Leaving Washington DC, Heading to NC, TN. Tool places to hit?

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

After escaping from KC a week ago, we've been in DC for the last week, and enjoyed the Capitol 4th concert and fireworks tonight.

Tomorrow, we head to NC. I seem to remember a thread here a couple years ago mentioning a few must-go old tool heavens around that area. I'm still not sure of our schedule there, but if possible, I'd like to check some places out. I'll be mostly in the Boone and Blowing Rock area, but I'll be coming out of the mountains to drop my 14 yr old genius son off at Duke University also (not-so-inconspicuous gloat there). Afterwards, the wife and I will be driving back to KC via Gatlinburg, Nashville etc...

Anyway, if you know of any fun tool places to visit anywhere along those routes or within reasonable distance, please share.

Thanks in advance!

Gregory of ToolHoarding Forest.

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[Ohio Mike]

I watched an episode of The Woodwright Shop (Season 18 episode 11) in which Roy went to the OLD SALEM living history museum.  A few years later we were driving through NC and decided to stop there.  We really enjoyed it.  That was over 15 years ago so I hope others that have more recent experience can chime in and verify if it's as good today as it was then.

http://www.oldsalem.org/

Mike

[daddo]

Blue Ridge Parkway- beautiful drive.

I'm a museum nut and you may have to drive some but the "Battleship North Carolina" (I love ships) , and "The Wheels Through Time" (Off the Parkway) museums in NC are great- you can google those for info.

https://wheelsthroughtime.com/#/ms-2745/2

http://www.battleshipnc.com/

[iclark]

I hope that you got to spend some time in the Smithsonians while you were in DC.

Unfortunately, our area would be as much off your route as the Battleship NC.

If you had the time, Colonial Williamsburg is in Williamsburg, the Mariner's Museum is in Newport News, and the Battleship WI is in Norfolk.
That would be a detour down I-95-S and I-64-E. You would then be on US-58 to get over to I-85-S.

In Blowing Rock, you are close to the Biltmore Estate in Ashville. I hear that I should enjoy seeing the furniture when I eventually get to tour Biltmore.

One of my co-workers has a daughter at UNC and a son in Nashville. He tells me that there are some really good micro-brews in the area where you are staying. Unfortunately, I cannot remember any of their names. If he checks in from his vacation this week, I will try to get some names for you.

The Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are both very scenic drives as long as you are not doing them close to sunrise or sunset. The road winds around the mountains and staring into the sun as you come around a curve is not fun. To me, they were a prettier drive before all of the tree kill-offs that have happened over the last half-century. I think they they are also still pay roads, but I could be wrong about that.

Roy Underhill's "The Woodwright's School" is in Pittsboro, NC. He films in the UNC-TV studios in Research Triangle Park.

[museumguy]

Dang, wish I knew you were here, I'm 45 minutes from DC. As for Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge etc. not much as far as I know. There's a Workshop Tools on the rd to Gatlinburg, Tn. It's an upscale Harbor Freight, lol. They do have brand name stuff, Irwin, Dewalt and Makita. I believe. It's worth a stop, sometimes you get good deals.

[Bentley]

Gatlinburg has Arrowmont school of crafts. I've never been inside so I don't know what's to see, but it may be worth a shot.

http://www.arrowmont.org/visit/

Bentley

[Hank Knight]

I may be too late for your travel planning purposes, but Lonnie Bird's woodworking school is in Dandridge TN, just East of Knoxville.

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

Thank you all. Some great suggestions, I mapped them all and i may get an opportunity for a couple of them. I'll be back in NC, TN, IN, IL, and maybe VA a couple more times over the next month. With some luck, I can report back some success.

We were crazy busy in DC, and really had a blast during the days preceding and after the 4th. The 4th itself was amazing. We were able to see the Capitol 4th Concert, hosted by John Stamps this year, my wife wants me to have plastic surgery to look like him. That'd involve getting a lot shorter, though. Not an alteration I'm in favor of....

Tomorrow, dropping the 14 yr old off at Duke Univ, then a slow, romantic drive home to KC for the bride and I. We will be doing it all again in a few weeks.

Thanks again!

[tnff]

It may be a bit late, but besides the places mentioned, you might want to tour the NC Transportation museum in Spenser.  Not exactly woodworking, but was built in the old Southern railway shops for a tour of how the railroads were maintained back in the day.

[AHill]

If you're in or near Pittsboro, NC, you could drop in on Roy Underhill or visit his school there.  Pittsboro is about 15 miles west of Raleigh.  Upstairs from the school is Ed's Tool Store.  Lots and lots of vintage woodworking tools for sale.