We left Ashville on a gorgeous, cooler-by-East-Texas-standards (66F degrees) morning, heading to Tennessee. The leaves were just starting to change their
color palette.
While passing through Sevierville,
Tennessee, we stopped at Buc-ees. Once a
Texas exclusive, Buc-ees has expanded widely throughout the South, and this
store is ginormous, bigger than any other Buc-ees location (that is until
the Luling, Texas one opened a few months after our Sevierville visit).
My buddy Buc-ee is offering big buckaroos to attract employees!
We arrived at our Harvest Hosts, The Bass Pond, a small RV
Park in Sweetwater, Tennessee.It offers
multiple day stays and full hook-ups (electric/water/sewer) for
$35/night.We were greeted warmly by our
hosts, including Tucker, head of the canine welcoming committee.We were assigned to one of their few
pull-through sites, which was big and level.Hence, it was one of our easiest set-ups EVER!
Tucker looked a bit tuckered out after his enthusiastic welcome to us.
This site was so wide and long, we could have fit a second set-up within it!
In the Chinese Calendar, 2024 is the Year of the
Dragon.Therefore, it was apropos for us
to take Maximus the Trike on the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile ride with 319 curves along US-129 near the border of Tennessee and North
Carolina.We had an overcast day with light rain
showers, so it was a wee bit chilly, especially since we left the RV park at
7:15 a.m. to begin our adventure before many of the daredevils arrived.We came in from TN-72 in Venore, the opposite direction from when we last came to the area to motorcycle. We had a fun and safe ride on the Dragon, and stopped at Deal's Gap to stretch and make some T-shirt and accessory purchases. Admittedly, all the hydroelectric lines along the route did
not provide the best scenery.
I wish Mom wasn't a wuss and would have ridden her own motorcycle, Yellow Jacket, 'cause she took my seat behind Dad and I was relegated to sitting on top of the trunk!
A photo we purchased from Kilroy as we negotiated the Dragon.
Mom taking a pic of the photographer from 129photos, from whom we purchased this shot.
We negotiated the Dragon safely and arrived at Deal's Gap.
The dragon...
...and its tail.
Fortunately, our ride after the Tail of the Dragon along Cherohala Skyway (which is within Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests)provided gorgeous views—after the thick layer of fog dissipated.
Tubing along the Tellico River.
First I was amused, then a bit perturbed to
learn that various state and federal government entities spent hard-earned taxpayer
money installing poles to assist an endangered species of flying squirrels in
their “commute”.Apparently, these Carolina
squirrels, unique to the high elevations of the Appalachian Mountains, do not
actually fly, they glide from tree to tree.Well, these poles act as launch/landing pads, giving the squirrels faux
trees between which they can glide across the Skyway.
Hey, I love my fellow rodentia. But I can't help but wonder how much cheese money was spent to install these poles for the "flying" squirrels!
We stopped at the Charles Hall Museum and Heritage Center in Tellico Plains. This small museum has a wonderful collection of historic guns, American Indian pottery, and some "antique" electronics. Just down the road from the Museum and Heritage Center was a collection of unique topiary art. Some folks are so creative and talented.
A sampling of "antique" electronics, a few of which are familiar to this youthful Rambling RV Rat (oh, my, I'm getting old).
Colorful ceramic tiles of hummingbirds adorn this bench.
Unique topiary art.
How cool is the topiary lamp from Christmas Story!
We took a day of rest, opting to stay “home” at the Bass
Pond RV Park and clocking our 5-miles walking along local country roads.We were fascinated as we watched the
harvesting of nearby corn fields.What
an interesting process.
Just one of the lovely views from our walk along country roads.
We left Sweetwater, Tennessee, on a spectacular morning with
crisp temperatures and bright sunshine, arriving at Natural Bridge Resort State
Park in Slade, Kentucky.It was a mighty tight squeeze, but we managed
to fit on the site without unhitching Suite Retreat from Big Boomer for our
overnight stay.This is a small RV
parking area within the Red River Gorge Geographical Area.We were surrounded by woods, creeks,
mountains, and natural wonders.If bears
are in the area like several signs warned, they steered clear of us. We hiked to the Park’s Natural Bridge along the
Original Trail blazed by the L & E Railroad.We had hoped to hike the return trip via the
Balance Rock Trail, but that trail was closed due to damage incurred from
recent wildfires.
I wished we had more time to explore this beautiful area,
but we were off the next day to the Landing Strip in Moorhead, Kentucky.This RV Park is built on an old airport
runway.Thus, we expected to find
long pull through sites.Nope.Instead, it has short back-ins that required us to encroach on the site behind us to fit without disconnecting.Fortunately, the site behind us was vacant,
and we were only here for 2 nights to facilitate a visit with former full-time
RVing friends, Jim/Brenda, who last visited with us in 2020 while we were in
Quartzsite, AZ.They now own a little
slice of heaven--16 rolling acres of countryside with spectacular views.We just loved touring their property,
learning about their beekeeping endeavors, and admiring their vegetable and
flower gardens.We enjoyed some local
fare with them at Pop’s BBQ and Elliott’s Pizza and we all relaxed at Cave Run,
taking in the panoramic views and the many houseboats docked here.What a perfect way to end our visit with
these wonderful folks.
(Note:Those who
know this Rambling RV Rat personally know I spend more of my time having fun
rather than writing about it.This
results in my blogs ALWAYS being backlogged. Hence, this blog represents Ashville and the surrounding areas
pre-Hurricane Helene.It is hard to fathom
that the places we visited/roads upon which we traveled in early September in the
Ashville area would become unrecognizable just a few weeks later.Our hearts go out to those whose lives have
been shattered by this disaster.)
We travelled along US-25 and I-26, passing Traveler’s
Rest.Once upon a time, this town was
the first big stop along a wagon train road leading from Greenville, South
Carolina to Ashville, North Carolina.The roads, adorned with gorgeous wildflowers in full bloom, also offered
majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Not the best photo, but it gives you an idea of the spectacular array of wildflowers.
We arrived at Bear Creek RV Park in Ashville, North Carolina.It is an older, decently-maintained park that offered us easy access and a humongous full-hook-up RV site.It has a pool, laundry room, free WI-FI/cable, and, most importantly for us, panoramic views—all for $60/night.We found it more appealing than staying at the KOA (which to me is an acronym for Kids, Overpriced, and Amenities We Will Not Use).
This area provides
some great motorcycling adventures, with riders negotiating the hairpin turns
and switchbacks of the mountain roads known as Devil’s Whip (12 miles along NC-80
with 160 curves and a 2,000-foot elevation change) and Diamondback (12
miles along NC-226A with 190 curves and a 2,100-foot elevation change).We did these roads on a prior visit, but
that was before Dad had his Road King Classic converted to a 3-wheeler.While Mom can ride her own motorcycle, she
chickens out on what she considers more stressful riding situations.So, much to my dismay, she doubled up with
Dad.Hence, I lost my comfy seat, and I
got relegated to sitting on top of the trike’s trunk!
We had a safe
and enjoyable ride.Afterwards, we visited Little Switzerland to devour a tasty vegan/vegetarian meal and to do our requisite shopping for shirts and other
accessories touting the completion of these adventures.
While in Ashville, we met up with Robert/Sherry, two fellow
DRV Mobile Suites owners.Our first
encounter with them was in 2020 along US-90, when we all waved to each other as
they were leaving the Big Bend area and we were on our way in.From there, we became Facebook friends and
learned we shared many hobbies, interests, and principles.So, it was wonderful to have the opportunity
to meet them in person for the first time.And what a great time we had, made even better by the fact we broke
bread at 828 Family Pizza—on National Cheese Pizza Day to boot!
Speaking of get-togethers, we were so blessed for a visit with Nancy/Jerry, friends from our days of working with Amazon Camper Force in 2015/2016.They were working at the Ashville East KOA (which sadly, has been obliterated by the floods/Hurricane Helene.We thank God for answering our prayers: Nancy/Jerry and their fur babies were uninjured, their rig was damaged but salvageable/repairable, though they lost their golf cart, e-bikes, and other personal property. The level of stress and emotional trauma they experienced is simply incomprehensible.)
Hard to believe these peaceful and serene waters...
...became the cause of so much death and destruction just a few weeks later.
On another day, we rode along the Blue Ridge Parkway.(Shortly after our visit, much of the
Parkway in North Carolina was damaged by Hurricane Helene/flooding as well.Some of the sections will remain closed through
Dec 2025!)This 469-mile picturesque
roadway connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks and
contains 151 bridges and 26 tunnels.Parkway construction started in the 1930s, a byproduct of bad economic
times and massive unemployment.I am
amazed at all the wonderful projects completed by the Civilian Conservation
Corps during The Great Depression from which subsequent generations have
benefitted immensely.
Laurel Knob Overlook.
Curtis Valley Overlook.
Black Mountain Overlook.
Lane Pinnacle.
Tanbark Ridge.
We hiked a variety of trails along the Parkway, including Craggy Gardens and portions of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail.It was so cool to watch the fog roll in at a 5,000+ elevation while the perky Black-Eyed Susan blooms swayed in the gentle breeze, stretching to soak up some of the rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds.We also made the mandatory stop at the Visitor Center for me to get sworn in as a Junior Ranger, having completed my entire Ranger booklet.
Loved watching the Black-eyed Susans slow dance in the gentle breeze.
Craggy Gardens Shelter, built by the industrious CCC!
Along the Parkway, we visited the Folk Art Center, admiring
exquisite works of art.These talented
artisans and craftsmen from the Southern Highlands offer unique and creative
designs—from furniture to paintings, from sculptures to jewelry.Good thing we no longer own a
sticks/bricks—Mom (who isn’t a frivolous shopper) saw so many gorgeous
things she would have bought in a heartbeat. Oh, the woes of a minimalist
lifestyle. We appeased ourselves by hiking some of the quiet trails surrounding the property.
Wow! This rat has
rambled on for way too long, so I’ll sign off now. But I’ll talk to you again soon!
