Who: Leopoldine and LeRoy Smith of Denver
Where: Bryson City
Best meal: Any of the dining rooms at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, where the cuisine is exceptional and the view expansive. For a less formal lunch, try the hickory-smoked barbecue in the Dillsboro Smokehouse.
Best deal: Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to the Cherokee Indian Reservation and then on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail into Tennessee, all of which are fee-free.
Best time to go: Mid-October to mid-November, when the changing autumn leaves are at their peak and you can boat on Lake Lure and enjoy Chimney Rock Park.
Don’t leave home without: At least a week’s time to explore the hills and valleys of western North Carolina, to visit Carl Sandburg’s home, Thomas Wolfe’s mother’s boarding house and the Biltmore House, gardens and winery.
