My hisband & I are planning a driving trip North from Florida to Connecticut in May. Have done 95 and East many times. Never seen the western parts of South Carolina, North Carolina or Virginia. Have heard for years how beautiful the Blue Ridge Mountains are. We need suggestions for a route and must sees. Also restaurants and charming B&B's or Inns. We need a lot of help. Quality of food is important, but can be real local & inexpensive also. Just started reading. Know nothing about this area. Thanks in advance. Not real liesurely-probably take 5 days for the drive.

I would take 95 to I-26 in SC straight through to Asheville, stay a night and then take the mountain route over to the High Country (Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk) staying in Blowing Rock for a night.

Thanks Brian. I was thinking of cutting over at Route 26, so that confirms that choice. And Asheville sounds interesting from what I have read so far. I will now check out the other towns that you mentioned. Any suggestions of where to stay in Asheville?

Crabtree Falls! Michie Tavern is good! http://www.michietavern.com/index.cf...TOKEN=67377417

Monticello is neat also.

I haven't stayed in Asheville proper, but we really enjoyed our stay at the Inn at Iris Meadows, www.irismeadows.com, about 30 minutes or so from Asheville in Waynesville, NC. It's a smaller town and a little quieter, but still with some good restaurants and a cute downtown. The Inn is a very beautiful restored Victorian with great porch views of the mountains and nice hospitality from the owners.

Thomas & bmeyer,
Both places you mentioned sound great. The whole trip planning got sidetracked onto a thread I started about The Greenbrier. We are not going there, but the rest of the trip planning is on that thread. I put our proposed itinerary and a promise to write a trip report when we return in mid May. Thanks for your suggestions.
Lynne