| RV Trip 5 - Great Smoky Mountain National Park, TN/ Washington DC/ Bumpass, VA/ Hilton Head, SC/ Stone Mountain, GA/ Kansas City, MO/ Oklahoma City, OK |
July 14 - Departure from Buffalo Gap - Overnight Stay in Little Rock, AR
On Monday, July 14, we left early from Buffalo Gap, and drove to Little Rock, Arkansas. We stayed overnight in the North Little Rock KOA. Here are some fun facts from Wikipedia.
Buffalo Gap is an incorporated town with a population was 463. Buffalo Gap was settled at the site of a natural pass through which bison herds traveled. It was a point on the Great Western Cattle Trail.
Buffalo Gap was established in 1857 and procured a post office in 1878. The Callahan Divide, a topographic boundary between the Brazos and Colorado river basins, crosses Buffalo Gap from east to west. Elm Creek once provided a watering hole for buffalo.
Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city in Arkansas, with a population of about 185,000. Located near the geographic center of Arkansas, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche ("the little rock"). The "little rock" was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing. It marked the transition from the flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills.
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| Cary, Molly, Lota & Jordan are ready to leave in the Waggin' Wagon. |
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| All systems are a go for departure. |
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July 15 - 18 - Great Smoky Mountain National Park
On July 15, we traveled from Little Rock to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Our "home" for the next several days was the Outdoor Resorts of American Motorcoach Resort. After spending a couple of hours on winding two lane roads after dark, we were very happy to reach our destination.
Gatlinburg is a town of about 4,000 permanent residents, and rests on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The city is a popular vacation resort with alot of history. In 1912, Gatlinburg was a small hamlet with six houses, a blacksmith shop, a general store, a Baptist Church, and a greater community of 600 individuals, most of whom lived in log cabins. In 1916, Andrew Huff spearheaded the tourism movement in the Gatlinburg area by opening the first hotel in Gatlinburg — the Mountain View Hotel. But the real change happened in conjunction with the opening of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Some park history - extensive logging in the early 1900s led to increased calls by conservationists for federal action, and in 1911 Congress passed the Weeks Act to allow for the purchase of land for national forests. Advocates began generating interest in the creation of a national park in the Smokies, similar to Yellowstone or Yosemite in the Western United States. With the purchase of 76,000 acres of the Little River Lumber Company tract in 1926, the movement quickly became a reality. In spite of resistance from lumberers and Tennessee lawmakers, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was opened in 1934.
The park radically changed Gatlinburg. In 1934, the first year of the park, an estimated 40,000 visitors passed through the city. Within a year, this number had increased exponentially to 500,000. From 1940 to 1950, the cost of land in Gatlinburg increased from $50 to $8000 per acre. While the park's arrival benefited Gatlinburg and made many of the town's residents wealthy, the tourism explosion led to problems with air quality and urban sprawl. The town's infrastructure is often pushed to the limit on peak vacation days, and must consistently re-adapt to accommodate the growing number of tourists.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. It is the most visited national park in the US. On its route from Maine to Georgia, the Applachian Trail also passes through the center of the park. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration, and other federal organizations made trails, fire watchtowers, and other infrastructure improvements to the park and Smoky Mountains.
We loved our visit, and highly recommend it for those who love wildlife and natural beauty.
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| The family at the entrance to GSMNP. |
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| The beautiful Smoky Mountains. |
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July 19 - Endless Caverns, VA
Endless Caverns is a commercial show cave near New Market, Virginia. The cave is a limestone solution cave that was discovered by two boys in October 1879, while hunting rabbits on the property of Ruben Zirkle. The boys cornered a rabbit behind an outcropping of limestone rocks, and began moving some of the loose stones to flush the rabbit from his hiding place. After doing this they discovered a hole in the ground and ran back to the house to grab some ropes and candles. After going into the hole the boys found that there was many chambers and rooms. Not long after the discovery, the Zirkles began doing candle lit tours through the cave. In 1919, the cave was bought by Colonel Brown, who had the cave fully wired and lights were installed. Endless Caverns was allegedly the first cave ever to have electrical lighting.
We stayed one night at the Endless Caverns RV Park, and would recommend it. Unfortunately the caverns were closed for a private function, but we hope to come back and stay again soon.
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| One of the prettiest parks on our trip - the Endless Caverns RV Park, Endless Caverns, VA. |
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July 20 - 24 - Little Bennett Regional Park, Maryland (Washington, DC region)
On July 20, we drove the short distance from Endless Caverns, VA to Clarksburg, MD, home of Little Bennett Regional Park and Campground. This park is only about 15 miles from where we lived in Gaithersburg. Here is a little history of the Little Bennett area from the park's website.
As early as the 18th century, the Little Bennett Valley was the scene of farms and small scale industries capitalizing on the region's abundant resources of timber, water, vegetation and vast acreage for farming. Several grist mills, a sumac mill, a saw mill, a saw and bone mill and a whisky distillery were established at various timess along the Little Bennett Creek. Only the Hyattstown Mill remains as testimony to those early enterprises. The steep and rocky slopes did not encourage farming; but the farmers persevered nonetheless. They raised tobacco, for example, into the 20th century, even though the emphasis had long before shifted to grains. Around the close of the 19th century, a small rural community was established in the valley. It was named Kingsley after the King Family, who were prominent in the area. The last remaining vestige of that settlement is a one-room schoolhouse. Today, this 3700 acre preserve is Little Bennett Regional Park, a facility owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park Planning Commission. The park offers hiking, camping, golfing and equestrian opportunities.
We truly enjoyed our stay at Little Bennett, and look forward to visiting again very soon.
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July 25 - 27 - Lori's Lakehouse in Bumpass, VA
Our friend, Lori, invited us for a long weekend at her recently acquired lakehouse on Lake Anna. Even though we had heard of Lake Anna, we really didn't know the story behind the lake. Here is a brief story about the creation of the lake and the town of Bumpass, Virgina that is nearest Lori's lakehouse..
In 1968, a Virginia power company bought several hundred acres of farm land to build a lake that was being created to cool the North Anna power plant. When Hurrican Agnes came in 1972, the now-cleared farmland along the North Anna and Pamunkey River filled filled with water, creating what is now over 200 miles of beautiful shoreline. Lake Anna is now one of the premier vacation spots in central Virginia.
Bumpass is an unicorporated community that was named for the Bumpass family (from the French Bon Pas meaning "good step") who lived in the area when it was named. It is known for its many farms, defunct ice cream spoon factory, alpaca ranches, and lumbering operations. It contains most of Lake Anna and several houses and estates from the 18th to early 20th centuries, including Jerdone Castle, a plantation (now lakefront) dating to 1742 that is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
We so enjoyed our time with Lori, and look forward to returning soon. Enjoy the photos!
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July 29 - August 4 - Hilton Head Island, SC
We arrived in Hilton Head on July 29, and parked the Wagon at the Outdoor Resorts of America Motorcoach Resort. This was probably our favorite spot on the entire trip -- just gorgeous with terrific amenities. We stayed for several days enjoying the company of our good friends, Scott, Cynthia, Conner & Alyssa, as they were on their two-week summer vacation from their home in Austin, TX. As you can see by the photos, we rode bikes, went crabbing and played golf. We also enjoyed several wonderful meals together -- what a great time!
In addition to the photos below, here are some fun facts about Hilton Head from Wikipedia:
Hilton Head is a town (located on an island of the same name) in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It is 20 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles south of Charleston. The island features 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. The year-round population is about 35,000, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 275,000.
The island has a rich history that started with seasonal occupation by native Americans thousands of years ago, and continued with European exploration and the Sea Island Cotton trade. In 1663, Captain William Hilton sailed on the Adenture from Barbados to explore lands granted by King Charles II to the eight Lords Proprietors. In his travels, he identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound. He named it "Hilton's Head" after himself. He stayed for several days, making note of the trees, crops, "sweet water" and "clear sweet air". Hilton Head became an important base of operations for the Union blockade of the Southern ports during the Civil War. Once the island fell to Union troops, hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head, which is still home to many 'native islanders', many of whom are descendants of freed slaves known as the Gullah (or Geechee) who have managed to hold onto much of their ethnic and cultural identity. The Town of Hilton Head Island proudly enforces the Land Management Ordinance which minimizes the impact of development and governs the style of buildings and how they are situated amongst existing trees. As a result, Hilton Head Island enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development.
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August 7 - 11 - Stone Mountain, GA
We arrived at Stone Mountain, Georgia to enjoy time with Callie, Jason & the boys who live in another nearby suburb of Atlanta. The area around Stone Mountain is great for camping, with a wonderful RV park, resort golf course, amusement area and lots of hiking trails. We really didn't know much about Stone Mountain, so here is a quick history (again from WIkipedia).
Stone Mountain is a granite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet above sea level and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground 9 miles at its longest point into Gwinnett County. Stone Mountain is also a quartz monzonite rock when described in geologic terms and is therefore not technically granite. Stone Mountain is well-known not only for its geology, but also for the enormous bas-relief on its north face, the largest bas-relief in the world. Three figures of the Confederacy are carved there: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis.
We truly enjoyed our stay, and hope you enjoy the photos!
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August 12 - 17 - Travel - Charlotte, NC; Charlottesville, VA; Lori's Lakehouse, Bumpass, VA; Milton, WV; Louisville, KY; Montgomery City, MO
Over the next six days and nights, we traveled to six different locations as we began the roundabout journey home. From Stone Mountain, we went to Charlotte, and enjoyed dinner with Selina, Kacie & Karlie Harmon, who had visitied us in Buffalo Gap just a few weeks before. On to Charlottesville, Virginia for a lovely evening before traveling just a few more miles to spend a night at Lori's Lakehouse and meet her family in town from Iowa. Off to the west, with stops in Milton, West Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky and Montgomery City, Missouri. In Louisville, we saw our niece, Dana, and her daughter, Jessica, for a quick visit. Here are a few bits of history about thse areas, followed by photos.
Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina, the 19th-largest city in the US and the largest city on the Eastern Seaboard between Philadelphia and Jacksonville. Charlotte's population is about 675,000, but the Charlotte metro area has just under 2 million. In 2008, Charlotte was chosen the "Best Place to Live in America" by relocate-america.com in its annual ranking, based on factors including employment opportunities, crime rates, and housing affordability. It was also named #8 of the 100 "Best Places to Live and Launch" by CNNMoney.com - cities picked for their vibrant lifestyles and opportunities for new businesses.
Charlottesville is a city in Albemarle County, Virginia that was named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III. WIth a population of just under 50,000, Charlottesville was ranked the best place to live in the United States (2004) in the book Cities Ranked and Rated by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander. Sperling and Sander ranked the cities based on cost of living, climate, and quality of life. Charlottesville is best known as the home to three US Presidents (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, as well as the home of the University of Virginia. The city is also known for Jefferson's Monticello, his renowned mountain-top home.
Milton is a 2,000-person town in Cabell County, West Virginia. Milton is really a suburb of Huntington, West Virginia, which has a population (metro area) of about 300,000. Milton is named for Milton Reese, a large land holder, and Milton's first postmaster when the town was established.
Louisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County. The city's metro area has a population of about 1,250,000. Louisville is most famous as the home of "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" -- the Kentucky Derby -- the widely watched first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.
Montgomery City is a small town west of St. Louis, Missouri, with a very quiet RV park convenient to the interstate.
All of our visitis here were short, but special!
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| Selina, Karlie, Lota & Kacie |
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| Jessica, Lota & Dana |
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August 18-19 - Kansas City, MO
We spent two glorious days in Kansas City, Missouri - an area that neither of us had been to before. Let us share a couple of Wikipedia fun facts about KC and the suburb (Peculiar) where the RV park was that we enjoyed.
Peculiar is a small suburb of Kansas City, with a population of about 2,500. The early settlers came to Western Missouri by riverboat and by land. On July 29, 1868, Robert Cass, county surveyor, surveyed Peculiar into lots, blocks and streets; this certified plat was filed as "The Town of Peculiar". Some say Peculiar got its name by a spiritualists who declared it "peculiar" that he had seen the site in a vision. Peculiar actually received its name in 1868 when its postmaster had his first choice, Excelsior, rejected because it already existed in another part of Missouri. Several other choices were also rejected. The story goes that the annoyed postmaster wrote to the Postmaster General himself to complain saying, among other things, "We don't care what name you give us so long as it is sort of 'peculiar'," (with "peculiar" in quotation marks). Washington approved that name. A historical plaque in the town reads: "In 1861-1864 while bloody battles raged throughout the southern states nothing happened here." The town motto is, appropriately enough, "Where the 'odds' are with you".
Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri, encompassing 318 square miles in several counties. Kansas City has a metro area of nearly two million people. Kansas City was founded in 1838 as the "Town of Kansas" at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers and was incorporated in its present form in 1850. Situated opposite Kansas City Kansas, the city was the location of several battles during the Civil War, including the Battle of Westport. The city is well known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue).It is officially nicknamed the City of Fountains. With over 200 fountains, the city claims to have second most in the world, just behind Rome. The city also has more boulevards than any city except Paris and has been called "Paris of the Plains." It is sometimes referred to colloquially as the Heart of America as it is near both the population center of the United States and the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states.
We stopped at Case Point in downtown KC. Here's the background: When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped atop this high bluff with a sweeping view of the Missouri River Valley on September 15, 1806, they noted that the site offered a "commanding situation for a fort." At that spot is a sculpture that depicts Lewis, Clark, York (Clark's manservant), and Sacagawea (Sacajawea or Sakakawea) holding her baby Jean Baptiste and Seaman (Lewis's newfoundland dog). Eugene Daub, one of America's leading figurative sculptures, created the work.
Another stop was the National World War I Museum. Opened in 2006, this wonderful museum uses an incredible collection and highly-interactive technology to bring this global history to life, and to foster timely discussions of ethics, values, decision making and conflict resolution. In Liberty Park, we enjoyed take-out barbecue from Fiorella's Jack Stack, which for the past 50 years has set the standard for premier barbecue in Kansas City.
Enjoying the fountains in Kansas City is a must. One place that we did this was at Country Club Plaza, an extraodinary 14 square block area that everyone ought to at least drive through it once. The Plaza was designed in 1922 as the nation's first suburban shopping district. Reminicient of European shopping districts, the plaza has lots of fountains, statues, nice store fronts, people everywhere. KC developer Jesse Clyde Nichols declared that Midwesterners had to create their own beauty. So he tore down 30 old houses and built European-style fountains and Spanish-tiled restaurants, theaters, department stores, hotels and galleries. Truly beautiful!
Kansas City is also know for its plethora of steakhouses. Not known to miss a meal, we decided to end our last day in KC with takeout so we could watch the Olympics. The folks at Jess & Jim's Steak House, located in Martin City, MO, were happy to accomodate. Jess & Jim's is one of Kansas City's classic steak houses with a history of high quality steaks going back over 60 years since the restaurant's founding in 1938! We had awesome hand-cut Angus Beef filets and all the fixins'.
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August 20 - Oklahoma City, OK
On our final stop before heading home, we spent a couple of hours at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. This was an incredibly moving experience, and one we would encourage every American to have. For those who might not remember, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured more than 650. A national memorial, constructed by a public/private partnership, was erected in their memory for the families, the survivors, and their rescuers. Here is an inscripton at the site:
We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever.
May all who leave here know the impact of violence.
May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace hope and serenity.
The memorial consists of (1) the Gates of Time - huge twin gates that frame the moment of destruction - 9:02am - and mark the formal entrances to the memorial, (2) the Reflecting Pool - soothing wounds and providing quiet time to reflect, (3) the Field of Empty Chairs - a poignant reminder of each life lost, (4) the Children's Area - hand painted tiles and chalkboards for children to express their feelings, (5) the Survivor Tree - a 90-year old American Elm that withstood the violence and is a symbol to the resilience of the survivors and (6) the Rescuers' Orchard - a grove of fruit and flowering trees surrounding the Survivor Tree for protection. We highly recommend a visit next time you are in the area.
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August 21 - Buffalo Gap, TX
It is so good to be HOME!
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