THOUSAND TRAILS ANNOUNCES GEAR UP AND CAMP SWEEPSTAKES

While we aren't RV'ers by any stretch of the imagination, Thousand Trails, home to some of the most beautiful and natural campgrounds and RV resorts across the U.S., is giving outdoor enthusiasts a chance to get out and camp with the Gear Up and Camp sweepstakes.  One lucky camper will win a free week of camping and a camping gear package, with a combined value of $1100.  Sweepstakes entrants will also be entered for a chance to win one of four second place prize packages, and one of 30 third place prize packages daily.

The sweepstakes grand prize includes a week-long camping trip for the winner at any participating Thousand Trails or Encore RV resort campground.  In addition, the winner will receive a package of camping gear, including the following: Rand McNally’s RV-specific GPS device - the  RVND™ 7720 LM; $100 gas card; Strongback Chair; Coghlan's Camper's S'mores Grill and Corn Popper; Coleman Lantern; $50 MyRVMarket.com gift certificate; Thousand Trails sweatshirt, umbrella, window cling, backpack, blanket and travel mug; and a Duck Harbor Cool Weather Sleeping bag.

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.

Autumn Activities in East Tennessee

October is such a great month. It's almost as good as September. You start to feel a little nip in the night air. The leaves start to change colors, and harvest festivals are available to all who look for them. Football season is already well underway, but hiking and festival season is just getting cranked up.

Last weekend was the Newport Harvest Street Festival. We went, walked around the town center, and quickly left. I hope this doesn't set a precedence for the other festivals we plan on attending for the next few weekends. Honestly though, we went last year and this time around, it really seemed to be more of a junk sale or there were too many booths for those who wanted to make a small buck selling by their gold, and not near as many crafters as we remembered from last year. Anyway, we decided people-watching in Gatlinburg would be more fun and I had an itch to check out NOC's new Great Outpost in Gatlinburg, located on the main drag just before you enter the Great Smoky Mountains. That place is huge and has all the outdoor gear you could possibly want, albeit at a much higher price than you can normally find online for most things.

The Ghost Train to Blue Heron

We hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and was able to get out and enjoy the wonderful weather. Where did you go? What did you do? We'd love to hear all about it. Did you get out for a hike, go camping, or just hang out doing yard work? Luckily for us, most of all the home buying work has been done so we had a free (for the most part) weekend to do what we wanted.

In Memory of Tom, KK4TA

As you know from our post last week, we had the Ten-Tec hamfest to attend on Saturday morning to sell gear for our friend who lost her husband to cancer earlier this year. We really couldn't have asked for better weather. The turn out was a lot bigger than in previous years thanks to the gorgeous weather. Robin and I arrived just before 7:00am and were swarmed by "old men" (don't worry, that's what they're called in Ham Radio) wanting a chance at the sweet gear we brought to sell. By 11:30am we had sold all we were going to sell (nearly everything!) and it was time to pack it up and head home to prepare for our next event of the day.

Great Deal on Wahoo Ziplines!

If you're in the area and you're looking for adventure, you may want to try one of the Smoky's newest tourist-traps family activities: zipline canopy tours.

Photo Courtesy of Wahoo Ziplines

There are plenty to choose from, and we have yet to fall for the trap try one out, but it looks like it would be a lot of fun.

But with so many to choose from, it's hard to decide where to spend your dollars. However, we have friends that frequent Wahoo Ziplines and have nothing but
great things to say about them.

Right now, Half Off Depot Knoxville has a great deal on tickets for this establishment. For $32.00 (per person) you'll receive a six line tour. The regular ticket price is $89.00! (Tax is not included - you'll have to pay that, too - and don't forget to read the fine print and make reservations).

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

Seven Island Wildlife Refuge - 1/30/2011

Old Man Winter, according to the forecast, was loosening his grip on East Tennessee this past weekend. I reckon his hand must have been hurting or cramping. He's recovered however because it's cold once again. Seeing that springlike weather was going to grace us over the weekend, our minds raced over the possibility of getting out two days in a row. With so much going on around here, two whole days just wasn't in the cards. But we're thankful we got to get out for the time we did.

Earlier in the week, wifey stumbled across Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge during one of her morning trips across the interwebs.  An absolute gem of a place and close to home to boot. Why hadn't we ever heard of this place before? As it happens, this place is quite popular with bird watchers, trail runners, and nature lovers in general. It was at one time a large homestead belonging to the Kelly family and was donated to Knox County to become a wildlife refuge.

Seven Islands features lush pastoral land cradled by the French Broad River. Additionally, there are roughly 5 miles worth of double-track, grassy trail  that takes the walker, hiker, runner, or nature lover through the fields, up the Overlook Trail, and past all sorts of bird houses, roosts, and research implements. On the Overlook trail, the views of the Smokies are breathtaking, and when coupled with sights of the French Broad, one couldn't ask for a more serene backdrop.

The River Island, Steamboat Island, and Homestead trails along the lower parts of the refuge guide you through more fields along bluffs of the Overlook trail and alongside the French Broad. Along the way are ample opportunities to glimpse various species of birds, aquatic life, and plenty of trees, flora and fauna. There are two barns on the homestead each featuring their own Appalachian quilt marking their significance in the area and making them part of the Appalachian Quilt Trail. The Kelly home is still present on the grounds as well and is a beautiful farm house at that.

We hiked a total of 3.72 miles of trail during our visit after all was said and done. Graced by clear skies, wonderful views, and plenty of much needed sunlight, we couldn't have been more blessed. We found tons of "Critters'" eggs all along the way too. It turns out they weren't critters from outer space, nor were they brains, but rather they were Osage Oranges (aka Horse Apples). Robin and I both had never seen these softball sized fruits.

And the thorns on the trees they grow on! Oh my!

The hike was indeed wonderful and we plan on going back again. If you fancy a trip there, may we suggest getting there early. As the day grew longer, more and more people were spotted along the trails. If you are anything like us, we try to avoid the crowds so we can enjoy the peaceful solitude of nature. Early in the day, that is what we got. Once church let out and the masses arrived, it was a completely different vibe (think inner city park). Luckily, we were about done anyway.

Lunch was calling our name from the car, and the Beene was bugging about her "sammich."










Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

P.S. Here's our track details from Trimble, and here's more pictures.

Pre-track edit:

Post-track edit:

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!"