Category: Fun

Although we live within fifty miles of it, I can’t remember the last time I was in Gatlinburg. It’s probably been sometime in the last ten years, but certainly not in the last two. I needed to change that.

For those not familiar with this charming little village, Gatlinburg sits at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Eastern Tennessee. In the summer, crowds swell, lines form at the attractions, and parking can get a bit tight. It’s not the crowds that keep me away because I love to “people-watch” and the folks that fill Gatlinburg can be quite interesting. Therefore, I have no good excuse for not visiting more often unless I use the “it’s close, so I can go there anytime” excuse.

On this week two years ago, the town of Gatlinburg was ablaze in a wildfire of epic proportions. By the time brave firefighters contained the fire, 14 people were dead, over 2,000 structures had burned to the ground in addition to the 10,000 acres torched in the National Park. I have friends who lost businesses. Some have rebuilt, others are finally getting around to thinking about it now that the shock is over.

On Wednesday of this week, Helen (adorable wife) and I sat around the breakfast table watching a news feature on the second anniversary of the fire. I decided that I should go and see the effects of the fire, and the rebuilding efforts for myself.  The day promised cold temperatures, but clear skies although the area had received a dusting of snow overnight.  I was surprised but, Helen wanted to go as well.  I guess it was too cold for pickleball.

My preferred route to Gatlinburg is to avoid I-40 and travel along Highway 441 so that I can keep the mountains in my view.  In the distance, I could see snow on the higher peaks. There were no clouds in the sky. The usually bustling shopping malls in Pigeon Forge seemed to be in “pause mode” now that Black Friday had passed.  Traffic was steady, but not stopped.

As we neared Gatlinburg city limits, Helen suggested that we take the by-pass and drive to Ober Gatlinburg, the ski resort that overlooks the city. As soon as we began the upward climb, we passed several buildings claimed by the wildfire. We stopped to look at one of the structures owned by some friends. It seemed to me that the passage of two years only increases the sadness of the devastation. I preferred to focus on the view.

Snow covered a portion of the grounds at the ski lodge and machines produced snow to cover the slopes at the rear of the lodge. The temperatures hovered in the twenties and no skiers had made it to the slopes, but a few were warming up for a run. I love to ski, and hope to have the opportunity again but, today was not the day.

Despite the fire, Gatlinburg seemed much like I remembered it from the days when I made regular visits on weekend getaways from college. Many of the motels and attractions had survived, and a few had even expanded beyond what I remembered. The only disappointment was that a favorite restaurant, McCutcheon’s, was now an Italian Bistro. Nevertheless, when I turned to the north, I could see an entire hillside with barely a twig left standing. This hillside is the location of the very popular Sky Lift that carried tourists to the top of the mountain and gave visitors an incredible view of the city and the mountaintops.

The Sky Lift remains, but the trees are long gone. The fire that destroyed the trees also burned a motel belonging to an acquaintance of ours. Having the flames come that close to downtown must have been horrific to tourists and townspeople alike.

Helen and I walked to one end of town and back, pausing long enough for a delicious lunch at the Pancake Pantry.  The Split Pea soup hit the spot as did the cucumber salad.  Half of the sandwiches ended up in a box so that we could take them with us and thereby save room for a stop at the Ol’ Smokey Candy Kitchen, another favorite from the old days.  The rather unfriendly candy maker did break his stoic posture long enough to tell us he was making cinnamon taffy.  We bought chocolate nuggets as well as some chocolate-covered toffee bars, then left before temptation completely overtook us.

Back at the starting point for our walk, we went into the Craft Show inside the Convention Center. Outside the Convention Center, a chainsaw artist created Black Bears. Some of them were pretty cute. Inside, one entire floor featured the works and art of various artisans. I watched while one of the artists gave a demonstration of her watercolor skills. Another lady showed the curious her technique for applying enamel to round river rocks. We avoided the impulse to buy anything but enjoyed strolling through the show.  The crowd was somewhat light.  At the end of our time there, we paused once again to listen to some beautiful music played on a hammer dulcimer.  I have shared a brief portion of the music with you in the video below. You’ll love it.

Gatlinburg is on the way back. I’m glad we went and promised that it wouldn’t be two years before I return. I recommend it highly. It’s a great destination for Easin’ Along.

Near our parking lot, a sign displayed my new slogan for the holiday season. This music gave me a head start. Please share your Gatlinburg memories in the comments section.  I’m certain you have some!

This time, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Helen (adorable wife) and I fly to Southern California once or twice a year to visit our family and every time we go, I understand why the place is so crowded. The weather is always perfect with temperatures in the low 70’s, little or no humidity, a beautiful blue sky, and scenic ocean views along the coast.  What is there not to like?  On our recent trip, we experienced something a bit out of the norm.

When we returned from our trip to Edisto Beach a few weeks ago, our activity level increased a bit. We enjoyed a wonderful camping trip with a group from our church in the Big South Fork Recreation Area which I will share with Easin’ Along readers next week.  We also had to unpack Gracey to get her winterized and ready for a winter’s nap, then pack for California.  All of this activity left little time for blogging, so I wrote a short post to let readers know that we were heading west and would be back online soon.  Shortly after that, I received several emails from readers concerned about our safety with wildfires nearby. Fortunately, we were out of danger, but the flames were close enough to give us pause.

The first sight of the fires occurred the day after our arrival.  We love to walk with our grandchildren to school every morning and, as soon as we reached the crest of a hill near the school, we could see a huge cloud of smoke coming from the Woolsey fires raging in Malibu, approximately thirty miles away as the crow flies.  Although we knew about the fires and considered ourselves a safe distance away, the sight of the smoke provided a shock to the system. I held my granddaughter’s hand a little more firmly. Television newscasts covered the fires until well past bedtime.

The next morning everyone was up early to participate in a Veteran’s Day observance at the children’s school. Being a retired veteran, I was proud to be involved in the activity as well as extend my gratitude to the other participants for their service.  My grandson also participated as a member of the Cub Scouts. Before the ceremony, the children walked the track around the playground which was decorated with American flags every few feet.

 

 

 

An Honor Guard from the high school ROTC program entered the schoolyard to begin the program, then everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The principal gave a short address to the children explaining the history and purpose of Veteran’s Day, then handed the microphone to each veteran and asked them to give their name, rank, and significant assignments in defense of our country.  There were many veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  As far as I could tell, I was the only service member from the Viet Nam era. Later we learned that one veteran could not attend.  He was a firefighter who said goodbye to his children early that morning to battle the wildfire.

On Saturday, smoke hung heavy over the coast. The winds blew in our direction and the faint smell of smoke greeted us.  My son and I made our way to Baja Sharkeez to catch the Tennessee vs. Kentucky football game while the grandchildren attended a birthday party with their friends.  Inside Sharkeez, none of the televisions carried our game so we asked a bartender if he would tune one screen near our seats to the SEC Network. It took him a minute to find the game, but he came through for us and we settled in to witness the Vols whip up on the Wildcats.  We left happy but could still see smoke in the distance.

By Sunday afternoon, the winds had shifted to blow from the ocean, and the fire smell no longer filled the air.  Helen was eager to spend some time on the beach with the grandchildren, so we loaded up everyone and moved out.  Southern California beaches are very wide and well suited for everything from volleyball to weddings, and this day featured both.  When we walked along the Strand, we passed a young couple preparing for their wedding adjacent to the beach.  The wedding crowd sat patiently between two volleyball nets while the bride and groom stood for pictures.  I’m sure they were grateful that the smoke was now north of us.

Monday morning and the day of our departure arrived too swiftly.  Sadly, California is a long way from Tennessee, and visits with family always seem unfairly brief. We enjoyed breakfast with the children, posed for some pictures then drove to the airport.  During the drive, I could still see smoke above the hills and wondered if the firefighter who missed the Veteran’s Day ceremony was still battling the blaze.

Although this trip was different from some of our previous visits, I departed California with a reminder that First Responders deserve the same gratitude we give our Veterans.

We’re Easin’ Along…safe and very grateful to both.

We’re Easin’ Along toward the West Coast this week and, unfortunately, we had little time for an update. We’re going to miss our weekly chat, but we promise to catch you up as soon as we return. Please come back.