{"id":2411,"date":"2011-04-28T23:52:31","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T04:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/?p=2411"},"modified":"2011-12-06T15:57:37","modified_gmt":"2011-12-06T20:57:37","slug":"cornelia-ga-to-asheville-nc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/?p=2411","title":{"rendered":"Cornelia, GA to Asheville, NC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday, April 28, 2011<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank goodness, I feel 100% today!\u00a0 Yesterday’s tornadoes had turned into violent thunderstorms which raged all night long.\u00a0 Flashes of lightening seeped around the dark window shades and into the room.\u00a0 By morning, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was a cloudless blue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Driving North Toward the Blue Ridge Mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

When we checked out, the woman behind the desk told us about all the local damage from yesterday’s tornadoes.\u00a0 She rattled off the names of local towns but unfortunately, we didn’t know where they were. \u00a0At that time, she had heard that people had died in the four-state region and there had been extensive damage to homes and businesses. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Later we learned that 357 people died in the path of the worst tornadoes ever recorded in the south. \u00a0The most devastating twister in Alabama was one mile wide with high winds which tore off roofs of buildings, carried trucks hundreds of feet, and demolished all the houses in its path. \u00a0We left feeling grateful that\u00a0 we stayed in Cornelia for an extra day.\u00a0 We drove north on Route 441, passing countless fast-food restaurants and said good bye to Cornelia, Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tallulah Gorge <\/span><\/p>\n

About 30 minutes north we found Tallulah Gorge State Park.\u00a0 This is the famous 1000 foot gorge which also highlights Tallulah Falls.\u00a0 I had read that the falls are sometimes “turned off” during the week, so we were fortunate that they were falling today. \u00a0One section of the river, whose name I forgot, was damned and turned into a hydro-electric plant some years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tallulah Gorge Interpretive Center<\/p>\n

We entered the State Park and paid a $5.00 day-use fee.\u00a0 Then we drove to the Interpretive Center which was a huge beautifully designed building with a three-story core which led to the trails. \u00a0Tallulah Gorge is also famous as the place where the circus high-wire performer, Karl Wallenda, strung a wire and walked across the 1000 foot gorge in 1970. \u00a0The Great Wallenda was 65 years old and this was his way to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the high-wire. \u00a0We walked out to the scenic overlooks recommended by the park’s ranger. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Trail to the Edge of the Gorge<\/p>\n

It was a beautiful cool morning, 68 degrees and sunny.\u00a0 It was nice to take a walk in the cool woods with the purple rhododendrons blooming!\u00a0 We walked to two of the overlooks and took photos of the river falling over the boulders below in the deep gorge.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>One of Five Tallulah Falls<\/span><\/p>\n

A short distance up the road there is a small town called Mountain City.\u00a0 As we approached the city, the traffic on Route 441 came to a complete stop.\u00a0 On both sides of the road we could see uprooted trees and downed posts and signs.\u00a0 Large and small branches littered the ground everywhere. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tornado Damage<\/p>\n

The tops of trees were snapped off and thrown all about.\u00a0 A small wooden house was tilting to one side. \u00a0The roofs of several buildings were lying mangled next to its building. \u00a0This was one of the places where a tornado had hit!\u00a0 As we drove by, we saw the local authorities cleaning up the mess.\u00a0 It was an unbelievable sight!\u00a0 We were very grateful that we stayed in Cornelia for an extra day!!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rhododendron<\/span><\/p>\n

We continued north passing through several small villages, and crossed the border into North Carolina.\u00a0 The road was hilly and we could see the mountains in the distance.\u00a0 The road has only two lanes and it is named the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway.\u00a0 Eventually we entered the Cherokee Indian Reservation and passed through the town of Qualla.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Great Smoky Mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

A few minutes later we drove into the town of Cherokee.\u00a0 It was a lively place with rows of bright tourist shops on both sides of the street.\u00a0 Jeff stopped on the tourist street and I went into a shop to \u00a0buy a “Life Is Good<\/em>” magnetic disc for the back of my car. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Cherokee, North Carolina<\/p>\n

It was past noon so we looked for a place for lunch.\u00a0 We found Paul’s Family Restaurant on Tsali Blvd. which had a big sign which read: Indian Owned – Mountain Trout – Indian Tacos – Buffalo Burgers.\u00a0 The atmosphere was better than the food, but it was a fun experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Outside Paul’s Family Restaurant<\/span><\/p>\n

After lunch, we went to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.\u00a0 After a five minute video which told the legend of how the Cherokee People got fire, we walked through the museum.\u00a0 It had interesting artefacts and displays of the history of the Indians in the South Eastern part of the U.S. in chronological order.\u00a0 Ancient tools and artefacts were displayed with good explanations of their use.\u00a0 In several dioramas the models of people looked very real. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Wax Figures and Native American Artifacts<\/p>\n

Near the end of the display was the account of the Trail of Tears.\u00a0 Although the American government declared it illegal to take the Indian’s land, the settlers in this area forced the Cherokees to move to the Oklahoma Territory.\u00a0 Whole villages of men, women, and children were uprooted and made to walk west.\u00a0 Of course, many of them became ill and died of starvation and disease along the way.\u00a0\u00a0 It is a very tragic event in the history of the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Cherokee Baskets<\/span><\/p>\n

Afterwards, we crossed the street and went to the Qualla Craft Shop which sold handmade objects crafted by a variety of talented Indian artists.\u00a0 We admired the beautiful baskets, jewellery, and pottery but unfortunately, didn’t buy anything because of the high prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Going to The Blue Ridge Mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

We left Cherokee on Route 19, called Soco Road, and drove east through Maggie Valley.\u00a0 The Blue Ridge Mountains grew bigger and closer.\u00a0 We climbed up and down the mountains with the road.\u00a0 At one point I glanced at the thermometer on the dashboard: 58 degrees!\u00a0 Near the top of the mountain the trees were in early bloom and had less green leaves as they had in the warmer valleys.\u00a0 The flowers weren’t even in bloom yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Lexington Street, Asheville<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally we reached Asheville, North Carolina.\u00a0 We didn’t have a hotel reservation, but it was only 5:00 o’clock.\u00a0 We pulled over into a parking lot to check our iPhones.\u00a0 We finally decided on one of the three Hampton Inns near the Biltmore Estates.\u00a0 We checked in and had a long conversation with the desk clerk, Michael, who gave us good recommendations for restaurants and activities in Asheville. We have stayed at so many Hamptons now that they feel like a home away from home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Paintings on Bridge Supports<\/span><\/p>\n

We took one of Michael’s recommendations and drove into the city to Bouchon French Bistro on North Lexington Avenue.\u00a0 It was a lively place with lots of people and wonderful scents of herbs and good food.\u00a0 We each had a glass of good French wine while the owner worked the tables.\u00a0 He is from Lyon, France and his restaurant is very well respected in Asheville.\u00a0 I had Barramundi with seasonal veggies and wild rice.\u00a0 Jeff had steak au poivre with pommes frites.\u00a0 For dessert, we shared a fabulous chocolate mousse with creme fresh.\u00a0 Everything was very delicious!\u00a0 What a treat so far from home!!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>French Bread in Bouchon<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael said that Asheville has had a resurgence of culture and the city supports the arts and artists. The city has restored its Art Deco architecture and it is the 5th “foodie” city in the country.\u00a0 Asheville seems like a happening place.\u00a0 We’re looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thursday, April 28, 2011 Thank goodness, I feel 100% today!\u00a0 Yesterday’s tornadoes had turned into violent thunderstorms which raged all night long.\u00a0 Flashes of lightening seeped around the dark window shades and into the room.\u00a0 By morning, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was a cloudless blue. Driving North Toward the Blue Ridge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eastern-united-states","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2411"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3659,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions\/3659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}