Usually go take grandkids to Ship Wreck Cove but a friend suggested Itter Creek.. had never been…read morethere but the grandkids loved it and we plan on returning!!!

This review is slightly biased. Our church family rented out the waterpark after general public…read morehours had ended. It was wonderful having the whole place to our group since there were maybe 40 people alogether and apparently up to 600 people are maximum capacity. We had plenty of turns on the slides, time in the pool, and the concession window was operating as well. Yummy ice cream. There were a lot of lifeguards around to ensure safety; probably more than we needed. The kiddos had a blast. Who knew you could rent a waterpark? I hope we get to do this again! Happy yelping!

Blue Ridge Parkway is such an incredibly beautiful drive and well worth taking a few minutes out of…read morethe way to enjoy this lovely detour. It should be a crime that the government wants to privatize all national parks and it's a shame that we may not be able to enjoy this stunning area of the United States much longer. Take the long way during your roadtrip and drive through the Blue Ridge Parkway with the windows down, you will not be disappointed! The fresh air and calming scenery is healing to the soul! There are plenty of overlooks, as well. Take your time, enjoy the ride!

The Blue Ridge Parkway spans several hundred miles long and a good chunk of it was unfortunately…read moreclosed when we came through due to hurricane damage but we were able to do a few hours on the road from the edge of the Smoky Mountains NP all the way to Asheville and it was GORGEOUS. The open stretch was in higher elevations (hence not impacted by the hurricane) which meant we had some really spectacular views of the mountains and terrain. It really was wonderful. There are a ton of scenic overlooks and a few maintained spots where you can pull over and enjoy a picnic or use the facilities (they're barebones restrooms but they have them) but aside from that amenities are few and far between so be sure to pack some food, drinks, and make sure your tank is full of gas so you can enjoy the views and explore stress free! The only trouble was there wasn't a lot of information available on what we'd find on the parkway (meaning what stretch was closed, what was open, must see overlooks, hiking trails, etc) as the visitors centers were closed and the Smoky Mountain NP visitor center we stopped into didn't have any brochures or maps or anything. Luckily once we got onto the parkway we were able to find a scenic overview with some signage that had a map so we took a picture of that and was helpful. The good news is is that I believe right after our trip they reopened another large stretch of the Parkway northeast for Asheville (which I believe has has all the amazing waterfalls) so we'll have to come back another time to enjoy all those views!

We do pools...a lot. I am not opposed to a public pool though so after some research, I thought we…read morewould try this one. We couldn't have been more pleased. It's true, there aren't a ton of chairs but if you are willing to be patient, you'll get one. One thing to note is that they close the pool with lightning on the radar within a 10 mile radius. You just have to get out of the water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Lots of lifeguards and great decorations for July 4th. You can tell that they take pride in the pool. It was clean and the chairs were comfy, although the armrests do get hot in the sun so you can't always rest your arms on them. It certainly wasn't a dealbreaker. Great pool with the backdrop of the mountains and lake!

This park is urban in the relative sense, being surrounded by the residences of the town of Black…read moreMountain. It was a quality park. While views of the mountains are likely majestic, even on a cloudy day the misty sights were intriguing. A clean path runs around the lake, connecting bathroom facilities, tennis courts, and several other amenities. There were some dedicated parking spaces, but it was an easy walk from the town's business stretch as well. And why not, if you have the time?