I found the aquarium and fly fishing museum through a search for dog friendly and kid friendly…read moreactivities in Bryson City. We walked from the main street to the facilities within five minutes. There were scavenger hunts for the kids, sidewalk chalk to draw on the sidewalk outside, plus picnic tables and bathrooms. You don't have to pay anything to go into either place, but a donation is kindly recommended. There was one volunteer working the front door, who gave us information about both places and said if we had any questions to ask her. There were plenty of fish, salamanders, and frogs to look at, and my son loved seeing the fish. The dog was curious about the fish and the tanks, and it was nice to be able to bring him inside with us. The museum has a lot of information about fly fishing, where to do it in the area, and famous fishermen. Overall, it was a nice activity to do that was free, kid friendly, and dog friendly.

This is a great small aquarium worth a visit! The animal husbandry was great and the employees were…read morewelcoming. It took us about 10 minutes to enjoy the whole thing.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

Maybe passwords but don't pay for the money Service requested for equality of value! 0read more

This was on our short list for our trip, based on our visit decades ago, and it did not disappoint…read more This time we came with our own kids, and they just had a blast. The aquarium sea life itself is great with all the favorites: a big shark tank, the electric eel, the dragon fish, the ray touch tank, the octopus. It also has that Ripley's goofy charm, a big climbing playground in the middle for the kids, a mermaid show, and even a penguin march through the middle of the exhibits. You can buy food and drinks (including local beers) in between the exhibits. The city parking garage is right behind the location and the trolley drops off right beside the front door. If you have kids, you'll want to spend some time here.

If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be a salmon swimming upstream during peak season,…read morejust visit Ripley's Aquarium on a busy day. I didn't take many pictures because I was trying to live in the moment--and also because I was too busy dodging people who apparently trained for this event at the "Cutting in Line Olympics (my kid came up with that analogy.) This place was packed. I mean Black Friday at the Best Buy packed. Half the time I couldn't even see the tanks because someone's unk decided the best viewing angle was directly in front of my face. Patience was not the theme of the day. Luckily for him I'm not only patient but handsome. But then... the shark tunnel appeared like a gift from the aquarium gods. We hopped onto a slow-moving convey like a lazy river at a Vegas hotel, for people who don't want to walk. Honestly, I wish the entire building worked this way. Zero chaos. Zero pushing. Just vibes and sharks gliding over your head like "Come on in the waters fine" The stingrays were another highlight--majestic, chill, and many different sizes. Crowds aside,(but not really) those two moments made the visit worth it. If you go, bring patience, comfortable shoes, and maybe a bullhorn to get people's attention. But once you hit the sharks, it will be smooth sailing. FYI I will never go again but it was pretty cool in general..

Beautiful store. Immaculate! Gorgeous fish. Wide variety. Extremely helpful staff. Worth the drive.read more

My fiancé and I had the privilege to visit this store, and meet Matt and another gentleman I can't…read moreremember the name of, and might I just say WOW the staff is amazing always ready to answer every question even when they are busy. Super knowledgeable. And they really treat you like family. The store was super clean. We live about an hour from the store and never have an issue making the drive for this scale of product, knowledge and customer service

Cool place, they got several mini ponds in the store, plenty selection of fish and plants for a…read moregood price. I had a few fishes and plants they were great. Very good price on the super red bristlenose pleco. Definitely recommend this place.

Tropical Fish: The store is wonderful. Extremely well stocked with so many fish I had never seen at…read moreanother pet store. Prices were same or lower than most big box chains. Pond: Lance was amazing. Answered all my questions even though I won't be ready to build for a while.

Wanna know a secret???…read more There are waterfalls all over this region of the South just waiting to be discovered. Many are known and many more are unknown. While I've been hiking this area for nearly a decade, I only recently heard about this waterfall for the first time last year (2019). A well kept local secret indeed... but y'all dun let the wrong yelper discover this waterfall and the secret is about to be let out! [ THE DRIVE ] There are a shocking amount of natural waterfalls located on private property throughout this area. Thankfully this is not one of them and it can be enjoyed by all. The gravel road to the trailhead is known as Big Creek Road. Since we were coming from the King Creek Waterfall area near Tamassee SC, GPS lead us to the eastern end of Horse Cove Road, which is also known as Bull Pen Road closer to the Chattooga River (where you pass over a cool old iron bridge). I tell you these details because if you happen to follow our driving route on a week after heavy rainfalls, you are likely to see a great number of unnamed waterfalls off in the woods. We counted 5, and only one of them was a named waterfall on Google maps (Scotsman Falls). [ THE EXPERIENCE ] We traveled along Walking Stick Road until it took a sharp right turn towards Big Creek Road. On the day we visited, there was a locked gate blocking the drive onto Big Creek Road, so we parked in a small little niche near the gate and walked about 200 yards to the Secret Falls trailhead (which is marked with a narrow sign). The trail was very muddy, but the descent was slow and steady for the majority of the half mile hike. However, it gets considerably steeper as you approach the portion of the trail leading to the base of the falls. Here you will see poorly maintained wooden timbers actings as steps.They were so poor in fact, that we opted not to use them and walked alongside them. The waterfall was raging from all the recent rain, which limited some of our photo opportunities. It is a gorgeous waterfall with picturesque cascades both above and below it. The cascades below comes as the river takes a sharp left turn just past the pool of water at the base of the falls. Accessing the upper waterfall area is easily done by using a small obvious trail off to the left just before the wooden steps. A downed tree forces you to scramble over it and around large rhododendrons that are bent over from the weight of the fallen tree. Once through the brush, you will be directly on top of the falls, so be careful and exercise good judgement. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Hiking Distance: 1.3 miles Difficulty: Easy and family friendly (but can be muddy) Creek Crossings: YES (3) Elevation Gain: 255 feet Waterfall Height: Approx 45 feet Access to top of falls: YES Access to base of falls: YES Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: YES RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES if gate is open. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] THE SECRET IS OUT!!! This is a great waterfall for an easy family adventure. We came in the winter, but seems this would be a great picnic spot where kids could play in the water for hours in the summer. The drive to nearby Highlands, NC is only about 6.5 miles away for plenty of food options and even more waterfall adventures. Near Highlands are a number of GREAT waterfalls with very short hiking distances including Ranger Falls, Bust Yer Butt Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Cullasaja River Falls and our personal favorites: Glen Falls, Dry Falls, Mud Falls and Estatoah Falls (which is hidden just next to the Sky Valley Scenic Overlook). ENJOY!!! 2020 / 4

I was somewhat surprised that there are not more reviews of this trail/waterfall. I believe that…read morethe real name of this falls is Big Shoals Falls. In his book on NC waterfalls, Kevin Adams referred to it as Secret Falls and the name seems to have stuck. For years, there was no official trail to this waterfall and the one unofficial trail which existed traversed private property. I've been visiting the area for thirty years and this (October 2021) was my first visit to this waterfall. Bottom line: It is awesome. Truly one of the more beautiful waterfalls that I've been to. I have to disagree with the previous reviewer: IMO, this trail is in horrible shape. Granted, reviews like these are entirely subjective. But I would definitely not bring young children or dogs here. When I visited, the trail was really in bad shape. The first part of the hike was fairly easy. But the farther you go, the worse the trail becomes. Erosion had taken a terrible toll. There are many rutted and washed-out areas. Some were so bad that hikers have bypassed the trail completely. The final descent to the base of the falls was the worst. Wooden steps had been constructed. But the erosion was so bad that much of the soil behind the steps had washed out making the steps all but unusable. There are two water crossings on the trail. One was a couple of planks stretched across a small branch. The other was on a split log over a somewhat larger stream. Neither was too difficult. Then again, the faint-of-heart would probably not care for either one. Trekking poles helped me on both. I was not able to find a path to the brink of the falls. I tried one crude path which seemed to be incredibly choked with rhododenron. So I gave up on getting to the top of the falls. There is a much smaller cascade downstream of the main falls. As with the brink, I could not figure out how to get to it. I visited early in the morning and had the place all to myself. The lighting wasn't terrific. I'm not sure what time or sky conditions are ideal for photography. I drove in on Rich Gap and Big Creek Roads off of Hwy 28 south of Highlands. It wasn't too bad of a drive in my 2WD F-150. But I believe that the drive out on Walking Stick Rd to Horse Cove Rd east of town was easier. If you love waterfalls, definitely put this one on your must-see list. But be aware of the fact that the hike is a challenge. Not so much due to elevation change (which is moderate) but, rather, due to the overall condition of the trail.