A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 2)

It was our second full day on our Blue Ridge Parkway trip and we (rather I) woke early once again before the girls did. For some reason, this whole trip I was always the first one up. I guess knowing that I had Robin and Ashby to contend with for the bathroom, my subconscious decided it was best to be first before anyone else was up and avoid fights over the bathroom.

It wasn't long after I was done and ready, that Robin was up and at 'em. Not long after Ashby and Dinah were both up and going, we were packed up, loaded up, and ready to check out of the Hidden Valley Motel by 9am. Our first task was to sequester breakfast. It wasn't hard, as we had eyeballed a Cracker Barrel in the heart of Boone the day previous to this.

A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 1)

The third weekend in July is always family reunion time on my mom's side of the family. Every third Sunday in July, the Patteson Clan gather for fun, food, and reminiscing at Glenwood Park in Princeton, WV. Seeing how Dinah was new to the family, and all my aunts absolutely love to see her we decided we would go to the reunion this year. As an added bonus, I thought it would be fun if on the way back home we spent a couple days driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway. The four of us (Tim, Robin, Ashby, and Dinah) as a family doing a mini version of the vacations Robin took as a kid with her family.

Once the reunion was over, or rather close to the time people were starting to leave, we loaded back up into our SUV and we were Blue Ridge bound. We had made arrangements to stay over night at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta, NC shortly after making it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got all checked in and hung out for a little bit before going out in search of food. The Allegheny Inn was a wonderful motel, located in the heart of the quaint downtown of Sparta, North Carolina and only 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we would begin our adventure on the next day. Unfortunately, our adventure wouldn't begin without some sort of hiccup.

Rhododendron Gardens in Full Bloom - Roan Mtn. State Park

Last weekend we took the time to ride up to the Rhododendron Gardens at the top of Roan Mountain outside of Elizabethton, TN. It's a pretty long haul for us and the weather was brutal, but with circumstances as they were we knew it was the only time we'd have to see the blooms this season and get Bug up there for her first visit. We also wanted to avoid the Rhododendron Festival which is being held this weekend - Sat. June 16 & Sun. 17, 2012 from 10am-5pm. I hear it's a wonderful event, but we wanted a little solitude on top of the mountain.

Alice And The Rabbit - Kephart Prong Trail GSMNP - 6/4/2011

This past Saturday was National Trails Day, and regardless of the fact, we had already been planning to hike earlier in the week. You see last week Robin finally received her Vasque Taku GTX hiking boots and Goodhew hiking socks as a result of winning a "Gear Review Opportunity" from the OBN. So just like a kid at Christmas or a kid who receives a new pair of Nikes, she was ready to take them out on the trail.

We actually made it to bed early (11:30pm EDT) by our standards so that we could get up early in order to avoid the heat of the day and the crowds in the Smokies. We were so excited about our hike that it was hard for us to either get to sleep or stay asleep. We were both up, ready, and out of the house before 6:00am and on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains. Of course we had to make a couple pit stops for petrol, breakfast, ice, and well, nature calls more frequently when there's something pressing against your bladder almost non-stop.

Camping Season is Upon Us

Camping season is upon us once again. All over Tennessee, campgrounds are getting ready to open or already have. The smell of camp fires and smores, the sounds of screech owls, children playing throughout the grounds, and the simplicity of just living in harmony with nature and very little technology, if any at all. What more could one want or ask for? A weekend or week long vacation away from the rat race. To unplug and unwind. The only concerns of the day: gathering firewood, food, ghost stories, and whether or not to go for a hike, ride the bike, read a book, or, best of all, take a nap. Ah yes, it's those times out camping that really help us to appreciate the simple things in life.

With the camp season here, I thought I'd take some time to go over some of the great parks in our area that offer wonderful camping opportunities. What better than to have it all in one area rather than have to scour the interwebs to find it all?

Big Ridge State Park - Maynardville, TN - (3 camp options)

Campground - $20/night. Open year round.
50 total sites with hookups and water, soft gravel pad, a picnic table, grill and fire ring. There are 3 modern bathhouses in the campground but bathhouse 2 and 3 are closed until March 31st.

Backcountry - There are 3 backcountry sites in the park. They are free to stay at but a permit is required and easily attainable at the park office. Pets are welcome but must remain on a leash. No pack animals allow. Locations of the campsites are as follows: one on the West Dark Hollow Trail, one at the end of the East Dark Hollow Trail, and one at Sharp's Station. It is suggested you call the park office for current trail conditions before heading into the backcountry.

Group Camp - A large group camp may be reserved ahead of time for your large group or function. Call the office for prices and availability.

Cove Lake State Park - Lake City, TN - (1 camp option)
Campground - $20/night ($18 for tent only)
102 campsites here with 4 that are tent only. Each campsite includes Water and electrical hookups, a grill, and picnic table. There are 2 modern bathhouses in the campground. Site are on a first come first serve basis with a 2 week stay limit.

Cumberland Mountain State Park - Crossville, TN - (2 camping options)
Campground - $20/night ($25 w/sewer)
145 Tent and RV sites are available on a first come first serve basis. Each site allows up to 7 adults and has hookups, picnic table and grill. There is also a bathhouse in the campground and a seasonal camp store which opens in May. One other note, non-campers can shower in the bathhouse for a $3 fee.

Backcountry - There is one backcountry site in the park, on the Cumberland Overnight Trail. This site is free to camp and at this time we have been unable to confirm if a permit is required.

Frozen Head State Park - Wartburg, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $13/night
20 rustic sites and 2 rustic group sites. The regular sites are on a first come first serve basis and include gravel tent pads, picnic table, grill, fire ring, and lantern hooks. The 2 groups site contain fire rings, grills, picnic tables, gravel pads, and lantern hooks. These sites can be reserved up to two weeks in advance and accommodate up to 20 people.
In the Big Cove Campground, there is a modern bathhouse, a wash basin, community water spigot and wood shed that isn't always stocked with wood. Campers are allowed to gather windfall for fire wood, but or restricted from cutting down trees. Additionally firewood from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois is banned from the park due to insect infestation.
This campground opened on March 15th.

Primitive Group Camp - Price unknown.
The primitive campground contains 8 sites that accommodate up to 15 people each. These sites are open year round and are available on a first come first serve basis. There are portable toilets available to this area and bathroom facilities are only a walk or ride in the car away.

Backcountry - There are a total of 11 backcountry sites along the 80 miles of trails in Frozen Head State Park. These are free to stay at but a backcountry permit is required and available at the park office/visitor center. There is a bathhouse available to backcountry campers at the Old Mac trailhead when you come off the trail.

Note: For more information on Frozen Head State Park check out our Featured Parks page as it is our featured park for the months of March and April.

Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $20/night ($18 if just tent camping)
There are two campgrounds at Norris Dam State Park with 25 sites on the eastern side of the dam and 50 sites on the west side. Each site features water and hookups, picnic table, and grill. Each campground area also features a modern bathhouse which are seasonal. The sites are also on a first come first serve basis with a 2 week limit.

Primitive Campground - $??/night (a few bucks less than regular campground)
On the east side of the dam at the back of the regular campground there is a primitive, tent only campground. These sites have fire rings and may or may not have a table.

Backcountry - There is one backcountry site on the Andrew's Ridge trail on the west side of the dam. There is no cost to camp here but a permit is required and possibly reservation. Please call the park office to ensure no one has reserved it prior to any trips you plan. (Correction - The backcountry site, we found out, is $11 to camp).

Panther Creek State Park - Morristown, TN - (1 camp option)
Campground - $20/night.
The campground at Panther Creek offers 50 campsites on a first come, first serve basis with a 2 week limit. Each site features water and electrical hookups, table, grill, and fire ring. Additionally, there are 2 bathhouses that are opened seasonally.

Pickett State Park - Jamestown, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $13/night.
The campground offers 35 campsites complete with water and electrical hookups, table, and grill. There is also a seasonal bathhouse available to campers. All sites are on a first come, first serve basis with a maximum 2 week stay.

Group Camp - The group camp is available for large groups/functions and can be reserved through the park office. Please call for rates and availability.

Backcountry - There are over 58 miles worth of trails that wind through Pickett State Park and the surrounding forests. Backcountry sites are abundant and free to stay at. Of course a backcountry permit is required and can be obtained at the park office/visitor center.

Roan Mountain State Park - Roan Mountain, TN - (2 camping options)
Campground - $25/night (tent only site may be cheaper, call the office for more information).
The campground offers 87 RV sites complete with water and electrical hookups, grill, and picnic table. There are also 20 tent only sites that offer the same as the RV sites minus water and hookups. The tent only area does have two community water spigots. There is a bathhouse that serves the campground as well. All sites are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Group Camp - There are 4 group camp sites that will accommodate up to 25 people for non-profit groups. Call the park office for reservations.

Note: The parks website notes that the sites are opened to self contained campers only from Nov. 15 - Apr 1st.

Big South Fork NRRA - Tennessee/Kentucky - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campgrounds - Rates Vary (Two campgrounds)
Big South Fork has 2 campgrounds (Bandy Creek and Blue Heron) Please visit each of their respective websites for more information.

Backcountry - There are a multitude of backcountry sites in the Big South Fork. Permits are required and fees are variable. Please see the website for more information. 

Great Smoky Mountains NP - Tennessee/North Carolina - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campgrounds - Rates vary (multiple campgrounds)
Front Country - There are multiple campgrounds in the Smokies. Please the their camping page for more information.

Group Camping - Each of the campgrounds also offer group camps that can be reserved. Please check out the group camping page for more information.

Horse Camping - There are multiple horse camps throughout the park. Check out their horse camping page for more information.

Backcountry Camping - Finally there are multiple backcountry sites and shelters throughout the Great Smoky Mountains. As we would need to write multiple blog entries to cover them all, it's best to check out their backcountry camping page for further information.

Cumberland Gap NHP - Tennessee/Virginia/Kentucky - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campground - $15/night w/o hookups - $17/night w/hookups
The Wilderness Road Campground in Cumberland Gap NHP offer 160 total campsites. 40 of the sites offer water and electrical hookups. All sites feature tables and fire rings. There's also a bathhouse for campers.

Group Camping -  $30/night up to 30 people. An additional $1 is charged for each person over 30 persons.
Reservations can be made for the group camps for up to 3 months in advance. Call the visitor center for more information.

Backcountry Camping - There are several backcountry sites in the park and are free of charge. They do require a permit which can be obtained at the park's visitor center.

For more information about camping at Cumberland Gap NHP check out their camping page.

That just about covers it for camping info in the State and National Parks here in our neck of the woods. A complete rate sheet for Tennessee's State Parks can be found here.




Now that you have this information at your finger tips, what are you waiting for? It's time to get to planning that camping outing with the family and/or friends. Oh that's right, what are you going to cook, what about safety, or camping activities? Well don't fret too much. If you have questions in those arenas, you are in luck. This next week at Appalachia & Beyond is "Theme Week". Bet you can't guess the theme. Okay so you can. Be sure to check back through the week for our camping themed posts where we will cover camp food, camp safety, camping gear and more.

Happy Camping,
Tim and Robin

Oh, and Ms. Coo says, "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"

Max Patch or Bust....

So Sunday afternoon, after my mom and nephew left to head back home, Robin, the Rugrat, the trusty side kick, and I decided to take off and head out towards North Carolina and try our luck in finding Max Patch Meadows again. That's right I said again. We've attempted to go there 2 previous times and both times were failures. Regardless we had fun just getting out and about those two times. After a little research, making sandwiches, packing drinks in a cooler, and getting the rest of our gear together, we were out the door and on our way.

Max Patch Meadows is just over the border from Tennessee, in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. It's just up from Harmon's Den. Those of you who have been on the AT for any amount of time or at least have studied and dreamed of doing the AT should be familiar with Max Patch. It is a bald sitting at 4,616' in elevation along the Appalachian Trail. The directions to get there have improved since our last voyage to get there and the signs once you exit the interstate (at least from the Harmon's Den exit #7 on I-40) have gotten better.

There is lots of flora and fauna to view on the trip up once you exit the interstate and head up the graveled forest service road. Tons of yellow, purple, orange, and red flowers. The rhododendrons were blooming in the gully's as we traversed the road and switchbacks on the way up. I will save all the technicals as there are plenty of sites that go over that much better than I can, such as: http://www.wildlifesouth.com/Locations/NorthCarolina/MaxPatchRd.html and http://www.griztrax.net/hiking/MaxPatch/Max.htm.

Anyway, it only took us about an hour or so once we left town and got on our way. We arrived at the parking area for Max Patch around 4:30pm or so. It was a nice uneventful drive the whole way there and not a sign of rain anywhere as we traveled. However the second we parked the windshield was littered with drops. We sat for a minute debating on whether to wait or head on up. Well the rugrat and I out voted Robin and we decided to head on up. We could see several other visitors (hikers, sight seers, etc.) headed down. Our trusty side kick seemed keen to get up the trail as well so on we went. I have to say that from the parking lot looking up to the top of the bald it doesn't look like a very steep route up. Boy was I deceived. It didn't help that by the time we were half way up the trail my entire back was soaked. As a matter of fact, all of our backs were soaked and Robin's glasses were of no help as they were totally wet with drops of rain. Every once in a while the rain would slack off but as we continued up, it would start up again. Needless to say, this had to be the stupidest thing we had ever done. We know better than to go into the mountains without having rain gear in the summer. As most of you know, a storm or shower can pop up in the mountains without a moments notice.

Despite the situation we arrived atop the bald and the view was spectacular. We stayed up there for a few minutes. The rain stopped long enough for Robin to snap a few shots. I have to say it's not a complete panoramic view from one spot. You have to move from one side to the other to see everything, but other than that, it's not that bad. We finally decided to head back down. Of course the rain wasn't complete. We were completely soaked by the time we got back down. I had rain dripping from my eyebrows into my eyes and would have to wipe my brow with my hand, or would shake my head to no avail.

The funniest thing happened once we got back to the parking lot. Yep you guessed it. The rain stopped, and the sun came out. D'oh, if only we had listened to Robin. We could have went up the trail at a leisurely pace. We could have taken our time, taken the big camera and tripod and got some really good shots. Oh well, that's just our luck sometimes. Anyway we hung around long enough to pull our shoes off and don the flip flops. We got dry enough to not be dripping anymore and decided it was time to head out.

Overall, it was indeed a fun and memorable experience. We finally found the infamous Max Patch. We will definitely have to go back again sometime. I would absolutely love to go up there sometime in the winter when the meadow is covered in snow. Talk about a great place to go sledding. Anyway, enjoy the pictures. If you find you have the time, there a few cabins up there that one can rent. You'll just have to Google "Max Patch Cabins" and you should find some suitable results.

Until next time, happy trails.

Tim and the gang.

The Rugrat, the Sidekick on 4 legs, and Moi.

Robin and Tim with the Sidekick's Tail
On Top of Max Patch

One of the Views from Max Patch

The Sidekick
Ready to Head Back to the Homestead

The View from the Parking Lot Whilst in the Car
(See it doesn't look that steep now does it?)

Speed Racer Himself
(Don't I wish?)

The Sidekick, Relaxin on the way Home.
("This is a chin rest Doddy Mans, not an armrest", so says the Sidekick)

Trees....

It was February 9, 2008 and winter had beared down upon us for far too long in our opinions, we decided the pretty day would be the perfect opportunity to bring our daughter to see the trees. The trees I speak of are the enormous 200 - 400 year old untouched tulip poplars that stand in the old growth forest known to us around here as the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, thus named after the poet, Joyce Kilmer, known for the work "Trees". Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is located in the Slick Rock Wilderness Area in Robbinsville, North Carolina, just off the Cherohala Skyway, and is part of the Nantahala National Forest.

The trail around the memorial forest is a easy 2 mile figure-eight loop trail that meanders through the forest and along the Little Santeetlah Creek. The four of us (Robin, Kiddo, and our trusty side kick Clover Beene) began the hike. The first half mile or so is very pretty with lots of vegetation and a few wooden steps along the way. You can just start to imagine the size of the trees on up in the forest at this point as you gaze at the one in the first half of the trail.

After the first half mile or so you come to the intersection of the two loops of the figure eight. Here lies a memorial to Joyce Kilmer. As we continued along the trail we really began to see the awesomeness of the tulip poplars in all their glory. At one point along the trail we all decided to see if we could wrap ourselves around one of the trees. We each took sides of the tree and stretched our arms as far as they could and just barely touch each others finger tips.

As the hike continued the trees got bigger and bigger. I believe the yougin' was rather impressed with the beauty that laid upon her eyes. Some trees we posed at pretending to try and climb with all our might. We came to a pair of trees that were close enough together so that we could climb up a couple feet between them with our backs on one and our feet on the other. We did so and took pictures of each other. Even Beene wanted in on this fun.

Before long we were back at the intersection and beginning the last section of the hike, which meanders through a thick growth of Rhododendron and eventually joins back alongside the creek. After a little bit we emerged from the trail pleased with the wondrous views. Once of the trail we made our calls to nature, found some sticks to use as wizard wands, which to this day kiddo stills likes to find sticks to play Harry Potter with.

If you have children, or love the outdoors and nature, we highly recommend this trail as it is relatively easy, and very beautiful indeed. Robin and I have now done the trail twice, but have yet to do it in any other season than the end of winter. We will definitely have to go back in the spring, summer, and fall to see the trees and their natural surroundings in the rest of their splendor.