Smoky Mountains National Park

The Smoky Mountains are one billion years old.  It is a hardwood forest of basswood, birch, maple, tulip trees, sugar maple, hickory, birch and beech, etc.  The Frazier fir is being destoryed by an adelgid which  denudes the bark and leaves.

It is called the Smoky Mountains because of the haze.  Some of it is produced by the air breathing leaves which exude water and hydrocarbons.  Some of the haze is from pollution which is getting worse all the time.

Do you want to live here?  60" of rain a year!

There are so many redbuds and dogwoods surprising you on hikes and on the roadways.

We hiked to Laurel Falls and really did walk on the Applachian Trail - not far, though!!!

The hardwood trees make the forest so "lacy" looking.  They are beautiful.

The wildflowers were just beginning to bloom.  Trilliums and dwarf iris flowers.

The Appalachia people used gourds for bird feeders, sewed quilts for all their homes, including those with a newspaper background, and played the guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer and fiddle for their music; Scotch-Irish, gospel songs, African-American spirituals and all.  They were and are industrious people, using everything on the land to survive, except sugar and coffee.  We are honored to be here.

Now to see Shahela and then to Mammoth Caves, Kentucky, and to our nephew's family in Ohio before we begin our next project, which we will be leaders, in Pine Creek, Indiana!

An RV/Dog Park in North Carolina where we stayed for a week!

This is the Four Paw Kingdom Dog/RV Park in Rutherfordton, North Carolina operated by a husband and wife, Mike and Brigit, from Germany.  Everything is geared to our four-footed friends.  We loved it here and so did Rufus-pond to swim in, agility courses to run, paths to follow with dog poems everywhere and a special potluck one evening for all the dog owners!  

Biltmore Estate and Gardens

Fort Sumter

I have just finished reading "Of Gods and Generals" about the Civil War and wanted to visit the fort where the actual Civil War began as the first shots were fired there.  It was built after the War of 1812 as a federal fortification.  But when S. Carolina and other states proclaimed secession, adopted a Constitution, and elected Jefferson Davis as president, the southerners claimed all the forts but this one.  The Confederacy, after warning the very ill-manned fort, started firing as well as other forts nearby.  In one day the fort had to surrender as so much damage was done.  And the four-year War began.

The fort is at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in Charleston, S.C.

There were only 15 cannons present when the fort was completed in 1860.

The fort was three stories tall but when heavier barrages prevail, the fort was reduced to just one story.  What you see before you is "tabby" - a mixture of crushed oyster shells and concrete.  They built a wall of brick, then a wall of tabby and so forth to strength the walls.  Many houses in Charleston are made of tabby or made of tabby and then covered with concrete.  Notice the bombing shell that came through the wall!

Now to our dinner of shrimp and grits-yumm!

Homes of Savannah

Bluebeard, the pirate, leads private tours through the city!

Charleston-Pine Needle and Sea Grass Baskets

We met Linda, a pine needle basketmaker, at Bubba Gump's in Charleston for lunch...grits and shrimp-yumm!  Then we traveled to the open air market of Charleston, City Market.  These sea grass basketmakers are descendants from Africans in Ghana and Sierra Leonne.  Here they are comparing their baskets!!!!  And Earl hit the jackpot with $30 of pure sea grass to put in his baskets!  A lovely day!

This is the Talmadge Memorial Bridge that crosses the Savannah River from Savannah Georgia to South Carolina.  It is two miles long, and has four lanes of traffic.

Next is the Westin Hotel right on the waterfront.

Finally, a statue in honor of John Wesley, founder of Methodism...since we are NOMADS for the Methodist Church, we had to include this photo!

Paula Deen's Restaurant as seen from the Trolley

Diners awaiting their lunch across the street at Paula Deen's restaurant, "The Lady and Sons."  Earl was not patient enough to wait this long!!! He IS patient helping me do this blog so a little compromise is wonderful!

Savannah's Squares

I think I told you that Savannah has 21 squares developed by James Oglethorp.  Houses surround each square.  Many live oaks such as the one on the left with the tulips.  Such a lovely ambience.