Cherokee, North Carolina- one of my favorite places on the planet. When I say Cherokee- I mean Cherokee and the surrounding areas. I live in Nashville so this area is within our Southeast region and only a few hours away, making it the perfect getaway for long weekends and adventures. Blake and I went camping here for our one year anniversary with our only baby back then, our pup Monkey. It was October, and it was freezing, but it was the best little trip. We camped by the side of a creek way up in the mountains and we were one of the only few at the campground because it was October. So it was quiet and private and lovely.

I grew up tent camping with my dad during summers out west visiting family in Colorado. It was during these trips that the satisfaction of setting up a tent, the smell of a campfire, the making of meals over fires, the exploring, the campground general stores, the wildness of it all became permanently ingrained in my heart and soul. And what’s more perfect than the coziness of a tent and fire for an anniversary trip? I mentioned it was cold- like 28 degrees at night cold. But that only added to the adventure! We bundled and snuggled up under several blankets and fell asleep to the dying embers of the fire. We played scrabble at the picnic table while Monkey played in the creek. We warmed coffee and hot chocolate over the fire. We drank boxed wine. We roasted hotdogs and s’mores at night. We hiked to waterfalls. And we shopped at the little stores filled with local crafts and I still have all the little treasures we got sprinkled about our house. My absolutely heaven. It was a quick trip, two nights. By the third day we were so cold that we stopped in the Pizza Hut just outside of town to have a hot dinner- but Pizza Huts and camping go hand in hand to me so it made total sense. For some reason, there is always a Pizza Hut when I go camping and I have the fondest memories of going there for dinner with my family. Personal pans and Pepsi, baby.

SO. Camping in Cherokee, North Carolina. If you want a more private, remote experience, try Indian Creek Campground. It’s beautiful, wooded and by a creek. The store had everything we needed (although we came prepared) for s’mores and hot chocolate. They had drip coffee if you don’t bring your own. The lots were spacious and came with a picnic table. Because you’re by the creek and in the mountains, the sites are more of a rocky area with little pebbles than a grassy site. I remember the bathrooms being clean and perfectly fine as far as campground bathrooms go.

We did pass the KOA (which I grew up staying at) on the way up and down to our campground and it looked awesome as well. It’s more at the bottom of the mountain so it’s a little more spacious and sunny. You’re by the river and the overall feeling was a bit more spacious. All KOAs are awesome- so if you don’t mind it being a little less remote and private, I’ll always recommend KOAs. We didn’t stay there, but we stopped in and hung out by the river for a while- beautiful, beautiful area. If we went tent camping with kids, we would stay here.

Fast forward a few years and we returned to this area now with two littles- a 3 year old and a 1 year old. We also went back during 2020 (global pandemic) and I have to say, this whole area was the perfect little vacation to social distance safely. My dad, stepmom and brother (who are all avid travelers) were feeling restless at home and wanted to go SOMEWHERE/ANYWHERE to get away for a few days. They are used to driving to Nashville to visit so this was only a few added hours for them. From Chicago, about an 11 hour drive. They stopped in Kentucky for the night and went on from there.

From Nashville, it’s just slightly over a 4 hour drive. First impressions: it is GORGEOUS. From Nashville, the quickest route is to go to Knoxville and cut over through the Smokies- the drive itself is so so pretty. The Cherokee area itself has many little surrounding towns and I had SO MUCH FUN exploring them- it’s one of my favorite things to do in life.

We stayed in a house at the top of a mountain in Whittier called Eagle’s Nest Lodge. The views from this house were worth the whole trip. And to see the fog roll in and out of the mountain tops was quite the experience. Curl up with your coffee and a book and you’re in heaven. This particular house had a whole wall worth of windows and decks surrounding the house to take advantage of this view. And of course it had all the things a good Airbnb house should have in the mountains- a grill, hot tub, board games and fireplaces. If you have a larger party- check this house out. It comes with two attached personal apartments so everyone can have their own space. Whittier (and this house) were about a 20 minute drive to Cherokee.

At the bottom of the mountain where we stayed (if you click on the house link and check out the map) there was a huge farm stand with aaallll sorts of local produce and jams and candies and juices. Charlie had so much fun picking out all our fruit.

Whittier is sort of in the middle of the Cherokee area/region so you will find yourself driving to Cherokee or the Sylva and Dillsboro area (about a 10 minute drive). Cherokee is where you will go for the shops filled with beautiful handmade jewelry and pottery by the Cherokee who live there. Sylva and Dillsboro are where you will go for restaurants, breweries and boutique shopping. And the entire area itself is full of hikes, horseback riding, rafting and outdoor adventures.

This trip with our kiddos was truly a joy- not only for time spent with my family, but to be able to see Charlie come ALIVE and be able to run free and soak up the outdoors and experience what I love about the mountains was seriously the best. The Cherokee area is one of my soul places. I connect deeply with it. I have always been incredibly interested in and have felt connected to the Native American culture. And there’s something very, very special about this region of the Smokies. It’s incredibly beautiful. It’s mysterious and almost haunting. There’s a wildness about it that you can sense. And there are stories and a history that run through the trees. You best believe I have a Redfin full of saved houses to buy and an Etsy list called “Mountain House” filled with antique finds for our someday house there; )

We went in September and the weather was perfect. Sweatshirt weather during the day and a light jacket at night. Never cold. This is a great site for everything you could ever do in this area, but here are a few of my favorites that we did in Cherokee and the close-by Dillsboro/Sylva towns (that I just adored).

In Cherokee:

• Horseback Riding- End of the Trail Riding Stables. There are several companies, but this was the one we went to and I HIGHLY recommend them. Native American owned and operated ON the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We had a private ride with Goodlow’s wife because the other party didn’t show up. They were kind and knowledgeable and the hour long ride was GORGEOUS. Charlie rode with me and had the time of her life on a horse named Jesse James, who she still talks about all the time. You go to the top of a mountain and back down. Quite the adventure.
• Mingo Falls- A perfect hike with family. A quick drive up the mountain (you pass the KOA and Indian Creek campgrounds) and you’re there. It’s only about a 10 minute hike so with kids, it’s completely doable. It’s a wooded hike that leads up to the most spectacular waterfall. The first part has stairs and the second part has a trail. Charlie did it by herself holding Blake’s hand and was SO proud. I did it carrying Tessa in an Ergo carrier totally fine. It’s a must see of this area.
• Oconaluftee Indian Village– “Walk through the village – a faithful reproduction of Cherokee life in the 1750s. Guides in native dress lead you to demonstrations of arrowhead making, blowguns, bead working, finger weaving, mask carving, pottery and canoe hulling. You will visit a Council House and learn about the medicinal importance of herbs, plants, bark and reeds. The Village is open from April 15 – November 12, 2016.” – We loved this experience and learned so much!
• Shopping- go to the main street of Cherokee and you can’t miss all of the local shops. They may seem touristy at first, but they are filled with the most beautiful handmade goods from Cherokee of the area.

In Dillsboro: A quaint, small town just slightly southeast of Cherokee. Easy to get to off the main highway that connects this whole area. Perfect for stopping in on an afternoon to go to the little shops- antiques and local art. Most of them close at 5. This town has a very local feel- we might have been the only visitors.

• Foragers Canteen– yummy restaurant for lunch or dinner. Fresh + healthy. I had the beet salad- very yummy. Kid friendly and lots of outdoor seating by the river.
• Dillsboro Chocolate Factory- I mean, self-explanatory. It’s chocolate. They had fudge, candy, ice cream, a whole selection of chocolate covered espresso beans that Blake took home, a coffee bar, the works.
• Nancy Tut’s Christmas Shop- Also self-explanatory. A whole shop of Christmas year round? Happiness incarnate. Every single ornament you never knew could even exist. But I will warn you, the owner of 25 years said she and her husband were looking to sell it to retire and travel- so I’m not sure what the future will look like for it.
• Innovation Station- brewery with really good beer and a lot of outdoor seating. There was a vegan food truck parked outside while we were there that looked really good. String lights and tables outside line the river. Blake and I enjoyed a flight of 4 or 5 beers and they were all good.

In Sylva: Bigger than Dillsboro but just down the way. This is where you will go to the Food Lion for your groceries. But the downtown is 100% worth visiting. Two really, really good coffee shops and shopping. Local restaurants (that we didn’t get to go to, but saw and wanted to try) like Pie Times Pizza Company, The Table, Balsam Falls Brewing and Lulu’s on Main.

• The Farmhouse Mercantile and Coffee Bar– really, really cool space where all the furniture is locally made and for sale. My London Fog was lovely and Blake’s espresso was spot on. It connects to a boutique of gifts and homeware with a few antiques (picked up the sweetest antique bottles) where the owner sits chatting to local friends.
• White Moon– I looooooved this place. One of me and Blake’s favorite things to do in life is discover the local coffee shops of a town and this one was my favorite. Small, cute. Artsy. The coffee was goooood and the food even better. And they turn into a wine bar at night- enough said. This will be a staple of mine every time we come back.