3. A personal website provides an additional resource for information about Mystic Mountain Cabin and the owners.
4. Registered with the state of North Carolina as a vacation rental property owner, we are listed with the Haywood County Tourism Agency.
5. Linked to a credit card processing company, we are able to accept credit cards – an indication of our stability.

On a Personal Level
1. We encourage our guests to provide feedback. Check out previous guests comments at Mystic Mountain Cabin .
2. We answer your initial inquiry in a timely manner, usually within hours, another indicator of reliability.
3. We keep an up-to-date calendar so that you can easily determine availability.
4. I maintain an internet connection with future guests by providing travel information, calendars of events, and updates on activities in and around Maggie Valley.
5. We also have a toll free number so you can request additional information free of charge.

If you look for many of these indicators, you will not be asking yourself as vacation time approaches, “Is this vacation rental for real?” You’ll know that “yes, it is.” What do you look for when choosing a vacation rental? What would you find reassuring as an online renter?