2018 Trip 3: KY and TN: April 10: Caves and Crafts, Booze and Bluegrass (Music and Horses)

Gatlinburg, TN. April 10

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

While Congaree National Park may have had us hiking Sunday till we were ready to drop, Great Smoky Mountains Park today had us strolling along the river, basking in the sunshine, listening to the relaxing hum of rushing water, and delighting in wildflowers. We purposely made this a day to just enjoy nature.

Tunnel Vision mural in Spartanburg SC

Columbia SC was left behind us on Monday as we left the Palmetto State for the Volunteer State. On our way out of town, we made a slight detour to observe a well-known mural. Tunnel vision was painted forty years ago and still looks great. The artist was paid $3,000 and it took him a year to complete it. Even on a gloomy, rainy morning it was impressive.

The drive from Columbia to Gatlinburg is only about 240 miles but we decided to break it up with lunch in Spartanburg, SC. We chose Wade’s, a restaurant in business since 1947. It is known across the South, earning the award Best in the South by Southern Living magazine in 2008 (besting Paula Deen’s restaurant in the process) and last year won six top awards in Spartanburg. The place is busy, each day they bake 3500 yeast rolls.

Lunch at Wade’s in Spartanburg SC

Wade’s advertising used to feature a humorous take on vegetables (Bean Me Up Scottie, Tweet Potato, Collared Greens, Beananza, Hollywades, etc.). They have advertised heavily around vegetables; Have you had your Veggies Today, and menu choices are meat plus one veggie, meat plus two veggies, or meat plus three veggies. We did it different, we chose the lunch buffet where you select your one meat and then fill your plate with as many veggies as you want. Chris had five veggies, I had six, choosing from 12-15 options. (Chris wants you to know that the creamed corn was great.)

The drive through the mountains to Gatlinburg started in rain but ended just in cloudy weather. We chose the option of driving through the park rather than the Interstates. The views were just so-so, but still it was trip down memory lane as we had been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October 2015. That year we stayed at a Westgate timeshare, this year we are staying at Tree Tops Resort, another timeshare. As this is being written, I am looking out the window watching and listening to a mountain creek.

You may not recall but Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the neighboring towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were the scene of a tremendous fire in November 2016. The fire, caused by two juveniles, burnt 11,000 acres within the park boundaries, much of it east of Highway 441, the road we took over the mountain. We could see scorched tree trunks on our drive.

Even worse for this area, drought and wind conditions spread the fire into Gatlinburg and a bit of Pigeon Forge. The resort we stayed at in 2015, Westgate, suffered heavy damage. Some photos of Westgate buildings showed only the concrete stairways still standing afterward. Our current resort, Tree Tops Resort, also suffered several buildings destroyed. We are staying in one that was spared and construction is underway on replacing the destroyed buildings. Fire damage is haphazard, completely destroying some buildings and skipping over others. On the road to Tree Tops, concrete foundations and driveways exist as lonely markers to what had been someone’s home. 14 people died and over 1700 structures destroyed or damaged.

Little River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Today our park visit focused on the Elkmont area. Elkmont had been a resort area in the early 1900s, some of the cabins remain and have been preserved. Other cabins are still here but need further funding before restoration can occur. Little River and several creeks are in this portion of the park and here we went to listen and enjoy the solitude of the park. Last week was spring break and it was extremely busy. The last week of April is their wildflower festival and hordes are expected.

To see wildflowers today, we had to focus on the small and sporadic early bloomers. I could not tell you the names, you will see several in the photos. It is too early for dogwood, Mountain laurel, and rhododendrons. I guess we might have to return once more in May or June to see those blooming. My hopes are high that by the time we leave Saturday morning, the improved weather that is forecast will bring more petals into focus.

Great Blue Heron In Little River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Little River with its clear water, rapids, and mesmerizing sound was the highlight of the two hikes. We did spot a Great Blue Heron and a badger. No bears yet. We have been eating in the timeshare, stocking up at the local grocery. A different adventure awaits tomorrow.

Ed and Chris. April 11

Epilogue: Snippets on life in America from Chris
Day 26: As I sit writing this snippet, I can hear a babbling creek outside our open window. It is a relaxing sound. I can sit on the beach for hours and just look across the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The crashing waves of Lake Superior on the North Shore are a reminder of water’s potential fury.