Fox Run at Lake Lure

We spent three days at Fox Lure, and it wasn't nearly long enough. Rumbling Bald is beautiful, and we had a wonderful stay. The water is still recovering from the hurricane, though, so be careful in it. We came across lots of potentially dangerous debris, including nails, glass, hardened cracked beer cans, jagged metal planks, ropes, and screws. Nobody got hurt, and my seven-year-old was happy to help clean it up. I'd love to return someday.

The condo was spacious, with amazing views. On arrival day, we had a great breakfast at nearby Victory Kitchen, where Joy was a wonderful waitress. The stay itself was full of problems. Staff were hard to find, unfriendly, and unhelpful. The condo smelled like it hadn't been occupied in a while, with spiders and cobwebs, a hole in the master bedroom door, moldy porches, and a section of rotten balcony wood that felt dangerously weak. Old rusty appliances and worn, rusted porch furniture looked as if they hadn't been used in years. The master bedroom TV was a Sanyo, but the remote was Phillips and didn't work with it. On our last night, around 2 or 3 a.m., only our condo lost power and internet. It was pitch black for hours, so we gathered in one room with flashlights. Power returned around 8:45 a.m. At about 6:30, cleaning staff threw a bag of supplies against our door, startling us and sounding like someone was trying to break in. At the entrance gate, after I'd shown ID, a keeper asked my name again, how long I was staying, and my cottage number, then wrote it all down. That felt totally inappropriate, especially with my ID and room key as proof. The outage happened afterward, which felt very strange. Other staff interactions were odd too. Laney and Brian at the “Welcome Center” discouraged us from buying day passes for the jacuzzi and spa. Capri said there were no massage slots, then put us on a same-day waiting list as if she might fit us in. It felt like staff discouraged my family, who didn't look like them, from using the already limited facilities.

Finding the right building took nearly an hour because the map they gave us had completely wrong directions. The apartments were old, poorly cleaned, and furnished with worn-out furniture. They often smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. Picking up and returning the keys was also a hassle since the leasing office is a long drive away.

We chose Fox Run as a base for hiking and had a lovely stay. Young's Mt Trail and Weed Patch Mt. Tr were only a few minutes from the entrance, while Chimney Rock SP and its town were about half an hour up the road. Catawba Falls is 40 minutes west near Old Fort, with Biltmore and Asheville another 20 minutes beyond that on Interstate 40. We liked our detached unit, with its full kitchen, large rooms, and parking right by the front door. Staff were friendly and helpful. The resort sits on Lake Lure and has lovely views of the lake and mountains. There are two golf courses among the townhomes and rental condos. We visited off-season, so the restaurants and outdoor pool were closed, but the wellness center's fitness room, sauna, hot tub, and indoor pool were open, as were outdoor putt-putt and tennis. The nearby town of Chimney Rock is rebuilding after Hurricane Helena over a year ago, but several restaurants, an ice cream shop, and candy and gift shops are open for business.