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  1. #1

    Default Must-sees/stops on the AT?

    What are you favorite restaurants, hostels, curiosities to stop at on the AT? I'm doing a SOBO this year and want to mark off all the best spots in my guidebook so I make sure I don't miss out on great AT lore.

    I'm thinking things like White House Landing, the 1/2 gallon challenge, etc.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    LT '79; AT '73-'14 in sections; Donating Member Kerosene's Avatar
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    Inn at Long Trail, Killington, VT; try to catch one of the live Irish bands and try the Long Trail Ale

    Bascom Lodge at the summit of Mt. Greylock, MA (always wanted to stay there)

    Graymoor Monastery, just north of Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River

    Secret Shelter, just north of Unionville, NY

    Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel, Palmerton, PA

    Washington Monument, Boonesboro, MD

    Gathland State Park, just north of Harpers Ferry

    ATC Headquarters, Harpers Ferry

    Bears Den Hostel, Bluemont, VA

    Spy Rock, Virginia (take the time to climb to the top for the view)

    Lazy Fox Inn, Damascus, VA

    Virginia Creeper Trail Biking, Damascus

    Braemar Castle Hostel, Hampton, TN

    Kincora Hiking Hostel (3-4 hours north of Hampton by the AT, plus 0.25 mile right)

    Mountain Harbour Hostel, US-19E, Roan Mountain, TN


    That should take you through about October!
    GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014

  3. #3
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Cabella's - Port Clinton

    The Pinnicle just a little north of Port Clinton.
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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    Maria's in Salisbury, CT. 80 yr great, remarkable lady. Saw more wildlife in her backyard,(resident fox) than on the ct trail. She'll drive you to the italian restaurant where you can wash/dry while you eat.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl View Post
    Cabella's - Port Clinton

    The Pinnicle just a little north of Port Clinton.
    Despite the local illiterati, its Pinnacle.

    http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...&cutoffdate=-1

  6. #6

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    Sugarloaf mountain summit (about 1/2 mile off trail)(great views and a 360 summit building that you used to be able to sleep in, i don't think that's allowed anymore though)

    Same with Mount Rogers in VA (the peak isn't official trail but not far away, although not much to see up there, it is the highest point in VA)

    ATC headquarters in Harper's Ferry WV. (try to hit that part of the trail when they'd be open)

    Knife edge if the weather's nice (a different approach trail than the AT on Katahdin)

    Library at Darmouth in Concord, NH

    Camp David in MD (near the trail) (Oh, they don't let you visit there anymore??) (sorry)

    Doyle Hotel in Duncannon PA

    Jail in Palmerton PA (Someone already mentioned)

    Nuclear lake in NY (don't drink the water)

    The two below would be difficult to get to without transportation but are both world renown and close to the trail and good tours:
    Harley Davidson factory is not far from the trail in York, PA
    Martin guitar factory is not far either in Allentown PA (not far from Lehigh Gap)

    There's tons more but don't forget the trail is the real beauty out there, not the hotels and restaurants in town.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  7. #7
    Trail miscreant Bearpaw's Avatar
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    Stop by Tom Levardi's place (83 Depot St in Dalton, MA). Friendly spot with tenting allowed in the back yard. A fun town stop.

    McAffee Knob in Virginia.

    Mt. Cammerer in the Smokies. 1.2-mile, mostly level side trip. If the weather is good the views and the old stone firetower are well worth it.

    Sunrise from Clingman's Dome (if the weather is cooperating, it's worth getting up early and hiking the 3 1/2 miles from Mt. Collins in the dark).

    Again in the Smokies, and if weather is cooperating, take the short steep trail up to Shuckstack firetower for a fantastic view down to Fontana Lake and the Dam.

    Head into Franklin, NC. One of the friendliest towns on the trail. Ron Haven of the Budget and Sapphire Inns is a hiker himself and VERY hiker friendly. His willingness to shuttle back to the trail and around town makes Franklin to true rest stop, not just a resupply.
    If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!

  8. #8

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    Some others which have not been mentioned:

    A short distance down Rt. 5 after crossing the CT river into VT is the King Arthur baking company where you can find all kinds of relatively-healthy baked goods.

    The Port Clinton Hotel in PA - the "small" order of French Fries is humongous.

    Shenadoah NP has numerous waterfalls on side trails down from the AT. Check out White Oak Canyon, Dark Hollow, and South River among others.
    Also in SNP, take the short side trail up Hawksbill, the highest point in the Park.

    Want a break from hiking to do some paddling? There are outfitters near where the Trail crosses the Delaware and in HF where you can paddle day trips or more on either the Potomac or Shenandoah. And further south there's the Nolichucky and the Nantahala but their seasons may be finished by time you get there.

  9. #9

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    These are great suggestions! Thanks!

  10. #10
    AT 4000+, LT, FHT, ALT Blissful's Avatar
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    Shaws in Monson, good food and stay
    If the Cabin reopens, The Cabin in ME
    Zero in Gorham (Gorham is my fav trail town)
    Zero in Hanover (neat place)
    Cookie man and lady in MA, nice people
    Upper Goose Pond Cabin (they had pancakes for us there)
    Delis in NY. Hikers talk of going into NYC from here (we didn't happen to)
    Not sure why someone mentioned Graymoor in NY? We had truckers in there partying till 2 AM and some drifter hanging out. Maybe it's better now, but I wouldnt stop there again, imo.
    Ditto on Palmerton, PA and the hostel, nice town and people
    Take a zero at Pine Grove to see Gettysburg, PA. Skip the ice cream challenge unless you are very very healthy
    ATC Headquarters
    Bears Den hostel
    Chinese Restaurant in Waynesboro and Rockfish Gap Outfitters (super guys)
    Go off trail to see Spy Rock and Crabtree Falls
    Homeplace Restaurant, Catawba
    Dismal Falls in VA was nice
    Damascus (of course)
    Kincora - Bob is the best
    Holiday Inn at Erwin was great
    zero in Franklin, TN - Ron is great







    Hiking Blog
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  11. #11

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    Shaw's - Monson. . .

  12. #12
    Registered User Jack - Straw's Avatar
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    Default Tn-- Standing Bear Farm

    Anyone mention Standing Bear Farm??? Absolute great time. Curtis was a great host! Stopped there this year, didn't plan on a zero but it sucks you in! http://www.standingbearfarm.com/

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    Quote Originally Posted by fiddlehead View Post
    Don't forget the trail is the real beauty out there, not the hotels and restaurants in town.
    That's what I was thinking even if the opening post may have put more emphasis on the type of information provided by others.

    When I hiked from Springer to Katahdin, I thought it strange just how much time some hikers seemed to spend contemplating their evening meal. They could have thought about what they might eat for dinner at home.

    Since I contented myself with but a few alternatives and those were dictated to a considerable extent by how much time was required to prepared them, I was free to spend more time thinking about other things including my surroundings.

    This is not the first time someone has observed more attention seems to be devoted to services than the AT itself.

  14. #14
    Trail miscreant Bearpaw's Avatar
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    Services, hostels, and towns are a big part of the AT experience. If the trail itself were the only aspect of a hike, far fewer people would hike the AT, instead enjoying the views and grandeur of the PCT or CDT.

    Shelters, towns, and the other hikers are all a part of what makes the AT a unique experience.
    If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bearpaw View Post
    Shelters, towns, and the other hikers are all a part of what makes the AT a unique experience.
    Shelters served as landmarks and a convenient place to sleep, towns were where I resupplied, called home and discovered regional cultural differences. Other hikers, well, some of them were little more than noise which may have caused me to appreciate some of the remainder more.

    My memory of yellow lady's slippers at anthesis on Walker Mountain almost 29 years ago affected me more than lodgings, food or drink anyone with a few dollars might have bought. I wonder how many will walk right by yellow lady's slippers if any still remain in their haste to reach a store before it closes only to see if they can down and keep down a half gallon of ice cream.

    I'm doubtful I'll ever hike from Georgia to Maine again. Had I the desire, I'd consider carrying only an A.T. Data Book and maps so as to not be distracted by non-essential details, but for those who desire to add this dimension, details about things created by the hand of man are only a few clicks away. I never cease to be amazed how quickly most things created by man are abandoned and fade into the landscape.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by emerald View Post
    Shelters served as landmarks and a convenient place to sleep, towns were where I resupplied, called home and discovered regional cultural differences. Other hikers, well, some of them were little more than noise which may have caused me to appreciate some of the remainder more.

    My memory of yellow lady's slippers at anthesis on Walker Mountain almost 29 years ago affected me more than lodgings, food or drink anyone with a few dollars might have bought. I wonder how many will walk right by yellow lady slippers if any still remain in their haste to reach a supermarket before it closes only to see if they can down and keep down a half gallon of generic ice cream.

    I'm doubtful I'll ever hike from Georgia to Maine again. Had I the desire, I'd consider carrying only an A.T. Data Book and maps so as to not be distracted by non-essential details, but for those who desire to add this dimension, details about things created by the hand of man are only a few clicks away. I never cease to be amazed how quickly most things created by man are abandoned and fade into the landscape.
    So true in many different aspect of travel.
    I think first time travellers tend to long for towns and the amenities found there.
    The more you travel (meaning you LIKE to do it), the more you look for the lady slippers vs. the fast food restaurants.
    Even here in Thailand, i see so many travellers with their nose in their Lonely Planet Guide. All staying at the same places and taking the same buses, skipping the real Thailand that lies in between.

    Once in a while, i'll see someone doing Thailand on a bicycle or a motorcycle or car and discovering the real people, geography and culture.

    There are sheeple in all walks of the travel game.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  17. #17
    Registered User puddingboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by atsent View Post
    What are you favorite restaurants, hostels, curiosities to stop at on the AT? I'm doing a SOBO this year and want to mark off all the best spots in my guidebook so I make sure I don't miss out on great AT lore.

    I'm thinking things like White House Landing, the 1/2 gallon challenge, etc.

    Thanks!

    Whats the 1/2 gallon challenge, is that like 1/2 gallon of milk?

  18. #18
    Registered User puddingboy's Avatar
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    opps drinking 1/2 gallon of milk

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    One on my top 10 list is the Blueberry Patch in Hiawassee GA. But, most SOBOs miss out on that one because they arent open in the fall. IF you happen to extend your hike through the winter, they open in March. Gary and Lenny are similar to Bob (and formerly Pat) from Kincora hostel. Folks like that are hard to find anywhere.

  20. #20
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    Default 1/2 gallon

    Ice cream, pb. Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pennsylvania.

    Click take me back to 2006 for a post of mine linking a trailjournals.com entry and photos.

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