Historic Tapoco Lodge – Robbinsville North Carolina

It was a beautiful sunny day and we felt like going on a drive… So we headed a little south to TN Hwy. 68, then east on TN Hwy. 165/NC Hwy. 143 (the very scenic Cherohala Skyway), across the Appalachian Mountains.  Once we were in North Carolina, our GPS took over sending us on an adventurous drive near Lake Santeetlah and eventually bringing us to US Hwy. 129. 

FYI…Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886 – 1918) was an American writer and poet who in this instance is appropriately best remembered for a short poem titled “Trees”.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Kilmer.

To learn about the Cherohala Skyway, which is a National Scenic Byway, just go to http://www.cherohala.org/.

The drive took 2 and a half hours…but this was our objective.  I learned about the Tapoco Lodge from one of Big Dude’s recent blog posts. (http://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/) He’d visited it with some friends and it looked like a great destination for a scenic drive.

The Tapoco Lodge was built in 1930 by the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) to complement its hydroelectric projects in this area of North Carolina.  “Tapoco” is a construct made from the first 2 letters of each word in the name of the Tallassee Power Company.  That company had begun construction of its first dam in the area in 1916 and the lodge sits on property that had been occupied by the town of Tapoco…a temporary company town which was built to house workers and their families while the hydroelectric projects were being built.

This classic little old time gas station preserved next to the Lodge certainly fits the era!  Love the price of gas…if only it was for real today. (However, I do remember paying 17 cents a gallon for gas in Michigan many, many years ago during a ‘gas war’)

For several decades Tapoco Lodge was primarily used for company functions but in 1995 it was reopened to the public.  In 2017 its third family of private owners took possession of the Lodge and its 120 acres.  

This is the main reception area at the Lodge.  The desk is at the left.  We were there for an early dinner but this is indeed a lodge.  They have 3 lodge suites, 6 lodge rooms and several cabins available to accommodate their guests, along with 2 on-site restaurants.  To view these options, just go to https://tapoco.com/accommodations/.

Of course Tapoco Lodge ‘had to have’ a store for lodge guests and restaurant patrons as well.  I got lucky and Laurie only bought an attractive little leather bracelet…

This is the cozy bar on the upper level at Tapoco Lodge.  It sits near the lobby and next to the Cheoah Room where breakfast is served daily from 7:30 AM until 10 AM. 

But we came to Tapoco Lodge for an early dinner/late lunch at the Tapoco Tavern.  It’s located on the lower level of the lodge and offers indoor and outdoor dining.  This was the view of the Tavern’s dining terrace from the upper level.  Not too bad!

It was mid-afternoon and although the deck area of the Tapoco Tavern was busy, we were quickly seated next to the railing overlooking the deck’s lower level as well as the rushing Cheoah River.

The Cheoah River is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River that is located in North Carolina.  It is about 20 miles long but in reality, the 9 mile stretch between the Santeetlah Dam and Lake Calderwood is the only free-flowing portion of the river.  About 20 times a year, the company that operates the dam releases 4 times the normal flow of water to mimic natural flood events.  That not only benefits a number of endangered species that live in the river’s ecosystem, but it also provides a class IV – V white water run for those kayakers that are seeking a challenge.

As we relaxed prior to our meal, we imbibed with a couple of brews.  Laurie had a Hop Fiend IPA from Boojum Brewing Company in Waynesville North Carolina.  As usual, mine was a light ale…the name escapes me…but it did have the word ‘blonde’ in it. ($6.00 each)

This bush and quite a few more just like it, was just off the deck where we were eating and it was one of the largest butterfly bushes we’ve seen in quite some time.  Ours died this past year…despite a reputation for being easy to grow and maintain.  Butterfly bushes are a literal magnet for passing butterflies that are seeking nectar.  This genus of bush features over 100 different varieties…

Laurie had a Tavern Burger with blue cheese, onion and pickles. ($14.00) It was served on a toasted brioche bun.  She skipped the lettuce and tomato on the burger.  It was a very good burger!

For her side, she had to make a decision.  Neither of us particularly like sweet potato fries.   However, the fact that this version is seasoned with brown sugar and cinnamon, convinced Laurie to give them a try.  Since I had to ‘help’ her finish them, I can agree with her that these fries were both different and quite tasty!

Here are 2 photos of my dinner…also a burger, which was grilled as requested.  I chose the Hot Dam Burger. ($14.00) My burger was topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapeno slices, tomato and pickles and it usually comes with Carolina Reaper hot sauce on it.  

I like hot sauce and heat in general but I cautiously had them leave the hot sauce on the side for me to test out.  I used a little of it on my burger in one spot and I tried it with my cheese and bacon grits side dish.  It was dam hot!  FYI, I liked the grits and I thought that the burger was spicy enough without the sauce…and it was very enjoyable!

FYI…In 2013, the Guinness World Records folks declared the Carolina Reaper as the hottest chili pepper in the world.  By way of comparison, the standard red Tabasco Sauce that I favor measures between 2,500 and 5,000 Scoville Heat Units with the peppers themselves measuring between 30,000 and 50,000.  Guinness officially measured the Carolina Reaper peppers at 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units!  If you dare, you can buy some through the Puckerbutt Pepper Company’s website at: https://puckerbuttpeppercompany.com/products/the-reaper-sauce.

Well, we not only had the rushing river, a beautiful day, and good food but we also got to enjoy these 2 great looking big dogs.  The Brown Lab weighs 85 lbs. and the German Shepard weighs 95 lbs.  The German Shepard was a rescue that the new owners had for only 2 weeks at the time I took the photo!  Happy Dogs!

Tapoco Lodge and Tavern is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The resort is located at 14981 Tapoco Road in Robbinsville North Carolina.  Phone: 828-498-2800.  Website: www.tapoco.com.

After leaving the Lodge we headed back to East Tennessee on US Hwy. 29, aka "The Dragon's Tail"!  It was a shorter drive than the ride over to Tapoco but with 318 curves in just 11 miles of highway...added to many insane motorcyclists and a plethora of Corvettes, Mini Coopers and Porche sports cars making the run, it is a little stressful.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave