Sporting Options
Contact the Nantahala Outdoor Center (800-232-7238; www.noc.com) for sea kayak instruction or mountain bike schools. Boats from 14-foot skiffs to air-conditioned houseboats can be rented at Fontana Village (704-498-2211).
Resting your bones
The early bird gets the rooms with views, so plan early to visit Snowbird Mountain Lodge (704-479-3433). Try the Wolfe cottage for privacy. Choose between the 80-room hotel, condominiums and cottages at Fontana Village (704-498-2211). The refurbished cottages are perfect for the kids or a private getaway. A word to the parched: It's BYO to both Snowbird and Fontana.
Other cool stuff
Ila Hatter (704-479-8999) offers wild foods and medicine workshops and seminars. The Crossroads of Time Motel and Motorcycle Campground (704-498-2231) is worth a visit no matter how many tires you prefer. If you don't want to hoof it to Nell's Cabin, boat tours leave from the Fontana Village Marina ( 704-498-2211). Don't miss Elizabeth Ellison's Gallery (704-488-8782) in nearby Bryson City for some of the most imaginative watercolors in the hills.
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