So that you are not confused. The Great Smoky Mountains are NOT on the way from Asheville to Bristol. They are within 50 miles and maybe worth a look if you have plenty of time and don't mind the horrendous traffic(most visited park) and frequent ozone alerts. Asheville to Tri-Cities (Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol) uses I-26. Someone must be thinking of I-40 which is about 50 miles further south and the way through the mountains to Knoxville. You did not mention that you might like to plant shop along the way. I could suggest a few interesting nurseries not far off I-26 if you are interested. In Asheville no one mentioned the North Carolina Botanical gardens, which is still on my list of places to visit. From what I can gather it specializes in colder climate plants such as conifers, rhododendrons and azaleas. Biltmore is a turn of the century estate built by the Vanderbilts with a castle like home and thousands of acres surrounding it. There are very formal gardens. It is a bit pricey as I recall ~$35-40 per person....but worth the day it will take to visit. If just beautiful scenery un-interrupted by billboards and fastfood is your thing, you might try hopping on the Blue Ridge Parkway near the N.C. Botanical garden and following the crest of the mountains up to Boone, NC. Boone is a charming little mountain town with a good variety of interesting cafes and restaurants. Probably the oldest is the Daniel Boone Inn downtown, with homestyle food served at large tables, multiple guests and large lazy susans in the tables. Boone also has a small but lovely gardens with mostly natives and spring blooming plants. The trip from Boone to Bristol is through beautiful mountains and over many ridges with some narrow and winding roads....not a road for high profile vehicles like campers or Rv's. If you choose to follow the Blue Ridge Parkway, you must definitely look at one of the several websites for conditions. Hurricane remnants two years ago wiped out sections of the road that will be very difficult and expensive to replace....as they hug narrow mountain dropoffs in places. When I was there last summer they had not all been completed making it difficult to get from point A to point B. Hopefully they'll be repaired by now. Even if they are not, they are well worth exploring even if you have to turn around and backtrack. There are lots of waterfalls; places where you can stop for 30 minute to 2 hour hikes; restored colonial farms and homes; clean air and so much silence that you hear the bees buzz; and wonderful wildflower and rhodendron blooms all along the way in mid spring and early summer.....a strong reminder of what we have done to so much of the rest of this country. Most of the places I mentioned have websites. Enjoy your visit.

Weird. This one did not post right away. Just appeared out of nowhere. Let it die a natural death. Don't post to this!

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

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