For travelers considering a vacation or a getaway to a small town like Waynesville, it’s often difficult to do the amount of research necessary to fully understand the area. Luckily, at a B&B like the Andon-Reid, your friendly neighborhood Innkeeper is ready to help! While much of the focus of travel information is understandably fixed on things to do, places to eat, and attractions to visit, it’s just as important to know some details on what a town looks like, feels like and provides to make a getaway feel like home away from home. Waynesville is a small Appalachian town that is comfortable and peaceful yet also vibrant and modern and we wanted to give our guests our own little tour of the full town so you can start to feel at home even before you get here. So, let’s get started…
Arrival to the Inn and our Neighborhood
The main highway that goes through Waynesville is US 23/74 or the “Great Smoky Mountain Expressway”. Coming from I-40, most GPS providers will take you on exit 102 and will take you through the Russ Avenue area, through Frog Level Historic District and along the railroad line to get to the Inn. Coming from the Atlanta area, you may get on the expressway near Sylva, which will take you to exit 100 (Hazelwood), along Sulphur Springs Road and to the Inn. Our Inn is almost smack dab in the middle of the Town of Waynesville and sits up on a hill overlooking Eagles Nest Mountain, which is situated between Waynesville and Maggie Valley on the north side of the expressway.
As you approach our Inn, you will notice we are in a quiet, residential neighborhood. Most GPS providers will take you up Daisey Avenue to get to the Andon-Reid, but we suggest checking out our alternate directions as it is easier to take Balsam Drive to Clifton Street and then to Daisey Avenue. This route avoids a sharp turn onto Daisey from Boyd Avenue, which can be tricky for folks visiting us for the first time. Check out the map below or visit our “Directions” page for more information.
Around our Inn, there are homes of all types and sizes, including a magnificent old Victorian home built in 1895 (seven years before the Andon-Reid was built) currently being restored on the property right next to us. Also near the Inn is Waynesville Middle School, which has a fantastic football stadium used as the home field for Tuscola High School. During football season, you can hear some of the sounds of the games from the stadium. Hearing the Tuscola and Pisgah marching bands during the county clash in mid-October is always a treat for us and our guests. You will also notice that the Inn is near a railroad track, but rest assured that the trains come by relatively infrequently, are very short, and only travel during the daytime hours.
MAP OF OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD
Walk or Drive to Downtown Main Street or Frog Level
One of the great things about our location on Daisey Avenue, is that we are less than a mile away from three great areas of Waynesville: Main Street, Frog Level Historic District and Hazelwood. The walk to any of these areas is only about 10-15 minutes, but we are in the mountains, which means it is not a flat walk and you will have to navigate some hills. Walking to Frog Level along the railroad tracks or along Richland Creek is relatively flat, but walking to Main Street requires going up Boyd Avenue from Daisey or up Depot Street from Frog Level, both of which have a bit of a steep incline.
There are plenty of free parking options downtown if you do decide to drive. There is parking all along Main Street, plus multiple parking lots only a block away on Wall Street, Montgomery Street and Church Street. For busier weekends, there is also a convenient and free parking garage adjacent to Town Hall (access on Branner Avenue).
Check out our blog post about things to do on Main Street.
Another unique area of Waynesville near the Inn is Hazelwood, which is less than a mile away heading the opposite direction from downtown beyond the middle school. This area has dining, shopping, a coffee shop, a bakery, public restrooms, and is also the home of the Folkmoot Center, one of the regions foremost cultural organizations. Folkmoot hosts events throughout the year and celebrates international cultures, cuisines and traditions.
MAP OF MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE
Necessities, Quick Meals and Commercial
Just beyond the charming historic districts of our town, are two areas on opposite sides of town that include grocery stores, fast casual and fast-food restaurants, car washes, pharmacies and other necessary commercial stores. Near exit 102, about 2 miles from the Inn, the area of Russ Avenue has two grocery stores (Ingles and Publix), CVS, Walgreen’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeye’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Burger King, Firehouse Subs, Great Clips, Zaxby’s, Ingles Gas Station, Staples and more. There are also a few locally owned businesses like Jose’s Taco Truck, The Red Fox Tavern, Jack the Dipper Ice Cream, Smoky Mountain Cinema and Hometown Hardware.
About the same distance away from the Inn, but in the opposite direction just beyond Hazelwood, is West Waynesville, another one of the more commercial areas of the town. This area includes one of the only Wal-Mart stores in the area (which means it is very busy), Ingles, Hardee’s, Taco Bell, Bojangles, Best Buy, Belk, Michael’s, Cook-Out (coming soon), an ABC Store, a car wash, multiple gas stations and more. This area of town is re-emerging with new businesses coming in all the time. West Waynesville will soon have a new laundromat as well, which will be welcome news for some of our guests traveling for longer periods of time. During certain seasons, you will also notice local vendors set up selling fresh produce like strawberries, peaches, boiled peanuts and flowers in the parking lot near the Papas and Beer Mexican restaurant. A few unique locally owned businesses in this area include Furman’s Burger Bar, Assembly on Main, Fuego, Clyde’s and the aforementioned Papas and Beer Mexican restaurant (the innkeepers’ go-to spot for Mexican and margaritas).
Short Drives to Fun Areas not far from Downtown
Other areas we recommend experiencing in or around the outskirts of the Town of Waynesville include some of our favorite places to go. A lot of these areas are on your way out of town as you embark on daily adventures to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Smokies, or Asheville. These areas include:
The Waynesville Greenway and Recreation Center – This area includes plenty of green space and is only a short distance from both Main Street and Russ Avenue on the eastern side of town. The greenway is a walking path that follows Richland Creek and goes along local streets all the way to Lake Junaluska.
Pigeon Street and Route 276 towards Blue Ridge Parkway/Brevard – Pigeon Street connects with Main Street and becomes Route 276, which is a rural country road heading east that connects with the Blue Ridge Parkway (how to get to popular places like Springdale Golf Resort, the Cradle of Forestry, Moore’s Cove Falls, Pink Beds and Sliding Rock). On Pigeon Street in Waynesville, there are many unique attractions and businesses like the HART Theatre, Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market, Steeplechase Toffee, Copper Pot and Wooden Spoon and the Shelton House Museum. Further down 276 yet still in Waynesville is one of your innkeeper’s favorite produce stores, Christopher Farms. Worth a visit for sure if you want to find fresh local fruits, veggies and artisanal goods.
Lake Junaluska – To the north of town is the beautiful manmade Lake Junaluska. The Lake is a great place to go for a relatively easy walk or explore the many recreational activities available, like canoeing, paddleboarding and kayaking. And any trip to Lake Junaluska is made better by a stop at Crepe and Custard for a treat or a light meal.
Balsam – Heading west out of Waynesville towards Sylva and Dillsboro beyond exit 98, the Old Balsam Road and Balsam Mountain area has some of our favorite local businesses plus a convenient entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway only 7 miles from the Inn. In this area of town, don’t miss Barber Orchards Fruit Stand (fresh local apples and baked goods open from August to December), Winchester Creek Farm (Alpacas!), Scallywags (consignment and antiques), and Pinnacle Farms (u-pick flowers).
Cataloochee – Just on the border between Maggie Valley and Waynesville is the entrance to the Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This area is on the Northwest side of town and the access road entrance is about 15-20 minutes from the Inn on Dellwood Road. The roads from this point leading to Cataloochee are windy and unpaved and extend the journey to 30-45 minutes, but the reward is worth it to visit this historic and scenic area. Seeing Cataloochee fireflies and elk are some of the best wildlife experiences in our area. Plus there is some great hiking as well.
Route 209 near Clyde – Another commercial area of town is the area near the regional high school, Tuscola. This area is just to the east of Lake Junaluska and includes a Lowe’s hardware store, Food Lion, Haywood Regional Medical Center hospital and some hidden gem restaurants like Vale 243 (Italian), Blue Rooster (southern comfort food), and Haywood 209 Cafe (great food in a gas station). Route 209 is a country road that is very scenic as it takes you through the Crabtree and Fines Creek areas of Waynesville and Clyde all the way to Hot Springs, NC.
We hope this summary of our beautiful town gives you a better sense of the layout and what to expect on your visit here to Western North Carolina. We absolutely love our small town, and we know you will too. It’s a peaceful and relaxing getaway and a respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life, yet big and vibrant enough to have all the conveniences necessary for an awesome vacation.
See you soon at the Inn!
-Your Innkeepers, Brenda and Peter
