My wife and I caught the matinee showing of "Funny People" with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan today. Pretty funny movie if you like that kind of humor. True to Sandler's most recent work, there's an underlying moral to the story. It makes you wonder how many famous people have the same dysfunctional and lonely lives.
After we picked up our son from the babysitter's, we decided to stop for Mexican take out. Our choice was La Carreta Mexican Restaurant on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.
My wife had a vegetarian quesadilla and I had nachos with beef, chicken, beans, cheese and veggies on them. Pretty dang good Mexican food and the service was very snappy. I don't think I waited for over 10 minutes for our order to be ready. We brought it home and ate on our back porch as evening settled in on the Glades. I enjoyed a cold frosty beer, which was a perfect compañero for the nachos.
So if you're in Pigeon Forge and are on the hunt for Mexican food, La Carreta may be just what you're looking for.
Related Links:
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant on Google Maps
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Through Rabun Gap - Home Over the Mountains
This past week, I took my family to the Emerald Coast in Florida for vacation. I may live in the mountains, but I believe I am partly a fisherman at heart. Or at least a beach bum. We had a much needed week of fun in the sun. We left on Sunday morning right at dawn for the long journey home.
Since this was the first year that we had gone to Florida where we needed to come home straight to Gatlinburg, we opted to take Highway 23 out of Atlanta and through the national park, over the mountain, and home. I had never been to this side of the mountains before except for a trip to Highlands and Cashiers, NC. Normally, we drive I-75 to I-40 to the Sevierville exit.
We stopped outside of Atlanta near Lake Lanier for lunch, then we were on the road again. My 16 month old son and my wife were soon asleep, leaving me with only the road and the radio for company. Gradually, the interstate road became a four lane highway, then a two lane highway. The scenery around me changed from suburbia to rolling hills made of forests and fields.
It was a completely different view of the mountains I am so familiar with, as we passed through Tallulah Falls, then Clayton, then Mountain City, passing Black Rock Mountain State Park. There were beautiful views, rivers and turn offs to trail heads everywhere.
Then we came to the town of Rabun Gap. Rabun Gap seems like it was meant to be placed in the little valley that contains it. This town was special to me because my father’s cousin, Mikell, had passed away about a month and a half ago. Mikell lived in Rabun Gap and the funeral was held at the Baptist church there on a beautiful summer day. I was unable to attend the service, unfortunately. Born and raised in the Low Country of South Carolina, Mikell had moved to Rabun Gap some years ago with his wife Sharon. He was already sick with cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Three of my father’s cousins served in Vietnam and all three got sick with some form of cancer or illness. Mikell left us a rich legacy though, one that I can pass to my children. He had thoroughly researched our family’s lineage from N. Ireland, even visiting the old homestead on a trip there. He even planned a family reunion a few years ago where a plaque for our family was dedicated by the Augusta Historical Society. He had written two books. One book was called The Second Georgia Infantry Regiment and was about that regiment’s history during the Civil War. Our ancestor fought in this regiment. The other book Mikell wrote was called Catherine of Ivanhoe, which chronicled the Civil War journal of Catherine Whitehead Rowland of Augusta, GA. Mikell was truly a kind man, one who believed in the importance and sacredness of history. I thought of him and his legacy as I passed through the lush, green valley of Rabun Gap and crossed Rabun Creek.
Next came the quaint mountain town of Dillard. The Dillard House Resort and Restaurant is a favorite haunt of the women of my family, known affectionately as the “Ya Ya’s”. They usually meet at the Dillard House for a few days each year. As you probably know, Southern women tend to be secretive about some things, so as a man in the family, what goes on at these ‘meetings’ is a mystery to me. I’ve heard the restaurant is incredible and the accommodations are first class, but that’s about all the information I’m allowed to get.
Finally, we passed by Franklin, NC and then drove into Cherokee, where my wife and son woke up. We then got on Hwy 441 and traveled into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We rolled down the windows and let in the cool, mountain air. It had rained quite a bit while we were gone so the air was damp and felt good on our skin. Florida had been extremely humid and hot and, while we had a great time, this was a refreshing welcome home. What a complete change from white sands and blue green seas to lush mountain trees and flowing streams. We crossed Newfound Gap and came down the mountains passed Sugarlands and into Gatlinburg. We arrived home tired from our journey, still missing the beach a little, but glad to be back in the hills.
If you haven’t explored the mountains of north Georgia and southwestern North Carolina, there’s plenty of lakes, rivers, hiking trails, restaurants and accommodations. If you visit Gatlinburg and this is an optional way for you to travel home, it’s well worth the drive.
Links of Interest:
The Dillard House
The Blue Ridge Highlander
Tallulah Falls State Park
Black Rock Mountain State Park
Sumter National Forest
Cherokee, North Carolina
Since this was the first year that we had gone to Florida where we needed to come home straight to Gatlinburg, we opted to take Highway 23 out of Atlanta and through the national park, over the mountain, and home. I had never been to this side of the mountains before except for a trip to Highlands and Cashiers, NC. Normally, we drive I-75 to I-40 to the Sevierville exit.
We stopped outside of Atlanta near Lake Lanier for lunch, then we were on the road again. My 16 month old son and my wife were soon asleep, leaving me with only the road and the radio for company. Gradually, the interstate road became a four lane highway, then a two lane highway. The scenery around me changed from suburbia to rolling hills made of forests and fields.
It was a completely different view of the mountains I am so familiar with, as we passed through Tallulah Falls, then Clayton, then Mountain City, passing Black Rock Mountain State Park. There were beautiful views, rivers and turn offs to trail heads everywhere.
Then we came to the town of Rabun Gap. Rabun Gap seems like it was meant to be placed in the little valley that contains it. This town was special to me because my father’s cousin, Mikell, had passed away about a month and a half ago. Mikell lived in Rabun Gap and the funeral was held at the Baptist church there on a beautiful summer day. I was unable to attend the service, unfortunately. Born and raised in the Low Country of South Carolina, Mikell had moved to Rabun Gap some years ago with his wife Sharon. He was already sick with cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Three of my father’s cousins served in Vietnam and all three got sick with some form of cancer or illness. Mikell left us a rich legacy though, one that I can pass to my children. He had thoroughly researched our family’s lineage from N. Ireland, even visiting the old homestead on a trip there. He even planned a family reunion a few years ago where a plaque for our family was dedicated by the Augusta Historical Society. He had written two books. One book was called The Second Georgia Infantry Regiment and was about that regiment’s history during the Civil War. Our ancestor fought in this regiment. The other book Mikell wrote was called Catherine of Ivanhoe, which chronicled the Civil War journal of Catherine Whitehead Rowland of Augusta, GA. Mikell was truly a kind man, one who believed in the importance and sacredness of history. I thought of him and his legacy as I passed through the lush, green valley of Rabun Gap and crossed Rabun Creek.
Next came the quaint mountain town of Dillard. The Dillard House Resort and Restaurant is a favorite haunt of the women of my family, known affectionately as the “Ya Ya’s”. They usually meet at the Dillard House for a few days each year. As you probably know, Southern women tend to be secretive about some things, so as a man in the family, what goes on at these ‘meetings’ is a mystery to me. I’ve heard the restaurant is incredible and the accommodations are first class, but that’s about all the information I’m allowed to get.
Finally, we passed by Franklin, NC and then drove into Cherokee, where my wife and son woke up. We then got on Hwy 441 and traveled into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We rolled down the windows and let in the cool, mountain air. It had rained quite a bit while we were gone so the air was damp and felt good on our skin. Florida had been extremely humid and hot and, while we had a great time, this was a refreshing welcome home. What a complete change from white sands and blue green seas to lush mountain trees and flowing streams. We crossed Newfound Gap and came down the mountains passed Sugarlands and into Gatlinburg. We arrived home tired from our journey, still missing the beach a little, but glad to be back in the hills.
If you haven’t explored the mountains of north Georgia and southwestern North Carolina, there’s plenty of lakes, rivers, hiking trails, restaurants and accommodations. If you visit Gatlinburg and this is an optional way for you to travel home, it’s well worth the drive.
Links of Interest:
The Dillard House
The Blue Ridge Highlander
Tallulah Falls State Park
Black Rock Mountain State Park
Sumter National Forest
Cherokee, North Carolina
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tips for Day Hiking in the Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky National Park offers a full range of hiking trails to its visitors. Some are easy day hikes that take a few hours and others are several miles long and are usually traveled by more experienced hikers. Here are some tips for folks who want to take a day hike in the Smoky Mountains.
1. Above all else, have fun and enjoy the beauty of this truly wonderful national park.
2. Stay on the marked trail. Many hikers have become disoriented and lost after traveling just a few yards off the main trail.
3. Plan your trip and account for turn around time. The average hiker will have a hiking speed of 2 miles per hour. Make sure you know what time the sun sets and that you have enough time to reach the trail’s end and travel back before dark. If you are traveling a loop trail, make sure you have enough time to complete the loop before you lose daylight. Also keep in mind that children won’t be able to hike as fast as adults and will need more breaks. Hiking is one of the most enjoyable things you can do with your child, so take the time to slow down, explore and rest with them.
4. Be aware of the weather and try to watch a local weather forecast before you go. In the summer time, it’s common for strong thunderstorms to fire up in the afternoon after it has gotten hot. Winter hiking is an excellent and rewarding activity, but offers its own meteorological challenges. Frontal systems can cause the weather to change suddenly. It’s best to pack a warm article of clothing and rain gear. Bear in mind that sudden downpours can make stream levels rise rapidly and without warning.
5. Bring plenty of water along, especially in the summer months. It’s important to remember that you’ll be more active than usual and your body will need to be hydrated. THis is especially true for little hikers.
6. It’s a good idea to carry a snack with you, especially if you’re hiking with children. You don’t have to get fancy. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are awesome on the trail. Remember to pack out your trash and throw it away.
7. Wear appropriate shoes. Comfortable, flexible shoes are the best choice. For your average day hike, cross trainers or trail running shoes are an excellent choice. Wear what is comfortable to you. Flip flops probably won’t be very good at protecting your feet from rocks and tree roots. Don’t forget socks! These are also an important consideration as they’ll help you avoid blisters, cold feet, etc. Hiking boots are a hiker’s best friend, that’s for sure, but if you just want to get out in the woods while you’re in the Smokies, they may be too cumbersome or too expensive. If you are planning on doing an extensive amount of day hikes, or back packing, then you should consider purchasing a good pair of boots.
8. Don’t forget the bug spray in the warmer months. Hiking can be a miserable experience if you are constantly swatting at pests.
9. If you want to avoid crowds, try to hike during the week, not on weekends and especially not on holiday weekends since these are peak times in the GSMNP. Starting early in the morning is also a great way to enjoy the Smokies without too many folks around you.
10. Be careful crossing or walking near streams. Moss grows on the wet rocks it’s usually very slippery. You don’t want to fall in, especially in the winter time when hypothermia is a concern.
11. Respect wildlife and remember that it’s called ‘wild’ for a reason. Should you encounter a bear, stay calm. Bear attacks are extremely rare. Do not approach the bear. Try to immediately put as much space between you and the bear as possible, but do it in a calm manner. Generally, the bear will want to do the same thing.
12. Other things to bring with you: a flashlight with good batteries, a current GSMNP trail map, and a whistle. It’s a good idea to let a responsible person know where you’re going and what time you expect to return. Should you become lost or injured, someone will know where to look right off the bat when you don’t return on time. Have them call the park service at (865) 436-1230 if they suspect you have become lost.
Links of Interest:
The Official Site of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Maps of GSMNP Trails
Book - "Hiking Trails of the Smokies"
1. Above all else, have fun and enjoy the beauty of this truly wonderful national park.
2. Stay on the marked trail. Many hikers have become disoriented and lost after traveling just a few yards off the main trail.
3. Plan your trip and account for turn around time. The average hiker will have a hiking speed of 2 miles per hour. Make sure you know what time the sun sets and that you have enough time to reach the trail’s end and travel back before dark. If you are traveling a loop trail, make sure you have enough time to complete the loop before you lose daylight. Also keep in mind that children won’t be able to hike as fast as adults and will need more breaks. Hiking is one of the most enjoyable things you can do with your child, so take the time to slow down, explore and rest with them.
4. Be aware of the weather and try to watch a local weather forecast before you go. In the summer time, it’s common for strong thunderstorms to fire up in the afternoon after it has gotten hot. Winter hiking is an excellent and rewarding activity, but offers its own meteorological challenges. Frontal systems can cause the weather to change suddenly. It’s best to pack a warm article of clothing and rain gear. Bear in mind that sudden downpours can make stream levels rise rapidly and without warning.
5. Bring plenty of water along, especially in the summer months. It’s important to remember that you’ll be more active than usual and your body will need to be hydrated. THis is especially true for little hikers.
6. It’s a good idea to carry a snack with you, especially if you’re hiking with children. You don’t have to get fancy. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are awesome on the trail. Remember to pack out your trash and throw it away.
7. Wear appropriate shoes. Comfortable, flexible shoes are the best choice. For your average day hike, cross trainers or trail running shoes are an excellent choice. Wear what is comfortable to you. Flip flops probably won’t be very good at protecting your feet from rocks and tree roots. Don’t forget socks! These are also an important consideration as they’ll help you avoid blisters, cold feet, etc. Hiking boots are a hiker’s best friend, that’s for sure, but if you just want to get out in the woods while you’re in the Smokies, they may be too cumbersome or too expensive. If you are planning on doing an extensive amount of day hikes, or back packing, then you should consider purchasing a good pair of boots.
8. Don’t forget the bug spray in the warmer months. Hiking can be a miserable experience if you are constantly swatting at pests.
9. If you want to avoid crowds, try to hike during the week, not on weekends and especially not on holiday weekends since these are peak times in the GSMNP. Starting early in the morning is also a great way to enjoy the Smokies without too many folks around you.
10. Be careful crossing or walking near streams. Moss grows on the wet rocks it’s usually very slippery. You don’t want to fall in, especially in the winter time when hypothermia is a concern.
11. Respect wildlife and remember that it’s called ‘wild’ for a reason. Should you encounter a bear, stay calm. Bear attacks are extremely rare. Do not approach the bear. Try to immediately put as much space between you and the bear as possible, but do it in a calm manner. Generally, the bear will want to do the same thing.
12. Other things to bring with you: a flashlight with good batteries, a current GSMNP trail map, and a whistle. It’s a good idea to let a responsible person know where you’re going and what time you expect to return. Should you become lost or injured, someone will know where to look right off the bat when you don’t return on time. Have them call the park service at (865) 436-1230 if they suspect you have become lost.
Links of Interest:
The Official Site of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Maps of GSMNP Trails
Book - "Hiking Trails of the Smokies"
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Hope on the Mountain
So this past weekend, I was working on our invisible fence we have encircling our part of the mountain. The fence had been down for quite some time and our dogs had begun to have big fun in exploring the cabin development behind our property. I’m sure the guests were surprised when they woke up to see our 115 lb great pyrenees/redbone hound mix drinking out of their hot tub while having their romantic cup of morning coffee. Dogs will be dogs. So I had to get our pack of mutts contained to their side of the mountain and put a stop to these morning ‘adventures’.
While I was running a new piece of wire for the fence through a stand of medium sized hemlock trees, I came across some very tiny baby hemlocks, growing out of the earth, deep in the dark shade of those trees. Those of you familiar with the Smoky Mountains know that the hemlock tree is under threat of extinction from a parasite called the wooly adelgid. The park service is fighting this parasite as best they can, with soil drenches and by spraying the trees along the roads with soapy water. Unfortunately, many of the trees in the remote back country are gone due to the problem of getting access to them.
Some of these trees are extremely old. The park service recently found and successfully treated a tree that was a seedling when Columbus discovered America. They are keeping this tree’s location a secret, and for good reason. To see entire stands of trees wiped out by this parasite is sad, especially when it’s the old growth trees. However, it’s good when you see some smaller hemlocks fighting through on the edges. My feeling is that it will probably be up to private property owners like us and entities like the National Park Service to save this beautiful tree from utter extinction in our area. We have treated several hemlocks on our property to fight the adelgid and will continue to try and save as many as we can. An endangered tree is no different than any other endangered species.
On Sunday, when I found those tiny hemlock seedlings, growing amongst the leaves, almost invisible in the damp shade of their larger brethren, I paused for reflection. These tiny plants are a symbol of the future…. new life…and hope. These are times when we need such reminders. These reminders show us that even in the face of grave opposition, hope does not dwindle. Even in the darkest of places, there’s always a way.
I will transplant these defiant little hemlocks to pots and help them continue to grow. They would not survive in their current location, shaded and nutrient-deprived by the larger trees next to them. When they are ready, we’ll plant them back into the earth of this mountain, in places where they have plenty of room. Hopefully, they will grow to be tall, evergreen giants one day, serving as symbols of determination and tenacity, silent reminders of the courage that lies within us.
-----------------
More info on hemlocks and the wooly adelgid:
http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/hwa/
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/hwa.shtml
While I was running a new piece of wire for the fence through a stand of medium sized hemlock trees, I came across some very tiny baby hemlocks, growing out of the earth, deep in the dark shade of those trees. Those of you familiar with the Smoky Mountains know that the hemlock tree is under threat of extinction from a parasite called the wooly adelgid. The park service is fighting this parasite as best they can, with soil drenches and by spraying the trees along the roads with soapy water. Unfortunately, many of the trees in the remote back country are gone due to the problem of getting access to them.
Some of these trees are extremely old. The park service recently found and successfully treated a tree that was a seedling when Columbus discovered America. They are keeping this tree’s location a secret, and for good reason. To see entire stands of trees wiped out by this parasite is sad, especially when it’s the old growth trees. However, it’s good when you see some smaller hemlocks fighting through on the edges. My feeling is that it will probably be up to private property owners like us and entities like the National Park Service to save this beautiful tree from utter extinction in our area. We have treated several hemlocks on our property to fight the adelgid and will continue to try and save as many as we can. An endangered tree is no different than any other endangered species.
On Sunday, when I found those tiny hemlock seedlings, growing amongst the leaves, almost invisible in the damp shade of their larger brethren, I paused for reflection. These tiny plants are a symbol of the future…. new life…and hope. These are times when we need such reminders. These reminders show us that even in the face of grave opposition, hope does not dwindle. Even in the darkest of places, there’s always a way.
I will transplant these defiant little hemlocks to pots and help them continue to grow. They would not survive in their current location, shaded and nutrient-deprived by the larger trees next to them. When they are ready, we’ll plant them back into the earth of this mountain, in places where they have plenty of room. Hopefully, they will grow to be tall, evergreen giants one day, serving as symbols of determination and tenacity, silent reminders of the courage that lies within us.
-----------------
More info on hemlocks and the wooly adelgid:
http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/hwa/
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/hwa.shtml
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