CATALOOCHEE VALLEY IN THE SMOKIES

We left the main area of the Smokies, vowing to return. We stopped at Maggie Valley for a couple of nights so we could visit a remote part of the Smokies called Cataloochie Valley. On our first evening in Maggie we went to an outdoor concert by the Hayward Community Band - it was great - from 633 Squadron March to Michelle to Over the Rainbow and All Shook Up - average age of band was probably 70!
 

Cataloochee

Palmer Place built 1860

Palmer Chapel built 1903

Roy felt the need to tell me that the bible was open telling about Noah

Spent a great day up the twisting mountain road over into the remote and spectacular Cataloochee valley in the eastern Smokies.
Cherokees named this area Ga -da -lu - tsi meaning "standing up in ranks" refering to the endless ranks of timber that lined the ridges.
As many as 1200 people in this community left behind their beloved homes, farms, churches and schools when in the 1930s the national park idea became reality.

on the trail to nowhere

messing about in class!

Elk

 

Caldwell Place built 1903

Tailgating

Horse manure heaven for these butterflies

We enjoyed seeing the buildings that still remained and hiked 5 miles looking for a little church in the wilderness but ran out of time. We headed back to see the majestic Elk venture out of the woods in the evening - saw 15 in all. A memorable day - another on the " will return" list! 

We move tomorrow on to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short while, we are heading to Kentucky and the Cumberland Gap Historlc National Park for Memorial Day weekend - so no internet for a while.

Sun goes down at the end of a perfect day