Totally loving the East – below the Mason-Dixon line. The people are so friendly, the food is great, the tea is perfect, and everyone talks right! The hillbilly language is familiar and fun to this Arkansas gal! Such as “baccy” (tobacco), and “up on the ridge” and “down in the holler.” I could go on and on, but I'll spare ya. The beauty and coziness of the mountains just can't be beat. We both feel so comfortable here. I could live here! Oh, and one thing I've noticed about NC is some good recycling efforts, which I really appreciate. It's a little tougher when living in a camper to be dedicated to saving recyclables. So it's great when the rv parks have bins.
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| Madeleine & Me |
Before leaving Mayberry, I drove over to Charlotte, NC and visited with my awesome 90 year old friend, Madeleine! When I called to check in a couple of days earlier, I asked her if she'd be comfortable riding in my big 'ole truck when we went out for lunch. Hesitating a moment, she said yes. When I arrived and she saw my truck, she just laughed and admitted she doesn't hear too well any more. She'd thought I said something about us riding on a motorcycle! But she said “I would've tried it!” She and I used to teach together at Union Elem in Texarkana, AR. She was my mentor for I was a fresh-out-of-college teacher. And she was more than just a mentor, she was a dear friend! We had such a great time back in the day. And while visiting with her in Charlotte, we went through her Union memorabilia. Had a lot of laughs! Really reminded me of how much I loved teaching those first few years. So thankful for friends like Madeleine and that I got to spend some time with her after so many years!
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| Biltmore Estates from our campground |
8-4-11: Arrived today at Bear Creek RV Park in Asheville, NC. Gorgeious Smoky Mountains all around us as well as the Mt. Pisgah Nat'l Forest. Our rv park is on top of a hill with a view of the Biltmore Estates which is a few miles away. We didn't tour the Biltmore. Just wasn't a priority during this short visit – although I'd like to learn more of that story! Great views of the mtns and the sunsets. Nice, cool breeze here -- which we love and at the same time feel sad that our AR, TX, and KS peeps are sweltering. Praying so hard for rain for all of you!
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| Mt. Pisgah Flower |
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| Old Homestead in the Cradle of Forestry |
8-5-11: Headed up to the Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah Nat'l Forest. Beautiful, steep, windy road up hwy 151 (I think). Love the national forests! So much still untouched and so much to enjoy. The Cradle is very interesting! Back in the day George Vanderbilt (the Biltmore dude) bought all this land and had his own forester, Schenk, check it all out. Schenk was from Europe and had one of the first known forestry degrees.
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| Site of the 1st US Forestry School |
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| 1st US School of Forestry |
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| Inside the Forestry School |
While here he began the first US Forestry School in what is now the Pisgah N.F. (Vanderbilt later donated the land to the US). Lots of history from those days preserved here. We walked a couple of miles on the Biltmore Campus Trail and the Festival of Forests Trail. The school Schenk started is there, restored, along with the hitching post that the students used.
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| Mt. Pisgah Commissary |
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| Reflections in the Cradle |
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| Cradle Facilities |
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| Schenck's Office in Mt. Pisgah |
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| Student Housing |
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| Blacksmith Shop |
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| Mt. Pisgah Wash"Room" |
There were several settlers' cabins in the forest when Vanderbilt bought the land. They left and the forestry students and rangers used the cabins as living quarters. Schenk and his family had a home there as well as his office – which was part of a used barn. No electricity, so no working after dark in there. They had a commissary, a cool old steam-engine powered lumber mill, a blacksmith shop, and rails and a locomotive for hauling the lumber.
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| Mt. Pisgah lumbermill |
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| Lumbermill in Cradle of Forestry |
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| Loco in the Cradle |
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| Lumber Hauling Equipment in the Cradle of Forestry |
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| Cradle of Forestry |
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| Cradle Crane |
We'd been warned about timber rattlers on these trails. Didn't see any, but near the end of the second trail, the longest black snake I've ever seen crossed the trail in front of us. We let him have the right of way.
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| David in Mt. Pisgah Nat'l Forest |
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| Mt. Pisgah Nat'l Forest |
Came back on the BRP. Beautiful drive with 10 tunnels on this stretch.
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| Asheville, NC |
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| A little Asheville history |
8-6-11: Drove around Asheville to take a look. Seems to be a hippy, artsy town. The town itself didn't do a lot for me, but I do love the Appalachians that surround it!! Passed an historical marker and site downtown that said “Young Men's Institute”, which was for the black men who worked on the Biltmore Estate. Went to the NC Arboretum. Very beautiful. We had Rocky with us so it was a brief trip. (they do allow dogs, but he can't walk too far) When we got back to the camper we had a wonderful mountain storm and downpour. Wishing we could've sent the rain to some of you!! The news arrived today about the downing of the chopper carrying some of the Navy Seals heroes who got Bin Laden.
8-7-11: Went to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Fun!! Kinda makes me want to save the Apes!
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| Cherokee, NC kudzu |
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| Cherokee, NC |
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Transformation Through Forgiveness
Traveling Bronze Statue |
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| Transformation Through Forgiveness |
8-8-11: Arrived in Cherokee, NC – reservation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation of NC. The Cherokee are the only tribe of NC recognized by the federal gov't. Took the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway – basically a divided hwy through the Smokies and beautiful! Reminders of why they are called Smoky Mountains! The fog and mist does look like smoke rising from them. More kudzu! Seems like everywhere we go, there is a bigger batch! Love it! We are staying at Happy Holiday RV Park. Down in the holler this time, with a nice clear creek running through it. David had been telling me that years ago when he and I vacationed in TN, we drove over to Cherokee for the day. I couldn't remember it – til I got here! It all came back to me. Even though it has changed so much! Much more touristy now with a huge Harrah's. Casinos aren't our thing, but we may have to try it's Paula Dean's Kitchen. Another big downpour when we drove over to Franklin, NC this afternoon. There is nothing like a good rain in the mountains!!
8-9-11: Today we drove the BRP from Cherokee to hwy 74. One of the prettiest strectches of the Parkway we've seen. I think the highest point we were on was around 5500ft. 5 tunnels.
On that earlier TN vacation (we think about 8 years ago), we visited Clingman's Dome. David made it to the top, I made it maybe halfway. It was a couple of years after our wreck and I still wasn't walking too well. So tomorrow I want to try it again – just kind of a bucket list thing. I'm older and fatter, but I can walk better. So we will see!
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| NC side of the GSMNP |
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| Oconaluftee River |
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| Great Smokies |
8-10-11: Headed into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park on a wonderful mountain road which ran beside the Oconaluftee River. Almost as soon as we entered the park the temp dropped to 65 – even though there wasn't too much elevation yet, just woods and shade. So much green! Really good for the soul, right? On today's drive we went through 4 tunnels, one of them a pigtail. After stopping at a couple of overlooks, we finally got to the Clingman's Dome turnoff.
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| Smoky Bears on Clingman's Dome Drive |
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| Mom and Triplets |
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| Learning from Mom |
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| Posing |
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| Mom and Trips |
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| Mama Bear |
A couple of miles into that, we saw a black bear family: mom, and 3 cubs. They were feeding right by the road, so we got some great shots of them. So, so cute!! Just watching them so close up was worth the drive, whether I make it to the top of the Dome or not!
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| View from Clingman's Dome Trail |
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| View from the trail |
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| David on the trail |
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| Clingman's Dome |
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| Bec on the Dome |
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| David on the Appalachian Trail |
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| Becky on Clingman's Dome Trail |
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| On Top of Old Smoky |
Finally tore ourselves away from the bears and got to the Clingman's Dome Trail. It's a very easy hike in the sense that's it's paved and only ½ mile long. However, it's strenuous due to the fact that it is very steep. I am glad I wasn't in a race, but I DID make it to the top this time. I was sucking air, but made it! And it was so worth it. At 6643 ft, this is the highest point in the Smokies. The 360 view of the mtns was outstanding! We were so lucky to have gone up on a clear day with a view of about 150 miles out. Most of the time the haze/polution is too great to get a view of that much distance. God has really been good to us – so thankful for being able to walk and hike!!
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| Random Family and Me on Clingman's Dome Trail |
On the way down David had me stop so he could take a pic of me with the mountains, a breathtaking sky, and a lake in the background. Just a perfect pic. Potentially. A Florida family joined me in the pic! Reminded me of what I did to the MN family last summer at Rushmore.
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| View from Newfound Gap |
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| Newfound Gap |
When we left Clingman's, we stopped at Newfound Gap which has a Teddy Roosevelt monument built by the CCC, along with yet another outstanding view of the Smokies. It's also the TN/NC stateline. I've seen conflicting info as to whether the Dome is in TN or is partly in TN and partly NC. Any of you know the correct answer?
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| Ya never know what you might see in Pigeon Forge |
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| Seriously? |
Went on into Gatlinburg to eat, but soooo crowded with tourists. So we drove on to Pigeon Forge and ate at the same place we tried 8 years ago – Huck Finn's. Good catfish.
Lisa S. -- thinking about you and yours today.
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| GSMNP Turkey |
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| Smoky Mountain Turkeys |
8-11-11: Went to Cade's Cove today. Saw a bunch of wild turkey when we first got into the GSMNP. They looked a little different than what we are used to seeing in our neck of the woods.
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| Smoky Mtn Little River |
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| Smoky Mtn Waterfall |
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| Cade's Cove Bear |
We'd almost forgotten the beauty of the Cade's Cove Scenic Drive. Tight 2 lane mountain road along the Little River. Almost as soon as we arrived in the Cove we saw another bear. Quite a crowd pulled over to see her. I got out w/the camera while David maneuvered the truck through the crowd. They told me she had 2 cubs with her. I could see her, but couldn't see the cubs. She was rooting around up on a hill fairly close to all of us – the audience didn't seem to bother her. Not as interesting to watch as yesterday's bears because they were just right there by us. Coulda watched them all day. Snapped a couple of this bear and continued on with our journey.
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| Inside the Cove |
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| View in the Cove |
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| John Oliver Cabin in Cade's Cove |
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| Cable Home with Sorghum presser |
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| Tipton Place |
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| Primitive Baptist Church in Cade's Cove |
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| Cable Mill |
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| Cantilever (Winged) Barn in the Cove |
Cade's Cove is surrounded by some beautiful mountain scenery and has some fantastic history you might google. Love the Cable Mill and sorghum presser, the old homesteads, primitive churches (we found it interesting that there were 3 or 4 churches in this Cove for a relatively small community of people who settled here), winged (cantilever) barn, and the amazing meadows. We've decided we must come back in fall of 2013 and get in some good hiking – we just didn't stay here long enough this time!
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| Chimney Tops in Smokies |
Totally love the hills!!!
Heading to C'nooga from here. Hope we all start experiencing some Autumn weather soon. Stay in touch with us!
Love to you all,
Jethro and Elly Mae
