We attended the first rally of the year for the Tennessee
Travelers chapter of the FMCA last week in Dillard, GA. The “Spring Fling” went from Monday through Friday at the RiverVista RV Resort just north of Dillard and we had nine coaches participating.
I chose to take the shorter route to Dillard which meant driving though the mountains on two lane roads. I went down US-411 to Ocoee, TN then east on US-74 which included the curvy drive through the Ocoee River Gorge. I took US-64 out of Murphy, NC then NC-69 down to east on US-76. I knew what to expect on the road through the gorge but was surprised that US-76 was such a curvy mountain road and while this West Virginia boy was comfortable driving this road, it wasn't much fun. So I came home via I-40 and while it was a good bit longer, it only took about 15 minutes more time-wise. I would take the pretty drive through Murphy again in a car but not in the coach.
River Vista is a mixture of RV sites for sale and rent and
cabins for sale and rent. The sites were level and spacious.
It is very
well maintained with lots of amenities and rooms for various functions
including this giant hot tub which Bev tried and said was like being in the
ocean.
I would definitely recommend River Vista and would stay
there again.
The first day was Dillard Day (Tue) and spent touring the area, including nearby Highlands, NC, followed by
dinner at the well known Dillard House.
In addition to the restaurant, there are many rooms in
the various motel-like structures, a conference center, and riding
stables and I can see it as a good place for business meetings. I had heard of the Dillard
House for years and even though we had been in the area once before, we had not
eaten there.
The food is served family style and looks like this shot
from the web.
I thought the food was just okay (Bev had worse things to
say) and at $28 per head it was a pretty bad value, even though you could eat
all you wanted. This definitely fit my
definition of “tourist food” – mediocre food at a high price. My guess is that it was very good at one
time, but is now living off its reputation as first timers to the area must
give it a try.
The next day was Mountain City Day (Wed) which began with breakfast at the Cupboard Café in Dillard for a totally different dining experience than the Dillard House and while the prices were still a little higher
than we pay around home, the food was excellent and plentiful. Bev commented that their biscuits were the
best she had ever eaten. I had the homemade corned beef hash the first morning.
We left the restaurant with a smile on our face and when we returned on Thur morning and discovered the cook’s were all Hispanic, I ordered the burrito which was stuffed full of delicious goodies. If I ever go to the area again I’m taking all
of my restaurant meals at the Cupboard Café.
After breakfast on the Wednesday, we drove down to Tiger,
GA for a visit to Goats On The Roof which is a classic tourist stop with goats grazing on the roof tops as the main
attraction. Due to roof repairs, the goats
were not up there but rather in a pen on the ground.
They have a store carrying typical tourist
items along with some Amish products.
The highlight of the visit was the ice cream shop where
they make your ice cream to order, yes, make it to order. They add all of the ingredients for your
blend, such as nuts, chocolate chips, etc, add cream to the large metal bowl, then hold it under a liquid nitrogen pipe which quickly freezes it as they mix
it together and scrap down the sides of the bowl.
I don’t know if it’s the same business, but there is also
a Goats On The Roof in Pigeon Forge, TN.
This covers our first day and a half and I’ll pick up the remainder of the
rally in the next post.
Photos
can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Have
a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
Larry
4/24- 4/28/17 Rally Dates
You are getting out and about nice to see. But the touristy foods and prices are not something we would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteNice that you found good food at the country Cafe.
Cool! I bet you had a blast! I vividly remember the road from hell in Colorado and your 2-lane road doesn't sound much better. Can't imagine driving an RV on a road like that. Kudos to you, Larry! Looks like a good well-maintained resort. And that ice cream is the ultimate!
ReplyDeleteLarry, Mediocre food...is something that we find 4 out of 5 times when it's all you can eat. Too bad but a place like that works well for a group. That corned beef hash at the Cupboard Cafe is my kind of breakfast! Looks great! Goats on the roof...there' another similar place up in Wisconsin. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteMurphy, Ocoee, all my old stomping grounds :) Brings back many memories visiting the in-laws driving from Chattanooga to Blue Ridge around the river road. Also used to camp all the time near Murphy in Tipton Creek / Tellico area. Such fun memories! Looks like most of your trip was great - other than the one restaurant. You did good Larry!
ReplyDeleteI would have been sad that the goats weren't on the roof. And $28 for mediocre food makes me really unhappy. Like our $32 buffet. Never again. But your breakfast sounds soooo good.
ReplyDeleteTourist food is the worst! Glad you found some tasty grub at the Cupboard Cafe. The River Vista RV park looks really nice!
ReplyDelete