Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

We parked at the cutest little park in Pigeon Forge, Kentucky called Walden Creek.  The park sat right on a river and was run by a young couple with a teenage son.  He was always out mowing the lawn!

The town of Pigeon Forge reminds me a lot of Las Vegas (without the casinos).  The "strip" is about three miles long and it is restaurant, amusement park, theatre or souvenier shop with a stop light on every corner and six lanes of traffic.  We did not spend a lot of time in town.  Five miles down the road to the east is the town of Gatlinburg.  This town sits right on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  There is an awesome Arts and Crafts community in Gatlinburg.  On our first excursion there we went on an eight mile loop through the mountains that had little artist studios and workshops...most of them in very old, rustic buildings.  My favorite was an herb, potpourri, tea shop that was made out of an old covered bridge.  Everything in the shop was built out of recycled stuff.  It wa awesome.  I was so impressed  by the pottery, stained glass, jewelry and baskets that are being made in the foothills.  These people live a very simple life and are all so happy to be doing what they love.  The proprietor of the tea/herb shop lives in her store room with her English Bulldog named Violet.

.  All of the shops were along this country road.

.

Another fun excursion we did in the Smoky Mountains was the Cades Cove Tour.  A "cove" in Smoky Mountain vernacular is a relatively flat valley between mountains or ridges.  This particular cove is a showcase for some of the most inspiring natural and cultural treasures that the Southern Appalachian Mountains have to offer.  We were told there are few other places within the entire national park system where both wild nature and human history can be enjoyed in such an idyllic setting.  It is an 11 mile one-way road through a former farming community that housed 125 families.   It was a very close knit community.  On the tour you can stop at 18 different places and walk through homes, churches, farms, cemeteries, mills, barns, cabins, mill pond and dam.  It is so beautiful and peaceful.

I sometimes think I would have made a pretty awesome pioneer woman(!) but am really grateful to be here in the 21st century.

Another gem we discovered in Gatlinburg was the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.  The campus is nestled on a 14-acre hillside hidden in the center of town.   Energy, stimulation and creativity are central to the experience at Arrowmont.  From the moment you arrive on campus, you feel a rush of excitement as you realize the opportunities that await you.  It isn't every day that you encounter a place where you can immerse yourself in art, refresh your spirit, push your boundries and expand your creative horizon.  There were no classes going on while we were there, but we did get to tour the studios, classrooms and the Artist Outfitters store.  We also met the Director of Curriculum and an artist in residence.  I was ready to abandon my trip and sign up!   In the words of the Executive Director, "Not until you and your fellow students and instructors have lived these days together at Arrowmont and taken the riches from the experience back to your own lives and families and worlds, will we have an inkling of what you've accomplished."

You can check out their website at www.arrowmont.org

We toured the Bush's Best Beans facility while we were in the area.  It was a pretty fascinating tour.  Back in the day, before WW2, the Bush family employed most of the town.

This next picture is the original Bush residence.

o

Pigeon Forge was a fun two-week stay.  We did a few of the tourist things like visiting The Old Mill (www.oldmillsquare.com), The Island for a fun water show put to music and performed at dusk every night, The Apple Inn for cider and apple pie, outlet shopping, the world's biggest Christmas store, a Memories Show featuring Elvis, Neil Diamond, Marilyn Monroe and Jason Aldean.  It was amazing how talented the Impersonators were.  It was also fun to be with Ken (the CAR guy) and watch all of the classic cars cruising the strip at night.

We couldn't resist one more County Fair.  The Sieverville County Fair was right down the road, so we went.  This is really small-town USA and everybody participates.Here are a few pictures.  Check out the canned goods and Moonshine!

It was a great end to our stay.  We are off to Asheville, North Carolina.