Month: October 2017

Powhatan Campground, Asheville, NC

We emptied the back seat of our truck to make room for Mike, Eileen and Shelley. Departing at 10 AM, the first stop was the North Carolina Arboretum literally next door to the campground. The difference between these trees and the ones in our camp was the information boards along the trail identifying the names and attributes of the many different species. The Bonsai trees in pots were astounding!

From there we continued up the road a quarter mile to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a most wonderful road built by the CCC in the Great Depression era following the ridge for 469 miles over magnificent bridges and through many tunnels. We stopped at the Visitor Center, where Jennifer is employed, to watch a movie (and Michael could catch a nap) and learn about the building of the parkway. Next was the Folk Art Center, a truly exceptional exhibit of artwork in many different media.

Lastly was a late lunch at Bimberibon owned by a friend of Mike and Eileen. The food was an exotic fusion of Indian and Thai and splendidly delicious! Thanks, Michael, for the treat! Then, it was home for naps.

Powhatan Campground, Pisgah NF, Asheville, NC, 25 mile jump 

There was lots of ice this morning! It was about 27F when we woke, but the truck started just fine. We hooked the truck to the ITLDO to charge its batteries; they were running low. Dan headed south and we headed north closer to Asheville at a park we stayed at two years ago.

It was a special day because we were rendezvousing with Mike and Eileen who we met two years ago while camping on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. It was the week of Penny’s bday and they invited us over for a bday supper; both are professional chefs! They tent camp across the country during the breaks between their two gigs; one in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and the other in Breckenridge, Colorado.

We really like them (but especially love their sweet Shelty, Shelly). So we made a pledge to meet again and today is the day! The sun was warming up the forest as we went down the the lake which was exceptionally beautiful reflecting the tree colors.

They arrived about 5 PM; we had a good time catching up that evening and made plans to use our truck to haul the five of us around to see some of the sites we had come to enjoy here in Asheville.

 

Davidson River, Asheville, NC

It was cold this morning, but no freezing. I opted to shower, but even though the water was plenty hot, the breeze blowing through the screened louvers was quite invigorating! I just tried to keep relaxing and breathing. I got out of there ASAP!

Dan showed up right at noon; Penny was just finishing her chicken pot pie to share with our hostesses for lunch, so we headed over to Jennifer and Carol’s house for an afternoon of food anf football. Jennifer had prepared delicious pulled pork for dinnertime sandwiches. I had made brownies for dessert, but we were all so full only a few got sampled.

Jennifer and Carol were so gracious; they even encouraged us to bring our laundry over,so we did!

The three of us got back to the ITLDO ready to hit the hay. The thermometer was dropping quickly and food coma syndrome made us think about hibernating. Dan slept in his van as usual. As a precaution, I strapped a pair of wool socks around the two drain pipes that hang down below the insulated floor of the trailer. Penny piled up blankets on the bed and we were fine!

Davidson River, Asheville, NC

Rain started falling about 8 AM and was forecast to continue throughout the day. Camped just off of Hwy. 276 which runs west up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we decided to get out the rain gear and make the best of the day. Stopping first at the Ranger Station and Visitor’s Center to learn what we could. Then, it was on to Looking Glass Falls, a real sight to behold!

Beyond that was The Cradle of Forestry, a heritage site proclaimed by Congress as the place where science based forestry got its start in America in 1916. George Vanderbilt hoped to to repair the unsightly clear cutting that loggers had used to get lumber out of his forest. On the site is a large interpretive center and a film explaining the history of the school. Though it was raining, Penny and I took the walking tour to visit the old buildings that made up the compound 100 years ago.

The Blue Ridge Pkwy was socked in with clouds, so we changed our plans to lunch up there at the Pisgah Inn and ate instead at the HogWild BBQ. It was very good! I got to watch a little of the Washington Huskies vs UCLA game. No one else in the place was paying any attention. The Penny’s brother, Dan called to say he was on his way to Florida and could stop by tomorrow. We said, “by all means!”

Penny and I had a long heart to heart before bed to help each other understand the little bit of friction that we both noticed. It’s really important to communicate about hurt feelings and negative thoughts. Truly listening to the other person is important to understand their point of view and to assess one’s own culpabilities. We tend to point fingers before we want to admit any part in the dispute. Speak from the heart; listen with an open heart!

 

Davidson Camp, Asheville, NC

This day started out slow due to recuperating from the long drive, but the afternoon warmed and brightened so we biked around the campground to get familiar with our surroundings. There were many opportunities to shoot pictures.

We then went to visit our friends, Jennifer and Carol, for the third year in a row. They had purchased a new home in Hendersonville about 15 miles from Asheville so we went to check it out. It was a 60s rancher with a huge sunroom that had been added. The former owner was a master gardener, so the yard was chocked full of plants. And, they have a Bard Owl that visits occasionally!

Asheville, NC, Davidson River Campground in the Pisgah NF, 316 mile jump

It was an all day drive through exceptionally colorful scenery. We climbed to 2000′ ascending the Cumberland Ridge, then dropped much of that while descending into Knoxville. From there we followed the winding French Broad River up into the Blue Ridge Mountains and into Asheville at 2000′. I was excited to reach Asheville, but bummed when told the campground was another 15 miles. Eventually, about 4:30, we made it to a very nice and colorful campsite.

Mammoth Cave NP

Up early to travel north into Kentucky to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. The 100 mile drive traversed rolling hills of beautiful fall colors. Arriving at the park in time to make the first two hour tour at 10 AM, we entered the Historic entrance, passing under a waterfall. This tour was two miles of walking through a variety of caverns and passages; some areas had steel grates, others paved, still others along the natural floor of the cave. Some of the passages such as Fat Man’s Misery and Tall Man’s Misery were tight squeezes. Frankly, I have no idea how some of the larger tourists made it through; we tried to stay ahead of them just in case!

The tour ended right on time so we lunched in the truck and had a power nap. The 2PM tour was another two hour tour only covering 3/4 mile starting from the “New” Entrance and exiting out another shaft. The difference was this tour was over 500 stairs, starting from the New Entrance we descended 285 steps right off the bat (pun intended). This was the Drips and Domes tour having many sculptures of layered up minerals.

Unfortunately, the bat population has been decimated by a fungus known as “white nose disease” to about 20% of their previous numbers. Everyone exiting the cave must walk over a pad wet with a chemical solution to mitigate carrying the fungus into other colonies.

Nashville, TN

 

Today was a quite amazing day visiting the full size replica of the Greek Pantheon built in Nashville for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, representing the city’s reputation as the “Athens of the South”. Included was the full sized (41′ 10″) replica of Athena, “goddess of wisdom, prudent warfare and the useful arts”. Nike, goddess of victory , perches on Athena’s right hand and stands 6’4″ tall.

In the lower level was an amazing  sampling of art. The focus of the Parthenon’s permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. No photos allowed, but they were great!

As the afternoon waned, we visited the other attractions of Centennial Park including flower gardens and art center.

Seven Points, Nashville

Sunday was forecast to be 80F, so we thought it a good day to visit Nashville, aka, Music City. After attending Mass at the cathedral, we headed out to check out the honky-tonks. We were thinking they’d be in what is called “music row”, but no, that area was packed with the record companies such as Decca, Arista and Warner.

Asking directions, we headed down to the river and discovered  a mass of tourists crowding about the side walks enjoying the music wafting out  the wall to wall bars. The Cumberland River flows beside that area; the Tennessee Titans Stadium is just across the river from the music district and the riverfront park is very nice.

The honky-tonks usually have their front windows wide open so you can sample the music on the way by. Penny and I did stop in for a beer at two of them. One fella had built his stand up bass out of a car gas tank. The volume of the music was a big consideration; some  might make your ears bleed! I rate Nashville higher than Memphis, although it was pretty cool in its own right.

Seven Points, Nashville

This afternoon, Penny and I trucked our bikes to the dam where there is a trailhead to the 50 miles of Greenway Trails that interconnect the city. This was the Stones River trail that follows the river which was dammed to create the reservoir. We rode towards town for about an hour, rested for awhile and then returned to the truck. It was a paved trail through the woods along the river, at one point above the river on a wooden deck. It is good to see that there is so much momentum for this project; are continually adding new trails.

In the evening, the Nashville NPR station kept us entertained with A Prairie Home Companion, Fiona Ritchie playing Irish tunes, Bluegrass Breakdown, and American Routes. We feel to sleep with the radio still playing.

How blessed are we to be gifted with this life style? We are grateful for our adventurous spirits, the health and the means to live with the freedom we have. Trusting in the providence that helps us along the way, we accept vulnerability that is ever present. We have found life to be abundant beyond our dreams. Heaven can wait; life is good!