BITS & PIECES - I

Since running away from home in March, I've encountered curiosities that don't fit into a specific "story line" -- curiosities that are sometimes caustic, sometimes hilarious; some are sentimental, some artistic and creative, some show off Mother's Nature's bounty, and some I just want to remember as my capacity to do so diminishes. An Americana collage, if you will. In no particular order.

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Tennessee Valley Authority - Clean Energy. One of the three hydroelectric systems of dams and powerhouses on the Ocoee River. Releases of water from these dams is scheduled to accommodate recreation and electrical power needs of Tennessee -- more on this in a later post.

This is Chilhowee Mountain. And beneath Lake Ocoee lies the former town of Parksville.

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Found in the basement of the Rhea County (TN) Courthouse.

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I thought the 17-mile yard sale I saw in Texas could surely claim the "longest" honors. But, Ohhh NO! It couldn't hold a candle to the 624-mile yard sale on Highway 127 that starts (or ends) in Gadsen, Alabama, and ends (or starts) in West Unity, Ohio. I caught a few preparations for it around Dunlap, Tennessee, North of Chattanooga, a few days before its starting date, the first Thursday in August. It only lasts four days. Now how in the hell was I to get from Chattanooga to Ohio in four days AND check out the junque!??

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Now isn't this just the sweetest, homiest little grandma & grandpa cottage you've ever seen? This family lives on Highway 127, TN...
...and this is just SAMPLING of the signage in their yard! I had to re-read them a few times before realizing they were mostly just a bunch of whacko words thrown onto pieces of wood and cardboard!! Maybe it made sense to the people within the "20 churches in city limits"!!!

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When traveling to popular sights in The Great Smoky Mtns National Park, one usually has to pass through the Town of Cherokee in North Carolina, or the Town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. While visiting the park, I happened to pass through both towns.

Cherokee is the center for the Cherokee Nation's proud culture, as this is their original homeland. It has many attractions, artistic, historical and kitschy! Below is a street performer, a series of creatively painted bears located throughout the town, and scenes from its marvelous museum. Unfortunately, the lighting was not conducive for optimal photography. I wish I could show you more, for the museum is a must-see.

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Gatlinburg on the other hand, for me, had no redeeming qualities whatsoever! Shaded porches equipped with rocking chairs and sometime swings are de rigueur in the South. Rockin' and talkin' and sippin' on the front porch characterizes the tranquil lifestyle most favored in this part of the country. I noticed that these tourists in Gatlinburg couldn't leave their homespun, front-porch habits at home...just settin' a spell on the sidewalk in front of the Holiday Inn on Main Street, watchin' the traffic go by! Well, it struck MY funny bone!

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This woman stops for Artsy Fartsy. Couldn't resist this shop in Highlands, North Carolina, next door to the fudge store!

A Mason Jar chandelier -- what I call creative recycling!

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This is muscadine, a wild grape that grows profusely in the South and is used to make a regional, sweet dessert wine. A type of muscadine I've been dying to try is called "scuppernong." Since liquor stores are a rarity in these parts, I may have to return to the wine regions of Georgia to find it. Oh darn!

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Yes, I can say I've hiked the "People's Path." For a few hundred yards of its 2,175 miles anyway!! The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs from Maine to Georgia. It's a unit of the National Park Service, and it and the non-profit Appalachian Trail Conservancy, volunteers from thirty local "AT" clubs (about 6,000 a year) and the National Forest Service maintain it for day trippers, ridgerunners, backpackers, and "thru-hikers" (those who hike its entire length in one season).

A few more nuggets: The trail was completed in 1937 and traverses 14 states; there are 260 trail shelters along the path, spaced about a day's hike apart; frequent trail markers such as this one can be found at trail heads and other places all along the path; scores of trailhead parking areas, shuttle services and bus and rail access can be found along its length. Where it intersects with roadways, AT adventurers can buy cafe food that probably tastes better than the rehydrated, freeze-dried cardboard they've been eating, replenish supplies and maybe bunk overnight in a real bed. The trail shelters even have anti-bear cable systems for hanging food bags, and some have elevated tent platforms. Trail conditions, such as shelter closures, re-routes and recurrent bear activity are kept up to date and are available on line. What an amazing country is ours; we are so fortunate.

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Driving along the Cullasaja Gorge on Highway 64 between Franklin and Highlands, NC, in a rental car (motorhomes are prohibited), a stop at "Bridal Veil Falls" for a refreshing spritz is mandatory! These first two photos were taken from behind the waterfall.

And further up the road ... one of several other places to pause for water play.

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Fontana Dam, at the SW edge of Great Smoky Mtns NP

That's all for now ... stay tuned!