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Category: Retirees on the road

Great Smoky Mountains National Park & Museum of Appalachia in Tennessee

Greetings from Pioneer, Tenn.!

It was 42 degrees in Cherokee this morning. The sun was shining and light blue skies held the promise of warmer weather. Before we left, I stepped onto the little balcony and said goodbye to the river and mountains that surround this place. I feel fortunate to have been here before the tourist season was in full swing and have had the opportunity to soak in the peace and quiet beauty.

We left the Comfort Inn at 9:30 a.m. A road sign warned of snow, ice and hazardous road conditions along Route 441 through the mountains. I expressed concern to Di, who was at the wheel. I knew she hadn't had a lot of sleep last night, so thought the combination of sleepy driver, crazy Gerty GPS, overly cautious me and icy mountain switchbacks made for a bad mix. She reassured me everything was fine and with the sun shining, the ice would be gone soon. Up we drove through some truly beautiful mountain scenery. Once Diana was committed to going on, I relaxed my concerned mind and enjoyed the view. What else could I do?

We stopped often at scenic overlooks on our way up the mountain. At the top was the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. The scenic overlook here was breathtaking! This was a photographer's paradise! Other tourists at the outlook included people speaking French, German and Japanese. One of the signs had a quote from Harvey Broome, a Naturalist: "Man has created some lovely dwellings -- some soul-stirring literature. He has done much to alleviate physical pain. But he has not ... created a substitute for a sunset, a grove of pines, the music of the winds, the dank smell of deep forest, or the shy beauty of a wildflower!"

Halfway up the mountain, Gertrude GPS lost her satellite connection and we also lost phone service. We were without electronics for a bit because it happened on the way down also. I was thankful for some uninterupted moments to just take in the beauty around me. I found myself quietly singing "America the Beautiful."

Diana did a fantastic job driving those switchbacks and snow-lined roads! Thank you, Di! Gerty GPS came to life shortly after Gatlinburg, but gave us a few miscues with her "recalculating" chant out of the blue. Inspite of her confusion, we managed to stay on track to Interstates 75 and headed north.

We stopped at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tenn., which is huge. We could've spent all day there and still not have seen everything. We started with the Appalachian Hall of Fame, dedicated to the colorful, sometimes famous, rugged people who called these mountains home. Indian artifact collections, human interest stories, hundreds of early hand-made and unusual musical instruments and dozens of other exhibits were housed in a two-story building. Also on site were 34 restored buildings. One was the cabin of Mark Twain's family. In addition to all this, it's a working farm - horses, goats, sheep, cattle and mules were in the fields. Pea hens, peacocks, chickens, roosters, dogs and cats roamed freely. We had the pleasure of walking into one cabin where three musicians -a fiddler, banjo player and guitar player - were willing to perform for us! I was enthralled with their music. I asked them to play one more tune for me, which they willingly did! Delightful!

John Rice Irwin started in the early 1960s to collect untold thousands of pioneer, cultural, antique and everyday items from interesting and colorful mountain folk, including items from his own ancestors who settled in this region in the late 1700s. What makes this museum unique is that it focuses on the people. We spent a great deal of time there and finally left enlightened, hungry and tired. We grabbed a bite to eat and headed for our hotel, which was only a few miles away. Tomorrow it's ever northward. A new adventure awaits!

Safe and happy traveling to all!