A Mountain Yurt Weekend in Bryson City

Thursday: Tacos, mountain golf, and our first night in a yurt

We left around 11 Thursday morning and began the trip with one of our favorite food stops: White Duck Taco Shop in Johnson City. We picked up four tacos to go, and the fresh ingredients and bold flavors were as good as anything we could have chosen for the drive.

The day's main stop was Springdale at Cold Mountain in Canton, North Carolina. The course felt like two different experiences. The front nine was flatter, open, and exposed to the sun; the back nine climbed into cooler, shaded mountain terrain. After about four and a half hours, it had already become one of my favorite courses.

Bryson City was roughly another hour away. We grabbed fast food to keep the evening simple, then checked into our yurt at Sky Ridge.

The yurt delivered more comfort than the word tent might suggest: air conditioning, heat, a microwave, shower, and a private fire-pit area with wooden seating. The fabric walls allowed occasional voices and laughter to drift between neighboring yurts, but the setting still felt private and peaceful.

Friday: Hoppy Trout and a Murphy casino day trip

We took our time Friday morning before driving toward Murphy. Lunch was at Hoppy Trout Brewing Company in Andrews, where we shared loaded nachos, pizza, and craft beer.

By about 1:30, we had reached Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino. The pandemic-era arrival involved a vehicle line, temperature check, masks, and the usual ID check.

We tried virtual roulette. I lost a $30 bet after my patience ran out, but my wife had better luck and brought us close to even for the day.

On the way back, we stopped at a local grocery store for regional beer and hot dogs. Roasting dinner over the yurt's fire was a better ending than adding another restaurant.

Saturday: Franklin, riverside beer, golf, and barbecue

Saturday began at La Dolce Vita with breakfast bagels and coffee. From there, we drove toward Franklin hoping to visit a brewery, but a busy event made us reconsider.

Currahee Brewing Company provided the quieter setting we wanted, including riverside seating where we could relax.

I found a simple nine-hole course in Franklin and played it twice for an 18-hole round. The flat layout was decent for the low price, and the property even had a pool for hot summer days.

Dinner was a large takeout platter from Fat Buddies Ribs & BBQ with beans, ribs, pork, chicken, brisket, bread, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and slaw. Even after the hour-long drive back to the yurt, it still tasted like the right mountain-weekend meal.

A light rain took away our final campfire, so we let the night remain quiet instead.

Sunday: Packing up

We woke Sunday morning, packed the yurt, and headed home. It had not been a trip built around a major attraction. The appeal came from the mountain drives, a unique place to stay, two golf rounds, local food and beer, and the freedom to change plans when somewhere felt too busy.