Summer/Fall Great Smoky Mountain Train Excursion

[NW Mailing List]

Want something exciting to look forward to over the summer? SUMMER/FALL GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRAIN EXCURSION   Want something exciting to look forward to over the summer? Plan a nostalgic, refreshing, and scenic train ride through the mountains of the Southern Appalachian region in late summer/early fall. Join us for an enjoyable train trip aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad!   The track follows the route of the former Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch Line from Dillsboro, NC, to the Nantahala Outdoor Recreation Center. The line was established in 1891, with a maximum 5.8 percent grade and many bridges. Much of the route hugs the banks of the Tuckasegee, Little Tennessee, and Nantahala Rivers, and crosses Fontana Lake on a trestle standing 100 feet above the lake with a span of 780 feet.   The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has become a favorite of film producers over the years. The train wreck scene in the 1993 movie, The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, was filmed in Dillsboro along the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. [The wreckage of the set can still be viewed on the outbound train excursion from Dillsboro.] The railroad was also used in the filming of the 1996 comedy, My Fellow Americans, starring Jack Lemmon and James Gardner, when they stumble onto a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four. Train scenes in the 1998 movie, Forces of Nature, starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, also were filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.   On Saturday, September 8th, 2018, the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor its Summer/Fall Excursion – a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the majestic mountains and beautiful countryside of western North Carolina from Dillsboro through Bryson City and the Nantahala Gorge. This trip covers all current operating trackage of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.   Our excursion will depart by tour bus from Johnson City, TN, at 9:15 a.m. from the parking lot of Liberty Bell Middle School. We will have a passenger pick-up at 9:45 a.m. in the Asheville/Weaverville area for passengers who find that location more convenient. We will also pick up passengers in Greeneville, TN, at 8:30 a.m. En route to Dillsboro there will be a stop-over at Ryan’s Steak House in Sylva, where passengers may purchase lunch if desired.  Or passengers may choose to drive to meet the train in Dillsboro. Dillsboro boarders will be bussed back to Dillsboro at the end of the train ride.   Upon arrival in Dillsboro, passengers will have time to see the Jarrett House, a hotel landmark built in 1884, and visit shops before boarding the excursion train at 1:30 p.m. for the 4.5-hour trip. As we leave Dillsboro, we will see the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad shops and pass the filming location of The Fugitive. The track follows along the Tuckasegee River and travels through the famous Cowee Tunnel on its way to Bryson City. Rising to Fontana Lake we follow the Little Tennessee River, cross the Fontana Lake Trestle, pass the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and enter the breathtaking Nantahala Gorge, following the shore line of the exciting Nantahala River. Play the video clip online at our web site http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org to see the natural beauty that awaits you.   Upon reaching the end of the line, the train will return us to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where our busses will be waiting to meet us for the return trip. We expect to arrive back in Weaverville by 8:00 p.m., and Greeneville and Johnson City by 8:45 p.m. Tickets and pre-purchased meals may be ordered online at http://wataugavalleynrhs.org/excursions.php. A printable Ticket/Meal Order Form is available there also. Or you may send a check or money order along with NUMBER OF TICKETS, CLASS OF SERVICE and PRE-PAID MEAL choices to: Summer/Fall 2018 GSMR Excursion, Watauga Valley RHS&M, P. O. Box 432, Johnson City, TN 37605-0432.   TICKETS - Passengers may choose comfortable seating in one of three classes of climate-controlled train cars:   [IMPORTANT NOTE: Those ordering tickets separately who wish to be seated together should specify this on the order form]   FIRST CLASS ticket price is $156/adult [over 21] and includes a meal from the diner CROWN CLASS ticket price is $97/adult and $79/child [2 -12] COACH CLASS ticket price is $85/adult and $69/child [2-12]    MEALS - Passengers have several options for meals aboard the train:   DINING CAR MEAL - Diner meals must be pre-purchased with ticket order at $15.00 per meal [included with First Class ticket purchase]. A truly unique, on-board dining experience in the grand tradition. All dinners include dessert and choice of drink.   ENTREES: [select on Meal Order Form] Pulled Pork Boston Roast     rubbed with our special spices, then slow-roasted to perfection; served with slaw and cinnamon apples Fire-Braised Chicken Salad     freshly made gourmet salad of cashews, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, edamame, red onion, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, napa cabbage, and kale tossed with a light pomegranate blueberry dressing and topped with fire-braised seasoned sliced chicken   Veggie Lover Delight     freshly made gourmet salad of cashews, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, edamame, red onion, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, napa cabbage, and kale tossed with a light pomegranate blueberry dressing   Pot Roast   slow-roasted, melt-in-your-mouth, seasoned pot roast in gravy served with flavorful carrot soufflé and mashed red-skin potatoes   BOX LUNCH – must be pre-purchased with ticket order at $11.00 per meal. Includes chips, cookie, and choice of drink. Available for pick up in the Concessions Car          BOX LUNCH OPTION: select on Meal Order Form   Turkey and Cheese on Croissant    Autumn Berry Chicken Salad on Croissant   CONCESSIONS CAR – sandwiches, drinks, chips, etc., will be available for purchase on the train   BRING YOUR OWN – a small cooler is acceptable if you wish to bring food with you on the train        Questions about the trip?   www.wataugavalleynrhs.org         wataugavalley at gmail.com         [423] 753-5797 M – F  9:00 – 4:00 The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society And Museum | P.O. Box 432, Johnson City, TN 37605 Unsubscribe nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by wataugavalley at gmail.com in collaboration with Try it free today
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