If you're not dying to drive a tank, you can also pay to operate an excavator or shoot 100 rounds with an M-1919 machine gun. If 10 minutes sounds too short, don't worry – visitors have the option to extend their experience or upgrade to the car crushing package, which includes a 25-minute drive and a car that can be smashed from every angle. Afterward, you'll be able to test your skills on a rugged outdoor course for 10 minutes or half a mile, whichever comes first.

It's just a 10-minute drive from Blue Ridge, and once you're there, you'll learn the basics of how to operate a tank. In nearby Morganton, you'll find Tank Town USA, where visitors will have the opportunity to drive a 17-ton steel tank. The special Holiday Express ride is only one hour long, but there is a four-hour option in December as well. There are two- and four-hour excursions in the fall, allowing you to see the changing colors of the leaves. Visitors especially love this scenic ride during the fall and winter. Then, you'll take the one-hour trip back through the forest to Blue Ridge. After the first leg, you'll stop at the sister towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, where you'll have two hours to explore the towns, grab a bite to eat and do some shopping. You'll spend the first hour on the train, which has both open-air and closed, climate-controlled rail cars, depending on your comfort level and the weather. With the latter option, visitors will start in downtown Blue Ridge and embark on a 26-mile journey along the Toccoa River. Guests can take a two-hour ride or a four-hour excursion with a stop.

If you want the full Blue Ridge Mountains experience, look no further than the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

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