Flashback Friday: Nashville 2009

In keeping with the Tennessee theme this week (and since my last posts), I thought I would share a photo of an unexpected find in downtown Nashville. On a sunny, cold and windy December day, I had parked my car in an underground garage with the intention of visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame. When I came up to street level, I was greeted by this fountain and the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

The Star of the Show: Miss Dolly

One cannot visit the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and not feel the presence of its most famous daughter - Dolly Parton. Whether you get the chance to catch a glimpse of Dolly in person while on one of her tours of Dollywood or at the annual parade in Pigeon Forge, it really doesn't matter. She is everywhere. From billboards to brochures to a boulevard, her name and image are everywhere - even on the courthouse grounds. The statue of Dolly was sculpted by a local artist named Jim Gray. It was unveiled by Dolly on May 2, 1987, and continues to be appointed stop for any Dolly fan - me included.

A Trip into "Old" Sevierville

I'm not sure if the locals would make the distinction between "new" and "old" Sevierville, but during my recent trip to the region, I could definitely see there was so much new that one wonders if the old and the historic will survive. Since I was staying in Gatlinburg, I started out fairly early to drive to the courthouse square in Sevierville. I really wanted to visit their history museum, but found it closed - on Saturday, no less. The courthouse is a grand building that more than competes with the newer, flashier construction on the Parkway. After reading about the courthouse's history, I found that even in Sevierville the current courthouse, built in 1894, barely escaped urban renewal in the 1960s:

"In the 1960's, concern was expressed over courthouse overcrowding and its age. Some wanted to tear down the building and construct a modern, contemporary building. Thanks to the efforts of county historian Joe Sharp, the courthouse was preserved by a vote of 13 to 11."

Luckily, the courthouse survived and should remain the centerpiece of Sevier County's history. To the communty leaders in Sevier County, I offer a friendly suggestion. As your area grows to meet the demands of a robust tourism industry, you should be as focused on promoting the heritage of the area - not just on the Internet, but in museums, heritage sites and living history villages. I learned a lot this time about the area's history, and it is something that should be shared more vigorously with visitors.

Hidden Gatlinburg

Amid the spectacle that is the Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN lay many hidden gems, including the Gatlinburg First Methodist Church (above). Gatlinburg also has several city parks. I visited Mynatt Park and found a wonderful, quiet place where families could have a picnic, wade in the mountain stream or let kids run off some extra energy. Right on the Parkway but tucked in behind a major trolley stop and busy intersection rests a major part of Gatlinburg's history - the Ogle Family Cabin.

"In 1807, widowed Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, at age 46 or 47, came to her late-husband's 'Paradise' with her five sons and two daughters, her brother, Peter Huskey, and his family. From William's oral directions, they located his hewed logs, completed the cabin, and started a new life. Great grandson Andrew Ogle and his family were the last of the clan to live in the cabin, abandoning it about 1910."

Probably one of the greatest hidden gem is the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. I have been to Gatlinburg several times and never realized the school and its craft store, Arrowcraft, were right there at stoplight #3. (Hint: look for the driveway next to Cooter's Barbecue.) Another great find is just a short drive east of town. The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community offers visitors many shops were local craftspeople sell their work. Finally, the greatest find this trip was locating a bypass that takes you from the west side of town up the Historic Nature Trail to Cherry Orchard Road to Baskin's Creek Bypass and puts you out on Gatlinburg's East Parkway. So, the next time you're in Gatlinburg be sure to take in all of the latest attractions on the Parkway, but then, take some time to explore the "hidden Gatlinburg."

Rolling Along Through the Great Smoky Mountains

July 2010 - Shot this video while driving through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on my way to Gatlinburg, TN and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. I had never taken the route through Lenoir City, Maryville & Townsend, but, per instructions from Arrowmont, it turned out to be a much nicer ride than trying to get through the traffic in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge.