Camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Part 1

After driving through the Blue Ridge Parkway, we finally reached the most visited national park in the country, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!  The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest exactly through its centerline.  Out of ten campgrounds, we chose to stay at Elkmont near the Park Headquarters at the Tennessee side because one of Bill’s high school buddies lives near there.  Besides, that was one of only two that can accommodate our 37-foot rig.

In 814 square miles, the variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give the park many species of plants (100 trees, deciduous leafy trees in the lower parts and coniferous trees at higher altitudes, and over 1,400 flowering plants and 4,000 non-flowering plants) and animals (200 birds, 66 mammals, 50 fish, 39 reptiles, and 43 amphibians).  An additional 90,000 undocumented species are also estimated to live there.

We were not backcountry camping nor tent camping but, since there were no hook-ups and generators were not allowed, we lived primitively. Would you believe I survived?  This Part will cover the wonderful Park interior: the southwest side at Cades Cove, the southeast side at the park entrance near the Ocanaluftee Visitors Center at the North Carolina side, the northern park entrance at the Tennessee side, the center of the Park at the Newfound Gap, and the area around our campground.  Part 2 will be about the border towns.

Cades Cove is the most preserved and popular attraction in the park.  It is a valley with many historic log cabins, barns, and churches. Self-guided automobile and bicycle tours offer a good glimpse into the old Appalachian life especially at the preserved farm buildings near Cable Mill. But do you know what the highlight of this tour was?  Four bears (out of about 1,800 that live in the park) gamely gobbled the grass before us.  We also saw many white-tailed deer, turtles, and wild turkey!  

The Park Headquarters is witness to the heavy flow of visitors.  The highest number is recorded in July with June and August following closely.  But October is another bump because of the spectacle of fall colors. Near the Center is a short fully accessible hiking trail that ends at a small waterfall, a visitors’ delight.  Only 7 miles beyond is our campground where one hiking trail leads to the 80-foot Laurel Falls.  Another is the trail to the unique species of fireflies that all blink at the same time! Only in some parts in Asia does this phenomenon also happen. 

There is a farm museum at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center at Cherokee, North Carolina.  Near the Center is the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Post 469. There was the Mingus Mill, too.  But, guess what the highlight of the tour was?  Four elk, of the 110 that are thriving in the Park after being introduced in 2001, were grazing by the road side. Some local Carolinians who did not have a camera gave us their email address so we could send photos.  They could not believe there were elk in their state!

Newfound Gap, the center of the Park offers great views, including the dividing line between North Carolina and Tennessee, a part of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the Smokies, and the Rockefeller Memorial to the creation of the first federally funded national park.  That was also where we realized, when we were returning to our campground, that the clear views we photographed in the morning turned into smoky views at dusk (hence, the name).

The Newfound Gap Road that connects the two visitor centers (Park Headquarters and Oconaluftee) features most of approximately 850 miles of hiking trails that lead visitors to glimpses of many other park attractions.  Some of these are Mt. LeConte and its Alum Bluffs, the Clingman’s Dome, highest point, where an observation tower was built, and the Chimney Tops, dual humpbacked peaks.  The Smokies is truly a great park to visit! Our four days seemed too short a stay!

Next Stops:  Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Cherokee and Asheville, North Carolina

I Think I'm In Love Again....

With another Korean drama...

The Animax Channel on my cable, ASTRO put in a few Korean shows aside from the Japanese anime fares and one of the show currently being shown is Coffee Prince. It used to be shown on 8TV a couple of years back, but I wasn't too crazy about it back then because it was dubbed into Mandarin. I tell you... I really, really hate watching anything dubbed, be it into English, Malay, Mandarin or Cantonese.

Luckily, on Animax, I can watch it in its original language and OMG.... have I fallen hard for this show (not to mention fallen for the lead actor, Gong Yoo)! I've pulled an all-nighter for two weekends in a row watching all 17 episodes back to back. I spend a whole night just reading up all the episodes recaps. My eyes feel so heavy... I can only open them in slits today! LOL

The OST for this drama is another reason to watch. I love all the songs in there.

A brief synopsis:

The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?

Zaini asked me why I am so infatuated with Coffee Prince.

Well, this drama reminded me so much of the two of us before we became a couple, ages ago. And Zaini can be rather like Han Kyul sometimes. He can be so annoying that I don't want to talk to him one minute and he can be so thoughtful the next. Let's just say this drama made me feel I was back in my 20s again. :p

Zaini surprised me on Friday with a box DVD set of Coffee Prince because I was grumbling over the fact that it was so hard to watch all the episodes online and downloading it was such a pain in the ass with my broadband connection. I wanted to buy the DVD but it cost so much.... I guess I was whining far too much for over a week that Zaini went ahead and got it for me. I was happy and touched as well but 20 minutes later I was ready to strangle Zaini for something he did (or rather omitted to do). ^-^!

Another reason I love Coffee Prince is this man on the left. Total eye candy.

And oh! oh! oh! You should see the kissing scenes. It'll make you want to pounce on your partner and share a kiss. I swear! *^-^*

Now, if you excuse me... I'm going for a third round of drama marathon. I'll be neglecting my blogs, my Entrecard dropping and pretty much everything else for a couple more weekends, I think.

CEMITAS PUEBLA Restaurant , 3619 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL

We were visiting Chicago and needed someplace to go for lunch on May 5, 2010.  I searched the Food Network's Diners, Drive In's and Dives site and found this tiny, little store front near to where we were staying. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, we thought it would be fun to have Mexican food for lunch. 

As we walked in we saw this poster in the window.

 

The father greeted us with a copy of the poster and a plate with a Cemita on it - asking us if we had ever been there before. He described the food and went on to say that a local TV station had just been there and would be broadcasting a spot about them on the 5:00 o'clock news to help celebrate Cinco de Mayo!!

 

Tony and his Dad.  On our way out Tony told us all about the visit from Guy Fieri and the Food Network. They were in the store for 2 days and after the show aired, Tony said he had to close at 2PM because they were totally sold out of food. And we can understand why - it was delicious.

A Cemita is a sandwich with a choice of different meats, avocado, Oaxcacan (Mexican) cheese, a sauce they make of adobo, chipotle peppers  and papalo  (in season) a spicy, Mexican herb. The Dad said they get most of the ingredients directly from Mexico and they have a local bakery bake the crispy, tasty rolls with sesame seeds on top, that the Cemita is made with.

Some of the old inhabitants in the Mexican state of Puebla were Lebanese and brought with them the spit roasted meat.  This is pork shoulder that has been dipped in their special sauce and layered with onions.

 

We really enjoyed our lunch there and visited them 2 more times before we left Chicago.  They are also on Facebook, so be sure to follow them there too. 

The website -   http://www.cemitaspuebla.com/

Facebook with link to Channel 9 broadcast on 5/510 -    http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chicago-IL/Cemitas-Puebla/368116943941?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=174

Some of my Collector Plates Collection

Many years ago my Dad and I started collecting these themed plates - they were the "beanie baby" craze f the day, only alot more costly.

FLOWER BOY Plate - one of the most popular images associated with DeGrazia.

After we moved to New Mexico Ted DeGrazia became my favorite artist.

FLOWER Girl Plate

On a visit to Tucson, AZ we visited his studio and chapel - Gallery in the Sun. It was so peaceful and spiritual.

This one is very interesting.  THE UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL Plate by Norman Rockwell, depicts George Washington as the man, not the public figure.  

Want to see many, many more with full descriptions?  Just copy and paste the link.  Enjoy!!

http://tinyurl.com/2arxa9a

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, Part 3 (Peaks of Otter, Poplar Forest, Natural Bridge, Stonewall Jackson’s Home, and Virginia Military Institute)

Day Two of our Virginia drive was as lovely as Day One.  First we went to the Peaks of Otter: Sharp Top, Flat Top, and .  These peaks are . They were a short drive from Roanoke.  However, we were terribly disappointed that we could not hike up Sharp Top!  It would have taken around 3 hours.  So we satisfied ourselves with nice pictures from the Peaks of Otter Lodge.  Besides, Bill’s real interest for the day was the next stop, Poplar Forest, also a short drive from the Peaks on VA 43. 

Bill especially wanted so much to complete his picture of the great man, Thomas Jefferson.  We had seen Monticello two years before when we visited my sister Julie and niece Erika in Falls Church.  We are both in awe of the man’s genius.  It was in the gift shop there where Bill found a special silver ring for me, a replica of what the British ambassador gave Jefferson’s daughter when he was Minister to France.  The ring reads, ‘J’aime et j’espere’…I love and I hope. 

The Forest is the retreat home for Jefferson.  He designed it from the Italian villa influences he got from his European sojourn.  It was inherited by his wife from her parents and by him when she died from the birth of their second child.  He finished building it during his second presidency after which he retired to it.  It is octagonal in shape and completely balanced in design.  And, as he often said, that was where he found peace in his writings and his thoughts. Like Monticello, it is a delight to behold!

(Here is a view of the Peaks of Otter as Jefferson saw them, minus the highway)

Natural Bridge, on the other hand, is not mad-made, it is a natural wonder.  For the last 500 million years, it has been a continuing work of art by Cedar Rapids.  The bridge was carved out from the giant rocks as the stream flowed through. US 11 sits on top of the natural bridge so we can now say, ‘We drove on top of the Natural Bridge’.

Furthermore, the letters ‘GW’ are inscribed on the rocks about 23 feet from the stream’s surface at the middle below the bridge. It is said that Washington and other presidents marveled at it and Jefferson purchased it from the British. Finally, all around the grounds are 1,600 year-old trees that have died and are in the process of becoming petrified. It was worth the hefty price we paid for entry.

 The owners of the attraction have so commercialized the place, it is unbelievable!  The fee included a tour through an old and low quality wax museum and factory and a practically empty Toy Museum. The unusually large gift shop and the two restaurants were also practically empty.  But just like paying for a buffet, we tried to get more than our money’s worth. So we went through every single one of them.

Because of this we arrived in Lexington, Virginia way past 5 PM.  We missed the open hours of the only home Stonewall Jackson owned.  He was the Confederate general who was accidentally killed by one of his men. They say that had he not died, the Confederacy would have won! I do not know whether the origin of the word ‘stonewalling’ can be found from his military tactics and strategy.

We were so disappointed that we could not get in but, as we walked around, we found an alley to the back and we were able to take some decent photos.  Then we decided to look for the Virginia Military Institute which Jackson was supposed to have founded.  Sure enough, just a few miles away, stands the venerable institution with his statue in front of the main building.  The architecture of the buildings is unlike any we have seen of colleges and universities.  They stood proudly like a militarily sound castle.

When we finished, it was already past 6 PM and our GPS said we would be back at the Green Mountain RV Park in four hours!  It was a tiring, long day but definitely very enjoyable.   The next morning I couldn’t help but take pictures of the campsite we have come to call home for the past three weeks.  We had a big patio for entertaining and the park had a 9-hole golf course.  It was the first time we had one so we bought our very own golf clubs! The park also had a golf cart parade and a great big shindig during Memorial Day.

And Lenoir, North Carolina was also a great host for us.  The Caldwell County Public Library let us borrow all the books, magazines, and DVDs we wanted.  And the city of Lenoir, North Carolina allowed us to use the Aquatic and Fitness Center! Every Friday evening we also got to dance at the free Concert at the Park.  Finally, we will always remember it as the home from which we made six days of discovery driving through the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway!  You have to plan to make this trip, too!

Next Stops: Great Smoky Mountain Natinal Park, Cherokee, North Carolina, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville, Tennessee

Family Vacation Photos - Are You In There?

I like browsing through our old photos. I got this idea of putting up several photos of my mug in my other blog, Lina's Backyard but can you believe it - there isn't much photo of myself in our whole collection of photos!

I asked a friend of mine who is an avid photographer about how many photos of himself in his vacation album and he told me that out of the few hundreds photos of his vacation in Beijing last December, he was in the photos for about 15 photos!

I didn't fare much better -  because we only use one camera between the three of us, and the camera is always being monopolised by me; there were so few photos of me but of course there were plenty of Raimie's. I do wish there were more photos of the three of us, like the one I posted here, but then, I don't really like asking for strangers to take photographs of me!

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, Part 2

Yesterday we came back from our drive through the Virginia Section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Day One was to the Blue Ridge Music Center just beyond the North Carolina-Virginia border, the Meadows of Dan and its charming stores, the historic Puckett Cabin, the famously beautiful  Mabry Mill (above), and the bustling mountain city of Roanoke, Virgnina, where we stayed overnight.  

Right after the Blue Ridge Music Center, where there is music playing every day, we found the Peaceful Hearts Alpacas, an alpaca farm with a new one-month old baby alpaca.  At the gift store Bill bought for me an alpaca hat for winter days.  I had always wanted one because, though lighter than wool, it is as warm!   They told us to not miss the Nancy Candy Store at the Meadows of Dan and there we sampled some of the 40 flavors of fudge! 

Aside from tasting good, they had some witty packaging! We bought one that had the word ‘LUSTY’ boldly printed on a bright red wrapping and an explanation that reads …’3.5 oz of impure thoughts disguised as deliciously luscious, all-natural premium dark chocolate.’ Another one that is headlined as ‘No Weight Gain Chocolate’ had  this warning: ‘Manufacturer guarantee is void if packaging has been tampered with, opened or torn.  No consumer serviceable parts inside.  May cause weight gain if incorrectly used.’

On the way to Mabry Mill, we chanced upon the Puckett Cabin.  Olena Puckett was a famous midwife in the area in the late 1800s.  Legend has it that she assisted in giving birth to about a thousand babies in fifty years (she lived to be102) for which services she was paid about a $1 each. It is said that she would travel on foot to miles away when called.  But the interesting twist to her story is that, although she gave birth to twenty-four children herself, none of them survived beyond infancy.

Mabry Mill is the most photographed (and painted) scene in the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The picture at the top of this post is enough justification.  It does not need words. The Mabrys were jacks of all trade so the property had a blacksmith shop etc. The small place depicts to this day the way subsistence farmers lived during those days, especially in how water was managed.

Roanoke is a charming city of 300,000.  I was extremely delighted to discover that their cathedral is colored yellow!  The Central Square is always a beehive of activities, it seems.  The night we were there, it was cordoned off for a private party and the band could be heard and seen from all the restaurants around.  So we had live music from the Tavern where we had some local pizza and wine for dinner. 

And when we went back to our motel, a big star shone from atop the mountains around the city.  I found out the next day that it was the Roanoke Star, always all lit up at night! It is the world's largest freestanding illuminated man-made star, constructed in 1949 at the top of Mill Mountain. It stands 88.5 feet tall with 2,000 feet of neon tubing that requires 17,500 watts of power.

After construction of the star, Roanoke was nicknamed "Star City of the South".  The city changes the colors of the star to symbolize certain events.  It started out as all-white.  It became red, white, and blue for six years after the Twin Towers Attack and all white again after the Virginia Tech massacre. Now it turns red when there is a traffic fatality in the city.

Next Stops:  Day Two with Peaks of Otter, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, the Natural Bridge, Stonewall Jackson’s home, the Virginia Military Institute, and more of the walls of rhodies, Virginia's state flower, along the way..