On our way out of Ky, we stopped at the little town of London - home on this particular weekend, to "The World Chicken Festival"!! We almost didn't get a room there were so many people in town. Colonel Harlan Sanders -- you know KFC -- was born and grew up in these parts. His first restaurant is just down the road in Corbin. The chicken was delicious in the restaurant we ate at, and the festival was a hoot. The "parade" was the local sheriff with lights blazing, followed by every souped up and antique car for miles around -- no bands, no floats, no smiling girls waving to the crowd! The music on the 4 stages was strictly Hill Billy mixed with Gospel, and the food stands provided a real oinker of a lunch for us! The "Funnel Cakes" were too good to pass up! We never found the World's Largest Skillet, supposedly cooking up that Fried Chicken, and the Colonel Look alike contest was already over!
Over the Cumberland Gap -- you actually don't go over it anymore -- you go through it, in a shiny new tunnel. They want to return the actual Gap to the way it was in Daniel Boone's day and make it a wilderness trail once again.
Knoxville brought yet another opportunity for Phil to visit a stadium. The U of Tennessee Vols stadium is really old, but holds over 110,000 people - they are proud that their's is now bigger than Michigan's! Beautiful old campus, but the city itself is pretty run down. Our waiter at dinner, said that is a big topic on conversation around here, and they are planning to invest a bunch on money to change its run down appearance.
Off to the Great Smoky Mountains. Down through Gatlinburg--I should have known this is the most visited of all the National Parks --over 60,000 cars per day during the summer!!-- all the way from I-40 to the Park is like a 3 ring circus. You can't believe all the motels, restaurants, tacky shops, amusement parks, and Theaters with live music stretching for 28 miles to the Park. This is middle America at it's worst!
Today is a cloudy, rainy day, which really dampens the beauty of the Mountains - most of the time you couldn't even see them! The tress are starting to turn, and when we could see - the view was breathtaking. Another couple of weeks, and this range will be ablaze. We didn't even go to Cades Cove or Clingman's Dome, as there was nothing to see but clouds! This is really the first time that weather has spoiled an activity on the whole trip.
On to Asheville, I finally got to drive the hot rod. Phil had had enough -- we've driven almost 1000 miles since Columbus, and he had driven all of it! Heavy fog, rain, and a winding road with lots of tunnels made this stretch challenging.
Hoping to find something other than a circus at the other end of the Park, we took the Blue Grass Parkway into Maggie Valley. Aaahhhh - this is better. Cute shops, some tack, but more interesting. This has to be the RV capitol of the area - every block had another one tucked back in off the highway -- and lots of well done, if older, motels. Again, sunshine would have made this more fun.
Asheville, NC - a town of 60,000 that looks like 100,000 or more. We've tucked into a motel near the Biltmore Estate, which we will explore tomorrow.
The largest private residence in the US. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt in the 1890's. A lot of the mansion has been restored and open for viewing, but much of it has yet to be done. There are 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms (all with hot and cold water, as original), an indoor pool, an all glass roofed garden room, a pipe organ, a bachelor wing, a dining room that seats 65, and so much priceless artwork - especially tapestries, that you can't take it all in. They have a good tape-guided self tour that lets' you enjoy each room to it's fullest. The grounds still comprise hundreds of acres, but they originally were many thousand. There are beautiful formal gardens - even now when they are between seasons, a massive greenhouse, a winery, stables, and a new 200+ room hotel being completed on the grounds. The restaurant is housed in the stables adjoining the house through the portico. A totally pleasant room where you actually sit in what was the stalls in cozy booths, or more spacious tables for groups. We enjoyed most of an afternoon there, before we knew we had to get moving along.
Talk about a confusing town to live in! Bristol is in both Tennessee and Virginia. There is actually a line running down the middle of Main St. that "demarks" the two states. Different laws, different licensing, two local governments, what a strange deal! We found a Super 8 on the Virginia side, and collapsed.
Today we are off for one of the highlights of the trip - The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W Va. I have read about it in many magazines as being a most gentile, fabulous place. If we could secure a room, we knew the tab would be steep, but hopefully, it would live up to The Greenbrier reputation. From the Super 8 to the Super Deluxe -- we were not disappointed. Phil was almost hoping we couldn't stay -- it was so elegant, and we looked like bums!
The young man at the desk though wasn't going to let him go -- he wanted us to come back when we could stay -- and golf. the Three Championship courses, and enjoy every amenity you can imagine--and wanted to make sure we got to "taste" The Greenbrier for just tonight.. I'm sure the staff-guest ratio is at least one-to-one. He found us a small suite for the price of a base room. This place had his and hers closets, one and a half baths, a dining area and a spacious size overall. He got us dinner reservations (it is a meals included tab, and all gratuities are included in the $22 pp "service fee") and directed us with a few ideas of what to do.
You only have to be there for a few minutes before you feel like you've been there forever. Everyone seems to know your name, and want to make sure that your every need is answered -- and some you didn't think of! The place is spectacular. W. Va.'s state flower is the Rhododendron, and the theme is used throughout. The hand loomed carpets show Rhodie buds and leaves, napkins show the flowers, etc. Each room appears to be unique, based on our "peeking" in rooms as the maids were working, but all based on a color theme of apple green, bright scarlet, with pinks, blues, and yellows used variously through the rooms and public areas. Like the Biltmore, the gardens were spectacular -- and immaculately groomed. Croquet courts, falconry, equestrian, tennis, a wonderful spa, outdoor pool, and deluxe shops make up just a few of the things to do.
Our favorite thing, however, was the coat and tie required in all public areas after 6:30PM. It lends an air of civility to everything that is without compare. The dining room had piano and violin music, and dancing was available (for those with 2 good legs!) in several venues. The drinks were strong, the service impeccable, the food to die for.
Although Phil had a hard time making the transition from the Super 8, once he got into the swing of things, I almost couldn't drag him out the next day! He said his psyche just wasn't geared up for this! The tab for one night in this little piece of Southern Heaven? Count out 6 big ones, and leave with fabulous memories!--and a vow to return.
Back to reality and a return trip to Columbus to pick up the Van, turn in the red go-kart, and visit the Dr.
Friday was a great day! The Van looks fantastic, and the cast has come off! The Dr. X-rayed, poked, turned, had me walk, and pronounced he was progressing me directly to the plastic aircast, bypassing the boot step!! Crutches, just as long as I feel I need them, and a bunch of exercises to get the mobility back. The foot is hard and still swollen, but he assures me that the proper rehab work will get rid of that! Find another Dr. in about a month for a check, and I should be on my way back to normal! You can't imagine how wonderful it is to be on two feet again! -- even if it is somewhat slow going. I have actually done some short walks without the crutches already. The aircast really supports it well.
Finally, we are getting out of Columbus! It feels like we have been here for a month!! Headed toward Canton and Akron for the weekend.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame was calling Phil's name -- we had to make a pilgrimage there. They were having a big Anniversary promo -- 1/2 price admission, discounts at the gift shop, a free disposable camera and "grab bag" gift for everyone -- and interesting exhibits. Phil was in heaven. I tagged along on my new foot and crutches "assist", but found I wasn't quite a strong as I thought! Part way through, we had to call for a wheelchair -- my foot had had it! Didn't slow us down though, we finished seeing everything and headed for a motel to watch the Ducks and Huskies. Oops - we're not on the west coast, so no Ducks.
Sunday was the trip down memory lane. A visit to where I was born. It was too weird. We found the house, and I was taking pictures (we knew the people weren't home - no lights, and paper on the porch) when I struck up a conversation with the neighbor. I told him I had lived there from '47-'53. He said "Balzhiser, you must be Carol!" CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! He was Louie Henderson, born the same year as me, and still living in the same house - he bought it from his parents! He knew all about the neighborhood, who was who - many people still live there that were there then! The school we went to has been torn down, but the hospital Lois and I were born in is still there -- just much larger. We visited with the neighbor who had been my folks best friends - The Zuber's. She had passed away, but Paul is 92 and just as sharp as can be. He remembered me and my folks. It was a nice visit.
From there, we were off to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. (Patty - you've got to see this place!) It has all kinds of memorabilia, great music, and a wonderful group of displays detailing the development of Rock and Roll. Everything from the Gospel influence, to the Blues, to Country, to Motown, to England, and right on through the decades -- including grunge and hip-hop -- which isn't REALLY Rock and Roll in my mind!! They have a fast paced film of all the inductees (presented by AT&T!) with music that has you dancing in the aisles! We closed the place down!
Cleveland is a very clean, well kept city - at least in their downtown area. The waterfront along Lake Erie is beautifully developed with stadiums, the Hall of Fame, Museums, walkways, etc. And the downtown looked great! Wished we had had more time to check things out. But duty calls - we have to push on - meeting our friend Haley next Friday in New Hampshire, so we have some ground to cover!
Another week gone....
