Gatlinburg, the good, the bad and the so-so

    No more country lanes and scenic byways, we are on the highway headed home.  Snow flurries fell on this guitar as we crossed the state line into Tennessee.

   This area is the former State of Franklin.  It was created when North Carolina spun off lands west of the summit of the Great Smoky Mountains.  Statehood was short-lived as Congress did not recognize it nor its elected officials but later TN joined the US, then seceded during the Civil War.

    We’ll start with the bad.  Gatlinburg is a massive traffic jam.  There is one through street going east and west and its traffic makes NYC seem like a speedway.

 We left our campground to get to the Craftsmen Fair and inched along for almost an hour.  This traffic continues up into the Great Smoky’s where the two-lane road is filled with tourists jumping out at road cut-outs to snap a picture or piling up on the side of the road to watch a bear.  The road is the only way to get over the mountains.  Because it is a mountain road, it has severe twists and the only turn we have taken where the road spirals 360 degrees so the you end up just above the spot you started. 
   
    Next comes so-so.  The sidewalks of Gatlinburg are as jammed as the roads though with pedestrians.  If you love chain restaurants and souvenir shops filled with the over-priced usual, Gatlinburg is a destination.  We were unimpressed.  Sadly, we were also unimpressed with the Craftsmen’s Fair, one reason we had come this way.  Our scale of rating crafts ranges from utter disappointment at the Sawtooth Mountain Women’s Craft Fair (pre-blog days) to the admiration in both Tamarack, WV and Asheville, NC (see 2013 Spring entry).  This huge fair fit in the middle.  It was filled with items made by the sellers but more crafty than artistic (no photos allowed).  The one bit of amusement was when Anna Lee met a woman exhibitor who graduated from East High in Denver, though two decades later.

    Looking for better art, we drove the eight-mile Arts and Crafts Trail.  We saw wood carvers, leather workers, potters, painters, quilters and more (much the same as at the show) but easily resisted any purchases, even the fudge and ice cream.

    Now for the good.  Though our first day was bitter cold with a hard frost during the night,  we were delighted that the weather person predicted wrong for the next day.  We awoke to blue skies and cool but comfortable air. 

 Heading for the park visitors’ center, we hoped to miss the traffic.  It was only slightly better with the parking lot almost full, but we were headed away from the crowds.

Like Shenandoah, the Smoky’s became a national park in reaction to the success of the parks in the West.  This one was acquired through the largess of John D. Rockerfeller, Jr. and some of his friends.  The Smoky’s also claim to be the most visited park.

We had a wonderful day in the park.  We took a 10K volksmarch along paths up to John Ownby’s cabin,

up to Cataract Falls,

past chimney ruins,

along the West Prong Little River,

and past colorful foliage

and this interesting sign at the visitors’ center.

    This walk was wonderful and we enjoyed the quiet beauty that really is the Great Smoky Mountains.

Interesting geographical facts
    1.  Bristol, VA 24201 and Bristol, TN 37620, one town split down the middle by a state border requiring a duplicate of all state and municipal government services.  We spent the night in VA before coming to Gatlinburg.
    2.  Tennessee and North Carolina: The Great Smoky’s are in two states.  Depending on where you stand at Newfound Gap you are in a different state.

    3.  Tennessee is in two time zones.  We went from Eastern to Central as we drove on I 40.

Staunton

Staunton stands on the western edge of the Shenandoah’s.  It has two major claims to fame.  First, it survived the Civil War virtually intact, its various districts filled with two hundred and fifty years of wonderful

architecture.  We wandered the downtown admiring the Clock Tower on the 1890 YMCA,

the 1895 Marquis Building

and this 1912 New Theatre.

We parked next to the Temple House of Israel built in 1925.  It looks like it belongs in the Middle East.

Near the temple is the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the second reason for the town to be known. 

 Wilson’s father was a Presbyterian minister and lived in a manse provided by the church.  The children were well educated by their mother though Woodrow was dyslexic.

Our docent explained that a typical main meal took three hours from preparation to consumption. Built in the 1850's, the house had modern conveniences like a range, a stove that had a “range” of cooking temperatures (positions).  Three slaves provided by the church tended to the house.  Mother Wilson was a musician and her guitar sits in the parlor.  No photos allowed in the house.  When Wilson was three, the family moved to Augusta, GA. 

His adulthood is told in the Wilson Library and Museum next to the house.  The Pierce Arrow purchased by some supporters has been lovingly restored and is used in holiday parades.

 Wilson had a purpose in furthering his education and promoting his own values.  His progressive ideas led to conflict when he was President of Princeton University, but served him well as the Democratic Presidential candidate against two Republicans, Taft and Roosevelt.  One of his plans during his terms in office was to convert the peoples of Africa to Christianity.  He was joined in this plan by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryant. 

Wilson initially opposed suffrage but changed his mind.  This warning (not his) was circulated during his term in office.

Wilson’s first wife died during his first term.  Though he grieved deeply, he remarried a year later.  His efforts in trying to establish the League of Nations led to his having a stroke while in Colorado.  What has recently been revealed in the records of his doctor is that only the doctor and Wilson’s wife Edith knew how incapacitated he was.  The rumors of Edith being the “first woman President” are true as she acted in his name for the remaining eighteen months of his term.

 In the basement of the museum is a mockup of a French-built trench from WWI.  It zigzags every ten yards to keep the enemy from following the soldiers and to minimize the damage from in- coming grenades and artillery shells.

Our travel material recommended Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant.  The recommendation was supported by a woman at the Elk’s Lodge where we were parked and rebuked by a police officer at the Court House.  On our visit we learned that one needs to be on Social Security to eat there or so it seemed.  The officer was right, the food is not like it used to be even if we did know what “used to be” tastes like.



Even so, Staunton was one of those unexpected delights that happen along the road.  We thought it was just a stop between two national parks but it wound up offering interesting things to see and enjoy. 

 And it had a good Halloween display.

Shenandoah

Our return home takes us first south and then west.  We begin our journey driving through the towns and farmlands of Pennsylvania and Maryland on our way for a return visit to Shenandoah National Park.  It never ceases to amuse us that one can drive through so many states in an hour in the East, not possible in the West.  We left PA, went through MD, nicked VA (about a mile), on to WV and then back to VA where we are settled in the national park (so very glad they and all fed employees are back to work).  You may recall that we stayed in a wonderful state park here on Memorial Day Weekend with Cheryl, Dave and Bennett.  We have traded in the comforts of power and water to bask in the beauty of the trees that surround our campsite within the park.

After leaving the RV in its temporary home, we took a sunset ride along Skyline Drive to enjoy the view and were treated to a bear and her cub crossing the road. 

 Sadly, they refused to pose for a good picture.

The next morning we joined Ranger Woody (his real name) for a 2-mile hike up to Stony Man. Woody told of the development of the national parks of the East.  Easterners saw people traveling to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and wanted to share the success of those parks  in the West. A combination of wealth from men like John D. Rockefeller II and the law of eminent domain, took parks like Acadia, Shenandoah and the Great Smokey Mountains out of private ownership and into the NPS.  Eminent domain was the prime means for Shenandoah.  Farmland where owners made $100 per chestnut tree they cut down fell under eminent domain because of propaganda that said these farmers were barely surviving and because a blight was destroying the chestnuts.  Some left willingly selling to the government, for others resentment continues to this day.

For visitors, this is a beautiful area rich in 100-150 year old trees, green stone lava flows left by ancient glaciers, and home to wild life.  The Shenandoahs are assumed the oldest mountains in the US (maybe the world.  See our New River blog for the nearby ancient river of the area).  Our hike took us onto the Appalachian Trail denoted by the white paint slash on the trees (does that earn us an AT designation?  Anna Lee is reading Wild for her book club and getting a hint of the effort to hike a transcontinental trail). 

Woody pointed out the power of nature to destroy and survive.  While one tree cleaved a boulder,

the other continued to thrive in spite of another tree falling upon it.

Anna Lee reacts to the climate on top of the mountain.

After lunch at Skyland, we hiked down and down and down to Dark Hollow Falls.  The steep trail (for us) was worth the photos, wasn’t it?

Woody told us about a special open house of Massahutten Lodge, home to the founder of Skyland.  Back in the late 1800s, George Pollock went to Shenandoah to check on his father’s copper mine.  He reported that the mine wasn’t doing well, but the area was of such beauty that they family should build a resort for wealthy Easterners to vacation.  Skyland is that resort and the lodge was home to George and, more so, his wife Addie.  Though their marriage was one of separate living with her claiming he married her for her money, both shared a commitment to Shenandoah.  Addie built her own house and hosted women writers, artists, and suffragettes in her four-room cottage.  No interior photos allowed.

Skyland still is a popular resort.  We returned in the evening for a show by the Shenandoah Valley Cloggers.  These women, aged 28-73, performed dances similar to Irish and Scottish jigs with country music.  They were delightful and much in the vein of George Pollock who enjoyed entertaining his guests with a variety of shows.

Because of its location near major population centers, Shenandoah claims to be the most visited national park in the system and we look forward to a return visit.

A Day of Artistic Intensity

We began the morning in Chadds Ford at the Brandywine River Museum which features art from the three generations of Wyeths who all lived in this area.  So esteemed were they, local residents protected them from visitors by denying they had seen or even heard of them even when one of the Wyeths might be standing right near by.

A few weeks ago, back in Shelbourne, VT, we visited a traveling exhibit of their art.  From the wonderful docent we had there and the second wonderful one we had here at their museum, we got a basic lesson in their art.  Again, no photos allowed.

Our tour started with Newell Converse, the first of the Wyeth artists.  He made his reputation early as an illustrator for major magazines.  Robert Louis Stevenson personally asked him to illustrate his popular books.  Many of the original drawings of Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are displayed.  Other writers followed suit in requesting his work.  N. C.  fought hard to affirm his reputation as a “serious” artist and not just an “illustrator”.  Many of his paintings of storms, boats and fishermen give a sense of vertigo, as if he were looking down upon the scene.

N.C. had five children.  Three became artists, one a musician and one a mechanical engineer.  He taught art but had his son-in-law teach Andrew, the most famous of his children.  Andrew broke from his father’s use of oils and rich colors and chose to paint in tempera (watercolor) mixed with eggs from the local WaWa Market.  His color palate was more muted. 

One of Andrew’s subjects was his neighbor and his neighbor’s home.  He painted what we might consider mundane and made it worthy of intense contemplation.  We saw a couple of his paintings of Christine, the subject who has made him so well known.

Our time there was too brief and we were unable to tour the houses.  We shall have to come back.  One lesson we would like to pass on, the audio tour of this museum repeats what is printed beside the pictures.  Save the few dollars it costs and follow the live docent who will enrich the experience.

After leaving the Wyeth Museum, we returned to Philadelphia to join Barbara and Bob on the Old German Township House Tour.  These are homes from the 1880s to early 1900s and have been or are being restored.  They are homes that are lived in now and we met some of the owners. 

The first home we visited, Oaks Cloister, is akin to a museum as the owners have a rich array of collectibles. 

It was the home for the architect of the Pennsylvania State Capitol and has many similar features including a ceramic copy of a wooden alterpiece carved by Alexander Calder (father of the artist famous for mobiles).  The 20-room mansion, though a private home, is frequently used for major fundraising events. 

 We enjoyed talking to the present owner of the home and to his restorer who has spent eight years working on this fabulous home.  Though it did not seem so to us, it continues to be a work in progress.

The next three homes, though very large and quite beautiful, did seem more liveable.  The second had been in the Pettit family for decades, six with the last owner.  Too much stuff and a fire all but destroyed the home.  Now it is a notable residence featuring cut-glass windows and an inviting porch that sweeps around most of the house.

In nearby Mt. Airy we visited a home that, for a time, had been part of the Combs College of Music.  It has been restored to its original beauty and is a very liveable home for the family.  It is a home where contrasts work well.  The house was built in 1896 and showcases the owners’ collection of African-American art well.

Our last house is a prime example of what persistence and commitment can do.  The original owner lost his cigar business and, thus, the house.  After a series of owners, it was bought by Daddy Grace, founder of the United House of Prayer of All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith.  Later the house fell into great disrepair.  The current owners have spent five years restoring walls, flooring, and ceilings.  They are less than half way done but what they have accomplished makes us want to return for the completed home.  Good luck to them.

We took a dinner break at a local pub.  Across the street from Barbara and Bob’s home is the Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting Hall with Greet the Light, A James Turrell Skyspace.  We will try to describe this serene and lovely experience because no photos are allowed.  At sunset, in silence we entered a rectangular Quaker meeting hall filled with wooden benches.  People who had arrived before us were seated or lying on the benches, window ledges or the floor.  We took our seats and raised our heads to experience the evening. 

The middle of the ceiling has a rectangular hole that (and this is where words may fail) changes color as the LED lights rimming the ceiling change color.  The result is an opposition of color, orange lights, teal center; yellow lights, blue center.  The colors vary in intensity from light to vibrant.  The many shades gradually change over about an hour.  A couple of times an airplane flew overhead reminding us that we were looking at blank space even though our minds saw colors.  This was a most pleasant and unique experience which we look forward to doing again. 

We bid a fond farewell to Barbara and Bob and look forward to returning to be with them and learn what plans they have for us.

Harry Potter Festival

Cousins Barbara and Bob live in Philadelphia and have wonderful things for us to do every time we visit.  This time it was a Harry Potter Festival in their Chestnut Hill neighborhood.  This was the third year for this event.

We started our Potter Weekend with dinner at Iron Hill Brewery.  The menu featured Hogwarts fare including Butter Beer.  Barbara really enjoyed hers. 

Dave opted for a beer flight.

We muggles made our normal choices. 

Bennett played chew the balloon.

The next day we met Barbara and Bob for lunch at Night Kitchen Bakery.   Their speciality this weekend was ghost cupcakes.

Then we joined the revelers crowding the sidewalks.   Harry, Hermione, Ron, Mad Eye Moody and many of the students and faculty of Hogworts jammed the area.  A diverse group of adults and children immersed themselves in the beloved books of J. K. Rowling.

Stores took advantage of the day and featured appropriate items for sale.  What fun this street party is. 

We didn’t have time for any magic or black arts classes because we had to catch the bus to the quidditch tournament.  The rivalries between local college teams is intense and really heats up when the snitch shows up.

 The snitch tries to outrun pursuers and single handedly defends himself against all attackers but always loses his globe.  Thus the game ends.  The winner of the final playoff was Penn State.

During the game Bennett found the piles of leaves more fun.

We ended our unique day with a delicious dinner at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant.  Then we said weepy farewell to Cheryl, Dave and Bennett.   We tried to keep the boy but his parents found where we hid him.