As Florida residents we’ve often thought about going to “the mountains” for a week or two to escape the summer heat. For some reason we never actually pulled it off, but we certainly heard from our friends and neighbors about how nice their vacations were. We always seemed to put it off until next year.

Planning

Well, next year actually came. Although we started fairly late in the game, this year we were successful in landing a week’s stay in a mountain cabin in Lake Lure, NC – about 45 miles east of Asheville – in the final week of August. We traded a timeshare for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath cabin with a kitchen, family room, deck, and normal amenities through Interval International. Because we got a late start with the application, we didn’t have high hopes – the early birds always get the worms. But we got lucky. The website photos and facilities looked pretty good, but we also read very mixed reviews about the property. Some guests gushed about how nice it was, others condemned it. What can you believe?

We decided to give it a shot, and it turned out to be a great decision. The resort was called “Fox Run”, and it worked perfectly for us. It totally exceeded the expectations we had. The resort area itself was very well-equipped. It has two beautiful golf courses (one on-site and another about 2 miles away.). We played them three times, and the scenery was spectacular. Within walking distance of our cabin was a beach on Lake Lure, a large swimming pool, a recreation center, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, a restaurant, two snack bars, and picnic areas. These facilities were reserved for “members” of the resort and their guests (a resort card required), although others could buy a day pass. Our trade with Interval qualified us and our guests for resort activity cards, which also carried a 20% discount on restaurant/snack bar food.

A beautiful mountain golf course at Lake Lure

Our Cabin

Our cabin was spacious and very comfortable. The ground (top) floor contained a bedroom (2 queens) and a bathroom, a small kitchen with oven, refrigerator, microwave, and typical kitchen furnishings. One person could work well there; with two people it became crowded. That level also had a family room with sofa, easy chairs, flat screen TV, and a dining room table. There was a nice stone fireplace which would come in handy in winter. The deck outside had a cast iron table and chairs, and it overlooked the Bald Mountain Golf Course and Rumbling Bald Mountain in the distance. Finally there was a small laundry unit with washer and dryer. Our particular unit did not have a good washer, and we reported it to the front office for repair.

Stairs led down to a lower floor that contained a king-size bed, a bathroom, and a small deck. Both bedrooms had adequate storage space, dressers, and end tables.

A cabin near ours looking out at Rumbling Bald Mountain

Bears are seen frequently in the area, and the resorts give you safety advice on avoiding them. Hikers obviously need to take precautions, and residents need to stay vigilant. On one of our nights we placed garbage bags in a metal container that was clearly for trash disposal. In the morning we had trash all over the parking lot. A bear or bears had come and pulled the metal container out of the ground and opened it. Maintenance workers advised us to use a different area for disposing trash which was “bear-proofed.”

Framed photo hanging in the Bald Mountain Golf Course Gardens cafe

Activities

I mentioned the golf courses above. They both had beautiful layouts and were uncrowded. Seniors got a special rate on Mondays and Tuesdays ($45 or $40 with a resort card). The regular greens fees are $70. Both courses had a range and practice area and a snack bar near the Pro Shop. I’m an avid golfer, and I have played courses all over. These were some of the best overall courses I’ve ever played – stunning views, lots of elevation changes, lush fairways and greens, but extremely tricky greens. Lots of undulating terrain and very fast. The tee shots had generous landing areas, but trouble awaited you on the greens.

Both local courses had many elevation changes

Hiking was another popular activity, and the resort published maps and suggested routes. We were there at an unseasonably warm week, so our hiking was limited. Swimming was the right call. We started out from the private resort beach and finished up at the large pool nearby. There were locker rooms and changing areas on site. Pickle ball seems to have caught on everywhere, and there were numerous players on the courts everyday. My guest was an avid pickle baller, and he was able to join a pick-up game whenever the mood struck.

Our resort’s private beach on the lake at Lake Lure

Shopping on the resort was very limited, but there were towns nearby for groceries, drug stores, and essentials. We cooked in about half the time and ventured out to local restaurants other times. The resort restaurant was good but not great. Adequate with a pretty good menu. Off the resort we found an excellent restaurant called “The Highland” which had a good selection of steaks, fish, salads, sandwiches, wines, and cocktails. Another great spot especially for breakfast is “The Victory”.

We signed on to a 90-minute tour of Lake Lure on a small pontoon boat. It was a very pleasant way to check out the entire lake and surrounding geography. We saw some amazing homes on the shore and in the hills and heard about the history of the area and creation of the manmade lake from our ship captain. Turns out the original version of the movie “Dirty Dancing” was filmed at Lake Lure.

Loading our pontoon boat for a tour of the lake

Day trips included a visit to Chimney Rock and Chimney Rock Village. The “Flowering Bridge” was a big hit with the ladies; it contained numerous gardens and the “Rainbow Bridge” – a tribute to dogs. The local roads were usually one lane in each direction with many twists and turns, so even a short distance on the map could be challenging. We never did get in to visit Asheville; we just seemed to be busy all the time locally. But there’s always next year.

Final Thoughts

Our last-minute planning worked for us, but I would not recommend that approach as a good strategy. We were surprised how popular and active the Lake Lure area was. Many folks like us from warm areas were seeking relief from the heat. The facilities were much better than we expected. There are MANY vacation homes and different resort communities in the area – I’ve covered Fox Run specifically, but the area has many options. Do your research but give the area a shot; we loved our week there with good friends.

Aug 29 Mountain Cabin - Lake Lure, NC

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