Welcome to the Valley
The steep road leading into the mountains was packed with leather-clad Harley Davidson bikers, retirees in their Lincoln Town Cars, 30-somethings in their family SUVs and me in my economy-sized car. Our common mission was to climb this terrain into Maggie Valley, N.C. I'm not certain what my fellow roadsters' agendas were, but mine was clear: I needed to get away from suburbia's rat race. Aside from the escape factor, I also came here for budgetary reasons. High gas prices had put a dent in my travel plans. As the Budget Director in the house, I came up with the idea of a trip to the Smoky Mountains-area town, an easy, three-hour drive. My wife and daughter were skeptical at first. After some convincing, both admitted that they are fans of places like Maggie Valley, with magnificent scenery, great restaurants, unlimited shopping and a wide selection of lodging options. Golf club lodgingOne of the places that stands out among the pack of hotels and motels in the area is the ...