Cool escapes

With summer comes an air of excitement, a sharp anticipation of adventure and fun, but in South Louisiana it’s tempered with dreaded agony of the stifling, listless, air-sucking, stagnant humidity.

The only sure way to beat the heat is to escape it, and that means packing your bags and heading for higher altitudes, drier air and lower temperatures.

Whether you head north, west or east, each direction offers a climatological haven where you’ll want to experience something you may not have contemplated in Baton Rouge: outdoor summer activities.

225 suggests three destinations that offer relief from the heat, fun under the sun, good food and great places to stay.

Asheville

Asheville, where traditional southern charm meets funky artistic ambience, is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers no shortage of wild water adventures perfect for summertime.

THINGS TO DO:

The mountainous region surrounding Asheville provides a natural water park complete with serene wading pools, excellent swimming holes, beautiful waterfalls, swift rapids and is home to the Sliding Rock, a 60-foot natural waterslide in the Pisgah National Forest. Closer to town, take a tour of the grandiose Biltmore Estate, George and Edith Vanderbilt’s 250-room home, the largest privately-owned home in America. Stroll through the River Arts District to watch local artists work in their studios and create your own pottery.

Sliding Rock

(828) 877-3265

Pisgah National Forest

The Biltmore Hotel

biltmore.com

River Arts District

riverdistrictartists.com

WHERE TO STAY:

Overlooking the city, Grove Park Inn & Spa provides unforgettable views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and houses a world-class spa in an underwater cavern complete with mineral pools, inhalation rooms and a eucalyptus-infused steam room. Cumberland Falls, a picturesque bed and breakfast with its luscious garden is another great choice. Asheville Cabins, meanwhile, provides a cozy alternative to traditional lodging with a vast array of private chalets and log cabins, each with exceptional mountain views and the comforts and privacy of home.

Grove Park Inn & Spa

groveparkinn.com

(800) 438-5800

Rates start at $300 per night

Cumberland Falls

cumberlandfalls.com

(888) 743.2557

Rates between $125 and $259

Asheville Cabins

asheville-cabins.com

(800) 770-9055

Rates vary by cabin and season

WHERE TO EAT:

Asheville has a unique culinary scene ranging from fine dining to down-home cooking with a farm-to-table concept that gives diners only the freshest ingredients. Savoy, one of the first restaurants to adopt this concept, serves up unique global fare in an elegant setting and has an appetizing Argentine gaucho steak from its chophouse menu. Zambra’s puts a contemporary twist on Middle Eastern food, boasts an impressive Iberian wine list and has a variety of palate-pleasing paella. For the chocophiles, there is French Broad Chocolate Lounge known for its liquid truffle hot sipping chocolates, artisan chocolates and pastries.

Savoy

savoyasheville.com

(828) 253.1077

Zambra

zambratapas.com

(828) 232-1060

French Broad Chocolate Lounge

frenchbroadchocolates.com

(828) 252-4181

GETTING THERE:

Watch as the elevation gradually transforms from hills into picturesque mountains as you drive along the Gulf Coast, up through Atlanta and arrive in the mountainous region of Asheville on this 11.5-hour drive. For flying, Delta Airlines is your best bet with a two-leg flight out Baton Rouge routed through Atlanta, running about $300 for a round-trip ticket in the summer. Total flight time is 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Portland

If you know any Baton Rouge community leaders and up-and-comers who made the chamber’s canvass trip to Portland last year, then you’ve probably heard about Portland’s modern, eclectic vibe, adventurous soul and natural beauty. In summer they come to life.

THINGS TO DO:

Take a drive along the Columbia River Highway, as it meanders through the breath-taking Columbia River Gorge and its 77 incredible waterfalls, each of which provide a convenient parking area for short hikes up to the headwaters. Trek up to Mt. Hood, which you can ski all year, for an array of summertime activities, including alpine slides, hill top tubing and zipline tours. Stop and smell the roses at the International Rose Test Garden for a sneak peak of new hybrid rose varieties.

Columbia River Highway

columbiariverhighway.com

Mt. Hood SkiBowl

skibowl.com

International Rose Test Garden – Washington Park

rosegardenstore.org/thegardens.cfm

Oregon Museum of Science

omsi.edu

WHERE TO STAY:

Jupiter Hotel, a cultural boutique hotel with minimalist yet cozy décor, houses the Doug Fir Lounge that showcases live music every night. Dogs are welcome, too. For an eco-friendly yet upscale experience, try the Hotel Monaco, which offers a “car-less vacation” package, including rail trip fare reimbursement to and from the airport, a picnic lunch for two as well as all-day bicycle rentals perfect for touring downtown. For the latest in hotel offerings try Hotel Modera, a modern designed boutique hotel with a private courtyard and living wall of local foliage, comfortable seating and numerous fire pits.

Jupiter Hotel

jupiterhotel.com

(877) 800-0004

Rates between $120 and $150 per night

Hotel Monaco

monaco-portland.com

(800) 546-1266

Average room rate, $245

Hotel Modera

hotelmodera.com

(877) 484-1084

Average room rate, $229

WHERE TO EAT:

Old Towne Pizza serves up a mean pie, has an inviting antique décor oozing with charm and is supposedly haunted. For a more upscale affair in a former Victorian-style home, try Paley’s Place, which offers Pacific Northwest regional cuisine by an award-winning chef committed to the culinary flexibility and creativity of a seasonal menu. Le Pigeon, a new culinary delight run by a young up-and-coming chef, is quaint yet comfortable with its communal seating and open kitchen design. Its signature dishes include the flatiron steak trimmed with a spoonful of creamed spinach and white truffle butter.

Old Towne Pizza

oldtownpizza.com

(503) 222-9999

Paley’s Place

paleysplace.net

(503) 243-2403

Le Pigeon

lepigeon.com

(503) 546-8796

GETTING THERE

Best way to get to Portland is a on a two-legged flight aboard Continental with an in-air time of 5 hours and 20 minutes. A round-trip ticket costs about $512. Driving to Portland takes roughly one day and 13 hours and provides a very scenic route that takes you through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. If time is on your side, this driving excursion may very well be a sight-seeing, blog-worthy experience.

Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is situated at the base of the Smokey Mountains and provides cooler temperatures, scenic views and a vast array of activities.

THINGS TO DO:

While Gatlinburg has a variety of places to visit like Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and the Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park, it’s the mountains that keep people coming year after year. The Great Smokey Mountains National Park, just a few miles outside of town, is the most visited national park in the country. Free to visitors, it offers a variety of outdoor adventures ranging from the ease of an auto driving tour to strenuous activities like hiking, biking, fishing and everything in between.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com

(865) 430-8808

Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park

obergatlinburg.com

(865) 436-5423

Smokey Mountains National Park

nps.gov/grsm

WHERE TO STAY:

Park Vista is a premier full-service hotel, where the rooms have private balconies and provide panoramic views of the Great Smokey Mountains and downtown Gatlinburg. For a more quaint lodging experience, try the Laurel Spring Lodge, a 1930s B&B right on the Little Pigeon River, just two blocks off the main parkway. Another popular option is Gatlinburg Falls Resort, a new cabin development in the Smokies with several spacious cabins nestled in the woods that offer scenic views and rustic surroundings.

Park Vista

parkvista.com

(865) 436-9211

Rates starting at $90 per night

Laurel Spring Lodge

laurelspringslodge.com

(888) 430-9211

Rates from $119 to $159

Gatlinburg Falls Resort

cabinsofthesmokymountains.com

Reservations: (865) 277-1160

Rates vary

PLACES TO EAT:

The Park Grill near the entrance to the Great Smokey Mountains National Forest has a very woodsy feel and offers traditional mountain favorites like trout, ribs and select cuts of meat. Greenbrier Restaurant, which is tucked away on a hillside above Gatlinburg, is a historic log cabin with unforgettable upscale dining and picturesque views. For an altogether different culinary delight, try No Way Jose’s, traditional Mexican cuisine with an impressive queso florentine enchilada.

The Park Grill

parkgrillgatlinburg.com

Greenbrier Restaurant

greenbrierrestaurant.com

(865) 436-6318

No Way Jose’s

nowayjosescantina.com

(865) 430-5673

GETTING THERE:

This 11-hour drive takes you through the rolling hills of Birmingham and across beautiful eastern Tennessee, into the stunning Smokies. Northwest Airlines is your best flight option with a two-way flight costing about $300. The two-leg flight out of Baton is routed through Memphis and lands in Knoxville. Total flight time is roughly 3 hours, with a 45-minute drive from Knoxville to Gatlinburg.