Reader's Digest Scenic Drives Archives - Page 5 of 9

Day 68 – South Carolina’s Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway

Day 68 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Stumphouse Tunnel Park

We left Georgia for the northwest part of South Carolina today. Our first stop along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway was at Stumphouse Tunnel Park to see Issaqueena Falls, a 200 foot cascade. Unbeknownst to me, the park also featured an unfinished tunnel, hence the name. The work on Stumphouse Tunnel began in the 1850s to provide railroad passage from Cincinnati, OH to Charleston, SC.

The granite rock proved a challenge and Irish immigrants were only able to progress 200 feet per month. As such, funds for the proposed 5,863 foot tunnel were depleted. Before more funds were acquired, the Civil War commenced, and the tunnel was never completed.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 67 – North Georgia Highlands Part 2

Day 67 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

My pecans, cheese, and dates for dinner left me slightly hungry this morning, so I stopped at Burger King for “Free Coffee Friday” and blueberry biscuits for a dollar. If anyone needs to know how to live on $30 a day in America, I’d be the appropriate person to ask! The dogs and I got an early start in the North Georgia Highlands.

I wanted to make sure we got close to South Carolina by day’s end because tomorrow we get the chance to meet up with Walter, an ex-coworker. He quit before me but was more practical and lined up another job. We’ll connect at his family’s farm in South Carolina and/or his lake house in North Carolina as they are only thirty minutes apart. I’m pretty excited about it!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 66 – North Georgia Highlands

Day 66 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Tellico Lake

We started the day driving south toward Georgia. On the way, we stopped at Tellico Lake. The lake was formed by damming the Little Tennessee River. The land surrounding it was once owned by the Cherokee Indians and its capital, Tanasi, (the word from which Tennessee evolved) stood nearby. I was hoping to see a memorial of eight stone pillars commemorating the eight posts that supported the tribe’s meeting house, but I only found a reconstructed fort with another school bus in the parking lot. Apparently the week before Thanksgiving week is a good time for field trips!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 65 – East Tennessee Border Tour Part 2

Day 65 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

OK, after my detour to Knoxville last night, I ended up returning to Sieverville, not far from the continuation of my scenic drive along the East Tennessee Border. What an interesting place! Sieverville is just west of Gatlinburg. In between Sieverville and Gatlinburg is Pigeon Forge. I felt like I was in a mini Vegas except instead of walking down the Strip past hotels and casinos, I drove down Dolly Parton Parkway past motels and attractions including magic, theater, miniature golf, speed racing, the Titanic Museum, moving seat cinema, laser tag, and more! Well, really Dolly Parton Parkway was a few miles away, but it sounded better to have all the entertainment lining the street with her name. No worries, I stopped by Dollywood too…though it was closed.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 64 – East Tennessee Border Tour

Day 64 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park

Since the dogs spent most of the afternoon and evening in VANilla out of the rain, our first stop on the East Tennessee border this morning was at a local park in Elizabethton. We stretched our legs on a mile walk along the Watauga River. Along with the walking trail, Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park showcased the reconstructed Fort Watauga and related history.

Being the center of the Watauga Settlement, the first permanent settlement west of the 13 colonies, this area is considered significant in Tennessee history. The organization of the Watauga Association (1772), the Transylvania Purchase (1775), the Siege of Fort Watauga (1776), and the Overmountain Muster (1780) all took place on these grounds.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 63 – Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia Part 2)

Day 63 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

The dogs and I returned to the Blue Ridge Parkway near the border of Virginia and North Carolina. We made two stops on the Parkway, Smart View and Mabry Mill, before jumping off to visit Eastern Tennessee. Reader’s Digest explains the names of each stop fit the description mountain folk applied ages ago.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 62 – Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia)

Day 62 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Today the dogs and I started down the Blue Ridge Parkway which connects to the south end of Skyline Drive which I completed last week. The drives, similar in scenery, were quite different in other ways. Skyline Drive passes through a National Park where a toll booth marks a limited amount of entry and exit points. I believe there were three in total. As such, the Skyline Drive area is more pristine.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 61 – West Virginia’s Midland Trail Part 2

Day 61 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

I ended up at Red Lobster last night with a pound of snow crab legs…my favorite. I’m not much on chain restaurants, but I tell you, I’ve eaten at more chain and fast food places in the last 60 days than I have in the last several years! Red Lobster always reminds me of childhood days. My mom and Bart once came up with a plan for the children to try different restaurants on Monday night when my brothers Bart and Ed visited.

Each Monday, one of us got to pick a restaurant. Celebration and Chiquita’s were favorites until my brother Bart picked Red Lobster. I think Ed and I picked Red Lobster the next two weeks and after a month of eating at the Red Lobster, the restaurant plan went by the wayside!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 60 – West Virginia’s Midland Trail

Day 60 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Ok, so I couldn’t find Lucy’s last night, so I stopped by the local liquor store and asked where it was located. The gentleman behind the register suggested if I wanted food that I should skip Lucy’s and go to the sports bar called Spare Time at the bowling alley. Either he has a stake in the bowling alley, Lucy’s made him mad, or I ordered the wrong item.

I’m always leery of ordering a chicken sandwich at places I haven’t been, but the bartender said they were good, so I went with the ranch chicken fillet sandwich. I should have known fillet meant pressed chicken parts, not breast, GAG! In their defense, the onion rings were good, and the quesadilla and wings that other patrons ordered looked tasty as well.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Day 59 – West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands Part 2

Day 59 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

I planned on an early start this morning and awoke to a parking lot full of fog. While I waited for the fog to dissipate, I provisioned VANilla, bought the dogs a new bed, and found the best $2.12 breakfast in town. Ok, it was at Burger King. But still, it’s hard to find anything but a bacon or sausage egg sandwich or powdered donuts in the early mornings on these scenic drives, especially in the Potomac Highlands.

Believe it or not, Starbucks are few and far between, and I’m not inclined to spend $5 on coffee anyway! Two items on Burger King’s $1 menu are a small cup of coffee and four warm, mini-blue berry biscuits complete with liquid sugar dipping sauce also known as icing. It’s my new breakfast of champions when I don’t feel like cooking oatmeal!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!