Sunday, August 24, 2008
Another view of Fontana Lake from overlook on Rte 28, a very scenic drive, but also twisty, turny, up and downy route.
Alongside the Little Tennessee River.
Looking down on a dam.
Bandit discovers the water!
Entering the Foothills Parkway in eastern Tennessee.
View of the Smokies from the parkway.
Roe says time for a little hike. Only half a mile, right?
Nice little paved incline…
If you’re so “inclined” to push somebody in a wheelchair up the hill, and then up the tower, this whole hike including the lookout tower is handicapped accessible.
Are you coming?
And while the climb up leaves you breathless, the view from the top is breathtaking too. Looking toward the west, you can see as far as Knoxville. See it?…right under that haze in the distance. The haze is partly water vapor and has always been there, but nowadays much of it is air pollution caused by burning coal, or so the sign says.
And to the east is Cades Cove, where we’re heading next.
This deer was the official greeter for the Smoky Mts. National Park.
The loop road into Cades Cove was kind of busy, maybe because it’s the weekend or maybe because this is one of Great Smoky Mts. National Park’s most popular places to visit. Some of you have taken this tour before, so sit back and revisit with me.
The Cades Cove loop tour is a trip back to the 1830’s-1840’s when this was a farming community. The land was fruitful and so were the families….starting with a handful in 1821, the population grew to 685 by 1850. This is the John Oliver place, one of 70 historic buildings in the park. With not much more than mules, muscles, simple tools, and neighborly help, this house was built in 1826. The notched corners needed no nails or pegs. Chinks between logs were filled with mud.
A “cove” in Smoky Mountain vernacular is a relatively flat valley between mountain ridges.
Stroll along with me as we visit one of the 3 still standing churches.
The Primitive Baptist Church was built in 1887, replacing an earlier log building. The church closed during the Civil War. According to church documents it was “on account of the Rebellion and we was Union people and the Rebels was too strong here in Cades Cove.”
Some of the early settlers lie in the cemetery. This grave attests to the divisions among the villagers during the Civil War.
J. D. Campbell, a blacksmith and carpenter, built the Methodist Church in 115 days for $115. He later served as its minister. The two front doors usually indicate the custom of men sitting on one side of the church and women the other, but this church didn’t follow that custom. During the Civil War this church didn’t close, but rather split. Dissidents formed another church which no longer stands.
The Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1839 after a group from the Primitive Baptist Church was expelled because they favored missionary work. It also did not meet during the Civil War but resumed activity after the war without members who had been Confederate sympathizers. This building dates from 1915.
Another view of the valley.
This is still a working grist mill and you can watch it work and buy ground corn or wheat at the visitor’s center. A woman was demonstrating basket weaving at the visitor’s center today.
Now here was a remarkable woman. When she was in her late 80’s she became very sick and thought she was going to die. She sent for John McCaulley to come and make her coffin, which he did. Then she got well and lived to be 96, giving her plenty of time to knit John a fine pair of socks.
This was her farmhouse.
Deer among the wildflowers. This was one of many seen in the cove, including a young buck with velvet antlers.
Carter Shields’ cabin. He bought this property after suffering a crippling wound in the Battle of Shiloh.
This blue-tailed skink was living in the rock pillows supporting the porch.
I spent the night at the National Park Campground in Cades Cove….$10
