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.

Apples, Oranges, and 5K's

We hope everyone had a chance to get out this weekend to enjoy the perfect fall weather. It was perfect for most of us out in the east here, but I did see where there was some snow out west. Yikes! Snow in October?! I know that's not totally unheard of here but it would be unusual. Anyway, the leaves are turning color more and more each day. We are nearing peak around here in the East Tennessee Valley. From Cumberland Gap to Cherokee National Forest and down to Knoxville, the colors are magnificent. It won't be long before "Old Man Winter" is knocking on our doors. So if you haven't yet, you better get out and enjoy this weather before it gets too cold.

That's exactly what we did this past weekend, and look forward to doing just that over the next few weekends. We started the weekend by heading out to Coalfield, TN for the Coalfield 5K supporting the Coalfield Cross Country team. The race started at 8:00am and ran through a subdivision next to the school then through the cross country trail on the school grounds, back in front the school and down another road before turning around and heading back to the school for the finish. It was a pretty fast course with a nice little uphill just after the start. Then there was a nice 1.5 miles or so on the trail the cross country team uses to practice on. It's a graveled trail with a couple of foot bridges and two covered bridges. After the trail, it's back to the road and a slight up hill just before heading back to the finish at the school.

Dogwood Arts Festival

Knoxville is renowned for its annual Dogwood Arts Festival. The festival officially kicked off last Wednesday with tons of events being scheduled throughout the month of April.

The festival showcases a number of gardens and breathtaking home landscapes by way of the Dogwood Trails and Byways. There are seven trails in all, and five byways. Each offer a spectacular botanical experience. 

Yesterday, given a 70% chance for thunderstorms and Tim on call, we decided to visit the Sequoyah Hills trail: one of Knoxville's most prestigious neighborhoods. The houses there are gorgeous, each it's own, and most of them have awe-inspiring gardens.

The trail offers numerous places to stop (if by car or bike) and take photos, but I couldn't help snapping every time something caught my eye.


The last part of this trail parallels the shore of Fort Loudon Lake, and offers plenty of entrances to the waterfront park. Clover really enjoyed getting out to sniff where every other dog had been while we enjoyed the sunset on the water.

Friday Photo Spectacular

A Drive to Roan Mountain

The weekend finally arrived and after all the snow, we were looking forward to the sunny, above freezing day that the forecast promised us. After our typical cups of morning joe, we decided a drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains sounded like a novel plan. Considering it was already past 1:00pm by the time we got out the door, we knew it would be impossible to make it to our proposed destination but continued on the path set before us figuring we'd find something along the way. We like it that way. Spontaneity creates memories.

We really didn't have any plans for a hike or anything along those lines as I was on call and it would be my luck that I'd get a call just as we set foot on a trail. Yes, that has happened before. Also, Robin has been plagued with some major sinus congestion so she didn't need to be out in the cold for any major length of time.

We headed north as I thought if we did make it to the Blue Ridge Parkway, I'd like to head to Linville Falls, and the best way to get there would be over Roan Mountain in Northeast Tennessee. With this plan in mind I knew we would at least get to see some of the sizable snowfall in Elizabethton, at Carvers Gap on the AT, and Robin would have the opportunity to take some photos. We also knew that Clover would have the opportunity to get outside and have a little fun. She's been cooped up most of the week, and a bored border collie in your house is comparable to a bull in a china shop.

When we got to Johnson City we found that Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park was along the way and we had never been there before. Of course we had to stop and check it out. There is a nice museum display and a theatre inside the visitor center which covers the rich and important history of the area. For the history buffs out there, it was here at Fort Watagua where the Overmountain Militia mustered and marched to the Battle of Kings Mountain to defeat the Red Coats and turn the tide of the Revolution.

After our walk around the fort we decided to continue our journey towards Roan Mountain State Park. Upon arriving we stopped at the visitor center so Robin could snap some shots and to let Clover stretch her legs a bit. Boy, did she stretch them! We went behind the visitor center where the Peg Leg Mine and Cloudland Nature trailheads are located. Since there was no one around, we let Clover "The Hover Dog" loose from the leash and she had an absolute blast running and bounding about in the 8" deep snow.

Once we were done at the visitor center, we decided to press our luck and head up the mountain to Carvers Gap. I don't know what it is, but when I'm that close to the Appalachia Trail, I just have to see it and most times put my feet on it. Unfortunately as we headed up, we soon realized that we made a stupid decision, but it was too late. There was no where to turn around as all the pull offs and turn around points were covered in snow from where the plows had been through. There was still ice and snow covering the road in spots where the sun hadn't reached and as we continued up the mountain it got to a point where the whole road was covered in ice and snow until we reached the Gap. Luckily as we started up the mountain, we passed a snow plow that had just made it's way down the mountain which meant that the ice and snow was loose enough to provide traction as we drove.

At the top of the mountain, at Carvers Gap, there were lots of vehicles (SUVs and 4-wheel drive varieties) in the parking area, which was covered in plowed snow. It appears that people had ventured out for some cross country skiing and the like. Since it was getting late, everyone up there was packing up their gear and calling it a day. It looked like they all had a ton of fun.

We were able to get turned around up there and we slowly made our way back down the mountain but not before snapping some shots of the snow, the AT, and the breath-taking views on the way down. Overall, it was a wonderful day out even if Robin was ready to beat me by the time we got back down off the mountain in our little Nissan Versa hatchback. I couldn't help but giggle at her.

All the snow was beautiful and it was great to get out for a nice drive. Maybe next time we can get out earlier and make it to the Blue Ridge.

Happy Trails,

Tim & Robin

P.S. Appalachian Trail report at Carvers Gap - Lots of snow and this rhododendron says, "It's freakin' cold!"

Brand New Featured Destinations Page

We have just launched a new page on our blog site. As you may have well guessed, we don't just blog about hiking and visiting parks, camping, and what not, but we also blog about scenic drives we take and some of the places we stop to eat, photograph, etc. We thought it would be worthwhile to feature some of those not so woodsy/outdoors destinations in more detail and really show them off as they've obviously garnered our satisfaction, otherwise they might not make it to the page. So without much more blabbering on, head on over to our featured destination page and check out our first destination - Amis Mill Eatery in Rogersville, TN.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

White Christmas

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas filled with many blessings. Did everyone get what they wanted? We sure hope so. If you are in the Southern Appalachians then you got an extra special treat on Christmas morning much like we did here. We awoke on Christmas morning with about one and a half inches of snow on the ground. If I'm not mistaken, this was the first White Christmas for this area in several years. For me, it was the first that I can distinctly remember. Considering that I was originally a city boy from New Orleans, snow was not a regular occurrence.

We got another one to two inches Christmas night and it continued snowing off and on throughout the next day. Matter of fact, we tried our luck in the early afternoon hours of the 26th and decided we would head towards Townsend, TN. It would have been nice to have made it into Cades Cove in the Smokies to capture a bit of this winter wonderland through Wifey's camera.

Unfortunately, by the time we hit the first part of the foothills the snow was coming down really heavy and we decided driving conditions were unlikely to improve. Good thing we did. Some areas in the Smokies received over a foot of snow! Tourists have been "trapped" for days - but conditions are improving now. Temps have warmed and there is rain in the forecast.

In any case, we stopped at I.C. King park on the way back through. Robin was able to get out and snap a couple shots at the pier before she determined that any significant time outside on the river would likely cause important appendages to freeze and fall off. So we called in food and headed home.

Our uneventful trip became very eventful though once we got our food. We'd received a call from home. Weather conditions were worsening. The roads were "turning white." Kiddo asked if her cuz (Kiddo 2) could spend the night, and since it was on the way home (typically), we agreed to pick her up. By the time we started towards her house, the snow was coming down around us and every mile closer the roads were getting whiter and whiter. I'm not sure how we got up the hill to her house and back down but Wifey did it. She is used to this stuff, or at least, she's got more experience in it than I do.

The drive home was a very slow one. The roads were getting pretty slick with snow and ice, and we ended up having to take the long way around just to avoid the backroads. Luckily though we made it home, safe and sound, and indulged in some "After Christmas Laziness." No shopping for us! Santa brought us more than we could have ever needed.



Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Newport's 25th Annual Harvest Street Festival and Carver's Apple Orchard and Restaurant

It was the last day of our annual unplugging, of course we had plugged back in to a certain extent when we got back from camping. With it being the last day of the holiday, and the kiddo was out of our hair, Wifey and I decided that we would head over to Newport, Tennessee for their 25th Annual Harvest Street Festival. The weather was beautiful and after the drive up to Erwin the day before we knew we would see some sites regardless. Besides, downtown Newport is a nice little town tucked away in the Smoky Mountains and right next to Cosby, where we rent a cabin for a weekend getaway every year.

So it was off to the festival to check out the crafts and goods, as well as look for good shots with the camera. I don't know if you know this or not however if you read the blog, or at least look at the pictures, then you can possibly ascertain that wifey is a bit of an amateur photog. I swear, if she wanted to, she could be pro in a heartbeat. I'm sure it's more the pictures than my writing that keeps everyone coming back.


Anyway, we spent a good hour or so at the festival walking around, taking in the sites. We even spent 2 dollars on some wonderful necklaces. That's right, we got 6 necklaces for two bucks. That's a bargain, a deal, maybe even possibly a steal. Of course the trip wouldn't be complete without checking out the main act that was performing this year. Mountain Edge, a bluegrass foursome, that apparently has quite the following. To be quite honest, they played exceptionally well. I can see why they have the following they do. By their last song, they had a few ladies up and out of their seat, clogging and dancing away. It was definitely worth the ride all the way out there just to see that.

With the festivities rapidly winding down, we decided to skip the festival food and look for something a little more appetizing, after all we were at a festival the day before and had funnel cake then. So we headed in the direction of Cosby, hoping to find something suitable to fill our bellies with, when we found ourselves in a familiar area. It was minutes later that we happened upon an apple orchard that we've passed several times in the past in our travels through Cosby, but were never able to stop before because it was either too late or off season. Today was different though. It was our lucky day. We happened to come across the Carver's Applehouse Restaurant and Orchard with a few hours of the business day left and a bit of money we felt we could part with, not to mention some hungry bellies.

Upon pulling in, we were amazed to see a little candy store, a produce market, and the restaurant. In addition, they had some really nice photo opportunities. Tons of interesting items around the orchard not to mention the orchard itself, right there with the Great Smoky Mountains as its backdrop. So we stopped in the candy store and there was a nice selection including Dolly Parton Choco pops. While we didn't indulge ourselves with those, we did grab a little bag of choco covered peanuts and a nice assortment of taffy. The nice lady at the counter even threw in a sample of cookies and cream fudge, which I might say was to die for.

Quite a few pictures later and we were headed to the produce market to check the different varieties of apples and gourds they grew at the orchard. If I remember correctly, the orchard has over 40,000 hand grafted apple trees and grow well over 40 types of apples almost year round. That's a lot of apples. After a bit of browsing, we decided on a 1/2 peck of Mount York apples and a 1/2 peck of Jonathan Apples, both of which are really good, and I'm still waiting for that apple pie wifey is planning on making.

Satisfied with our candy and apple purchases, it was time for some dinner. Into the restaurant we went, and the atmosphere couldn't have been more pleasant. The table we got was next to a window with a wonderful view of the orchard and a wonderful sunset playing out over and behind the mountains. The restaurant was very clean and the staff quite friendly. We placed our order and instead of bread or something like most restaurants bring out, they served us some hot apple fritters, apple butter, and a small cup of apple cider, all of which was absolutely scrumptious.

For supper, wifey ordered the veggie plate complete with mashed taters, pinto beans, green beans, and cinnamon apples. I ordered the BBQ sandwich with french fries. Of course we shared our meals with each other and between the two plates we had ourselves one fine meal and at a reasonable price.


With our bellies full, and our bounty in the trunk it was time to head back to the homestead and rest before rejoining society and the daily grind. I must say that it was truly a wonderful vacation/unplugging. It was definitely needed and we had an absolute blast spending time together as a family. I hope you enjoyed reading and seeing our adventure through words and pictures.

Don't worry there will plenty more out of doors adventures to come. You forget, Autumn is our most favorite time of year. However, I may throw you all for a loop with the next blog entry and start sharing some of our experiences in turning our homestead into a farm. At the moment we are in full swing of a small project to build a wood shed out of used wood pallets. I plan on posting our progress here. After all, it is an out of doors adventure/project. Oh and there will be other adventures coming soon as well. I can promise you that. Until then...

Happy Trails and God Bless,
Tim and Robin

A few more pics to delight the soul...

Dolly Choco Pop

Wifey in the orchard

It's Corn!!!

Mmmmm... Apples.

A nice little cabin on the farm.

Old Farm Equipment

More candy

Me in the orchard

One of the sunset views at the orchard

Another view from the table.

Look at all the apples.