I’m a native North Carolinian and have spent a lot of time on and around the Parkway. Some thoughts:
- near Cherokee, in addition to GSMNP, the Nantahala River, Bryson City (and Deep Creek), and Fontana Lake/Dam are all worth checking out.
- Shining Rock Wilderness area is a favorite area of mine to hike. The Art Loeb trail over Black Balsam is especially great. Nearby is Graveyard Fields, with a nice little hike and waterfall.
- Highway 276 down towards Brevard is worth a detour. Looking Glass Rock/Falls, Sliding Rock, Pink Beds, and lots of waterfall hikes off the fire roads. Excellent MTBing in that part of Pisgah Forest. Once down the mountain, you aren’t too far from DuPont State Park, with some very impressive falls. Oskar Blues Brewery is a short detour, too.
- Mt Pisgah has a nice inn and restaurant. Incredible views.
- Asheville area has tons of lodging (although it gets crazy expensive in season), lively downtown with restaurants and a huge brewery scene, the Biltmore, the Grove Park Inn, etc.
- Lots of stops between Asheville and Blowing Rock, including Linville Falls/Gorge, Mt Mitchell, the Viaduct, Craggy Gardens, Grandfather Mtn, Price Lake, Crabtree Falls, etc. The Switzerland Inn might be a nice place between Asheville and Blowing Rock to stay.
- Blowing Rock is a nice, if touristy, small town very convenient to the parkway, and a good base for lots of stuff on that end (like Grandfather Mtn). A good hike in that area is the Tanawha Trail. Valles Crucis (Mast General Store), West Jefferson, Boone, are all not too far.
- as you continue to Virginia, the Doughton Park area is one of the main areas of the Parkway. Brinegar Cabin is a stop nearby. If you have time to get off the Parkway, Stone Mountain State Park is great. Hike up on Stone Mountain!
- I’m less versed on the Virginia portions, but Mabry Mill is iconic. I always try to time visits with getting pancakes at the restaurant there. Roanoke is a great town. Peaks of Otter is a beautiful area, and good place to stay.
I enjoy the Parkway more than the National Parks at the ends, and then I enjoy GSMNP over Shenandoah. Ymmv