RV Rally – Dillard, GA – Part One

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.

We were in the pull thru sites in the bottom center of the overhead shot. 

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