Blowing Rock

OK… throw away the maps… they are too misleading.

There are 2 ways to get to Blowing Rock… OK 3.

1. From Boone route 321 is a 4- lane with many attractions along the way.

2. From Banner Elk or Linville route 221 is the scenic route… and when I say “scenic” I mean narrow and twisty… as in 90 degree and hairpin turns, and mountain wall-hugging slow… albeit through a beautiful forest with occasional glimpses of open valleys and far away misty mountains. AND

3. From Asheville or Wilkesboro, The Blue Ridge Parkway… which is actually a lovely drive, but very leisurely… allow plenty of extra time.

Since I had driven 2 & 3 in past visits, even though I was coming from Banner Elk, I chose to take route 105 to Boone and 321 to Blowing Rock.

I drove past the “Tweetsie Railroad”, Mystery Hill, Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine — all attractions worth seeing. But, I was most proud of not yielding to the insatiable urge to turn into the Tanger Outlets.

Just past this traffic light is the right turn to Blowing Rock. The road becomes narrow and scenic for a short way, but soon puts you at the foot of Main Street. Main Street is about 3 blocks long and is the heart of the village. There are parallel spaces for 2 and 3 hour parking on street, but if you arrive at 11:30 AM and the street is already spoken for, there are also free public parking garages within walking distance of all the shops, galleries and restaurants. An important note… except for restaurants which serve breakfast, most doors open at 11:00 A.M.

The Visitor Center is located at the far edge of town, on the right at Chestnut St. It opens at 10 A.M. The building also houses the Art and History Museum as well as a free parking garage.

As a seasoned traveler and graduate of the world of tourism, I like to begin at the Visitor Center. The staff behind the counter always has a working knowledge of the area and gives a personal perspective to the attractions you are trying to fit into your schedule. I find that I always gather enough information to help prioritize my long list of places I want to explore, and sometimes learn about attractions that might not have been on the list.

One thing I always ask, especially if they are residents, is “where is your favorite place to eat and why”… information which has helped me to make some memorable choices… and so was the case today. Two restaurants were recommended… one had the best view in town, the other had no view at all, but a very interesting and uncommon menu… available to read right there on the counter at the Visitor Center.

The lobster roll caught my eye… haven’t tasted a good lobster roll since the last trip to New England… and so I followed the directions to ROCA BISTRO on Woodland, near Laurel Lane… off of the beaten path of Main Street. I was warned that there would not be a sign… only the small one on the front door… but that the parking lot would probably already be full.

So, with great expectations, I set off. It was just a tad early, so there was plenty of room to park, but they had been right about there being no sign. As I entered the front door, I was greeted warmly and given the option of eating inside or outside. The weather was perfect, so I chose outside… which was really still an enclosed room, but all of the rustic windows were open wide to allow the morning breeze to meander through.

A very personable young man approached to take my drink order and to answer any questions about the menu. I was finding many more appealing choices that made decision making quite difficult.
The restaurant had a wood-fired oven in which they baked all their breads, rolls, and flatbreads. Be still my heart… and salivary glands.

We discussed the myriad of tasty gems and he disappeared to bring my unsweet Iced Tea. It was a tough choice, but I decided on an appetizer of eggplant frites and a main course of beef carpaccio on a bed of arugula and fennel on wood-fired flatbread… and made a mental notation to return another day for the roasted figs with Manchego and sourwood honey to accompany the lobster roll.

Well, “Eggplant Frites” doesn’t even come close to describing this dish. Although the name would imply pieces of eggplant deep fried like a French fry, in reality it was a huge portion of sizable strips of eggplant coated with tempura batter and cooked quickly in very hot oil. It really was an aubergine tempura served on a painting of tarragon/ honey /stoneground mustard aioli. SOOO GOOOOD!!!

And then came the main course. The flat bread still exuded the aroma of the wood-fired oven. The Manchego was melted onto the crisp edged, warm bread. The next layer of barely seared Flatiron steak, sliced ever so thinly, was flavorful, tender, and abundant. The sassy arugula and flavorful fennel were added later, still cold and anointed with a great tasting olive oil. The fried capers added an unexpected briny crunch.

This dish came with the house salad of mixed greens, sundried tomatoes, chunks of crunchy wood-fired bacon and was dressed with a Dijon vinaigrette and shredded parmesan. (The parmesan was a substitute for blue cheese… as much as I love food, I can’t abide Blue Cheese.)

I knew immediately that half of this was going home with me. So, I moved the carpaccio bedding from one half of the flat bread to the other half… making a lovely double portion… and took home the empty half of the cheesy flatbread and most of the salad to enjoy for supper.

After lunch I accompanied my indulgent waiter to admire the wood-fired oven of which he was so proud. We talked a bit about the restaurant in Villars-Sur-Ollon in Switzerland which prepared all menu items on their wood-fired oven…including raclette. (You remember that story from my book “Travels with Time Share … Extraordinary Adventures by Ordinary People”)

And made another mental note that if I ever have a wood-burning fireplace again, it has to have a crane, a reflecting oven, a trivet for the black skillets, and the ability to produce this great tasting food.

After a meal like that, I had to return to the Visitor Center to tell the volunteer that his recommendation for lunch had been greatly appreciated and enjoyed. Then I toured the museum before heading down Main Street to terrorize the shops and galleries.

Before the end of the day, I planned to visit the Moses Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even though I am now retired from managing historic houses, I still love to visit them and learn their story.

According to some resources, Moses Cone invented Denim. Other resources only say he was a textile pioneer. Either way, he amassed a fortune and wanted to live in a house that reflected his financial prowess.

The imposing and stately mansion has twenty-three rooms in three stories, 13,000 square feet of living space and sits on 4,200 acres. Its construction was begun in 1899 and finished in 1901. Today, those acres comprise a huge park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The entrance to the house is at exit 294.

When Moses began acquiring land in the 1890s to build the house of his dreams in the Blowing Rock area, his aspiration was to emulate George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Newspaper reporters of the time referred to these builders as “Farmer Cone” and “Farmer Vanderbilt”. In 1898, Moses announced he was going to build a mansion in Blowing Rock that cost $25,000 when $200 would have bought a habitable home in the area at that time.

The house is called “Flat Top,” its architecture is graceful Victorian Neo-Colonial. Although the house is beautiful and comfortable, it might fit into the library and music rooms of the Biltmore. Although, I have to say, I would personally prefer to live in this one. The view from the front porch alone makes it desirable. What a lovely place to enjoy morning coffee and watch the sun rise, or after dinner aperitifs and listen to the sounds of nature in the evening coolness.

Moses and his wife Bertha had no children of their own, but her sisters came to visit often and over the years they favored friendships with creative people, such as Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse.

Appropriately, today, the first floor contains a Craft Center operated by the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild. Here beautiful products of North Carolina artists and craftsmen can be purchased. Tours of the second floor are available, and a notebook of information and photographs are on display in the music room. The mansion is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.

However, do be forewarned that there is a bit of walking involved in getting to the house.

Mast General Store

On Monday morning, after my trek to the lobby at 8:00 AM to check emails… I couldn’t pick up the WIFI in my room… and the pool for a “limber up” swim at 9:00, I headed out to find the Mast General Store and all its profoundness. (The map indicated more than one place of interest connected to the store.)

Side note – Don’t believe the map–It lies. I went through Seven Devils just fine and turned at the next light onto Broadstone Road as the road sign said… from there, you are on your own.

Several winding miles later, the first building of the complex… the annex… appeared on the right with its own parking lot and candy store. Outside was mostly wooden Rocking Chairs, inside was mostly clothing… golf, hunting, hiking.

An inside door led to the candy store. I had no trouble by-passing the rows and rows of barrels of penny candies, but ran into a snag at the shelves and shelves of homemade jams. I bought a jar of Apricot Butter… my kind of candy… and rationalized that it was going to last me a lifetime.

Another sign indicated that the original general store was 2/10 of a mile ahead on the right. As I drove in that direction, I did not see the sign that said so… I did see a sign that said, “Parking in rear” with a large arrow… indicating readiness for abundant traffic… I obeyed, hoping I was going into the correct turn off and drove the one way entrance to the rear of the ancient building where I found another world.

With its one gas pump and fading tobacco signs out front, its P.O Boxes next to the toys and canned goods inside, this was, indeed, an authentic, still functioning general store. The sign said it was built circa 1883.

During my childhood, in the 1940s and 50s, there had been one very similar in the town of East Otis in the Massachusetts Berkshire Mountains… its owner was Ida Hall. It was not necessary to explain that one was going to “the store”. One simply said they were going to Ida’s… and that could mean anything from picking up the mail, to filling the car with gas, to getting a 5 cent fudgicle from the big red box freezer with the sliding top.

An even smaller general store on Granite Lake in Munsonville, N.H. was owned by former Red Sox baseball player, Joe Dobson, and not only housed the P.O, but also the fire department. But, that was 60 years ago.

This one still services its village of Valle Crucis as well as most of the tourists that take the time to seek it out.

The first section has the P.O., the canned goods, the toys, and the check-out counter. Here you can find the stone ground corn meal and grits, the wildflower honey, the oil lamps, and yes, Cloverine and Bag Balm salves.

The center section is filled with work boots and shoes… oh yes, and indoor restrooms.

The last section is dedicated to coveralls and such.

In between are bonnets (yup, poke bonnets) and dry goods and assorted items that would be hard pressed to be best sellers. And, of course the pot belly stove…right next to the cracker barrel.

Upstairs is where you may order a coffin. A 1920s ad proclaimed that W.W. Mast… whose policy was honesty and service… was a dealer in GENERAL MERCHANDISE… carried Goods for the living; Coffins and Caskets for the dead.

When you have found all the useful and not so useful items in the store, go out back and tour the 1821 Red School House. Education was a treasured commodity.

Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

As a McEwan, I love to attend the Highland Games whenever possible. This year I was able to go to Grandfather Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina… AND I was able to go for an entire week prior to the games… something I had not been able to do before. It is a beautiful area and I was looking forward to getting to know it better.

Previously, I had travelled from Ohio down I-77 to 40, then west past Wilkesboro to Boone. It is a good road, but rather monotonous. This time I opted to travel I-77 to Wythville, VA (there is no other sane way south from Marietta, OH) but, from Wythville I turned west on I-81 to Bristol. From Bristol, I turned south to cross the mountains on 19E and 194. This was good road, surprisingly, 4-lane for much of it, and well maintained for all of it. It also shortened the trip by about an hour. The scenery was beautiful and the slower pace was refreshing.

The area is called the Carolina High Country. It is nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains at the western edge of N.C.. Highways bring you almost all the way… well maintained 4 and 2 lane roads bring you into the heart.

It is full of botanic beauty, colorful history, and rugged terrain. Its largest town is Boone, but Blowing Rock and Banner Elk offer their own stories.

After passing through the village of Elk Park, route 194 goes right into the engaging town of Banner Elk. Always interested in the origin of a name, I researched Banner Elk. It seems a man named Martin Banner settled here on the Elk River in 1848. Eventually, the Banner family grew to 55 members and the area where they lived became known as Banner’s Elk. This name was later shortened to Banner Elk when the town was incorporated in 1911.

Banner Elk is a delightful surprise. This sweet mountain village is planted on the broad, flat meadow that separates two strings of mountains. Standing at the base of the stalwart bronze statue of Banner’s Elk in the visual center of town. A strong arm could throw a stone and hit… from right to left… the school, the Chamber of Commerce, three art galleries, three real estate offices, the chiropractor, the post office, the Presbyterian Church, two gas stations and 17 restaurants… About the right amount of amenities to service the ski areas of Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain during the winter and many planned cultural events during the summer as well as throngs of hikers, river rafters, Mt. bikers and golfers.

Lees – McCrae College is here and nearby is the formidable Grandfather Mountain. The topography is picturesque, the weather is delightful … sunny… mid- to- high 70s with a cool mountain breeze… and in the summer it stays light until 9:00 PM… a great time to spend the evening on  the veranda in a big old wooden rocker talking with the folks who have come north to beat the southern summer heat.

The one thousand plus residents live comfortably in homes tucked away from sight on side roads amongst the lush green folds of the forests.

My accommodations were, shall we say, retro. Oh, they were comfortable, sufficient, (albeit cozy) and centrally located. The décor was knotty pine with touches of Formica, wooden window blinds, and faded foliage wallpaper… with a meager wall of counters and minimal kitchen appliances for what was called “an efficiency”.

The lobby sported exposed polished tree trunk beams, a huge stone fireplace graced with an antlered Elk head, and, everywhere, switch plates of pressed tin black bears. I call it rustic revival.

I am sure it was once an upscale mountain lodge brought reluctantly into the modern travel world of condos with kitchens.

But, it was to be my home for the week, so I settled in… put my breakfast food in the mini-fridge and my clothing into the blond birch lowboy drawers. Then, I climbed into my one piece with the hole in the knee and headed for the pool to work out the kinks from the all-day drive in the car.

The registration desk had provided wonderful, informative, easy to read road maps of the area, so, after my swim and hiatus in the hot tub, I studied the literature to get an idea of how I would spend my week.

It was easy to rule out the zipline, rock climbing and river rafting…
I would save them for another time… I made note of the vineyards, the museums, the arts and crafts studios and galleries, and the multitude of other attractions that my less than buff body would enjoy.

(Photos from this trip can be seen on “The Untethered Tourist” facebook page. Click on Photos, then click on Albums.)

Gatlinburg 2010

Gatlinburg 2010

How long have I been coming here? My first visit to Gatlinburg was back in the early 1960s. We came down from Springfield, Ohio, with my in-laws. I think we stayed downtown in an upscale, but rustic, motel. I think it was called The Greystone Inn. But, the Greystone Inn of today looks very different from what I recall about that visit. Can’t say that I remember all that much about the specifics…. Just remember being impressed by the area and wanting to return.
In the last thirteen years (since moving to Marietta, Ohio) I have been here at least 6 times. Each time has been a different experience, each time the area has grown in new directions, each time I want to return.

Amy and I came first. We stayed in a motel, had redeye gravy for breakfast, and discovered the Arts And Crafts Loop. In the ’60s all the artists and craftspeople were downtown on the main thoroughfare. By the late ‘90s, the downtown had become too commercial for the artisans and they established a new area east of town… Closer to their homes and studios. In Pigeon Forge, a nearby tourist Mecca, we also found a small English tea room where we could buy Haggis…frozen…to take home.  It was near The Olde Mill restaurant and General Store where I was able to find historic items for the museum’s Treasure Bag Tours.

Margaret and I came next, twice. By now there were large retail outlets in Pigeon Forge and timeshare resorts popping up everywhere, like spring flowers. We stayed first in the mountains in Gatlinburg and next in the pastures of Pigeon Forge… both times in timeshare units. On the second visit we explored Cades Cove up in the mountains, and were astonished by a glorious waterfall on the way back. We also found our way up the precarious winding pathway to Vern Hippensteal’s B&B… vowed we would only drive that road in the daylight. But we did buy one of his many watercolors of the area scenes. Mine was of the mountain waterfall.

Somehow we discovered The Buckhorn Inn…… it is a B&B tucked away on a narrow, winding road in the mountains…beautiful setting. They also serve dinner… fixed menu, different each night, fixed price, in front of a huge, fire-lit, fieldstone fireplace in a room with rustic beamed ceilings and many sets of French doors which lead to the stone terrace. The food is as good as the setting.

Morgan and I stopped here on one of our journeys to see Jay at Fort Hood, Texas. We went to Dollywood and were greatly and pleasantly surprised by its size and professionalism. Morgan loved the waterpark aspect and the roller coasters. I loved the layout and the thought that had been put into a theme park. A must for families.

Morgan also spent a great deal of time at the NASCAR go-cart area. We mined for gold and gemstones, as well… Didn’t find either.

In March of 2009, Jay was home from Iraq. He drove up from Florida and I drove down from Ohio. We spent 4 fun days here. We shopped the artists’ loop for antiques and pretty things for his house. We had lunch at an English Pub (a new one), dinner at The Alamo (one of my favorites) and the Greenbrier (another favorite) in Gatlinburg and wouldn’t miss the fried Okra at Mel’s Diner in Pigeon Forge (not one of my favorites… Guy Fieri will never go here.) We had lunch at The Olde Mill (another favorite) and cruised the outlets looking for a specific brand of shoes for Jay. We didn’t find them, but we had a great time looking.

It is now November 2010. I am back for my own personal R&R before I retire. I didn’t travel the six hours down I-77 and across I-81… I took a longer route from Charleston, WV…119. It was good road and pretty, but when the six hours were up I was still 90 minutes from Gatlinburg. I came in on I-40 south. Should have taken exit 440, but was eager to get here so I followed the signs and got off at Exit 435…big mistake. Those five miles were twisty and turny and narrow… it added more time than less.

The first night I was eager to go out to dinner. I called the Buckhorn Inn to see what they were serving, but they were sold out for the next two nights. I made a mental note to go there on Sunday to pick up a menu for the following week.

My next choice was the Greenbrier for Mountain Trout. When I got there, the special that night was Ahi Tuna. YUM. It came with sautéed mixed veggies to die for and a ginger-soy sauce. The soup was called “Coconut Shrimp Bisque.” It was delicious. Didn’t taste the coconut so much, and it wasn’t as thick as any other bisque I had tasted, but the flavor and the shrimp were divine. It also had tiny strands of angel hair pasta in it that had absorbed the shrimp flavors. More YUM. Finished the meal with a piece of bread pudding with maple butter bourbon sauce… OMG! I brought half of the dessert home. It was just too much at the end of a great meal.

Saturday morning I slept in… 9:00. A distinct luxury. Made an appointment for 3:00 in the afternoon for a message at a spa close by (new, by the way) and kept my 11:30 appointment for my Bluegreen update. The information was so amazing that I bought another week. Now, I not only have a Bluegreen week every year, but I can use it in increments for hotels, and hot weeks around the world any size unit (10 days notice – but that can work.) I will get much more use out of these weeks and Wyndham by using them together. These points can also be used for airfare… will look in to that for trip to Taos in May.

Made my spa appointment a bit late, but called ahead to let them know. Had a Deep Tissue message mixed with hot stones and finished it off with a “Monsoon Shower.” Now, that was a new experience! A Monsoon shower is in a room about 5 feet square with numerous nozzles and shower heads coming out of three walls and 2 large rain shower heads from the ceiling. The water is hot and forceful. By the time you are through you have been thoroughly tingled and drenched. It was probably better than most massages. And, certainly, a fitting end to a great day.

It was an Aveda salon, so all the products… liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion were herbal and lush. I came away weak in the knees and smelling awesome. When I left the salon it was dinnertime. I was not far from the Alamo and the thought of their tender, flavorful, Angus beef was just the right finish for such a day. I had a king-size rib-eye with onions and mushrooms, a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, and a tasty glass of Cabernet. Brought half of the steak and garnish home for another day.

When I left the Alamo, I made a decision to drive downtown to see the Christmas lights. They are not December 25 specific… more winter related, but they are all turned on this time of year. It was not bad going in, but as soon as I hit the downtown it was bumper to bumper with cars… sidewalk to sidewalk with people. It took me 45 minutes to go about ¼ mile, turn around and come back. Sheesh! Not a good decision. I should have waited until Tuesday! Finally made it home and collapsed.

Needless to say, I slept well that night.

Gatlinburg has continued to grow. The downtown attractions were originally on the main street only. Now the back streets and the winding side streets up into the mountains are full of attractions, restaurants, hotels, and just a few parking lots. The old ski (sky) chair lift is still in use, but now there is also a Zip Line. Not sure just where the zip line goes, but it starts at a huge tower in the middle of downtown. There certainly is something for everyone.

Sunday was a quiet day… I decided to go to one of the English Pubs that Jay liked for lunch (yup, now there are two—the first English Tea Room that Amy and I enjoyed is long gone). Arrived a bit before it opened so I browsed the shops for a while looking for Christmas gifts.

They opened at 12:00 and I was there at 12:01. I was not the first, either… 
I ordered Steak and Guinness Pie topped with mash and cheddar…crisped. Oh Yeah. It came with a respectable salad for a pub… lovely Greek dressing. I almost called Jay to see what kind of beer I should order, then decided it really was too early in the day to be drinking beer. Lunch was yummy. I ate the whole thing!

Monday was an unusual day… I began to look over the paperwork about the new Bluegreen week and realized I had not gathered up all the information. I called Amber Hoffmann, my agent, to see if she had any time to spend showing me the details again. She had clients until mid-afternoon, but we could meet then. I found a McDonalds very close by for lunch… they also have free WIFI… took my laptop and got a few things accomplished…

Made plane reservations to go to Jay’s house in Florida in January. Allegiant Air flies out of Youngstown to St. Pete for $75. Or so it said the first time I researched it… by now the prices had gone up. They fly on Wednesday and Saturday…better than Wednesday only… OK, so it will be $90. However, now there is a charge for early boarding and assigned seating… I don’t really care. I have a ticket, whatever seat I get will get me there with the rest of them… but you cannot bypass this choice on the computer… I went to Expedia to see if flying out of Cleveland would be any better… nope… back to Allegiant. Bought the package, but by the time the taxes, etc were added, the ticket is now $166. Probably still the least, but it is the process that is maddening.

Got caught up on email and arrived back at the unit in time for Amber to come walk me through the amenities again.

Monday night I went to The Buckhorn Inn for dinner. The menu was pork loin roasted and stuffed with fall fruits. Excellent! The soup was white bean, tortellini and kale, accented with Andouille sausage. Uh huh! Uh Huh! The salad was lovely, but predictable…did have a nice citrus dressing. I had Biltmore Estate chardonnay to wash it all down… pretty good stuff, too. The dessert matched the pork loin in quality… a Maple Pecan Pie with homemade (or close) vanilla ice cream. The pie was mostly pecans on a homemade crust.  It was better than Grandma’s and that’s going some. It didn’t matter if I ever ate again.

However, Tuesday I was hungry again. It was also a rainy day… supposed to clear by noon. Sure enough, the sun came out and I went to lunch. All these years I have seen the tea room “The Wild Plum”, but they have not been open. Today, they were open. I was able to experience The Wild Plum Tea Room. The menu was limited, but looked good. It was the specials of the day, however, that caught my fancy. Lobster pie with artichokes and gruyere cheese, salad of collard greens and fruit. The meal began with a cup of hot fruity tea…tasted a bit mulled…garnished with a juicy orange slice… and two hot, tiny walnut muffins with wild plum jam. The lobster pie had huge pieces of claw meat… had to use a knife to cut them…and a fine puff pastry pie crust on top. The salad had a very interesting taste. By the time I was finished, there was no room for any of the scrumptious desserts that were described to me. Supper, I am afraid, will be canned chili and some of the wonderful hard crusted French bread from the Buckhorn.

Wednesday…The weather was beautiful! … sunny, crisp, a real November day. I decided to go over the mountain to Cherokee, NC. The road was spectacular… narrow and windy… but spectacular. There were waterfalls everywhere… cascading majestically, unannounced, down the mountainsides. A bubbly mountain stream crashing alongside. Views of smoky mountains that were unbelievable. There had been a freeze overnight that ice-crusted the trees and roadsides at the highest elevations. Just one more thing to capture your attention while driving the switchback roads.

The sun was right in the wrong place for photos, so I decided to make mental notes and stop on the way back for the picture-taking. I did stop at Mingus Mill. It was built in the mid 1800s, on a mountain stream and still works. I thought I would take great pictures of the mill and the millwheel for the DACs (Day At The Castle) when we talk about grinding wheat and corn. Two problems… the mill did not have a wheel, it had a turbine, and my camera batteries died. Grrrr. I did get a few shots before the demise, and talked with the men who tended the mill. The turbine was from Springfield, OH… the designer was Leffel… of Leffel’s Lane, a local street address. Who knew?

Back in the car, it wasn’t much further to Cherokee… a main street through a town with obvious mid-century tired tourist attractions supplemented with brand new attractions, shops, and restaurants. The Cherokee nation has made a conscious decision to update their brand and offerings. I found my way to the Cherokee Museum… $10 admission… ugh…very updated… but, I paid it and was very happy that I had. The museum was very well done.

The exit was through the gift shop, naturally. The Gift Shop was also very well done. Did some comparison shopping for our gift shop…The time spent was worth every minute.

I asked for a recommendation for lunch from the Cherokee staff. They gave me directions to Paul’s. Local décor, interesting menu. I bypassed the fried pheasant and the rabbit hindleg (almost chose a buffalo burger) and settled for an Indian taco… chili and taco schtuff on a large piece of Indian Frybread. It was quite tasty and very filling.

A couple more stops, a change of camera batteries, and I was on my way home. Stopped several times to get shots of waterfalls, mountain views, Mountain peaks, etc. The traffic through town was almost zero at 2:30 in the afternoon. Keep that in mind.

Thursday…another sunny day.  I went to McDonald’s for a quick update on email, then went to the other English Pub… The one that you have to climb the Eiffel tower to get to. It was a pleasant as I had recalled. The pot-bellied stove in the corner smelled deliciously of the wood burning inside. I was the only one there for the moment. The waitress invited me to come up to the bar to sample a few of the beers they carried so I could pick one that would go best with my lunch. In the meantime other people came in.

I chose a Colorado beer called, “Fat Tire.” It had good depth, but a sparkle that I thought would offset the sausage and onions in the Poachers Roll that I had ordered. The other couple were from Savannah. They were here for their 10th anniversary. He knew his beers. We had fun conversation. He ordered the fish and chips and she ordered the steak and ale pie. Both turned out to be better choices than my Poachers Roll. The pastry was fine, but the filling of sausage, onion, bacon, and who knows what were all ground too fine for identity and cooked too dry to be tasty. OK… Strike one.

I decided to go the back way to Pigeon Forge to find the Microtel Suites which would be my home for Friday and Saturday nights. The road had been two lane, straight through the meadows and flat lands. It had been a secret known only by local residents. It now is a wider two lane with bike lanes on each side marked with white lines and sported yellow lines down the middle. In some places, even wider. There was construction in several places that seemed to be straightening curves and adding a third lane. This has become the official by-pass. Growth of commerce and crafts has already begun along its borders. I missed the turn on Collier Dr… if it still exists… and ended up on 441… a local four lane in Sevierville… Much further than I had planned to go.

Followed the old route back through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge making mental notes of all the changes. It took a while to find the Microtel. It is tucked away with limited signage. Your attention is drawn to many more dominant signs along the route… Oh yes, and then there is the Titanic charging into the fourlane… yup, noticeable.

I finally found my destination, checked about details, and headed back to Mountain Loft. Dinner that night was a return to the Greenbrier for Mountain Trout. I was not disappointed.

The evening was interesting… a wedding reception being held there… and I met a couple at the next table who were from Dayton, Ohio.  He was a retired school teacher. Interesting people.

The big breaking news this week is the announcement of the engagement of Prince William and Katie Middleton… and Oprah’s retirement after 25 years. Thursday night I watched a special about Will and Katie and retired.

Friday morning, I checked out of Mountain Loft and headed for Pigeon Forge. I couldn’t check in until 3:00, so I went first to The Old Mill for a tour. Very interesting! It was built in 1830 and is still grinding corn. In 1854, they retired the mill wheel and installed a large turbine… also built by Leffel of Leffel’s Lane in Springfield, Ohio.  The steps on the stairs to the upper floors are about 3 inches thick and were cut there at the saw mill.  You can still see the circular saw marks on the steps. After all these years, they haven’t been worn away.

After the tour, I took a couple of photos of the Mill and its wheel… it still turns, even though it is not connected to the millstones inside. Then, I bought some stone ground grits, some stone ground whole wheat flour and jars of homemade jam for my staff for Christmas.

Went to the adjoining restaurant for lunch… turkey dinner… oh yeah! Then, headed out to shop for Christmas. I was planning to get Jay something at Waterford Crystal, but they no longer have an outlet store. The place was packed! There may be a recession somewhere in our world , but not in Pigeon Forge. They have extended the parking areas and are now running shuttles around the complex. I was able to find things for Amy and Jay. Still have Morgan to buy for.

The Christmas shop has grown… all the smaller shops have been joined together as an indoor adventure. All in all there are too many things to see, but it sure puts you in the Christmas spirit.

From there I went back to the Old Mill shopping area to look into a shop called the Pattern Hutch. Thought I might find some interesting sewing patterns. Instead, discovered a whole new phenomenon… needle punching.

I think this might be the way to package the Spring Beauties as a craft instead of cross stitching. I bought a kit and will see if I can adapt the cross stitch pattern to this new art form. It will be a very interesting project.

By now it was time to check into the hotel. It is nice… not great, but nice. But, do think one more day is too much. I have accomplished everything I came to do.

Tonight I went to Corky’s for dinner…had a coupon from Bluegreen… ordered their signature ribs, sweet potato fries and fried Okra… all good. And, I have enough to take home. The weather is cool enough that it will make the trip just fine.

All in all, it has been a great vacation. I will make the decision which route to take north when I see the traffic. Tonight, it was bumper to bumper coming into town. I will either go to Wythville and head north, or go back the way I came… through Kentucky.  At the moment, I am leaning toward 6 hours on the road instead of 7.