Covered Bridges in Tennessee

We love finding covered bridges. We've traveled all over the Northeast searching for covered bridges and believe me, there are plenty to be found there. Here in East Tennessee, we have found three covered bridges that are worth checking out. The Harrisburg Covered Bridge, built in 1875, and located in Sevierville, Tn. was completely renovated in 2004. http//www.tdot.state.tn.us/bridges/existing/Harrisburgbridge.htm. This bridge crosses over a portion of the Little Pigeon River and has a beautiful setting as you can see in the pictures. We actually bought a lot adjacent to this bridge several years ago but turned around and sold it a couple of years ago. The bridge and the stream obviously was the main attraction for the lot. After doing a lot of clearing of the lot and dreaming about what to build there, we decided to move on to yet another project. Sometimes, we just don't know where we're going the next day.

The 2nd one is in Elizabethton, TN http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/bridges/existing/Elizabethtonbridge.htm. This bridge was built in 1882 over the Doe River. There is a picnic/park built around the bridge which makes for a great place to slow down and be at peace for a few minutes. There are some gorgeous old homes near this bridge that's worth checking out.

The 3rd covered bridge is in an area near Gatlinburg, TN called Pittman Center. This one is called Emerts Cove Bridge (pictured below) and is located approx. 1/2 mile off of 321N on Hills Creek Rd. This bridge, built in 2000, is fairly new and was built by the community and certainly made a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Cherohala Skyway and Bald Creek Falls

For another trip to the mountains take a drive to Tellico Plains, TN. Take I-75 south from Knoxville, then south on Hwy 68 till you come to Rt. 165 which is the Cherohala Skyway http//www.cherohala.com/. This skyway is 21 miles on the Tennessee side and 15 miles on the North Carolina side. This is a beautiful drive at a pretty high elevation most of the way. We drove it one winter day after it had snowed and the roads had been cleared but the snow was still hanging from the trees. It was an awesome snowy scene.

Bald Creek Falls http//www.telliquah.com/Falls/Falls.htm is a waterfall that is located on Rt. 68 right beside the highway. Just park your car wherever you can and you can walk down to the waterfall. This is an area that the kayakers love when the water is running high. Sometimes you might get lucky and see them riding over some pretty high drops on the Tellico River.

Cades Cove and Abrams Falls

This is a trip for any warm, sunny day. Cades Cove is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm. We love it about any time of the year. Spring is nice when everything is alive and blooming and Fall is nice when the colors are at their peak. The drive around the Cades Cove http://http//www.cadescove.net/auto_tour.html is 11 miles or you can cut across at Sparks Lane or Hyatt Lane and shorten your drive. Usually in the morning hours or late evening there are plenty of animals out feeding. Occassionally you might see a bear. We also rode our bicycles around it a few times. During the summer months the road is not open to cars on Saturdays from about 6am to 10am. Makes for a super ride with just bikes or walkers. There are some hills that we usually have to push our bikes up but most of the road is either level or downhill. It's a very beautiful and peaceful ride. We also rode it one time at night. That was really an experience. It gets very dark in there at night without proper lighting (that's another story for another time). There are lots of places to stop and picnic or tour some of the old cabins that remain from the pioneer days. There is still a working mill and two churches from the pioneer days. If you live in this part of the country or come to visit, you must visit Cades Cove. It's hard to imagine how tough life was for the pioneers lived there so long ago.

About half way around if you like to hike there is Abrams Falls http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/waterfalls.htm. It's an easy 1 1/2 hr hike to the falls. It's a beautiful waterfall. A great place to cool off those feet on a hot day before hiking back to the car. If you take this drive in the fall when the colors are at their peak the traffic is bumper to bumper so we would advise going at another time unless you get there really early. It's a wonderful way to spend a day in the mountains.

Bristol Motor Speedway Christmas Lights

We had heard about the Christmas lights at the Bristol Motor Speedway http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/events/speedway_in_lights/ in Bristol, Tn. a few years ago but had never taken the opportunity to see them until my brother-in-law moved to Johnson City just a few miles away. The light show, which is amazing, is synchronized with music that you listen to in your car as you drive through. You actually get to drive your car inside the Speedway itself onto the track with that famed high embankment. I had visions of driving like Jimmie Johnson for a fleeting second until I realized that my 4 cylinder family car had to exit to continue on the designated path. You only get to drive around 1 lap so I had to keep my speed down and they don't allow drafting. Who would have thought that a speedway could get you in the Christmas spirit. I know that I didn't prior to seeing this huge array of lighting. It was really neat to drive through in the comfort of your own car while staying toastie warm with the car heater. The prices are reasonable at $10/car Sunday thru Thursday and $12/car on Friday and Saturday night. This is a Christmas treat for the whole family.

Holiday Season Model Train Display

If you love model trains, this Christmas exhibit in the UT Gardens on the Agriculture Campus in Knoxville, Tn. http://agriculture.tennessee.edu/news//releases/2009/0911HolidayExpress.html is a must see. The display has 10 garden-scale model trains along with real water falls, tunnels, mountains, buildings, and lights. I even thought how cool it would be to build one of these layouts in my backyard until I found out the cost for just one of these train engines. You should see the eyes on the kids (yes, we're all kids when it comes to trains) as they walk in and see this for the first time. There is truly a fasination about miniature working layouts of model trains that will mesmerize any age. Be sure to check out the schedule on their website above since it is only on display a certain time during each Christmas season. The cost is only $5/person and free for children under 4. Also, don't forget to take in the UT Gardens while you're there. All of the money goes to the UT Gardens, which is a very worthwhile cause, which people enjoy throughout the year at no cost. You'll see hundreds of different plants and trees. Make your Christmas season special by dropping by.

A Sea Of Orange

If you've never been to a Tennessee football game on a beautiful fall day, you have to put this experience on your bucket list. It is truly a "happening" in East Tennessee.

I'm a huge Vol fan, but don't worry, even if you don't even like football, this is a treat that you will want to experience. What better place to just "people watch", eat all that food that is so good for you (right!!!), music, singing Rocky Top all night long, and being among all of those bright eyed young men and women pursuing their dreams.

The color and sounds continue to build up with the "VOL WALK" (check out the photo of the kid in the tree getting a better view)





and the band marching into the stadium until the VOLS run through the T onto the field in front of 100,000+ screaming fans.






Check out the video posted below. Don't pay any attention to the guy that seems to be squealing (that's me, couldn't contain myself). Neyland Stadium, pronounced knee-land, is truly a landmark stadium and one of the best places to experience college football in the country.

During your stay in Knoxville don't miss out on a couple of landmark restaurants themselves. One is "Ye Old Steakhouse" http://www.yeoldesteakhouse.com/ on Chapman Hwy. (featured by ESPN as one of the best in town). You'll love the roasted potatoes w/ onions. Litton's restaurant http://littonsburgers.com/, also featured by ESPN, has the best cheeseburger in town. Make sure you save room for desert. The Ole College Inn http://oldcollegeinn.com/ on the UT strip is another can't miss option.

When you are ready to lay your head down after the big game and all of that food, there is a Hampton Inn http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=E31OMPGCIKJA4CSGBJC3MQQ?ctyhocn=TYSHSHX right downtown in addition to a Hilton http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/KNXKHHF-Hilton-Knoxville-Tennessee/index.do nearby.

The other photos below are my wife, attending her one game of the year, son Todd, and myself. Don't just write this down, just do it. You'll never regret it. Oh yeah, wear something ORANGE.

Lincoln Memorial University In Harrogate, Tn.

We had passed by this university many times over the years when we were driving to Kentucky to get lottery tickets (so we gamble!!!!) before Tennessee got Powerball. We'd always say that we need to stop one of these days and check out the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum http://www.lmunet.edu/museum/index.html located on the Lincoln Memorial University campus in Harrogate, Tn. Well guess what, this particular winter day, when we needed an escape, was THE day. We were really impressed with the amount of information and artifacts located in this museum. The museum houses one of the most diverse Lincoln and Civil War collections in the country with many rare items on exhibit. There's also a nice gift shop on site. We found this attraction to be a bargain at $5/adult and $3.50/seniors (60+). Sometimes being a senior can be beneficial. This is another great stop for history buffs.

After leaving LMU, we continued driving north along 25E and took an exit to route 58 into Virginia for just a few miles and came upon the Wilderness Road State Park http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/wil.shtml. The Wilderness Road was a route carved by Daniel Boone in 1775, which opened America's first Western frontier. There is a state of the art visitor center that has an outstanding movie about the people who settled here and their place in history. The fort itself is a replica of a colonial frontier fort w/people dressed from that era. Very educational and a great stop.

If you're heading up to Harrogate from the south and driving through Morristown on Hwy. 25E, don't fail to stop at the overlook looking back south toward Cherokee Lake. This is an awesome view looking at the Applachian Mountains in the distance and the lake just below. We've been told that it is a fantastic site to do some star gazing as well.

Pickwick Landing State Park, TN and Shiloh National Military Park

The first part of our trip was a beautiful sunny day. We went to Shiloh National Military Park http://www.nps.gov/shil/index.htm, in Shiloh, TN. This was one of the largest battles fought in the civil war in 1862 over a two day period and ended in a major victory for the Union. We took the self guided drive thru tour which enables you to drive thru at your leisure. One of the things that caught our attention was there were individual graves for the Union troops each with their own headstone in a National Cemetary. The Confederate soldiers were buried in a number of mass graves throughout the park. We were told, back at the visitor center, that due to the hot weather, the Union soldiers buried the dead Confederate soldiers in mass graves but the dead Union soldiers were identified, and buried in individual graves with markers. In later years the Federal government came in and built the National Cemetary in the park where the Union soldiers were relocated to their final resting place. The Confederate soldiers remain to this day in their mass graves. When the Confederate troops asked the Union soldiers if they could come back onto the grounds to bury their dead, the Union told them no, that they had already been buried. There were lots of monuments around the park identifying the various battles. I actually saw the grounds where the Mississippi lst Light Artillery Unit fought (see the photo below showing the two cannons in an open field). This was important to me because my great grandfather was a Confederate soldier in that unit. There is a visitor's center with lots of information about the battle and a museum and gift shop as well. A great stop for those civil war history buffs.

We then went to dinner at a local favorite just outside the Shiloh National Park, The Catfish Hotel http://catfishhotel.com/pictures.htm on the Tennessee River. The food was excellent.



Our next stop was a few miles north to McNairy County to visit the Buford Pusser Museum http://sheriffbufordpusser.com/. This was the Sheriff that was depicted in the movie "Walking Tall". We visited his home which is now a museum. Very interesting but a very tragic story.

Our last stop on this trip was an overnight stay at Pickwick Landing State Park lodge http://state.tn.us/environment/parks/PickwickLanding/lodging/index.shtml Our plans were to play golf the next day but the weather would not cooperate. This was a beautiful area on the Pickwick lake. The lodge is right on the water and the accommodations were great. Wish we could have had more time here to enjoy the golf and the lake. This was another fun adventure.

Virginia Creeper Trail - Biking Adventure

For all you bicycle enthusiasts, you need to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail http://http//vacreepertrail.com/ located in Damacus, VA. You can bring your own bike or rent one from the Blue Blaze Bike and Shuttle http://www.blueblazebikeandshuttle.com/ who trailers you up the mountain. There are other bike rental companies but we've always used this one and have been pleased. This is a 17 mile bike ride thru the mountains and it's all downhill. I know all you seniors will enjoy that, we sure did....I have to admit thou, your behind is ready for a rest by the time you make the 17 miles. You will be passing thru a national forest filled with beautiful mountain streams and crossing wooden bridges. About half way down the trail, you can stop at an old railroad depot for drinks or souvenirs. Many years ago there used to be a logging train on this path. We've been on this ride several times and we always pack a small snack and drink for that stop at the railroad depot. You can ride at your leisure thru these mountains. It's a beautiful ride especially in the fall. There is another 17 mile trail if you want to continue your ride. The town of Damacus http://www.damascus.org/ has several restaurants to enjoy before heading home. Happy Trails To You.......

Briarwood Safari Ranch, White Pine, TN

One afternoon while driving on I-40 around White Pine, TN we noticed a billboard for the Briarwood Safari Ranch http://www.briarwoodsafari.com/. We were amazed that we had a safari ranch so close to our home. Since Shirl always wants to go on a road less traveled, we decided to take the next exit and check it out. Upon arriving we had an option of riding a tractor pulled wagon or driving our own car. We chose to drive our own car and follow the wagon because they had buckets of food to feed the animals for our enjoyment. Some of the animals included deer, bisons, llamas, elk, emu, osterich, zebras and too many others to mention. We enjoyed seeing the animals up close and personal. We actually had to keep our windows rolled up as they were curious about us also. We noticed a lot of the animals ate direct from the hands of the people in the wagon, however since we didn't have any food, we thought better of offering our own hands. One bit of caution if you elect to drive thru in your own car you can get some damage from the animals. We got a small dent by a Bison because he was trying to get food from under our car. Finding this safari ranch was a pleasant surprise. For all you grandparents this is a great trip for those grandchildren also.

Myrtle Beach Trip

What do you do when you live in the mountains of East Tn. and have a craving for good seafood and a walk on the beach? You take off on the spur of the moment and head for the nearest beach, which, for us is Myrtle Beachhttp://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/. One of the biggest draws for this trip is having dinner at "Drunken Jacks"http://www.drunkenjacks.com/, our favorite restaurant in the area. Seems like we always have a 1-2 hr. wait, but it's worth it.

On a side trip one afternoon, we were exploring a new area when we came upon a Segway rental co. We'd always been intrigued with these machines and wondered, how the heck do they work? After watching other people appearing to have fun riding along the sidewalks, we decided to take the plunge and give it a try. As I get older, I've noticed that my balance is not what it use to be, so I did have some reservations about how well I might do on this newer technology, however, once on it after a 5 minute training course, it became natural. We moved around the sidewalks and a small community park with ease. Put another check mark on this challenge.



The next day we decided to go a few miles further inland to the town of Conway http//www.conwaymainstreet.com/membershipInformation.cfm to find a particular riverboat tour along the Waccamaw River called River Memories http://rivermemories.org/. Captain Jim is the operator and you can see his boat, a silent electric riverboat, in the picture. If you're in the mood for a quiet, relaxing river tour filled w/ a lot of Conway history, and a few side jokes tossed in, this is the tour for you. Enjoy the wildlife and the beautiful river scenery.





Next time we look for another beach trip, we'll be looking for another adventure.

Middle Tennessee Waterfalls and Civil War Site

This was a summer day trip in search of waterfalls as we ventured west toward middle Tennessee. Our first stop was Burgess Falls State Park
http//www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/BurgessFalls/, which was just a few miles off I-40 on State Route 135 near Cookeville. This area has numerous nurseries for landscape lovers. If you stop you will buy something, which we did. The park was a beautiful natural area with a trail leading out to a number of different overlooks to picture taking sites. It was an easy walk without a lot of elevation changes, not more than 1/2 of mile at most.

After leaving Burgess Falls we traveled on to Rock Island State Park http//www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/RockIsland/. This park was within an hour from Burgess Falls and was located off U. S. 70S on State Route 287. This park has easy trails with numerous overlooks that will eventually lead you down to the riverbed if you've got the energy to climb on rocks, which we did not at the time. This is below the Great Falls Dam that is located just below the 19th century cotton textile mill that it powered over 100 years ago.l A beautiful rugged area.

Our next stop was for the stomach. We had read about a country store restaurant in the area by the name of Miller's Grocery in Christiana, Tn. http//www.millersgrocery.com/. It was good ole country food and it was great. We had fried green tomatoes, some corn battered nuggets that I tried to make later (which didn't taste anything like theirs) and of course, the ole staple, southern cornbread and ice tea. The desserts were too many to mention here, but they were really good.

After filling our bellies we traveled further west towards Nashville thinking we were headed toward I-40 to head home when we came upon Stones River Military Park http//www.nps.gov/stri/index.htm just southeast of Nashville. This was a suprise and of course we had to stop and check it out. One of the largest battles of the civil war was fought here with over 24,000 soldiers dying within a 2 day period. We also got to see an enactment of the cannons being fired, which were quite loud. This Civil War site is a must see for those history buffs.

This was a very long day trip, but one filled with many memories as we headed back along I40 East to home.

Christmas Guitar Concert In Gatlinburg, Tn.

What a way to get in the holiday spirit. This is a Christmas guitar concert that is sponsored by the Arrowmont Arts & Craft Center http://www.arrowmont.org/ located in the heart of Gatlinburg, Tn.

Ed Gerhard http://www.virtuerecords.com/ and Bill Mize http://www.billmize.com/ perform each year around the second week in December (check the date on their websites). My wife and I have gone to 3 of these concerts in the past and have throughly enjoyed each one. Being a guitar player myself, I love watching and hearing these guys play. I highly recommend listening to "Cherokee Morning" by Bill Mize that can be found on his "Joyful Noise" cd. It is a beautiful song that I'm still trying to learn to play (I can still dream, can't I?). You can only buy your tickets at the door on the night of the concert.

I've attached a video of "The Little Drummer Boy", but you can't really appreciate the sound quality unless you are there in person. They perform in a small auditorium (seats approx. 140) within the Arrowmont school itself, so before the concert and during the break, you have a chance to view different crafts (wood turning, glass works, etc.) currently on display. Take the time to also enjoy some hot apple cider and cookies during the break as well (furnished by the school). If you're ever in the Gatlinburg area during Dec. when these guys perform, make arrangements to see them. You will not be disappointed and be glad that you did.



To make this a truly special evening, make reservations at the Peddler Restaurant http://www.peddlergatlinburg.com/ for one of the best steaks that you'll ever eat.

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium

On another beautiful fall East Tennessee day we drove up to Johnson City to spend time with Shirl's 74 yr old brother Jim, to take him out for the day. From Johnson City we drove north on I-26 towards Kingsport and took the Bays Mountain exit to get to the park. Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium is a 3500 acre nature preserve with a 44 acre lake, planetarium, nature center and animal habitat. Jim being an avid hunter in his younger days, really enjoyed the Wildlife habits which features grey wolves, bobcats, raptors and reptiles. There is a boat ride you can take on the lake which is very serene. You can also fish at certain times of the day. We really enjoyed the planetarium.

At the end of the day we had lunch at Sharon's Burgers in Kingsport which we highly recommend if you love your burgers.

Waterfalls near Highlands, NC

On this day we planned a trip with our son and daughter in law that took us to the area around Highlands, NC. Any time we can spend with our children is special. There are several waterfalls visible from the car on U. S. 64, 3.5 miles west of Highlands. This photo is of Dry Falls that has a 75 ft falls that you can walk behind. It was an awesome feeling to walk under this waterfall.

Also on this trip you can do Whitewater Falls on NC 107; Silver Run Falls also off NC 107; Looking Glass Falls visible from US 276; Lower Cullasaja Falls off U.S. 64; Glen Falls on NC 106; and Bridal Veil Falls on US 64.

We took this trip in October and the colors were spectacular and due to the large amount of rain we had this particular year, the volume of water coming over the falls was massive. Beautiful area for anyone who would like to retire in the mountains. There is a beautiful lake in this area also. There are numerous restaurants and places to shop in the nearby towns of Highlands, Dillsboro and Franklin. It was a GREAT DAY...