U.S.
Tour of Slave Haven
You may remember our trip to Memphis last spring. I shared photos of the Lorraine Motel, iconic glass pyramid, Peabody Duck March, and Memphis Zoo. We returned again this year for a conference, but this time we were only in town for a short 36 hours, rather than a full weekend. While Mr. Handsome attended the conference, I toured the city, as I did last year.
The highlight was visiting an Underground Railroad museum called Slave Haven. Located on the outskirts of downtown Memphis, the museum is a house that was once a stop along the Underground Railroad.
The house, known as the Burkle Estate, was built in 1856 for German immigrant Jacob Burkle and his family. As a devout Christian, Jacob Burkle was very much against slavery, so after his home was completed, he decided to use his cellar to house enslaved Africans seeking freedom in Illinois via the Mississippi River.
Located only a few blocks away from the river, the Burkle Estate likely housed a large number of slaves, historians believe. To allow his home to be easily recognized by these guests and as a signal that his home was a safe place for them to stop, Burkle planted magnolia trees in his front yard. Magnolias are not native to the area, making these the oldest magnolias in Memphis.
Harboring fugitive slaves was a serious crime, so Burkle kept no written records of his actions, and he did everything he could to appear to the public as a “respectable gentleman.” Because he owned a Memphis stockyard, he was wealthy and was expected to own slaves. For that reason, Burkle purchased two slaves–a male and female. He treated them like family and then secretly helped them gain their freedom in Canada. To make it look like they had escaped, he ran a newspaper ad offering a reward for their return.
Members of the Burkle family lived in the home for more than 100 years. Photography was prohibited inside the house, but the cellar where the slaves hid was accessible through small hole in the base of the house.
Final Photos from Cades Cove
The second was a cantilever barn, which has an overhang on one side for animals and equipment storage.
Nearby was a grist mill (a mill used to grind grain) that was built around 1870 by John Cable.
Then there was the Gregg-Cable House (circa 1879), the first frame house built in the Cove. At that time, the sawmill was brand new, which was a big deal for the residents of Cades Cove, who had not previously had access to lumber.
By this point, we were most of the way through Cades Cove. On our way out, we made two last stops. The first was the Dan Lawson Place, built in 1856. The house has a rare feature for Cades Cove–a brick chimney, constructed using bricks that were made on-site as the house was being built.
At that time, it was not uncommon for families to have multiple outbuildings, such as a smokehouse, a woodshed, a granary (for storing grain), a corn crib (for storing corn), and, of course, a barn.
Our last stop was the Tipton Place, built in the early 1870s. The owner was a colonel in the Mexican-American War, and the original inhabitants were his daughters, who were teachers in Cades Cove.
Fall in the Smokies
A few weeks ago, I posted photos from our recent trip to the Cades Cove historic settlement in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have a few more snapshots from that day, but I first want to show you some other pictures I took.The drive through the park was simply beautiful with all the vibrant colored leaves.
Every turn we made, there was another stunning view.
On Saturday of our weekend trip, we ventured over to the start of the Roaring Fork Motor Trail (southeast of downtown Gatlinburg) and parked at the Rainbow Falls trailhead.
It was a difficult, 5.4-mile roundtrip hike, but the views were worth the trek. Just as we had at Cades Cove, we saw the smoke-like fog that give the Smoky Mountains their name.
As we climbed higher, we passed an area that had been burned by the devastating wildfire that tore through the Smoky Mountains in November 2016. We are thankful that the area has been able to rebuild and that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are still as busy as ever. Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones and property.
With a 1,500-foot elevation gain, we had to stop and rest quite a few times, especially as we neared the end.
After a 20-minute period of rain, we finally reached our destination…the beautiful Rainbow Falls! You’re probably wondering what Mr. Handsome is wearing on his head. (That is the first question people ask when we show them this picture.) It’s his sweatshirt. He got tired of carrying it.
Tour of Historic Cades Cove
In early November, Mr. Handsome and I made the short drive over to the Smoky Mountains for a weekend getaway. We had met a like-minded couple at a conference a few weeks prior, and they had invited us to stay at their house.The fall colors were at their peak, and the scenery was just incredible. We were also able to see the “smoke” (aka fog) that gives the Smokies their name.
On day one, we explored Cades Cove, a mountain farming community founded in the early 1800s. It is no longer inhabited, but you can drive along the 11-mile, one-way road and view more than 80 historical buildings and settlements. We enjoyed pulling off into the many parking areas and walking through the old buildings. (We were shocked that all of them were open to the public.)
At the entrance to Cades Cove, we drove past a beautiful, dusty-colored horse grazing in a vibrant, green meadow.
The scene was picture-perfect.
Our first stop was the John Oliver Place. Built in the early 1820s, the cabin is the oldest in the Cove.
The cabin, which was owned by the Oliver family until the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in the 1930s, is a five minute walk from the road. It is a simple, one-room house with a loft.
Next, we stopped at the Primitive Baptist Church, established June 16th, 1827. (The current building was built in 1887 to replace a log structure.) We learned that the church closed during the Civil War because its members were Union sympathizers and felt threatened by the many Confederates who lived in Cades Cove.
There was a wedding that day, so we didn’t go inside, but we walked through the cemetery and came across multiple tombstones of men who had fought in the Revolutionary War.
We also found the tombstone of the man after whom Gregory’s Bald, a mountain in the park, was named. A Union supporter, he was killed by Confederates three years into the Civil War.
We passed the Methodist Church, built in 1902 (although the congregation was established in the 1820s). Customarily, old churches with two doors would have been designed that way to seat men and women on separate sides. We chuckled as we read that this church did not carry that custom but that its congregation had borrowed the blueprint from another church that did. Apparently, sticking to the blueprint and cutting two front doors was easier than deviating and installing just one.
We stopped at a pull-off and hiked a short distance the Elijah Oliver Place, built by John Oliver’s son after the Civil War. On the left side of the house, the family added a “stranger room.” With a separate entrance, the room provided a place for overnight acquaintances to stay without jeopardizing the safety of Elijah’s family.
Hope you enjoyed these photos. More coming soon.
East TN and West NC
After spending all our weekends at home for a couple months, we recently drove out to North Carolina for a wedding. It was a several hour drive, but the gorgeous scenery was well worth it. On our way home, we stopped for two beautiful hikes. The first was in Western North Carolina, about 45 minutes northeast of Asheville. I spent quite a bit of time researching online to find the hikes with the best views, and you know what I discovered? There are tons in that area!We ended up choosing Mt. Mitchell State Park because reviews said the terrain is more similar to Western Canada. (Most of you know that we took a trip to the Canadian Rockies this summer and loved it.)
Of course there are no snowy peaks in North Carolina at this time of year, but it was still about 20 degrees cooler at the summit than it was along the interstate. The one downside is that the 20-plus-mile road leading to the park is narrow and winding.
We drove as far as the road would take us, parked, and then walked five minutes up to the Mt. Mitchell Summit. The view was glorious!
At 6,684 feet elevation, Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Apparently the guy after whom the mountain is named lost his life proving that statistic.
We wanted some decent exercise, so we hiked two miles down the mountain on the Commissary Trail (very rocky but not too strenuous). On the way back up, we took the 2-mile Old Mitchell Trail (even rockier and much more strenuous).
The sun was setting quickly, so we had to jog part of it, but of course we still had to stop and take a few photos.
We spent the night at a cheap hotel in Asheville, walked around the shops of Historical Biltmore Village and then drove a couple hours to Gatlinburg to hike the 2.6-mile out-and-back Laurel Falls Trail.
It took about 30 minutes to reach the waterfall and 20 minutes to return. The trail is a decently steep incline, but due to erosion, it is paved (although still very bumpy). The waterfall was beautiful, as were the views along the way.
In downtown Gatlinburg, we stopped for BBQ at Calhoun’s, a Knoxville-based restaurant with nine locations. The ribs were some of the best we had ever tasted. And let me tell you, when your husband is as much of a ribs connoisseur as mine is, that’s saying a lot.
While driving through the area, we saw some of the damage from the November 2016 Gatlinburg fire, but the town has done a fantastic job of restoring and rebuilding.
Story, Indiana
Gotta love a good road trip! We recently spent a short weekend in Brown County, Indiana, with Mr. Handsome’s extended family, in celebration of his grandfather’s 80th birthday. Apparently, some of Mr. Handsome’s ancestors, including his great-great-great grandfather, lived there once upon a time. Several elderly family members who remember visiting grandparents and great-grandparents in Brown County as kids came along and gave us an unofficial tour.Our first stop was the quaint town of Story, Indiana, founded in 1851. Story was hit hard by the Great Depression, and in 1960, the United State Army Corps of Engineers constructed lake Monroe by flooding the nearby area, blocking the direct route to Bloomington and negatively impacting Story’s economy. As a result, Story became a town frozen in history and still has a number of buildings from the mid-1800s. We ate lunch at the Story Inn.
Isn’t it just adorable? Entering the town felt like we were stepping into a fairy tale storybook. (I initially guessed that’s how the town came to be called Story, but it turns out it was named after a medical doctor who practiced there.) The inside of the Story Inn is decorated with historical artifacts, giving it a homey, rustic feel.
After lunch at the inn, we took a walk down the beautiful country road, passing fields, old barns, and cute homes and business that date back to the early days of the town.
Mr. Handsome’s grandmother had been put in contact with a couple that lives in a nearby house that was built in 1850 and believed to be part of the underground railroad. They were nice enough to give us a tour. There were original cherry wood cabinets throughout the house. In a small hideout behind this cabinet, contractors found artifacts that led them to believe that that was where the original owners allowed men, women, and children who were escaping slavery to hide safely.
The town where I grew up had a house that was part of the Underground Railroad, and I always wanted to tour it but never had the chance, so I really enjoyed this experience. How wonderful that there were folks in our nation who were willing to risk their lives to help people escape the horrors of slavery!
Santa Rosa Beach, Part 2
On one of the days, we explored the little town of Seaside and ate from the food trucks permanently parked along the main sidewalk. Mr. Handsome ordered from the BBQ truck, while I went to the sandwich truck next door.
My meal was a delicious tomato-mozzarella-basil panini (one of my weaknesses). There’s just something about those three flavors that makes my taste buds sing. Can anyone else relate?
As per usual, Mr. Handsome ordered BBQ ribs. I really wonder how many times that guy would have to eat ribs before growing tired of them. He’s an adventurous eater and enjoys fruit and veggies, but when ribs are an option, it’s as if they’re the only thing on the menu. I sampled his meal, and it was very tasty, but I’m still glad I went with the panini.
More Memphis Zoo Pictures
Happy Saturday! In celebration of the weekend, I thought I would share a few snapshots and a video of the adorable animals we found at the Memphis Zoo. (I already shared my footage of bald eagles screeching, pandas eating bamboo, and a lion baring its teeth.)Not sure what these are, but they sure are cute. I was tempted to take one home as a pet. I bet they’re extremely soft and cuddly.
When we came across kookaburras, I found myself singing the children’s song about the kookaburra in the old gum tree…
And then we saw partridges, and I almost broke out in song again. (“12 Days of Christmas,” anyone?)
These sleeping cats weren’t very exciting, but it was neat to come so close to them (with a window between us, of course).
This nocturnal antelope hails from Africa and is called a bongo. The sign said that bongos are known for being very shy and getting startled easily, but this one must have been out to prove the zookeepers wrong. It seemed quite interested in what we were doing.
Santa Rosa Beach, Part 1
Mr. Handsome only caught two fish (a sea trout and a pompano), but he was thrilled to hear from several locals that pompano are rare in that area and that they are considered a delicacy.
We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some veggies and then headed back to our beach house to cook the fish, which ended up being much cheaper than going out for dinner. We sauteed both fish whole in a skillet with a little bit of canola oil, salt, and pepper. The sea trout was decent, but the pompano was absolutely delicious. It had a soft, buttery taste and texture and was one of the best meals either of us have ever had.
Unfortunately, as we were cooking dinner, we started to feel our sunburns. Mine wasn’t too bad, but poor Mr. Handsome’s legs and feet were as red as a tomato. He had put sunscreen on his arms and shoulders but hadn’t bothered with the rest of his body, since we weren’t out in the sun for very long. His burn was actually much worse than the picture makes it seem. On the bright side, he proved that sunscreen works.
The following day, we skipped the beach and rented bikes (only $15 per person). In addition to its white sand beaches, the Florida Panhandle also has beautiful wooded areas.