Gatlinburg, Tn. - Arts & Craft Community

Living less than 45 minutes from the Arts & Craft Community http://www.gatlinburgcrafts.com/ near Gatlinburg, has made this a destination on many a day trip for Shirl & I. We consider ourselves to be very much "right brain" people, so we really appreciate the beautiful art & craft work found in this area as well as the interesting people that can be found behind each inspired piece of work. We have a friend, Andrea Wilson http://andreawilsonartist.com/, who works out of the Turtle Hollow studio (see picture below) that does some of the finest ink drawings of leaves that you will ever see. Andrea also does etchings and paintings of butterflys and flowers. She has also won numerous awards. I worked with Andrea's husband, David, an architect also, for many years at TVA.

What I find really interesting about the arts & craft community is the peaceful surroundings where these folks ply their trade and find their inspiration. Some of them work out of their houses while others will share studio space in commercially developed projects with other like minded individuals. Another one of our favorite shops and studio is the Cliff Dwellers seen in the photo below. If you do stop, say hello to Louise, an extremely talented lady who does beautiful drawings of birds. You will think that you have known Louise forever after talking to her for just a few minutes.

To get to the arts & crafts community, take 321N from Gatlinburg and turn onto state rd. 454, which is Buckhorn Rd. One of the first studios that you will come to is called Turtle Hollow. Just keep following this road and you'll be directed to numerous other studios and eating establishments in the area. The picture shown below is Jim Grey's Gallery http://jimgraygallery.com/ where you will find some excellent paintings of the Great Smoky Mountains and other subjects as well. If you are coming from I-40 around Newport, Tn., take 321S and turn right onto Buckhorn Rd. or state rd. 454.

If you are really hungry and looking for an outstanding meal after an afternoon of exploring this unique area, you need to go to the Greenbrier Restaurant http://www.greenbrierrestaurant.com/. From the arts & craft community, head back south on 321 toward Gatlinburg, then turn left at traffic light no. 2A and drive approx. 3/10 mile up the hill that will deadend into the Greenbrier Restaurant parking lot. The Greenbrier has a dining area with a glass wall overlooking the mountain forest, which makes for a great atmosphere. They don't open until 5pm for dinner, so work up a good appetite during the day before going.

A day in the Arts & Craft Community is well worth your time. You will come away being inspired by the people and the surroundings and refreshed enough to go back to your everyday existence. You may even have thoughts that maybe it's time to escape from the "ratrace" and smell those roses afterall.

Hike to Andrews Bald in Great Smoky Mtn National Park

We joined the Jefferson County Hiking Club and made our first hike with them to Andrews Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains in the spring. We had been on this hike several times in the past by ourselves but on this hike, we were part of a group of 30 people. It is a beautiful hike near the Clingsman Dome area of the park which is the highest mountain peak in the Smoky Mountains. This particular hike is only about 2 miles in length (down) the mountain...but remember, you have to climb that same 2 miles back (up) that mountain. When you go in the spring in mid to late May, the Rhododendrens are in bloom which makes it even more beautiful with color. Once you've reached your destination, you are on a bald that is wide open to the sky. These "balds", which are really just grassy, wide open fields, were grazing areas for livestock in the early settler days. Once you arrive, you feel like you are on top of the world with views of Fontana Dam to the south and long range vistas of North Carolina to the east. It is so peaceful and quiet up there. It's nice to take a blanket and snack and lie back and enjoy the moment. But of course with 30 other people there was a lot of chatter and then we had to head back with the hiking club whenever the group decided to leave. The trail is a fairly short walk but very rocky. It has had a lot of traffic on it and has been worn down so water flows down it like a stream at times. It's nice to hike with a group as you get older just in case if you should fall or get sick you've got someone who can go for help. I hate to say that...it makes me feel that "age" thing creeping in on us. We always feel so alive after we go hiking and always enjoy the wonder of this beautiful earth that God created.

Arches at Big South Fork National Park

We had always wanted to go hiking and see the Arches at Big South Fork National Park http://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/things2know.htm on the Cumberland Plateau. It is about 2 hrs north of Knoxville just south of the Kentucky state line. The park is actually located in both Tennessee and Kentucky. So on this particular day when we got the urge to hit the road, we headed north to this destination. It took us quite awhile to get where we were going due to stopping at other places that had caught our eye on the way up. One thing that we have learned is to take your time because you never know if you'll go back down that same road again. We had gotten a little late start on this day, so by the time we got to the trailhead it was about 3:00 pm in the afternoon (in the fall). The hike itself was easy so we hiked up to the arches with no problems. We took photos of the arches and walked around for a little while enjoying the view and then decided to head back to the car (or so we thought). The direction on the trail map said if you crossed over the arches you could continue on another trail to get back to the parking area. We proceeded to cross over the arches but somehow missed our trail back. We thought we were headed back to the car but after walking for approx. 30 minutes and watching the darkness begin to set in, we knew that something was not right. Yes, I finally convinced Chuck that we were on the wrong trail (even in the woods a man thinks he knows he can find his way without help). So we turned around and went back toward the arches while continuing to climb in and around some beautiful hugh boulders that were massive in size. Finally, we came upon two other hikers passing us heading into the woods for the night. They confirmed that we had been on the wrong trail, but that we were heading in the right direction. I was getting a little nervous with the sun going down and being in the woods with no light or coat, but once we made it back to the arches, we found our trail and eventually made it back to the car. Talking about being happy to see that car!!!!!! Then we had to drive two hours to get back home.

There is so much to see in that area. There is a train ride you can take on the Big Southfork Scenic Railway http://www.bsfsry.com/ that goes into an area that use to mine coal in the 1940s. We had taken this train ride several years ago. Very interesting to learn about life in that area during that particular period of time. There is also a backcountry lodge in the park called Charit Creek http://www.charitcreek.com/. The Big South Fork National Park is near Jamestown which is near the home of WWI's most decorated hero, Sergent Alvin York http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/SgtYork/ in Pall Mall, TN. Very interesting to read about this great hero.

Whitewater on New River Gorge near Fayetteville, WVA

Another whitewater rafting trip a few summer ago involved floating down the New River Gorge off of Hwy. 19 in West Virginia which had Class III and IV rapids. That's about all the excitement Chuck and I can handle on whitewater. You can go in early spring when the rapids are much faster, but that's for the young who think they're going to live forever.

We had talked my sister and her husband into going with us. My sister wasn't too excited about this but she finally agreed to go. My sister is a smoker so she was probably wondering how she could smoke and hold on in that raft. You could tell she was really nervous. As soon as we got in the raft and got to the first set of rapids, for some reason, Chuck fell out of the raft. We'd been on plenty of whitewater trips before, so this was unusual to say the least. I have to admit it scared me too when he fell out but I tried to hide my fear as the crew helped him back onto the raft. My sister had the look of terror on her face watching Chuck in the water. She would have probably ate the whole pack of cigarettes at that moment if she could have, but we soon continued our trip thru the gorge. The boulders on this lake are just massive in size and beautiful. We finally made it to our take out just below the New River Gorge Bridge and got to our cars.....yeah, you guessed it, she lit that cigarette so fast. I don't think we'd ever get her to do that again.

The New River Gorge Bridge http://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm mentioned above, is an engineering masterpiece that springs across an awe-inspiring gorge in the hills of West Virginia. When it was completed in 1977, it was the largest steel arch bridge that had ever been built with a clear span of 1,700 ft. crossing a valley that is 876 ft. deep. You can spend an entire afternoon at the visitor center, which has a great view of the bridge, ad well as the time it takes to find that award winning picture. There are cabins, motels and camping in this area with lots of restaurants nearby. We discovered a wonderful little pizza place nearby called the Pies & Pints http://www.piesandpints.net/ located in downtown Fayetteville, West Virginia just off Hwy. 19. We actually found out about this pizzeria through a magazine identifying the top 10 pizza restaurants in the east. Sometimes we all just need a little help and this was well worth saving the article.

Another neat thing that happens on the New River Bridge is "Bridge Day". On the third Saturday of October every year, the bridge is closed for risk and fun. If you're into extreme sports, which we're not but I love to see people that are, you will truly enjoy this event. Crowds of up to 200,000 people will travel here from all over to see base jumpers. These are adrenalin junkies that like to experience the thrill of freefalling from the bridge for up to 9 seconds before opening their parachutes. You'll also see rapelers competing to make the fastest climb while whitewater rafters, that's us, negotiate the rapids far below the New River Bridge.

Believe me, our whitewater experience was plenty of an adrenalin rush for these "baby boomers".

Whitewater on the Ocoee River

Chuck and I love to do adventures that create a little fear in us...such as whitewatering or ziplining. So every year we try and find something to do that makes our hearts beat a little faster. We refuse to let our bodies believe we are seniors. We like to go down around Benton, TN and go whitewatering on the Ocoee River, which was the site of the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Competition. The Ocoee River flows thru a beautiful gorge in the Cherokee National Forest and is one of the country's premier rivers that has Class III & IV rapids. This area has many recreational things to do such as ...guided mountain bike rides, learn to kayak, rappeling and tubing. There are also plenty of camping areas, cabins, and motels nearby. You will also find numerous rafting companies where you can schedule a trip on the rapids. One such company is Quest Expeditions http://www.questexpeditions.com/ . You need to reserve a spot with one of the rafting companies, so you might want to plan ahead for this adventure. Rafting is usually open April -May and September - October (on weekends) and open daily thru the summer months of June, July, and August. It is a very exciting, challenging thing to do in the summer months when it's nice and warm (the water is a bit cool running out of the mountains). We did not fall out of the raft, but we've seen some fall out. The guides are trained to rescue you and you have to wear a helmt and lifejacket. We loved it... You only get one shot at this life...got to make the most of each day. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HANG ON AND PADDLE...

Crappie Fishing at Reelfoot Lake, Tn.

If you love to fish you gotta take a trip to the number 1 Crappie destination in Tennessee. Reelfoot Lake http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/ReelfootLake/ is located in the northwest corner of Tennessee near Tiptonville. This majestic lake was created by the earthquake of 1811-12. They say the Mississippi River actually flowed backward during this event. The area was heavily forested and the remains of this cypress forest are still found above and beneath the lakes waters making it excellent for fishing. Anglers fish for more than 50 species including Reelfoot's "Big 3" of crappie, bass and bluegill.

We took our son on this trip and rented a pontoon boat which gave the three of us plenty of room to move about. Each of us caught crappie, the largest of which was 16" in length and weighed approximately 2 lbs. It's an easy place to catch crappie because of the cypress stumps and especially during the spawning season in April.

One of the nicest places to stay around the lake is the Blue Bank Resort http://www.bluebankresort.com/ which has fishing packages (includes room and boat rental) and is located on the bank of Reelfoot. They have a incredible wrap-around deck in the marina where you can access your fishing boat right next to your room. There is also a moonlight cruise you can take. Reelfoot is the winter home of the American Blad Eagle which makes your trip great for bird watchers, photographers, and naturalist.

Visit To Historic Greeneville, Tn.

If you're in the mood for a history lesson then take a step back into time with a trip to historic Greeneville, Tn. A must on this trip is a visit to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/anjo/index.htm which honors the life and work of the nation's 17th President and preserves two of his homes, his tailor shop, and his gravesite. Johnson was the first American President to be impeached, but was acquitted. Can you guess who the second President to be impeached was? One thing of note that we discovered about Johnson on the tour was his strict interpretation of the US Constitution, which you don't see much in today's political arena. Make sure that you do take in the tour of the Homestead, which Johnson bought in 1851. The Homestead (picture below) remained the family home throughout the balance of his life and the guide that gave us the tour on this day did an excellent job in recounting the tragic lives of his children. We were so intrigued by the story of his life and his family that we continue to search for books to give us more insight into the man that never had a formal education, yet became an American President.

The Niswonger Performing Arts Center (picture below), also located in Greeneville, is an absolutely wonderful place to go for concerts and plays. We probably go to a concert here at least 2-3 times a year. They offer a variety of entertainment that will appeal to everyone. Check out their website at http://www.greenevillenpac.com/

Best Country Cook'in In East Tennessee

Usually we do not do a separate post on a restaurant, but for this particular restaurant, we couldn't do it justice with just a link. The restaurant is called "The Farmer's Daughter Restaurant"http://www.thefarmersdaughterrestaurant.com/ located on Hwy. 107 just off of Hwy. 11-E near Greeneville, Tn. When you do go there, you'd better be hungry, because the table will be full of tasty home cooking. You can eat all that you want, but not allowed to take a "doggie bag" out. Believe me, you wouldn't be able to carry it to your car anyway with the load on your stomach after eating. Unless you get there early, you can expect to wait awhile as you can see in the photo below. We arrived around 1:15 pm on a Sunday afternoon and had approx. a 45 min. wait, however, the wait was not bad considering the free ice tea and hushpuppies being brought out to the people waiting just to tide you over. You don't get this kind of customer appreciation at most restaurants.

When you are seated, you'll be ask to decide on two (2) meat choices that you can share. On this trip, we were offered fried chicken, baked chicken, Alaska cod, steak, ham, or bbq. We selected the fried chicken and the Alaska cod and were not the least bit disappointed. Before we get too far talking about the main meal, I do need to give you a fair warning. My wife just craves good hot bread and she just about overdosed on the hot sourdough bread that they bring to the table to get you started and I must say, my main bread, cornbread, was just to my liking as well. The fried chicken was tender and moist, but not greasy and the Alaska cod was flaky and very tasty. Along with the main course came a table full of various salads and vegetables. Growing up in the South, I really appreciated some good ole home style vegetables and could not believe my good fortune when one of the servings was cabbage, which was out of this world. Another favorite of both my wife and I was the creamed corn, which took me back to my boyhood days living in Mississippi. Haven't had any corn this good since my mom passed away, so it brought back a lot of memories. Other servings included: fried okra, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, cornbread salad (this was new to us, but very good), apple salad (excellent), green beans (none better), and what they call a carrot souffle, which almost tasted like sweet potatoes, but not quite as sweet. It was unbelievably good. By the time that I discovered it, I was so full, but I did find the strength to go on and finish most of it. Then, believe it or not, came time for the desserts. Choices were: chocolate cream pie (they said this was a favorite), banana pudding, coconut cream pie, chocolate sundae, and a strawberry cobbler w/ ice cream. Our choices were the coconut cream pie and banana pudding. We enjoyed these, but by this time, it was time to waddle out to the car. Maybe next time, I'll just go with a "veggie" plate and save more room for the great desserts.

All of the food is prepared daily and changed based on the availability and season. We felt that the prices were more than reasonable at $13.00/person (includes tax) for the amount of food that you get. Your drinks and dessert are also included. They only accept cash or checks, so make sure you come prepared. The restaurant hours are from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm on Friday & Saturday and 11:30 am to 5:00 pm on Sundays. They also just started opening for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. We can't wait to get back and check out the breakfast. I may try to "fast" the day before just so I'll be more prepared.

If you've ever dreamed of a food heaven, "The Farmer's Daughter Restaurant" is a must. Don't forget to say hi to Rachael, one of the owners, who'll most likely will be working the register and Dan, Rachael's brother, the other owner, if you get the chance. Give us your comment after your visit. We'd love to hear from you.

Rhododendrum Viewing Atop Roan Mtn., Tn.

One of the reasons that we decided to move to East Tn. some 40 years ago, besides my attending the University of Tenn. in Knoxville, was the lure of the mountains and lakes. We've always loved seeing the beautiful rhododendrums in late Spring (May) as we go on mountain hikes, so planning a trip up to Roan Mountain, considered by many to be the "rododendrum capital of the world", seemed like a good destination on this Spring day. On our drive over, we stopped in Johnson City to pick up Shirl's brother, Jim, seen in the pictures here to share this day with family.

The part of Roan Mountain that we went to is actually in Tennessee, but right at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. After parking our car, and following one of the numerous designated foot paths along the top of Roan Mountain, we came upon an open field just covered with purple rhododendrums. It was truly a feast for the eyes.

For those of you familiar with the movie "Sound of Music", you can just imagine yourself as part of the Von Trapp family walking across the Austrian mountaintops. Some of the vistas of the Applachian Mountains are truly breathtaking, opening up to you, as you continue along the footpaths. This is a trip that you'll not want to miss, especially in the colorful springtime.

Great Smoky Mtn LeConte Shelter Hike

For all of you that like to "rough it" a little on your hikes, this hike is for you. We decided to hike the Mt. LeConte trail once again, only this time we didn't have a soft bed waiting for us at the lodge. On this hike, we started at the Alum Cave Bluff trailhead that would lead us right on up to the top of Mount LeConte. We decided to "rough it" and sleep in the outdoor shelter, which sleeps 12 people with a lower and upper birth. You also have to call the Park Rangers well in advance and reserve a spot at the shelters. We took Shirl's brother and sister-in-law along with us on this adventure. The four of us began our 6 hour hike on a sunny day with sleeping bags on our backs. Once the trail started to climb our wives said they just couldn't carry those sleeping bags up that trail, so Jim, my brother-in-law, and I, being the big, strong males (ha) carried the extra bag for the wives. It was a hot climb this summer day but we finally made it to the top about dark (exhausted). We were hungry and tired with only cheese and crackers to eat. Just a friendly reminder, take plenty of food and water on any hike, but especially one when you intend to spend the night. We had to watch an experienced hiker fix himself a steak over the fireplace. Everyone was starring at him as he ate.

By the time the sun set everyone found themselves a spot in the shelter and turned in for the night. About midnight Shirl says she has to go to the wild outdoors and do her business (up there that means finding a place in the woods). So she and I had to put our hiking boots back on and climb down from the upper bunk (6 people up and 6 down). So we climbed down trying to keep from stepping on anyone below us and exited the fenced shelter (fenced to keep the bears out).

There was a full moon that night with so many stars the sky was just breathtaking. We didn't want to go back into the shelter, but finally decided to go back inside and climb back into our sleeping bags on the top bunk (again). We slept great that night..come daylight everyone was up and ready to hike back down the mountain. All we could think about was FOOD - finally made it down and stopped in Gatlinburg and ate like "hungry bears".

Another Fun Day...

Great Smoky Mtns LeConte Lodge Hike

We love hiking and go every chance we get to the Great Smoky Mountains only a 1 hour drive from our home. This particular hike leads to the LeConte Lodge which has an elevation of over 6000 ft. There are two primary trailheads that lead up to Mt. LeConte, the highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. The main trailhead that the majority of hikers take is the Alum Cave Bluff trail, but on this May morning, we started at the Newfound Gap trailhead, which is right on the state line of Tennessee and North Carolina. Either way you go, it's about a 6-7 hour hike. We were so excited because we had reservations for overnight lodging at the LeConte Lodge. To make a reservation for this lodge you have to call on September 1st of each year to schedule for the next year. We had never been able to get a night at the lodge. What made this opportunity so incredible was the fact that only through a cancellation, "because it had snowed in May", were we afforded this opportunity.

We began our hike shortly after noon at the Newfound Gap trailhead and felt that we had enough time to easily get to the lodge by late afternoon with plenty of daylight to spare. We had checked with the Park Rangers and they said Newfound Gap trail would probably have less snow so we took their advice. The late spring snowfall, which amounted to 5-6 inches, only added to the excitement and challenge. Little did we know at the time what lay ahead along our journey. It seems as if we walked forever, thinking that the Lodge was just around the next bend in the trail. Shirl, my wife, kept asking, "how close are we?" to which I would reply "just around the next bend". It was starting to get dark and we were cold and our feet were wet from walking thru the snow. By the time we reached the Lodge, they were almost ready to send out a search party because we were the last ones there and it was beginning to get dark. We were cold and miserable, but so relieved to get to the Lodge and get some good hot food. I ended up getting a fever that night from the cold, wet hike up that day, but by morning, I was up and ready for the hearty breakfast they serve, which is great. There is something special about eating in a mountaintop lodge. The food is actually brought up the mountain once a week by Llamas. One of the young guys that worked at the Lodge told us that after work on some evenings, he would actually walk/run down the mountain to go to a movie and come back up the same night to be at work the next morning. Oh to be young again and have that kind of energy.

On a clear day you can get up at sunrise and see magnificent sunrises but it did not happen this day. Also the evening sunsets are suppose to be fantastic but it didn't happen for us either due to cloud cover. As we prepared to leave the Lodge the next day, we were told there was not as much snow on the Alum Cave Bluff trail, so that's the trail we took back down the mountain. Once we made it to the parking lot that was only one problem, our car was at another parking lot at Newfound Gap which was a few miles away. A young girl who had walked down with us from the lodge had also parked her car at Newfound Gap so she convinced a woman to give her a ride back to her car and then she returned with her car and picked us up and took us back to our car. What a memory...We'll never forget this adventure and you won't either if you elect to make it happen. Just give yourself plenty of time, take enought water, and keep thinking positive that the Lodge is just around the next bend.

Duke University Gardens

After reading about the gardens at the Duke University campus, we decided to drive over one day to check it out. If you are a nature lover like we are, you will really enjoy the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/ on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina. Occupying 55 acres, the gardens, like a New York City Central Park in how it relates to the Duke campus, was filled w/ Japanese garden- like features with bridges and lanterns. It is truly a nature lovers dream and is considered to be, by many, "the crown jewel of the Duke University campus". Go and enjoy the solitude and be inspired. I think that you will also enjoy the price, which is free!!!!!

The Duke campus itself, is filled with beautiful gothic architecture buildings and made me feel like a kid in a candy store as I walked around with my camera. I really enjoy seeing the excitement around college campuses from the young men and women just enrolling and learning their way around to those that are preparing themselves for graduation and the next step in their lives.

This central region of North Carolina is unique in that it has 4 major universities within 80 miles of each other. Duke and North Carolina, at Durham and Chapel Hill respectively, are just a short drive down "tobacco road" (hwy. 15/501) from each other. I love college basketball, so just being on this "famed" road was really neat. North Carolina State at Raleigh and Wake Forest at Winston-Salem are also just down the road.

As in all of our road trips, eating is always high on our agenda and I can assure you that you won't be disappointed in the choices that you will find in this area.

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens was definitely the highlight of this trip, so make sure your camera is in good working order and ready to go. You'll want to capture a lot of those garden shots to get you through those winter months.

Blue Ridge Parkway - Mt. Mitchell

The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina offers a multitude of day trip experiences. On this Fall day in Sept., we decided to set off for the top of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php. When we left early that morning from our home in Dandridge, Tn., about 30 miles East of Knoxville, it was a beautiful Fall day. By the time we reached the summit of Mt. Mitchell, we felt like we were on the north face of Mt. Everest and very glad that we took our heavy coats, as you can see from the photos below. The temperature differential was over 30 degrees with Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River, at an elevation of 6,684 ft. The mountain vistas were beautiful and we vowed to go back on a Spring or Summer day.

After leaving the summit, we were ready to sit down to a hot meal of some good ole comfort food. We found a restaurant, managed by the park, that had a great view overlooking the mountains, but lacking in food quality. I will say that the hot chocolate and coffee definately warmed us up and prepared us for our trip home.

We made one final stop on our return trip along the Parkway at the Folk Art Center http://www.southernhighlandguild.org/ which has very high quality arts and crafts. We've always loved arts and crafts especially those made by locals. It always gives one more appreciation for the people and their passions. The setting sun on our westward drive home concluded another memorable day in East Tennessee. No painting has, or ever will duplicate the real thing.