Cherokee is a town on the reservation home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in western…read moreNorth Carolina. We stopped by after visiting Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mingo Falls. We made a stop at a souvenir shop for affordable gifts. After picking up a salad at Wendy's we sat outside at a nice local park and watched the ducks near water. We noticed there were large casinos after we were heading out of town. I'm sure all closed during this Covid time.

Cherokee Transit saved our trip…read more Our car broke down, and without the transit we would not have been able to enjoy the area. They have downtown routes (found on their website) and all you have to do is text them at 828-269-5790 and tell them what number you're at, and what number you want to go. It's that easy. The car took days to fix, so this allowed us to visit all the lovely main attractions in the area and have great meals to boot. It's extremely easy to use, clean, efficient, and honestly, I would rather use the transit if I returned than drive around trying to find where things were located. For those of you that like to drink at the casino, this provides a safe way for you to explore the more beautiful and historic areas of the city. Highly recommend. Also, beware of taxi drivers in this area. We tried to call several, but only one answered and gave us a quote. We get in the car and the meter is already at $10 and, "I don't know why, I just do what my boss tells me." They then tried to charge us $40 more on top of what they quoted once we arrived at the car dealership as the meter was running at insane speeds. It was over $60 for a very short ride. My recommendation is, if you have to go any distance out of the main downtown area, hire a taxi from your destination city, not within Cherokee. It was a total sham.

Thank you Cherokee Transit. Your service is phenomenal as are your employees, notably Peyton and…read moreRichie. We spent four days in Cherokee without a vehicle. Cherokee Transit provided us with very affordable and punctual transportation to all of our destinations. We truly enjoyed learning about the area from our very friendly and knowledgeable drivers. Thanks again for all you do.

The GOOD Beautiful scenic driving and views. Cute tourist…read moreattractions and shops. Cherokee has the casino and museum as some of the biggest attractions here. The masks in the museum were fascinating. I liked the museum and seeing the painted bears around the city. The coin machines to make your personalized imprinted Cherokee coins were a favorite of mine. The BAD & THE SAD: We did see some tweekers getting high in their cars. Lots of trailer parks and abandoned buildings. The people in the town's museum were nice, but the staff seemed quiet and not very friendly & communicative. The casino had its high and lows. Everyone seemed to be more somber in this tourist town that depends on tourists for their income. It was kind of depressing.

I am a big fan of the Cherokee nation and its capital. I must say that I don't always like all…read morethe tacky shops with moccasins and rebel flags (seriously in this day and age), but the museum, culture, people, and the river park are aces. There is a big casino there for those who like that sort of stuff...and you can find boiled peanuts. Food is ...eh...still looking for a great local restaurant but I know one exists...ill find it. I

Mingus Mill is a very short drive from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. So if you are close by it is…read morecertainly worth a stop to see this gem. Mingus Mill was built in 1886. It is a water powered turbine grist mill that is still operational and in its original location. You can buy corn ground there as well as flour, cornmeal, lye soap and some jams and apple butter. It is cash only. Once you pull into the parking area, it is a short walk to get to the mill. The mill is two stories and you can explore both levels. Restrooms are available at the parking area. If you wish there are some trails you can take to see more of Mingus Creek.

We heard they did tours so we stopped. There was no tours, not sure if they no longer offer them or…read moremaybe just stopped at a bad time. You can still see the outside of the mill which is very cool!

This was a trip back in time to enjoy the tribe showing the ways of crafting, weapons making and…read morethe classic housing. With the finale being the dances of the tribe. This is well worth visiting to see the culture and the wonderful people.

Oconaluftee Indian Village is a great place to visit to learn more about the Cherokee and how they…read morelived in the 1700s. As I bought a combo ticket with Unto the Hills and wasn't given a ticket for the Village I arrived with my receipt and ticket for the show. That was scanned and allowed me in. Tours start about every 15 minutes or when a large enough group is formed. The tour is guided and we stopped at stations to learn about weaving; bead work; woodworking. Some of the stops were at dwellings and ritual sites. We saw traps for animals. They had a unique way to catch fish with the trap that was placed in the water. Some of the stops didn't have anyone working so the guide just talked about it. One guide took us on the tour and two separate guides talked with tour groups mixed together about the customs and rituals in the Council House. There was no dancing done at the dance grounds. They did talk about the different tribes.

Celebrated the 75th year of this outdoor musical theater event with my first visit…read more We purchased tickets ahead of time on the website, which was quite easy to navigate. Seats have plenty of space between your knees and the seat back in front of you; if your feet don't quite touch the ground they have footrests you can borrow from the ushers, a nice touch. Parking was easy to navigate and clearly marked. The preshow was jovial and included both music and a closing choreographed piece. This was worth arriving at 7:30 to enjoy. The performance itself was well done, with more dance numbers than I had expected. The occasional cannon and musket blasts kept us alert and the actor/dancers were enthusiastic and fun to watch. The history as presented was consistent with other sources we experienced this trip to Cherokee country.

Head to the Great Smoky Mountains & there you'll find "Unto These Hills". A story of the Cherokee…read morebefore the Trail of Tears up to present day. The outdoor drama is performed in a 2100 seat amphitheater. This is their 75th Anniversary season that runs from 5/31/25-8/23/25. Unfortunately we got rained out & weren't able to see the show, however we did have the Pre-Show Dinner ($20 each). Note, I recommend buying the $5 Performance Insurance since The Smokies are in a rainforest & rain is always likely...bring a poncho & blanket too. My husband saw the show many years ago & said it was amazing, I'm assuming it still is today. The scenery was gorgeous, very lush & green. There were several attendants directing cars & a greeter instructing where to get tickets. Most of the instructions given were quite unclear & confusing. All of us waiting for dinner had no instructions of what to do once we found our tables. Our meal consisted of Pulled Chicken BBQ, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Hushpuppies, a drink & a Cookie for dessert. The dinner was not good & it was not homemade. The meal was very bland & lacked flavor. With that said, next time I'm in the beautiful Smokies I will go to see the show & hope I don't get rained out!

We booked our tour & paid online several months ago. When…read morewe went to take our tour on Saturday, nobody was there. We called & were advised that this location is closed. This was frustrating as we had planned our evening around the tour. We were very disappointed. DO NOT BOOK.

Fontana Lake tour was amazing! Pilot (Damon) was great and knowledgeable about area. Went in the…read morefall during peak leaf season.