In the south - the trip

Pictures: Cades Cove, Primitive road (2), Crossing the Mississippi at Vicksburg, Miss Beth, Black Bayoo (2), Hot Springs, AK (2), Mt. Magazine, AK

The arc we took through the south started with Great Smokey National Park.  Due to traffic, it took two efforts to gain entrance.  The second day we made it and entered the south west part of the park, driving up a beautiful canyon (bumper to bumper) to Cades Cove.  The cove is a high mountain valley once settled but now a historic feature of the park.  Entered a loop drive (bumper to bumper) and finally opted out of the traffic and headed down a dirt road that appeared to get us out of the park.  It did, on a one way primitive dirt track that would make the west central mountains of Idaho proud.  It took an hour to go 8 miles and we ended up on US 129 – a motorcyclist’s paradise.  This road was race track smooth with high 20 mile an hour hairpin turns.  In the 20 mile section we traveled there (through beautiful woods) we saw no less than 75 motorcycles coming toward us.  And on 4 of the more dramatic curves, photographers were taking pictures that the cyclists could order online.  I didn’t check to see if our Subaru was included.  Had some good BBQ at Bradleys in Sweetwater, TN.  We had to make time to get to our niece Beth’s place in Monroe, LA so we resorted to the freeways and just pushed on for a couple days skirting Birmingham, AL.  Thinking back to the early 60’s and the “line” that was drawn in that city by civil rights activists, it somehow seemed wrong not to stop and acknowledge what happened there.  But Birmingham simply was bounded by a manicured freeway and beautiful trees and we swiftly slid by.  Spent two days with niece Beth in Monroe (that’s Mun-row).  Was introduced to fried catfish and gumbo and my first ever bayou (see pictures) – all great experiences.  Ya know, I always wondered why Beth would head off to such a far and different kind of place, she being from the North West and all.  But it was gratifying to get acquainted with the community of faith she is a part of and teaches for.  She’s loved and well cared for.  It speaks well for the value of Christian community.  And one more thing.  Did you know that the US Gov’t through the National Park Service has been in the spa business since 1832?  That’s right!  Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs AK has been leasing the site to private spa businesses for decades.  We toured a 1920’s something spa house.  Amazing!  The hydrotherapy equipment looked like something out of “One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest” if you remember the scene of “washing down” the Indian fellow.  On to Oklahoma.