How to help Sandy Victims

Kathy and I send our prayers to everyone effected by Sandy.  The scenes have been heart wrenching, yet mixed with uplifting courage and strength.  As we have time and time again, American's will pull through due, in no small part, to the enormous generosity and caring of our citizenry.

If you can help, we suggest the following resources.

White House Release - How to help the Survivors of Sandy

Red Cross

Salvation Army

We look forward to seeing your full recovery as you write the next chapter in our American story.

Kathy Weiser-Alexander
Dave Alexander
Legends Of America

A Little Missouri 66 in October

Friday - Buying a New RV

Our New KZ Sportsman 200

If you're a reader of our Newsletter or this blog, you know that we borrowed a camper last month and took it to Tennessee to see if it was a feasible lifestyle for us.  After really enjoying the experience, we asked our Newsletter readers to chime in on their experiences and recommendations and received some great feedback.  Like making sure to think through the traffic flow inside the RV based on your typical occupancy. How's it work with 2 dogs?  Getting one with a larger fridge that runs on both propane and electric. Checking for any water damage, are the tires good, etc.  Lots of great advice that we took into consideration on our search.

With our towing capacity at 3500 pounds, we were limited in our choices for the size of camper we required. We both knew that one of us would wind up hurt in less than a 19 foot trailer (probably me).  Having separate offices at home, in separate buildings, has made us a bit spoiled in that aspect. In short, what we found out is that until about 2010, most travel trailers 20 feet were over 3500 pounds, but gas prices seemed to have forced the industry to develop more light weight, larger trailers for fuel economy. That meant that everything we found 'used' that we liked was over our limit, while everything used within our limit was too small.

That ultimately led us to the KZ Sportsmen.  After looking at several floor plans, what was perfect for our needs was the Sportsmen Classic 200.  We never intended to buy a new camper as we are big believers in buying any vehicle used.  However, the price on these made it very appealing, especially when many of the used we had looked at were only a couple thousand cheaper.  So after many searches and phone calls, we found our's waiting for us in Cape Girardeau at Youngblood's Capetown RV. That's six hours away from Warsaw, but we thought why not make it another adventure and spend some quality time coming home along Missouri Route 66.   (This is obviously our first experience at buying a camper, so won't give Youngblood's nor the Sportsmen a complete review other than to say the staff was friendly, they worked with us a little on price, went over everything in the camper, and even let our dogs come in for the paper work signing.  No complaints).

Saturday - Towing Our New Mobile Motel Home in Missouri Color

Missouri in October is very colorful (just outside of Cape Girardeau)

We stayed in Cape Girardeau at Cape Camping RV Park.  Very clean park, nice pull through's to make it easy on me that first night, and level.  But this is what Kathy refers to as RV Parking lots.  Row after row, close together and NO trees. Close together not really that big of a deal, but the lack of shade and the feeling of being in a parking lot would exclude this place as a long term stay for us.  Also, I thought it was odd to have a speed bump coming in the park, which led us to our first indication that we need to secure the cabinets in the camper better.

Meramac Barn east of  Stanton, Missouri

We wasted no time getting on the road Saturday morning, with our ultimate destination being Cuba Missouri, which just happened to be having their annual Cuba Fest.  So we head up I-55 to Festus, then cut across to St. Clair to catch the Mother Road. Beautiful colors this time of year with Fall in full swing, we felt it was the perfect time for Route 66, which meandors along the frontage road of I-44. St. Clair was established in 1849 as "Travelers Repose" but changed to its current name in 1855.  With small town charm and attractions, make time to stop here if you can. (Read more about this stretch of 66 HERE)

Continuing west we go through a favorite for 66'ers, Stanton.  Close to Meramac Caverns, there are some interesting attractions beyond the cave here, including the Jesse James Museum.  If your into 66 history like us, you also want to get a pic of the now closed Antique Toy Museum which attracted many over the years before being closed down in 2009.  (More about Stanton HERE)

Sullivan is also nearby, founded in the mid 1850's.  With a revitalized historic downtown and it's close proximity to Meramac State Park, it's another great place to relax along your Route 66 journey before continuing west to Bourbon, thought to be the only the only town in the U.S. named after Bourbon Whiskey, an apparent result of Irish immigrants who helped build the railroad.  (More on Sullivan and Bourbon HERE)

Heading west, we're getting into Missouri Vineyard country, with several Wine Vineyards along our path to Cuba.  I never really thought of Missouri as a place for Wine making, but there are a lot of quality ones in this part of the country.  Established in 1857, Cuba got it's name from the island country and was known for its apple orchards and barrel making. Though the apple production declined in the 1930's, barrel making continues to this day.  It was also in the 1930's that the town picked up and moved the original town site next to the railroad tracks to be closer to the new Route 66. With that move, several services and tourist stops sprang up, including the now historic Wagon Wheel Motel. Starting as the Wagon Wheel Cabins in 1935, this motel is now on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to serve travelers today. Purchased in 2009 by Connie Echols, the motel has been completely restored and feature some of the most unique original buildings left on the Route today.

Of course we had to stop in at the annual Route 66 Cuba Fest. Traditionally the third weekend in October, this event is a big draw for Mother Road fans, and featured trolley tours and plenty of 66 history and fun.  Make plans to attend in 2013 if you can.  You can find out more via the Cuba Mural City website and of course the Chamber of Commerce.  And be sure to read our story on Cuba (soon to be updated) HERE.

Still getting accustomed to hauling an RV, we decided it best to camp here for a night or two and see the sites without camper in tow.  We found a great RV park called the Lady Bug right outside of town.  Plenty of trees and a layout that doesn't make you feel your in a parking lot, this stop gets high marks from us.  Good internet, full hookups and a great price with friendly owners!  Couldn't recommend the Lady Bug RV Park and Campground enough.  The only problem, as of this writing, was the fact that Kathy's smartphone didn't get 3 or 4G service here, but the wireless internet provided was plenty adequate during the times of day we needed it most (early morning).

Sunday - Day Tripping down forgotten parts of the Mother Road

Worlds Largest Rocking
Chair

We started Sunday morning by having breakfast with our 66 friends Jim Hinckley and Rich Henry. Mr. Hinckley is a co-author with Kathy on "Greetings from Route 66", and has written several other books, including "Ghost Towns of Route 66", "Ghost Towns of the Southwest" and others. His latest endeavor just debuted and is sure to be a 66 Best Seller. "The Route 66 Encyclopedia" debuted at Cuba Fest and goes on sale November 1. Be watching Legend's General Store as we make it available soon. Hinckley came into Cuba all the way from Arizona, while Rich Henry came in from Staunton Illinois.  Henry runs the fun Route 66 must see attraction "Henry's Rabbit Ranch" and it was great to catch up with both of them along with Jim's wife Judy.

Feeling unencumbered with our RV back at the park, we left breakfast heading west on Old 66 to our first photo stop at the Fanning Route 66 Outpost, home to the Guiness Certified Worlds Largest Rocking Chair, which stands just over 42 feet tall and 20 feet wide.  From there it's down the road to Rosati, Little Italy in Central Missouri. This is most definitely wine country and Rosati has an intriguing history dating back to the 1840's.  Read more about this historic town HERE.

John's Modern Cabins

From Rosati we stayed on the Mother Road, going through St. James, and Rolla, each with plenty of history, but being the Ghost Town type geeks we are, our primary focus of the day was really an area just west of there off exit 176 and down Arlington Outer Road.  This section of Route 66 that was bypassed by I-44 in 1957, was bypassed even more when I-44 was again adjusted further north more recently. It's also the place you'll find the long abandoned John's Modern Cabin's, next to the still active and Route 66 Icon Vernelle's Motel. John's Modern Cabin's is on private property, but the owner allows you to walk around "at your own risk".  Nothing being done to preserve, these cabins that once served weary travelers are not long from being completely gone, so we were glad we made the trek to capture what's left in photos.

1860's Hotel still stands in Arlington

We had an extra treat just a bit further down this outer road when we reached the Ghost Town of Arlington. Founded in 1867, this was a popular resort town in the early days of Route 66, with a hotel that dates back to the original founding.  After Route 66 was widened then later bypassed the town it went into decline and today is privately owned.  We will be writing much more about Arlington soon as there is great history being restored here and new owners are making good use of the existing homes and historic hotel.

Stony Dell Resort

Still more to see in this area, we had to backtrack to the Interstate and venture off exit 172 to Jerome, just past the abandoned Stony Dell Resort.  Much like John's Modern Cabins, this once popular stop stands as a reminder of more leisurely travel days along Route 66.  Just before Stony Dell you will see the Trail of Tears Memorial, built by Larry Bagget.  The memorial was once a major attraction on the Route, but was abandoned after Baggets death in 2003 and is now closed off.

We wrapped up our day continuing on Old Route 66, through Devils Elbow and Hookers Cut before making our way back to the interstate and back to our camp ground outside of Cuba. It was a great day for history that you can see in our Facebook photo album "Fall In Missouri" HERE.

Ps. After spending quality time in our KZ Sportsmen 200, we both feel very much at home in it.  We believe this is going to fit our travel lifestyle well.

Why did the Turkey Cross the Road?  To see where Chicken went. 

Buffalo Bill in Scotland?

Editors Note: The following guest post to Legends Blog is submitted by Fiona J. Johnston

Buffalo Bill In Scotland?

On the evening of 16th November 1891 in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, around 6,000 people gathered to watch the most exciting show of the age. Rumours had been circulating for weeks before the show's arrival and now the audience’s anticipation and excitement had reached a frenzied peak.

But finally the wait was over, and the first notes from the cowboy band carried across the cold sharp air as they started their rendition of the Stars and Stripes, and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show began.

A hundred years ago Buffalo Bill was a world class celebrity in the order of someone like Madonna or The Beatles today. Everyone would have known about Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show, and everyone would be talking about his visit.

Ask today’s Glaswegians about Buffalo Bill and a few may know that in the Glaswegian suburb of Dennistoun there stands a commemorative bronze statue of Bill on horseback, fewer still are aware of the Scottish tour.

But one person will not let Buffalo Bill’s visit to Scotland fall into the shadows of history, Scottish writer and director Alan Knight. Alan is currently developing a documentary ‘Buffalo Bill In Scotland - An Evocation’ adapted from Scottish author Tom F. Cunningham’s book ‘Your Fathers The Ghosts – Buffalo Bill’s Wild West In Scotland.’

Knight was completely inspired by the book and has spent a lifetime in love with the Wild West and the great age of the American frontier. He set about further researching the Wild West tour thinking of ways he could adapt the book to the screen.

He soon discovered that there is little in the way of archive material surrounding the show’s visit to Scotland, although Buffalo Bill visited the country twice, once in 1891 and again in 1904 with his ‘Rough Riders Of The World.’ So Knight thought the best way around the problem would be to incorporate animations where archive material is missing.

Material on such characters as one George C. Davis otherwise known as Carter The Cowboy Cyclist who performed death defying acts of the most daring and sensational kind. Carter was the Evel Knievel of his day but instead of a motorcycle he used a push bike.

If that sounds a little tame to you, consider that this was at a time in history when bicycles were a luxury item only the very rich could afford. Most of the audience had probably never even ridden a bike, let alone thought about flying through the air on one.

Knight had a test animation of Carter created, quirky and fun but also totally reflective of the mood and time of the Wild West Shows, this was definitely the way forward. So he set his mind to developing a documentary adding multi-media into the usual documentary mix, creating an exciting modern take on this fascinating moment in history.

The Wild West Show played at only one Scottish city during the 1891 tour, Glasgow. During this great Victorian age the city was second only to London in the British Empire and was a huge powerhouse of industry and commerce.

When Bill visited Scotland the second time in 1904 with his Rough Riders Of The World Show he toured all over Scotland visiting towns such as Perth and Dundee and even went as far North as Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.

While in Inverness, two of the Indian company Iron Tail and Blue Shield took a trip even further North to John O’ Groats the most northerly settlement on the British mainland. They were accompanied by Mr. Small who had taken to dressing in a kilt while touring Scotland and was the show’s photographer.

Iron Tail in Glasgow, 1904
(photo courtesy of
Invisible Emperors Ltd)

An article in the Northern Ensign, a local newspaper, comments that both Indians were dressed in their ‘Native garb,’ and were ‘decorated with feathers.’ Local onlookers had a totally different view of the Indians. They were convinced the warriors were women!

After all, the Indians had long, dark hair and smooth skin on their faces, it was an easy mistake to make… However, the photograph sold well as a postcard, and the incident is a great example of Buffalo Bill’s showmanship and marketing skills.

No one knows if Iron Tail and Blue Shield found out what those John O’ Groats onlookers thought. And it is ironic that many of the Native Americans who travelled with the Wild West Show were warriors who had fought during the Wounded Knee massacre. Their lands lost to immigrants, and their culture suppressed by white Europeans, much like the ones they were now entertaining.

In fact, the Wild West Show was one of the few ways that the Native Americans were able to preserve their culture, through the display of traditional skills in horsemanship and archery.

The documentary will explore the response of the Scottish people to the show and will look at fantastic characters in the Buffalo Bill company, such as Charging Thunder, one of the Lakota contingent, who attacked George C. Crager, an interpreter with the show. Charging Thunder ended up in Barlinnie, a Glasgow prison, for 30 days after Colonel Cody called the police.

And Annie Oakley, who could famously split a playing card on its edge several times before it hit the ground, she was apparently so enamoured with tartan that she had some wonderful photographic portraits taken dressed in a tartan outfit.

If you'd like to see the photographs of Annie and find out about the progress of the documentary, then please click on the Facebook link below.

Please 'Like' the page to be kept up-to-date with other little known archive images as they're unearthed, as well as Buffalo Bill in Scotland historical information and video updates from the team of filmmakers.

Also keep October 2nd 2012 in your diary as that's the official launch of the Buffalo Bill in Scotland IndieGoGo campaign. The team are raising development funds for the documentary and will be asking for contributions so they can tell this wonderful story!

Fiona J. Johnston.

http://www.facebook.com/BuffaloBillInScotland
https://twitter.com/BuffaloBillScot

Tennessee to Missouri (Day 10 - 12)

Day 10 - Perfect Timing for Chickamauga

Re-enacters firing the cannons during the 149th Anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga 

Our final days in our Civil War tour east of the Mississippi found us at the "Gateway to the Deep South".  Chattanooga, TN and nearby Chickamauga, GA were the scene of several battles, including the second bloodiest battle of the war. In 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought to control Chattanooga, and on September 19 and 20, the Union suffered its most significant defeat in the Western Theater, with the second highest number of casualties in the war during the Battle of Chickamauga.

We just happen to be there the weekend before the 149th anniversary, and were fortunate enough to catch a little action while there.  Re-enacters shot off cannons as part of the commemoration of the battle that saw over 35,000 men either wounded, killed or missing in action.  We talked with a park ranger who indicated that they were not allowed to actually re-enact the battle in the park itself.  She did not give a specific reason, and we have yet to find one.  Plans are underway for a large remembrance event next year for the 150th anniversary, and we were told a re-enactment would be held nearby the park.

This was a must see on our tour.  The Chickamauga National Battlefield Park in Fort Oglethorpe Georgia has some 1,400 monuments and historical markers and a well put together driving tour.  We recommend this stop for all history buffs, and it's a great learning experience about some of America's darkest hours.

Boyhood Home of John Ross, Rossville, GA

Just down the road, back toward Tennessee in Rossville, GA, we found the two story log house that was once the boyhood home to Cherokee Chief John Ross.  Although only part Native American, Ross was elected "Principal Chief" of the Cherokee Nation for 40 years, and an advocate for justice for 57 years.  He voluntarily chose exile with the Cherokee people as they were forced onto the Trail of Tears, losing his wife along the way.

Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic Hotel

Back in Chattanooga TN, we made our way downtown for a quick peek at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The first train pulled into this Gateway Terminal Station in 1909, with the depot growing to serve nearly 50 passenger trains a day.  With the decline of travel by rail, traffic at the depot slowed nearly to a halt by the 1960's, and after almost 61 years in operation, the grand old building was closed in August of 1970.  Local businessmen reopened it in April of 1973 as a unique vacation complex, and in 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places..  The Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic Hotel is considered one of the city's first historic preservation projects.

Craven House on Lookout Mountain

A few miles away, we found ourselves on Lookout Mountain.  During that bloody fall of 1863 as battles raged for Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain played key roles for both Union and Confederate forces. Both sides used the Craven House as an observation post and headquarters at some point, we a complete view of Chattanooga below.  The mountain had seen action before during the Summer and Fall of 1794.  It was then that American Settlers fought the Cherokee in a decisive success, now known as the "Last Battle of the Cherokee" during the Nickajack Expedition.

View from Lookout Mountain

On November 24, 1863, the Battle of Lookout Mountain during the Civil War saw a majority of hand to hand combat near Craven's house halfway to the summit.  On the day of the battle, fog descended about halfway down the mountain, leading to the event being called the "Battle Above the Clouds".  It would play a key role in the Union's ultimate victory for Chattanooga.

New York Peace Memorial,
Lookout Mountain

There's plenty to see and do here, with the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, Ruby Falls Cavern, City of Rocks and Point Park.  We stopped at Point Park, which was completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1905 and dedicated to the Union and Confederate soldiers that fought there.  Inside the park you will find the New York Peace Memorial, standing 95 feet high and 50 feet wide at its base. On top of the shaft a Union and Confederate Soldier shake hands under one flag, signifying peace and the unification of America after the war.

It was a good day of touring without the camper in tow, so after a nice meal we headed back to our KOA campground to plan the next day.  Unfortunately, the forecast looked like it would plan it for us.

Day 11 - The Rain Out

Rainy day in Nashville :(

We got up Monday knowing that there were several inches of rain predicted for most of Tennessee.  After seeing that no matter which way we went we would be in rain, Kathy and I made the hard choice of moving north toward Nashville in hopes of getting out of the weather system.  It wouldn't be until we were past Nashville that it would finally slow down enough for us to do anything.

Abandoned business in downtown Adams, TN

We did find some bonuses (at least what we would call bonuses) along the way.  Adams Tennessee isn't a Ghost Town, but this small town of 600 appears to have lost their downtown businesses and the buildings provided some good picture opportunities. Just outside of Adams we wanted to see Bell Witch Cave, but unfortunately it was closed. The Legend of the Bell Witch dates back to the early 1800's. The story of farmer John Bell, settling in the area with is wife and children in 1804, starts around 1817 when members of the family began experiencing strange looking animals around the property, and late night sounds that were unexplained.  As time pased, Bell's account of what was happening at his home attracted many to come investigate.  Soon after, the noises became a voice which is said to have been a witch named Kate, bent on killing John Bell.  Bell died in 1820, some say by the hand of the witch.  Strange things have been reported here and in nearby Adams since. The cave has its own stories, and is said to be where the Bell Witch lives. Privately owned today, tours are given during the summer and October.

Guthrie, Ky

Down the road we stopped for more picture opportunities in historic Guthrie Kentucky.  Home to Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Penn Warren, author of "All the Kings Men", and the only person to have won Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry, Guthrie currently has around 1,500 residents. Established in 1867, the town saw major decline in the 1970's and reportedly had high poverty levels segregating it from its parent county. In recent years new plans for the future have been put in place  to revitalize the city, including a Guthrie Transportation Museum.

Cleaning up abandoned buildings
in downtown Cairo, IL

We kept pushing down the road, deciding we would go ahead and cut our RV adventure short and move closer to home.  Along the way we stopped in Cairo Illinois to revisit it's downtown.  Right at the convergence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, this town once had a lot of promise, but racism and corruption would be its death.  Kathy was here a few years ago and since then we found that they are starting to demolish many of the abandoned buildings downtown as part of a revitalization effort.  We will be updating Kathy's very extensive story on Cairo soon.

That would be our final history related stop of the trip as we landed for one more night in the RV near Sikeston Missouri, still over 300 miles from home, and drove straight through Southern MO on Day 12 headed back to Warsaw. Despite the rain ending our adventure in Tennessee early, we did learn that the RV/Camper life is one we would enjoy immensely, and had a pretty good, easy stay at Town and Country RV Park near the intersections of I-55 and I-57.  Thankful that Kathy's sister Kristy and her husband Geno allowed us to use their camper, we are already planning to get our own, especially for our much needed Winter trips to the South.

Be sure to see the pics of our final days in our Facebook photo album Tennessee Back to Missouri HERE

Tennessee Day 8 and 9

Day 8 - On the Tail of the Dragon

Horse graze in Cades Cove

We had set aside Friday as the day to do the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Kathy had a plan that would take us on Highway 321 out of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and over to the entry past Townsend.  The idea was to do part of Cades Cove loop.  The cove area was home to Cherokee and later pioneer families for generations until the area became part of the national park. Today it has been preserved to look much the way it did in the 1800's, with original pioneer homesteads, barns, businesses, pasture and farmland, set in the midst of the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.

Parson Branch Road

However, our agenda for the day had plenty of miles, so Kathy's route was to break away from Cades Cove about a third of the way in on Parson Branch Road.  I wasn't worried about the fact it's not paved since we didn't have the camper in tow, but when we reached the warning sign I knew this would be one of Kathy's back road adventures. "Warning, no trailers or RV's allowed, Enter at your own risk, one way, you may not re-enter, no emergency services, etc".  8 miles of unimproved road that leads from the Cades Cove Loop toward North Carolina.  The road was originally a main artery among a complex of roads feeding the smaller coves and hollows with Cades Cove, with these highland coves home to several mountaineer farmers who stood against Confederate raiders during the Civil War.

It really wasn't as bad as some we've been on, but definitely one for high clearance vehicles only.  We wound up and down the road over creeks and pot holes until, after what seemed like an eternity (gratis exaggeration) we finally came to the highway on the other side.  "What the heck is that?" I questioned, as a large piece of black material, wound in branches along the side of the road, caught my eye when we pulled up to the intersection.  I looked closer and realized it wasn't just a pile of branches, but an entire tree that seemed to be mangled and busted to splinters where the material was positioned.  "That's part of a car!"

Windy roads abound

This wasn't just any highway we had come to, as we would learn later this is the Tail of the Dragon.  An 11 mile stretch of highway 129 that crosses Deals Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, this road is considered by many as one of the world's foremost motorcycling and sports car roads.  With nothing to slow you down, other than the rapid fire of curve after curve, we could see why this would be a favorite for Cyclists, and it was only a few seconds before we started seeing them, so many of which it took me a moment to get onto the highway.

Once I was on though, the testosterone levels increased almost immediately.  I just couldn't help myself, as I steadily picked up speed trying to keep up with the motorcycles in front of me. Completely ignorant of the fact that now both dogs had jumped from the back into Kathy's lap and all three of them were hanging on for  dear life. I don't know if Kathy finally said something or if it was just the looks on their faces, but something told me to go ahead and pull over at the state line to let everyone regroup.   This highway isn't for site seeing.  Yes it is beautiful, but you are there for the road, and you have to pay close attention as you drive it. Locals call this "that damn road to Tennessee",  with very little elevation change along the stretch we were on, and many of the curves banked like a racetrack, I could see how it got it's more popular name "Tail of the Dragon."

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

After entering North Carolina, we had exited the most exciting (or terrifying depending on who you were in the car) part of the road, but of course it was still plenty curvy.  Beautiful area, as we made our way onto highway 28, running along side Lake Cheoah, across Fontana lake and into Bryson City.  We stopped at this quaint little touristy town to take pictures of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, a train that takes passengers on a scenic rail excursion from their historic depot.  With 53 miles of track that includes two tunnels and 25 bridges, the train takes you on a journey through the Carolina Mountains, which comprise over half of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Although there are several different train rides you can take, varying in length and time, we opted to move on down the road on highway 19 toward the Cherokee Indian Reservation.

Cherokee, NC

The city of Cherokee appeared to us to be a great stop for families and tourists into all the trappings that entails.  Complete museum, visitors center, outdoor theater, artsy and tourist shops lining the highway and more, Cherokee is the headquarters for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. It's economy got a big boost back in the mid 1990's after Harrah's opened a casino there, as before that the tourist season only provided work for half the year.  We took time to stretch our legs and walk part of the way along the shops, contributing a little to the economy, before getting back on the road into the National Park. We could have done a portion of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, as it ends here, but we were pressed for time.

Mingus Mill, NC

We needed at least one more historical building along with a great scenic view to make our day a success for our purposes, so our next stop was the Mingus Mill back in the Park.  Built in 1886, this historic grist mill is a little different from others we've seen, as instead of using a water wheel to power the machinery inside, it uses a water powered turbine instead.  Here you will find a miller on site to demonstrate the process of grinding corn into cornmeal, and they even have mill related items available for sale.

Newfound Gap, Smoky Mountains

Continuing on we made it to Newfound Gap.  At just over 5000 feet, this stop along the North Carolina/Tennessee line provides spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains, and is on the Appalachian Trail.  We enjoyed the stop for sure, and took in the beauty only a pass like this could provide.  But time was running short on daylight by now, so we didn't stay long and soon headed back toward Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Gatlinburg is a popular mountain vacation resort city, surrounded on all sides by high ridges. Officially established around 1856, the town is named after Radford Gatlin who had started a general store there in 1854, however there were trappers who had called the site home since the early 1800's.  Radford Gatlin was a controversial figure in town who was at odds with many of his neighbors. When the civil war broke out his confederate leanings got him kicked out of town.  Gatlinburg tried to remain neutral during the war, but Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas would occupy the town for a time, protecting the salt peter mines nearby.  Union forces forced Thomas and his troops to retreat back in North Carolina, and they never returned.

Gatlinburg, TN from the bypass

We knew we still had to get past the traffic at Pigeon Forge, so after a quick picture from the bypass overseeing Gatlinburg, we made our final trek back to my Aunt and Uncles in Sevierville.  Kathy would call this day somewhat of a bust as far as our travel mission, but considering the views and history we did encounter, I was very satisfied with the days journey.  Most normal travelers would be well served to spend several days around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as there is plenty to see and do.

As we discussed our day with Aunt Peg and Uncle Dan, my testosterone levels rose again as they told us about the Tail of the Dragon we had been on.  Secretly I wanted to leave the dogs and Kathy at the camper and ride the road the again, but thought better after remembering the mangled tree and piece of car along the side of the road.  If you would like to experience the Tail of the Dragon yourself through video, our good friend Cole Deister strapped a camera to his helmet and did the trip the opposite direction. You will see him pull off the road just a little at the state line.  This was the same spot we stopped to "regroup" and let Kathy and the kids get their stomachs back.  Just click HERE to watch.

Day 9 - Hooking back up and moving out for Chattanooga

 Thanks Aunt Peg and Uncle Dan!

Saturday morning it was time to say our goodbyes to the kind folks at Fort Kautzky. Family time was great, and our hosts were tremendous, but this is a working adventure and onward we must go.  Kathy had us coming out of the Sevierville area down highway 411 to Maryville, then on toward Vonore and Fort Loundon State Historic Park.  This 1200 acre site was one of the earliest British fortifications on the western frontier. built in 1756.  Much of the park lies on an Island of Tellico Lake, making this a fun stop for boaters and history lovers alike.

Fort Loundon, TN

The fort was built during the French and Indian War, as British were nervous about French activities in the Mississippi valley. The garrison built here helped to ally the Overhill Cherokee Nation in the fight against the French and guaranteed trade would continue between the Brits of the South Carolina Colony and Cherokee. However, relations soured and in August of 1760, Cherokee attacked and captured the fort, after which it would never be used for military purposes again. In 1917 a commemorative marker was placed at the site of the fort ruins, and in 1933 the state purchased the site.  Since that time they have reconstructed the fort and provide a visitors center complete with history and a movie about the area.  Very nice state park and great history we recommend to anyone in the area.

Right near the fort you will find the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.  Sequoyah, born in 1776, wasn't literate in any language, yet he perfected a system for reading and writing in Cherokee.  His desire to do so was born out of his time under General Andrew Jackson during the war of 1812, as there was no way for the Cherokee to write letters home, read military orders, or write about their experiences.  After returning home from the war, he began to make the symbols for words, finally reducing thousands of Cherokee thoughts to 85 symbols representing sounds.  After being introduced to the tribe, the Cherokee people became literate and awarded Sequoyah a silver medal created in his honor and a lifetime literary pension.

Memorial to Tanasi

Not to far down the road from the museum, we found ourway back to a memorial for the site of the town Tanasi, once the capitol of the Cherokee Nation.  It's also the origin for the name of the state, however nothing remains as it is now under the waters of the lake.

We pushed on toward Chattanooga with plans of staying in the area a couple of days to visit the numerous historic Civil War sites.  Landing on the other side in Georgia, we found a nice KOA campground in the woods complete with everything we need and then some.

Next up, our tour of Chattanooga. In the meantime, enjoy the tour in photos in our Smoky Mountain National Park and More Tennessee Facebook album HERE

 KOA Campround, Trenton GA