Train Excursions: Day Trips To Roanoke, Va. and Asheville, N.C. Scheduled for October 30 and 31

The N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation and the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society will host day trip train excursions to Roanoke, Va. October 30 and Asheville, N.C. October 31. These excursions, now in their fourth year, allow travelers to see beautiful fall foliage, experience a great destination and enjoy the romance of riding the rails.

The N.C. Transportation Museum and Watauga Valley NRHS revived fall excursions in 2007, offering trips to Charlottesville, Va. Sell out crowds and satisfied passengers made those excursions incredibly popular. Last year’s addition of Asheville, N.C. as a destination created an even greater demand for tickets. The trips sold out in record time, with dome car tickets selling out in mere minutes.

This year, the “Virginia Autumn Special” will travel to Roanoke, Va. Saturday, Oct. 30. The “Blue Ridge Special” will travel to Asheville, N.C. Sunday, Oct. 31. More dome car tickets have been added but the demand is expected to be just as strong as years past.

Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., Saturday’s Virginia Autumn Special” will offer additional passenger pick-up at the Greensboro Amtrak Station at 8 a.m., allowing those in the Triad a more convenient boarding opportunity. The train will travel through the northern portion of the North Carolina Piedmont, including the cities of High Point and Reidsville before crossing into Virginia. The western part of central Virginia offers spectacular views of the fall foliage, crossing the Dan and Roanoke Rivers. Moving onto the old Virginian Railway line, passengers will travel westward, passing through several tunnels and enjoying the rolling Virginia countryside.

The train will arrive in Roanoke, the “Star City of the South,” at noon. Passengers will have nearly three hours to enjoy the attractions offered. Downtown Roanoke offers an array of dining experiences, shopping and sightseeing opportunities.

Passengers will depart the train at the old Norfolk and Western Passenger Station, home of the O. Winston Link museum. The museum offers a grand photographic and auditory history of 1950’s steam engine locomotive history. Advance tickets to the museum are available to excursion passengers at the discounted group rate of $4 per person.

Meals will also be available at the famous nearby Hotel Roanoke

The nearby Taubman Museum of Art features a permanent collection of 19th and early 20th Century American art, while the Historic Roanoke City Market has fresh food and handmade crafts.

Passengers can also take a drink from the historic Dogmouth Fountain, constructed in 1898. Legend says those drinking from the fountain will always return to Roanoke.

Departing Roanoke at 3 p.m., the train will arrive back in Greensboro at 6:45 p.m. and Spencer at 8 p.m.

During Sunday’s trip, the “Blue Ridge Special” will travel through the western Piedmont into the foothills and on to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., the train will roll through the cities of Statesville, Hickory, Morganton, Marion, Black Mountain and Swannanoa. The train will climb the famed "loops" of the Blue Ridge Mountains and pass through several tunnels before arriving in Asheville at noon. Passengers will have nearly three hours for an outing at Biltmore Village.

Established in the late 1890s as a planned community near the entrance of the Biltmore estate, Biltmore Village stands near the entrance to Biltmore Estate. Shopping will be available in unique, locally-owned boutiques. Passengers can dine in restaurants and take walks along brick sidewalks that parallel tree lined streets. All of this will be enjoyed alongside spectacular views of the North Carolina mountains.

Departing Asheville at 3 p.m., the “Blue Ridge Special” will return to Spencer at 8 p.m.

Dome Tickets offer the best views of passing scenery with two levels. Windows stretch across the walls and ceiling on the second level, providing a panoramic view of the entire ride. Dome tickets are available for $280 per person.

Premium First Class fare includes continental breakfast and newspapers on the journey to both Roanoke and Asheville, plus dinner on the return trip served in vintage lounge and dining cars. Premium First Class tickets are available for $245 per person.

Deluxe Coach Class tickets feature spacious seating with large windows, lunch on the dining car and light snacks during the trip. Deluxe Coach tickets are $175 per person.

Coach seating, featuring wide windows, adjustable seats and convenient access to the commissary car, are also available for $145 per person. All cars feature air conditioning, heat and rest rooms.

For those wishing to eat on the train to provide more time for sightseeing, an optional box lunch will be offered. The $14 meal, served in a souvenir lunch tote, includes include a half turkey wrap, pasta, chips & salsa, a cookie and drink.

Tickets will be available online at www.nctrans.org or by calling 704-636-2889 ext. 232. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 24.

The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, the former Southern Railway repair facility is located just five minutes off I-85 at Exit 79 in Spencer, N.C., and about an hour from Charlotte, Greensboro or Winston-Salem. The museum is part of the Division of Historic Sites and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Visit www.nctrans.org for more information. For information on the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, visit www.wataugavalleynrhs.org.
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This Year’s Fall Excursions Offer Day Trips to Charlottesville, Va. and Asheville, N.C.

The N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation and the Watauga Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society offer a chance to see the beautiful fall foliage, experience a great destination and enjoy the romance of riding the rails this fall. The museum is again hosting fall train excursions. In addition to our traditional Charlottesville, Va. day trip, the museum will also offer a day trip to Asheville NC.

After hosting day trips through the 1990s, the museum revived rail excursions in 2007. The past two years have been sell-out crowds and satisfied passengers made those excursions a great success. . The “Virginia Autumn Special” will travel to Charlottesville, Va., Oct. 31, while the “Blue Ridge Special” will travel to Asheville, Nov. 1. Each day’s trip will include spectacular views of fall foliage.

Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., Saturday’s “Virginia Autumn Special” will again offer a second passenger pick-up at the Greensboro Amtrak Station at 8 a.m., allowing those living in the Triad a more convenient boarding opportunity. Passing through the North Carolina cities of Thomasville, High Point and Reidsville, and the Virginia cities of Danville, Lynchburg and Oak Ridge, passengers will experience beautiful views of the Piedmont and rolling hills of the Carolinas and the western part of Central Virginia. Spectacular views of the Dan, Roanoke and James Rivers will be seen as the train crosses above. The train will even pass by Schuyler, the mountain town fictionalized in the television show “The Waltons.”

At noon, the “Virginia Autumn Special” will arrive in Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia. Here travelers will have nearly three hours to explore the historic downtown area. A short walk takes you to the downtown outdoor mall, considered one of the finest urban parks in the country. Unique shopping and dining opportunities can be found in boutiques, specialty wine, coffee and tea shops, and outdoor dining spots. Travelers may also enjoy relaxing walks under a lush, leafy tree canopy. Departing Charlottesville at 3 p.m., the train will arrive back in Greensboro at 6:45 p.m. and Spencer at 8 p.m.

During Sunday’s trip, the “Blue Ridge Special” will travel through the western Piedmont into the foothills and on to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Departing Spencer at 7 a.m., the train will roll through the cities of Statesville, Hickory, Morganton, Marion, Black Mountain and Swannanoa. The train will climb the famed "loops" of the Blue Ridge Mountains passing the famous Andrews Geyser and through several tunnels before arriving in Asheville at noon. Passengers will have nearly three hours for an outing at Biltmore Village.

Established in the late 1890s as a planned community near the entrance of the Biltmore estate, Biltmore Village stands near the entrance to Biltmore Estate. Shopping will be available in unique, locally-owned boutiques. Passengers can dine in restaurants and take walks along brick sidewalks that parallel tree lined streets. All of this will be enjoyed alongside spectacular views of the North Carolina mountains. Departing Asheville at 3 p.m., the “Blue Ridge Special” will return to Spencer at 8 p.m.

Several different levels of excursion tickets are available. Ticket prices are the same each day. Premium First Class tickets feature comfort seating on private rail cars restored to the height of luxury. Premium First Class passengers will also enjoy an early continental breakfast, newspaper and dinner in the diner on the return trip. Premium First Class tickets are $240 per person.

A new offering this year, Deluxe Coach Class tickets feature spacious seating with large windows, lunch on the dining car and light snacks during the trip. Deluxe Coach tickets are $170 per person.

Coach tickets feature comfortable seating, air conditioning and heat and restrooms. Coach tickets are $140 per person.

Another new feature, an optional box lunch will allow travelers to save time for shopping in Charlottesville or Asheville. The $14 box lunch, served in a souvenir lunch tote, includes include a half turkey wrap, pasta, chips & salsa, a cookie and drink.

Passengers may also take advantage of a shuttle bus at each destination for an additional $2.
Tickets are available online at www.nctrans.org or by calling 704-636-2889 ext. 232.
The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, the former Southern Railway repair facility, is part of the Division of State Historic Sites, Department of Cultural Resources. The museum is located just five minutes off I-85 at Exit 79 in Spencer, N.C., and about an hour from Charlotte, Greensboro or Winston-Salem. Visit www.nctrans.org for more information. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is celebrating the 2009 theme of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For information on the Department of Cultural Resources, call (919) 807-7385 or visit www.ncculture.com.
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Fall Color Predictions For 'America's Best Idea'

T2F Note: The nights are cooling off while the days are just plain beautiful. Now is the time that we folks in Georgia start thinking about weekend trips to the mountains in search of the elusive best fall color and the best apples. Asheville is a great place to visit and is just a short weekend trip away from Georgia. This week's coveted Fayette Front Page Weekender Award goes to Asheville and the Smoky Mountains National Park. See you there!

/PRNewswire/ -- Longtime natives of the Asheville area in the Blue Ridge Mountains, known for its extended fall foliage season, will tell you that the best color displays come later -- toward the end of October. Celebrating the 75th anniversaries of Smoky Mountains National Park in 2009 and Blue Ridge Parkway in 2010, mountain families like Steve Woody's were moved from their homesteads in the 1930s for the creation of the park and are proud of the natural legacy they have left to us all.

Mountain Heritage Remembered

"If you talk to families from the area, there's a peace about the creation of Smoky Mountains National Park," says Woody, whose family was moved from their land in Cataloochee in Western North Carolina. "There was great sacrifice. They had to move from their forbearers' homesteads and livelihoods. But, today they wonder, had the Park not come, what would have happened to the land? You just have to look at other places to get an idea. Now, it is a pristine and wooded place that everyone can enjoy."

PBS Presents "America's Best Idea"

Stories like those of the Woody family are the kind that famed filmmaker Ken Burns had in mind when he began his latest documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a six-part series coming to PBS this fall, beginning September 27. The documentary, regional anniversary celebrations and predictions of a healthy leaf season round-out an opportune time to appreciate and experience our natural history in full autumn glory.

Fall Color Predictions

"Every year is a good year for autumn color, depending on where you are in Western North Carolina. We finally had a normal rainfall year. As of September 1, the Asheville airport reports only one inch above 'normal' precipitation. With good growth on the trees, we have all the foliage we need for great fall color. As long as autumn develops normally with cool nights and dry days -- and October is typically one of our driest months -- it should be a colorful season." -- Biltmore Director of Horticulture, Parker Andes

"Drought-stressed trees show more color and turn, more or less, simultaneously. So, our wetter year could make the colors appear more gradually. We don't know what the weather will bring, but fronts that give us cold nights and bright sunny days will start the process in a couple weeks at high elevations, which will be vibrant very soon, and continue down to the low elevations. The later color from oaks and hickories will be nice at the end of October and early November." -- University of North Carolina Asheville Associate Professor of Biology, David Clarke

"Compared to when I was growing up, I think it tends to stay warmer and we see the color later in the season. This was a more typical summer, like the kind I remember as a kid... cooler and wetter." --Steve Woody, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Gateway City Getaway

Located just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park and along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Asheville area is steeped in natural history and full of fall adventures. Extreme elevation variations and hundreds of deciduous tree species (the largest number in North America) combine to give Western North Carolina one of most extended and colorful leaf seasons in the country.

Online Resources

-- Weekly Fall Color Reports: Visit FallintheMountains.com
(http://www.fallinthemountains.com/) for expert fall color reports for
Western North Carolina, budget travel info, scenic drives, events,
value packages and insider tips
-- Twitter: Area insiders "tweet" color updates and up-to-the-minute
travel deals @FallColorHunter (http://www.twitter.com/FallColorHunter)
and @AshevilleDeals (http://www.twitter.com/AshevilleDeals)
-- GreatSmokies75th.org
(http://greatsmokies75th.org/welcome-to-the-great-smokies-75th/)
-- BlueRidgeParkway75.org (http://www.blueridgeparkway75.org/)

Fall Value Packages

-- Fall is for Waterfalls Package
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/deals/seasonal-packages/fall-is-for-w
aterfalls/index.aspx)
-- Extreme Fall Color Whitewater Package
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/deals/the-great-outdoors-packages/fre
nch-broad-river-12-day-rafting-package/index.aspx)
-- Wheee! Fall Canopy Tours Zip Line Package
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/deals/the-great-outdoors-packages/can
opy-tours-package/index.aspx)

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Romance on a Budget: Plan a Quickie

T2F Note: Asheville makes a great weekend excursion from north Georgia. Offering great tips for a budget trip makes this destination worthy of highly coveted Fayette Front Page Day Tripper award.

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As holiday gifts loom on the credit card and the country's economic woes persist, consumers are seeking inexpensive options for romance on Valentine's Day. Good news: The calendar and recent trends of discount travel have aligned to make Valentine's Day 2009 especially auspicious for a romantic weekend getaway.

This year, Valentine's Day falls on the same three-day weekend as President's Day. By choosing a nearby destination, travelers can plan a long-weekend escape without using additional vacation days. Low gas prices and travel bargains sweeten the deal to help couples stretch their vacation dollars and keep romance in the budget.

Valentine's Day Getaway Packages

Winter Romance in Asheville (http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/seasonal-fun/asheville-in-winter/w inter-romance/index.aspx): Centrally located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is ranked as one the world's top must-see cities. That means U.S. residents in the east have a romantic, world-class destination that's affordable and only a few hours away. See romance packages (http://www.exploreasheville.com/deals/romance-packages/index.aspx) from classic romance to culinary to spa indulgence.

Other Destinations: Unique Valentine's Day Packages
-- Candles & Rose Petals in D.C.
(http://www.luxehotels.com/hotels/Monticello/specials)
-- Hugs & Kisses at Niagara Falls
(http://www.niagarafallsmarriott.com/index.php/screen/romance_packages
)
-- Live Passionately at a Virginia B&B
(http://www.virginia.org/site/content.asp?MGrp=2&MCat=59&MItm=255)

Asheville's Top 10 Romantic Things to Do On a Budget

1) Try a Hot Chocolate Tasting Tour - From organic sippable truffles to a winter warm-up on a bright red double-decker bus, cozy up at Asheville's many cocoa and coffee houses for primo people-watching and affordable amore.

2) Find a Scenic Makeout Spot - Gaze into starry eyes and starry skies while soaking in the famous and free vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Take a drive up Town Mountain or watch the sunset from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

3) Request a Mountain Serenade - Most of Asheville's restaurants and pubs transition to live music venues at night. Score free romance points by having a local musician dedicate a song to your sweetheart.

4) Be Free Spirited - Tour with your taste buds as you explore Asheville's many micro breweries (http://exploreasheville.com/foodtopia/food-adventures/local-breweries/index.a spx) and wine shops. Watch for free tastings and events at FoodtopianSociety.com (http://exploreasheville.com/foodtopia/index.aspx?source=foodtopiansociety.org ).

5) Go Gallery Gazing - Looking is free. Stroll hand-in-hand through Asheville's eclectic art galleries and boutiques (http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/the-arts/index.aspx), from sophisticated showrooms to funky artist studios.

6) Share a Decadent Dessert - Split the cost by sharing an unforgettable dessert lovingly prepared by one of Asheville's independent chefs (Goat-cheese chocolate brownie with cream-cheese ice cream anyone?) .

7) Have a National Park Adventure - This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, a nearby national and natural wonder that's always free to explore.

8) Find a Second-hand Rose - Known for vintage clothing boutiques and antique shops, Asheville is full of low-cost treasures with history.

9) Couples Geocaching - Use that GPS Santa got you and take your sweetheart on a high-tech treasure hunt (http://www.exploreasheville.com/geocaching/index.aspx). Within 100 miles of downtown Asheville are more than 7,600 hidden geocaches waiting to be found, free of charge.

10) Make Your Own Souvenir - The local arts and crafts culture often rubs off on visitors. Save money by making your own unique memorabilia, like piece of pottery or a souvenir charm bracelet at one of the many bead and gem shops.

Multi-media Resources
-- ExploreAsheville.com (http://www.exploreasheville.com/index.aspx)
-- High-res images for download
(http://www.exploreasheville.com/press-room/photo-gallery/index.aspx)

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Asheville Fall Foliage Forecast: When is Peak Color in the NC Mountains?

PRNewswire/ -- RomanticAsheville.com, a popular online travel guide to the Asheville area, has released its annual Fall Foliage Forecast. When is the peak color? The good news is that no matter when you visit in October or early November, you can take a short drive from Asheville to find the best color. The leaf color change begins soon on the highest peaks and gradually works down to the lowest elevations.

Here are the times and places to go:

October 3-12: Highest elevations north of Asheville above 5,000 feet show the most color, like Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain.

October 10-20: Color is best in elevations 4,000-5,000', including Mount Pisgah, Black Balsam Knob, and Graveyard Fields.

October 15-25: Head to the 3,000-4,000' elevation range like Looking Glass Rock and Linville Gorge.

October 20-November 1: The city of Asheville (2,200') shows the brightest colors, along with Hendersonville and Brevard. See the waterfalls in Dupont State Forest or visit the North Carolina Arboretum.

October 24-November 5: The color show concludes in the foothills (1,000-2,000'). Visit Chimney Rock Park and Lake Lure.

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