In the last post, I told you about the Skyline section. From there we drove into West Virginia to the New River and Gauley River areas. The latter is quite undeveloped; white water rafting, hiking and camping are the activities and are definitely off road. The New River is more car friendly and so we spent our time there for the most part. Coal mining used to be very big there and there are many exhibits and a few "ghost towns" to explore. We went to the Canyon Rim Visitor Center which is next to the largest single span arched truss bridge in the world. Needless to say, it was quite impressive. We visited the abandoned town of Thurmond and drove an 80+ mile circular road through the small towns and hillsides that surround the river. The "New" is actually a very old river and is one of the few that flow north!
Once back on the Parkway, we enjoyed the great scenery and one particular stop - the Folk Art Center at mile post 382! It is an artists' cooperative, full of traditional Appalachian crafts as well as some more modern things. The walls in the gallery were covered with quilts! Some were traditional patterns, some were abstract and some were largely appliques. Wow!
Our first night back on the Parkway was spent in a 1907 house that is now a Bed and Breakfast. It is in the little village of Woolwine. There was only one other couple there, honeymooners, and so it was very quiet and rural. We sat on the porch, drank wine and watched a HUGE thunderstorm, complete with thunder, lightening and several inches of rain in about half an hour. Quite amazing for someone who is used to rain in drizzles!
Our second night we stayed at the Pisgah Inn, a concessionaire on the Parkway. Each room had a balcony that overlooked the valley, complete with rocking chairs! It was wonderful to be in that quiet environment with a chill in the air - we were at the 5000 foot level. That night we were treated to a light show in the sky - continuous heat lightening which went on even after I fell asleep at midnight.
Upon reaching the end of the Parkway, we immediately went into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We of course stopped at the Visitor Center, which had an area much like our Pioneer Farm in Eatonville. Original buildings moved there from throughout the region demonstrating life in the early 1800s. There was also a good presentation of the Trail of Tears. The Eastern Cherokee reservation lies just outside the park. These people had been given land along the river by the government before the removal plan came along so they were never forced to leave. Those who were removed walked to Oklahoma. The tribe has quite a commercial venture and we had fry bread tacos, Cherokee style, at the "Little Princess" cafe. After that we "had" to visit the crafts shop!
The Smokies are gorgeous. The drive through was easier; not as up and down nor as windy as the Parkway. There were streams and a few waterfalls. At one stop, we could stand with a foot in Tennessee and a foot in North Carolina, walk a bit on the Appalachian trail, and see where FDR first dedicated the park. We met hikers from the AT and a Chinese family from Beijing. The drive through the park is only 40 miles long and so we easily drove into Gatlinburg in the late afternoon. What a shock! The town is one long stretch of family entertainment. Three separate Ripley's Believe It or Not attractions, endless hotels and restaurants, mini golf, water slides etc. etc. AND road construction. It was a total shock to our senses! Not a place I would recommend!
Today we drove north into Pigeon Forge where Dollywood is! We didn't stop but I took a picture of a billboard for the record. Happily there was only a short stretch of the road devoted to amusements of the Gatlinburg sort. We drove on through Tennessee and into Kentucky. The eastern portion of both the states is truly lovely and I would like to come back to this area some day.
Second set: Road sign in English and Cherokee, Smoky Mountains view, signs along the way.
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