Sunday, October 14, 2001
Raccoon Valley Escapees CG - Sept 30-Oct 14
We decided to head straight for this Escapees park just north of Knoxville. Since Doug had gotten sick earlier in Sept, and he didn't seem to be getting any better, we thought it would be better to be at a friendly place for a couple of weeks, where he could find a dr. That strategy worked (he was diagnosed with bronchitis or early pneumonia), and he is almost fully recovered now.
The cg is fairly small with spaces quite close together, but the Escapees friendliness (& low price!) makes up for that. There are also lots of interesting things to do in the area.
The first week we mostly relaxed, but were able to do a few things. We went to the Museum of Appalachia, which was an interesting collection of historic buildings & unusual relics of the mountain people of Southern Appalachia. The stories are told of people from many walks of life who had their roots here. It was quite interesting but a little daunting in sheer volume of some of the items.
We attended a UT Lady Vols volleyball game, where we saw them beat a nationally-ranked opponent. It was an exciting game & we really enjoyed the new NCAA scoring method used for the first time this year. We also found an event called "Bearfoot in the City", which consists of statues of 24 bears that are sponsored by various businesses and created by local artists that are on display throughout Knoxville. We got a Bear Tracker map and were able to see about half of the bears.
The second week, Doug was feeling better, so we were able to do a bit more sightseeing. We took a one-day drive from Knoxville thru Pigeon Forge & the outskirts of Gatlinburg, glad to finally enter Smoky Mtn NP. We thought since it was a Tues, the crowds wouldn't be too bad, so we set out for Cade's Cove. WRONG! It was quite crowded -- and LOTS of families with school-aged children. Don't know why they weren't in school where they belong! We saw about half of Cade's Cove & then drove out a back way, down a one-way lane where the scenery was gorgeous & people were minimal. The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area is crowded beyond description, with stores/hotels/motels/gas stations/tourist attractions continually along for miles -- & four lanes of constantly weaving traffic.
On Thurs we attended the Tennessee Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia, which is one of the nation's largest and most authentic old-time mountain, craft & music festivals involving about 400 musicians. We mainly focused on listening to the music, which was well worth the price of admission. Some of the more famous people we saw were Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Raymond Fairchild and Janette Carter. The less famous people were also quite good -- this close to Nashville, even the unknowns are great! One of the most interesting demonstrations was sorghum cane grinding & molasses making.
Our final sightseeing outing was to Oak Ridge, to visit the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE). Oak Ridge was a "secret city" built in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project (a wartime effort which produced the world's first atomic weapons). Three facilities were built here: Y-12 which separated U235 from U238; K-25 which separated U235 by a more economical method; & X-10 where a graphite moderated nuclear reactor was constructed. The AMSE tells the story of Oak Ridge, & also has exhibits on past, present & future uses of fossil fuels & alternative energy sources.
The cg is fairly small with spaces quite close together, but the Escapees friendliness (& low price!) makes up for that. There are also lots of interesting things to do in the area.
The first week we mostly relaxed, but were able to do a few things. We went to the Museum of Appalachia, which was an interesting collection of historic buildings & unusual relics of the mountain people of Southern Appalachia. The stories are told of people from many walks of life who had their roots here. It was quite interesting but a little daunting in sheer volume of some of the items.
We attended a UT Lady Vols volleyball game, where we saw them beat a nationally-ranked opponent. It was an exciting game & we really enjoyed the new NCAA scoring method used for the first time this year. We also found an event called "Bearfoot in the City", which consists of statues of 24 bears that are sponsored by various businesses and created by local artists that are on display throughout Knoxville. We got a Bear Tracker map and were able to see about half of the bears.
The second week, Doug was feeling better, so we were able to do a bit more sightseeing. We took a one-day drive from Knoxville thru Pigeon Forge & the outskirts of Gatlinburg, glad to finally enter Smoky Mtn NP. We thought since it was a Tues, the crowds wouldn't be too bad, so we set out for Cade's Cove. WRONG! It was quite crowded -- and LOTS of families with school-aged children. Don't know why they weren't in school where they belong! We saw about half of Cade's Cove & then drove out a back way, down a one-way lane where the scenery was gorgeous & people were minimal. The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area is crowded beyond description, with stores/hotels/motels/gas stations/tourist attractions continually along for miles -- & four lanes of constantly weaving traffic.On Thurs we attended the Tennessee Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia, which is one of the nation's largest and most authentic old-time mountain, craft & music festivals involving about 400 musicians. We mainly focused on listening to the music, which was well worth the price of admission. Some of the more famous people we saw were Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Raymond Fairchild and Janette Carter. The less famous people were also quite good -- this close to Nashville, even the unknowns are great! One of the most interesting demonstrations was sorghum cane grinding & molasses making.
Our final sightseeing outing was to Oak Ridge, to visit the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE). Oak Ridge was a "secret city" built in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project (a wartime effort which produced the world's first atomic weapons). Three facilities were built here: Y-12 which separated U235 from U238; K-25 which separated U235 by a more economical method; & X-10 where a graphite moderated nuclear reactor was constructed. The AMSE tells the story of Oak Ridge, & also has exhibits on past, present & future uses of fossil fuels & alternative energy sources.
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 3:05 PM 
