I reckon this may be moved to a different category, but I decided to attempt to post it under "general"...
Anyhow, here are my thoughts on a few hostels, restaurants, and trail towns I experienced last month during my Southern AT trek...S
Sorry if it's a boring ramble & rant!
The Cream of the Crop
Mountain Cabbin (Front Royal, VA): This place kicked some serious ass! It's a work in progress, in the sense that Scott & Lisa have a lot more work to do on the property, but the current hostel set up is awesome. Apparently, Front Royal has a stick up their butt, thus it must be a "bed & breakfast", instead of a straight up hostel. No worries... visitors benefit from this little nuance.
The TLC of Mountain Cabbin is top notch. If this place isn't a "must visit" by the time it is fully functionally... I will eat my shorts. Awesome history, passion, and love for the AT here... I was blown away by the experience. For $20, I would struggle to rate any other hostel in the same "value" category as this spot.
This is 100% worth visiting... whether you are hiking the AT or not. Scott & Lisa are great people and they are the type of folks that constantly bring me back to the AT.
Bottom line: 10/10
Fontana Village Resort:
I was skeptical of this place. During my 09 thru-hike it was crawling with Mini-Coopers and felt super touristy and I just wanted to get hiking in the Smoky Mountains... so I had my little Fontana Hilton experience and moved on quickly... The next time I hiked through the area... I was strictly focused on hiking & my budget... so a "Resort" was out of the que$tion.
Turns out... this little gem isn't overly expensive and they were totally hiker friendly. My brain led me to believe a "resort" would hate a smelly hiker... or in my case, the four of us that were hiking together... WRONG. They welcomed us. They offered us a special deal, that even went a bit beyond their hiker rate. This was during their Spyder? weekend... First the Mini-Coopers & then a Spyder feast... like I said... skeptical.
I shouldn't have been. The staff was so friendly. They offered rides around their property, provided extra towels without having to ask, knew 4 of us were crashing in one room and had 0 objections, called us when the hot cookies were served at 4 PM. I couldn't believe it... We roasted marshmellows (smores), played some pick up basketball, ate way too many freshly baked cookies, and absolutely devoured everything they served at "The Porch". The food was awesome, especially the Wildwoodie burger, and their beyond spicy "Dragon Breath" buffalo wings. After putting down some big mile days in the Smokies (27 & 21)... this nero/zero was much needed and memorable.
Bottom Line: 9.5/10
The Classics
Bear's Den:
Hard to knock the Hiker's special @ Bear's Den. It seems to sneak up a dollar or two... but that's life. I was up there after the "peak" SOBO season, so I was only there with a few other folks, but it was still good company. Cool history, decent little spot. You pay for what you get. Great to see Strings, a fellow 09 thru-hiker, while there. Great friend of the AT... provides shuttles in the Northern VA area!
Bottom Line: 7.5/10
Haven's Budget Inn:
If it ain't broke, why fix it... that's what they say right? Well this place is broken & needs some fixing. I get it... it's an old motel that serves a purpose for hikers & others on a budget... hence the name. But this place is decaying pretty good... inside & out. Franklin, NC is a trail town on the rise. I had a good time there. Locals treated me really well, unbelievable trail magic, great grub, etc... but this place needs an overhaul.
I think a few hostels are in the works out in Franklin & if the Budget Inn doesn't improve, I could see it losing its hold on the area. Competition is good for all & I will be interested to see what Franklin, NC looks like in 5-10 years. Some people called it a "baby Asheville"... I don't know if that's true... but it's certainly a bit more hip & happening than it was in 09.
Bottom Line: 3/10
NOC:
Only stopped here because of the weather... food was great, but the stores were closing down & the bunkhouse was meh... Wasn't expecting much... didn't get much. Really loved the grub at the restaurant and the folks there gave my buddy a free meal (because it was his first backpacking trip), which was awesome! The bathroom facility was decent, no complaints. Prices are steep for a bunkhouse, but that comes with the territory of being in a tourist trap!
Bottom Line: 5/10
Neel's Gap:
Stopped here because I was several days ahead of my ride meeting me at Springer Mountain, and because it was Saturday & Sunday with Bama playing LSU & Carolina playing Green Bay
Great people working at Neels Gap. I had a great time. I enjoyed it much more this go-around vs my previous few stays here during the crowded season. Great company, great insight on hiking + other adventures, and totally mellow.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10
The New Kid On The Block
Top Of Georgia Hostel:
I wanted to love this place... but a few things rubbed me the wrong way. When I was rung up, the prices were about $15 more than I expected, because apparently (but not advertised), section hikers pay more than thru-hikers... 15 bucks ain't gonna make or break me, but I wish it was a flat rate.
Has potential. Cool decoration, cool location, but it felt a lot more like a business than your average AT Hostel. I'm not gonna knock somebody's hustle, business, need to make money, etc... but the vibe there was a little off to me, at times. All in all, I appreciated the hostel and had a good time, but something was missing
Bottom Line: 5/10
Gotta finish reading Stephen King's sequel to The Shining... but I'll post about a few restaurants tomorrow (if anyone cares)... which is also the reason I didn't proof read any of this, so if I make little to no sense, please forgive me. Trying to find out what has happened to Danny Torrence!!