Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is one of my favorite cities that we have visited so far.  Our RV park sat right on the banks of the French Broad River.  The river was not very wide and very swift.  Paddleboarders did not even have to paddle!

The campsite was shady and our neighbors were interesting and friendly.  We met our first woman traveling alone.  She drove a beautiful motorhome and towed a full-size Jeep Cherokee.  Her two dogs were adorable.  There was a beautiful walking/biking path that ran through the park and went on for about two miles left and right of the park.  I got a new bike while we were there and loved going for a bike ride every day.

Our other neighbor, Peter, lived in the park full-time.  He was a nice guy who loved to help people.  He came to our rescue when we first pulled in.  There were some low hanging branches and he literally jumped the little fence between our lots, got his pole saw and chopped the limbs right off the tree.  We saw him several times in the week we were there lending a hand to other campers.  Life lesson:  Don't judge a book by its cover.

Peter's Place

Asheville is tucked away in the Appalachians just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  You might think it would be an unsophisticated backwater of interest only to outdoorsy types and those who just want to get away from it all.  The city manages to combine the homey feel of a small mountain town with a funky artsy vibe you'd expect to find in a much bigger city.  

There are working studios tucked into old warehouses and abandoned buildings.  Artists are happy to stop and talk with you and show you around.  It was so inspiring.  We spent the better part of 2 1/2 days touring studios.

Our location was so great that no matter what direction you went there was something wonderful to see or do.  We were both antsy to do some hiking, so we headed out the Blue Ridge Parkway to the town of Brevard, Land of Waterfalls. There are over 250 waterfalls and countless streams.  It is a "temperate rain forest that supports some of the rarest plant and animal species on the planet."  Brevard  is also well-known for a pair of white squirrels on the lam from a traveling carnival in the 1950's, started a family that now spans generations.  There is even a store called The White Squirrel that sells everything and anything relating to these rare white squirrels.

TraderJoe's was a welcome find, and we stocked up on our favorite snacks.

Time in Asheville flew by and we are ready to move on to Charlotte.  Getting closer to my brother Ken...yeah!

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.

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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.

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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.