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Travel by Air?
Not the only way nor necessarily the best way!
By Rudi Tautz
If
you're really going to see Western North Carolina you are going to
need an automobile. The only airport with commercial connections to
the rest of the country — and the world — is between Asheville and
Hendersonville. A glance at the
map will
show you that this is well to the east in the mountain region.
Western North Carolina is connected to the 'outside world' by two
excellent Interstate highways: I-26 and I-40. These connect with
I-81 for folks coming from the Northeast states; I-75 for folks
coming from the Northcentral states or Florida; I-95 for folks
coming from Florida and I-85 for folks coming from the Gulf states.
You can find a comprehensive directory of the Interstate highways
and the hotels near the interchanges at
www.HiwayGuide.com.
In addition the the many security challenges for today's airline
passengers (see
Smoke-Mirrors-Security guest editorial) there are the frequent
baggage losses, delayed and cancelled flights, overcrowding. (Did
you know that most airlines have moved the seats closer together to
carry more passengers and, hopefully, lose less money?) And, perhaps
most important of all, it costs significantly more to transport a
family of four by air at today's fares than by automobile (even if
the auto is rented!).
Getting here should at least be part of the fun and it can be. The
secret? Take your time, stop at fun places and go with the flow
(which is usually a little over the speed limit anyway). Then, when
you get here you will have a better choice of hotels (usually at
less cost) and your own, familiar vehicle to tour our beautiful
mountains.
Welcome to
our
North
Carolina Mountains of Fun™
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