We really
did not do our research about this area. For whatever reason we thought visiting
a National Park would be all about wilderness and solitude. Turns out the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina, is
the most visited NP in the US at 12.5 million visitors in 2019. The Grand
Canyon is second with 6 million yearly visitors, but it is a more remote location.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s popularity is due to its accessibility.
Several major cities are nearby, like Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, Charlotte
and Atlanta, but it is also a reasonable drive from such varied places like
Louisville, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville, Florida.
Pigeon
Forge and Gatlinburg are on the very edge of the National Park and they are
very very heavily touristed. On a stretch of road several miles through the
home of Dollywood there are several other amusement parks, arcades, fast food
restaurants, miniature golf courses, pancake houses, motels and shopping
outlets in a seemingly unending expanse of family fun. Traffic is horrific
despite three lanes in either direction. It was shocking to see this for first time;
we did not expect this at all. There is an area called “The Island” that is
incredibly busy with people being shuttled to this area of restaurants, bars
and attractions from a massive parking lot. We drove through this area and were
shocked to see people elbow-to-elbow and no one wearing masks. We did not stay
at all.
GATLINBURG, TN
Gatlinburg is about five miles south of Pigeon Forge and it was much more of the same,
only this time traffic was pinched into two lanes and people shuffled along the
narrow sidewalks that had the feel of a New Jersey shore boardwalk, but without
the ocean. We could count on one hand the number of people we saw wearing masks
as we crept through Gatlinburg. We decided very quickly we were not going to
stop for a round of Hillbilly Miniature Golf.
No, we
had not expected this level of frenetic tourism at all. We thought the area
would be sleepy mountain towns, and the National Park would be a woodland
dream. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park does have 800 miles of trails
from easy to difficult, day hikes to overnights. The park has a number of historic structures to visit and it is a great place to see wildlife like black bears, deer and woodpeckers. So, instead of mingling with
Cov-idiots, we have decided early on to pick out a new hike every day. There are plenty,
and when we’re.finished hiking we’ve lingered on our deck to watch the sunsets,
drink happy hour libations and soak in the hot tub. Hiking has proved to be a fun alternative way to vacation.
Perhaps
in another time with no virus and with grandkids in tow Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
would be viable destinations, but Janet and I were wondering if we would ever
return to this area. If not for the solitude of our hilltop cabin our
experiences would be decidedly different. I will tell you about all the hikes in the next entry.
Team VFH
had been to Tennessee a few years before when we visited my daughter in Nashville
where she was living at the time. THAT town is an incessant party along the strip
of honky-tonk bars on Broadway with every place blaring fantastic music, but after
three days of carousing there it was enough for us. Given today’s issues with
Covid-19, being jammed together, hooting and hollering to the extremely
talented musicians who are trying to make it to the big-time in the Country
Music world, just seemed stupid and dangerous.
Craving
travel though after three months of isolation we decided to go somewhere, but we
weren’t foolhardy enough to chance it by thundering about with the hordes.
Janet came to the rescue, of course, when she happened upon a cabin for rent on
the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in eastern Tennessee.
She found
it on AirBnB. We have traveled throughout the United States and Europe using the
website, which connects property owners with prospective guests. Other places we’ve
stayed using AirBnB have been several locations in Hawaii, England, Croatia and
Texas. Our little cabin in Sevierville is just outside the National Park and
near to all the attractions in Pigeon Forge, which is home to Dolly Parton’s
Dollywood amusement park, and Gatlinburg. The cabin sleeps 4 and has two
porches overlooking the mountains. On the lower porch is a hot tub and the
lower floor also has a recreation room with a pool table. It’s comfortable and
still rustic and fairly isolated.
Our plan for
the week is to escape, but still isolate ourselves. We have been going on hikes
daily in the Great Smoky Mountains and either cooking at the cabin or getting
takeout for meals.
The ride
down route 81 in Virginia is quite spectacular with the Blue Ridge Mountains
off to our left. It’s big wide-open country on a road that promises opportunity
as it goes deep into the center of the Shenandoah Valley. We picked up the
highway just south of Gettysburg and took it all the way to Tennessee. On our
return trip we will take the Skyline Drive that follows the crest of the Blue
Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah National Park and stay at a lodge there
called Big Meadow.
I had
downloaded some bluegrass music for appropriate onboard entertainment as we hurtled
down 81. Along the way we stopped in Bristol, Virginia AND Tennessee. The twin cities
of Bristol is considered the birthplace of modern country music. In 1927 the
Bristol Sessions went on at a converted factory building on the Tennessee side
of State Street. State Street is the border between Old Dominion and the
Volunteer state. The sessions were instrumental in recording regional music at
the time and it introduced America to the music of Southern Appalachia and Bluegrass.
The factory where the sessions were held has been converted into a parking lot,
but the Country Music Museum is a block away on the Virginia side.
We did a
drive by the museum, and then parked the car so we could pose for pictures straddling
the border on State Street just because it was there. Establishments on either side
of this unique thoroughfare flew their state’s flag. It was a good stop, even
Janet said so!
FITTING
IN
We finally
reached Sevierville in the late afternoon and bought food supplies at a Kroger
supermarket. We wore masks inside the store and wiped down the cart before
shopping. I would guess it was about 50-50 with the mask wearing, but no one
gave us a second look. Staff at the market all wore masks.
We had
heard that some places people feel the whole Covid-19 is a hoax and minimize
the threat of the pandemic and even consider people wearing a mask are complicit
in some sort of grand evil scheme, but so far, we hadn’t gotten that feeling.
Even at
our next stop before the cabin, Boss Hogg’s BBQ, we were the only ones wearing
a mask. It’s a rustic though clean place serving great bbq. We sort of felt out
of place wearing a mask, but they were polite. Boss Hogg’s came highly recommended
by our AirBnB hosts and the brisket and pulled pork did not disappoint, although
they had run out of potato salad…. We got our food to go and headed up rural
route 321 towards the rental.
The cabin
is along a steep, winding narrow patch of macadam with a steep steep drop off
on one side. I asked Janet what was there and she replied, “DEATH!” The GPS
though took us a different way that evidently is only open during the winter months.
We came to a gate and had to back down the treacherous road a couple of hundred
feet before we could reach the proper turn. A few times I could not see the road
as it pitched and rolled.
Finally
arriving at our place, we sat on the back deck overlooking the mountains to eat
our BBQ and then soaked in the hot tub and watched a brilliant sunset. We had
done all right!
Thanks
for reading. Hope you find such love and serenity in your lives as well.
We had been
watching the news with great trepidation for weeks now. Anxious over recent
spikes of convid-19 in various states that had eased restrictions on the
pandemic that is still ravaging this world we watched as Tennessee was
highlighted in the nightly television news graphic that showed the Volunteer
State was having problems. Not until two days before our departure was
Tennessee no longer seeing a rise in cases. Our concern was personal after all;
we were going there! We had decided to get out of the house for a road trip to
stay in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee and it would have
been bad luck to wade into troubles.
In
deference to the pandemic and smart social distancing we have made this a road
trip. Instead of flying we rented a car and are driving from Pennsylvania to
Tennessee. This is a big concession for Janet. She does not like long road
trips and has placed her limit at no more than 6 hours a day in the car. Me?
Heck I once drove from Lambertville, NJ to San Antonio, TX in less than two days
to research my second novel, The Music Made Me Cry, and I made a point of
taking a lot of back roads mimicking the actions of my characters.
So,
rather than driving directly to Sevierville Tennessee, which is just outside of
the revelry of Pigeon Forge and Dollywood, we left a day earlier and stopped in
Harrisonburg, VA which is right off I-81, the major thoroughfare in western Virginia.
We mooched a night’s stay with a college friend of Janet’s. Of course, we made
arrangements weeks beforehand and didn’t just knock on her door.
She was
so happy to see us that she bought us beer! After a time of reminiscing on her
back deck we went OUT for dinner. That was the first time in months we had been
out like this. We sat at outdoor seating, appropriately distanced from others. All
the servers wore masks. Janet and I were so happy to be out that I graciously
paid the bill, although our hostess offered to pick up the tab. (One must open
their wallets in order to ensure future moochability you know.)
GREG’S
WAY v GETTING THERE
Readers
of this blog know I am more of a meanderer when it comes to driving, but when
you are traveling great vast distances one must approach the road with alacrity.
Still I loathe driving on busy highways and before we reached Highway 81 which
runs brisk but really without non-threatening Kamikaze weavers it was only
after several hours of driving along tertiary roads. Normally I wouldn’t mind
the slower pace, but with every slow-moving truck and every construction site
and every traffic jam (Route 15 outside of Gettysburg was stopped for a while)
the clock was ticking and Janet’s patience was waning, as was mine!
When we
finally reached our friend’s house we were spent! But being greeted by our
friend with her brilliant smile AND a couple of cold six-packs made everything
all right. It was a good stop.
We had
one final full day in Panama before heading home. Rather than disembarking from
the M/S Panorama to immediately head for the airport, we decided to spend a day
in Panama City. Our original idea was to explore further this gleaming metropolis,
the largest city in all of Central America, but we ended up staying at the
small rooftop pool at the Doubletree Hilton for most of the day before
venturing out for dinner. Afterall the next day we would be back in the cold
wintry Northeast; better to bask in the blazing heat with refreshing dips in
the pool while nibbling at those fabulous Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip
Cookies!
Our small
ship adventure with Variety Cruises took us along the Pacific coasts of Costa
Rica and Panama. Every day we were very busy with shore excursions to national
parks and idyllic islands. These mini adventures were informative and fun and
exposed us to the beauty and biodiversity these two Central American countries
offered. We saw a vast array of plants, birds, fish and animals, from sloths to
whale sharks to howler monkeys. Even prior to our departure we hiked in the
rainforests of Monteverde and drank enough coffee at a plantation to keep us
awake for weeks.
By the
time we reached Panama City we were spent, and it was a good day to just relax.
The only items on our agenda that last day were eating Doubletree Chocolate
Chip Cookies and to swim in the pool.
GREAT
NEWS
If you,
my well-traveled reader, have ever stayed at a Doubletree you know about their
cookies. Warm, gooey, chocolatey, nutty; these cookies are delicious. Well,
just recently Doubletree posted their recipe for these delightful confections
so you may bake them at home.
We had already
seen two of the main tourist attractions in Panama City; the Miraflores locks
of the Panama Canal, and Casco Viejo, the old quarter of the city. It might
have been nice to stroll some more along the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo
and perhaps linger over a drink at a tapas bar, but this section of the city
was too far away from the pool at the hotel.
JW MARRIOTT PANAMA CITY
We could
have gone to visit the remnants of Panama Viejo, the original site of the city
that was ravaged by the pirate Captain Morgan in 1671. It’s a popular tourist
attraction, but that too was far from the pool.
We could
have explored the gleaming modern city that now bristles with unique architecture
that just seemed so fantastic and futuristic. Until 2000 there were barely any
tall buildings but construction has accelerated since and now there are nearly
200 buildings rising dramatically into the sky, including the JW Marriott looking like a massive sail unfurled in the wind and the F&F Tower or
Revolution Tower, nicknamed the “Tornillo”, ‘screw’ in Spanish. Turns out we
could see the Screw from the pool. We could also see from our pool La Iglesia
De Carmen a beautiful church in a gothic style that is a popular visit with
tourists. It was just around the corner from the hotel and we nodded in
agreement that it was beautiful from our chaise lounges.
Revolution Towers in a store
CEVICHE
FOR ALL
We did manage
to visit the Mercado de Mariscos earlier in the day. It is a sprawling,
bustling fish market at the edge of Casco Viejo popular with local families, restaurateurs
and tourists. Our driver suggested we stop. We had arranged for the ride
through the cruise line and she picked us up at the Flamenco Marina on the
Amador Causeway and after taking the Cinta Costera, a viaduct several hundred
feet off shore that wound around the Casco Viejo peninsula which alleviated heavy
traffic in the area and preserved the UNESCO World Heritage status, we parked
curbside and entered a swirling world of just caught seafood.
The
market is right at the water’s edge and opens early in the morning. The fishing
boats unload their haul and it doesn’t have to travel very far. There is an outside area where men are preparing the fish for the market and a vast
interior area of dozens of stalls where one can buy by the pound everything
from tuna and salmon to game fish like marlin, sailfish and wahoo. Shellfish
and prawns are all for sale and everything is very inexpensive! We saw one fish
called Atun Chico for $1.50 / lb. and some sort of shellfish for $2.00 / dozen.
Outside there are a number of food stalls and ceviche stands. It was
too early in the day to have the little restaurants open, but our driver
pointed out that ceviche is very cheap, and obviously very fresh in these little
no-frills places. You can also order fries or patacones (fried plantain) which
make for a great snack as you walk around. There is also a more formal dining
area on the second floor where chefs will cook your purchase for you.
TINAJAS
It might have
been a great adventure to return to the market for dinner later in the day, but
we opted to stay close to the hotel. A couple who had also traveled on the Panorama met us at the hotel and we walked around the corner to Tinajas Restaurant. Tinajas serves typical Panamanian fare and several days a week there is a very entertaining show of
Panamanian music and dancing on a small stage at one end of the restaurant. Given the food and the culture, Tinajas was an ideal place to end our trip.
There is great food at decent prices at Tinajas. There is a modest
cover charge, for the folk dancing show, but it was worth it for the experience. Our typical Panamanian meals did not disappoint. We split an appetizer of Patacones topped with Ropa Vieja and for her
main Janet had Grilled Octopus and I had a whole Red Snapper grilled Caribbean-style.
The best part of the evening was the show though. We were one of the first patrons that evening and the restaurant was empty, but by showtime, the place was packed.
We were greeted
at the door by a woman wearing a very ornate and colorful pollera, a long one-piece
skirt used in traditional festivals. Her hair was festooned with a pearl
headdress and her make-up was immaculate. She looked preternaturally perfect,
like a Disney character. Later she proved to be one of the dancers in the show. Several
other women in the show also wore pollera which they would proudly unfurl as
they swirled around the dance floor with their partners who wore plain sackcloth
clothes and hats.
This was our
last stop in a last-minute trip. We had booked the cruise, flights and hotel
stays in mid-December for a mid-February departure. Costa Rica and Panama was
not on our original list as traveling destinations, but serendipity and chance came
to our rescue. We were also very fortunate that the Covid-19 pandemic did not
affect us while there or in our travels home. We were lucky that we were not
stranded or have gotten sick before “social distancing” had become a standby
approach to a healthy life.
Doing
research for this final article I have seen how the pandemic has shuttered many
places in Panama City. The Doubletree is listed as temporarily closed. The fish
market has pandemic measures in place. Tinajas is currently closed.
We have
been stuck here in Collegeville Pennsylvania since the Coronavirus pandemic
started ravaging the world. Dutifully quarantining ourselves, exercising social
distancing and wearing masks whenever we are out it has been a hellish couple
of months. Incessant news reports on the pandemic was giving our willies the
willies. It is shocking to see the progression of this virus as it has run
through our society unabated.
Our world
consequently has gotten much much smaller. Planned trips to England, Hilton
Head and Texas have been cancelled. A summer rental in Ocean City New Jersey
that was big enough to host Janet’s family and mine has been cancelled. We
still are not sure if a trip in December to Jamaica is still on, or if that
will be cancelled as well.
Thankfully
now with the warm weather we are able to retreat to our jungle of a back deck.
Every year Janet creates another beautiful world with ferns and potted and
hanging plants. Lights along the railing create a peaceful serene enclosure.
The past few years we’ve expanded off the back deck with three Hosta plants,
wildflowers in a little garden and several pots of hot peppers and tomatoes. Last
year we had a lot of Habaneros and made everything from hot sauces to Habanero/Pineapple
jelly.
EXPANDING
WORLD
You would
think that because of this pandemic and cancelled travel our social life would
dwindle to zero, but it has had the complete opposite effect. Our world has
expanded to our neighbors. Not having to be anywhere has allowed us to enjoy the
life we’ve created for ourselves. To slow down and not travel has been
refreshing and rewarding. We’ve gotten to know our neighbors more, albeit from
a safe distance. We’ve watched the neighborhood blossom with parents enjoying
bike rides with their children also taking advantage of life and streets devoid
of traffic. As the weather has warmed some of the neighborhood kids noisily
splash in a blowup pool or carom down a slip ‘n slide.
ON OUR STREET
We’ve
noticed that the traffic in the neighborhood was very quiet for a long while
and wild animals from the nearby wooded areas had become emboldened by the
solitude. We’ve had deer in the development, pesky racoons rifling garbage cans
and a very brave fox ambling about both during the day and night.
We’ve taken
to walking nearly every day, sometimes with the dog sometimes we invite the
little girl next door. We’ll walk, masks at the ready, looking out for other
people crying out “Mask Alert!” when someone nears. Often our walks take us up
to the vast stretch of property at Ursinus College. Students have been sent
home and there’s just a skeleton facilities crew working there so it’s as if we
have our own personal park. The gyms have all been closed, but Janet is good
friends with the owners and she was able to borrow some weights for workouts at
home.
We do
support the local brew pubs though. Many offer specials on their beer and all
offer take out menus. Down the street from us is a new place called Troubles
End. Unfortunately, Troubles End had their grand opening the week before the
pandemic went wild, so the name is wishful thinking. We’ve ordered take-out
food several times to show our support and also bought some Heady Topper beer,
a rarity offered in these parts. Iron Hill in Phoenixville has a great offer of
two pizzas and a growler for $25 and Sly Fox also has food specials for pick up
to go along with their excellent beer.
Janet
thankfully loves to cook. We get meal kits often and that saves on traveling to
the super markets too often. All the ingredients for that meal come with the kit
so there’s a cost savings in not having to purchase every item. Currently we
are going with Green Chef, but she was on a vegan kick for a while and she was
ordering from Purple Carrot, but Janet often follows what has the best deal.
You know,
the thing about vegan meals… that tofu looks like it should come out of my body
and not go into it………….
BUY
NOTHING
Lately
Janet has been on a mission to perfect baking sourdough bread. It’s an involved
time-consuming process to first get a sourdough starter going, waiting and, well
it’s complicated for me. She’s not perfected it yet, but she has baked several
very interesting loaves.
The thing
is that when you create a starter, part of the process is to toss some away to
allow more growth. Instead of tossing the unwanted starter Janet instead has begun
to donate to others in the community who would use it to bake their own bread. She
reached out using the local Buy Nothing Project, which is a global network of
community-based groups that encourages giving and sharing and trading of goods
and services and sourdough starter kits. Janet was familiar with the Buy
Nothing Project already having donated various items like doggy dental chews and
a pegboard she no longer needed. In return she asked the community to send to
her daughter birthday cards for a recent milestone anniversary and they readily
complied. One of her starter beneficiaries dropped off a cache of savory garlic
and sage biscuits.
You can
find your local Buy Nothing Project group on Facebook.
For the past
five weeks Janet has been hosting a web-based cooking show for the Pilates
studio she belongs to in Phoenixville. TruFit Pilates has been closed since the
pandemic struck, and Janet was approached by the owners to host this show. A
natural educator and fabulous cook, Janet has made everything from vegan tostados
to a chocolate pistachio glazed cake, all the while drinking an adult beverage.
For me it’s a mini television production and a lot of fun. We arrange the iPad
and the lights in the kitchen for her to work her magic and I monitor the site
for questions. It keeps us busy and this past week we did the show on the back
deck.
All the
videos are recorded and can be watched anytime. Either go to my Facebook page
or TruFit Pilates page.
You know,
we’re having a lot of fun being quarantined. This almost makes us want to stay close
to home more often and rethink travel. It may be a big world, but there’s a lot
to see and do right here.
This is a
travel blog, and I will never pretend to know I have any solutions except on
how to get from here to there and perhaps what you’ll find once you arrive. I certainly
do not harbor political agendas or malice towards anyone, but sadly the world
is currently so upside down with this Covid-19 pandemic and now with protests against
police brutality convulsing this great nation, allow me to say that my heart is
breaking. I am saddened by the loss of life and the injustice, but I am hopeful
that we have reached a turning point with both viruses. Unfortunately, Covid-19
may be an easier virus to contend with and hopefully a solution is on the
horizon. The virus of systemic racism that runs throughout the history of this
country is a deadlier virus. It needs to end; it needs to be eradicated.
How? I
told you I don’t have a solution, but I do know that it is viscerally wrong to
have someone kneeling on another human’s neck. These protests hopefully are the
dialogue that needs to begin for people everywhere to be respected and heard.
Social distancing is the catch phrase these days. It helps prevent the spread
of the Covid-19, but we must aspire to be closer to everyone in thought and
deed. We must listen to those who are hurt and grieving and treat others as we
want to be treated. No one should be excluded because no one is better than the
other.
