The manicured gardens on the Biltmore Estate were the first place I've seen a lot of birds so far on this trip. Not sure what they all were but I'll try to ID them tonight (sorry Suzi!).
I drove out of Carolina through the Great Smoky Mountains park, which was pretty amazing. But it lived up to its reputation as the most visited park in the US - there was a lot of traffic passing through. And getting into and out of the park is a pretty gross experience.
On the Carolina side, you first drive through a collection of ramshackle, dirt-poor roadside stalls selling boiled peanuts and tacky souvenirs. Some of them are literally falling into the eroded river valley below. Once you get past these, you are then forced to drive by another few miles of Cherokee-run tourist traps.
I didn't see the "Native American dance show - no pictures allowed" but I did go into one of the stores to try to pick up something memorable. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that wasn't made in China.
On the other side of the mountains, in Tennessee, it's even worse. There's literally 10 miles of the worst sort of strip-mall with restaurant chains, "Cherokee Trading Posts", tattoo joints, gun and biker supplies and "authentic" gold mining experiences. It took almost an hour to get through. But I did have this to contemplate as I drove by:
I'm pretty excited to be in Nashville. As well as an opportunity to jump-start my country music career, I am to try out some local BBQ and see if there's some bluegrass on at the Station Inn. The Union Station Hotel is a fabulous conversion of a 19th Century railway station. The main lobby is the old station concourse with a massive vaulted stained glass ceiling. My room has a 30' ceiling and looks directly out onto the lobby.
Birds seen today: 10+
Miles driven on Blue Ridge Parkway: 0 (it's closed by ice)
Hours gained by crossing into Central Time: +1
Tomorrows destination: unsure at this time, possible Memphis or Hot Springs, AK. Either that or somewhere on the road to New Orleans.
No comments:
Post a Comment