US Hwy 70: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

If you can bear driving through Gatlinburg, TN, you'll find a real gem of a road on the outskirts of town.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a 6 mile loop road that is well worth a visit.

Also well worth it is the descriptive tour booklet that's available for $1 on the honor system in a box located just below this sign at the trailhead.

The trail is narrow and winding, but I had no trouble driving my full-size pick-up.

For the first mile or so, you climb steadily through a lovely, very green forest of various tree species.



You are soon rewarded with an excellent view of the Smoky Mountains, just stunning on a clear day!



The tour booklet describes in detail how numerous families lived in the area. When it became a national park they all had to leave, but a number of their original dwellings are left behind. There are some great anecdotes about how hardscrabble life was here in such a rocky, hilly terrain.



Everywhere, there is the constant sound of running water from the Roaring Fork, with many parking pull-outs available for exploration and meditation. Happy reports that the water is very refreshing!



The real star of the show, however, is the road itself and the lush green forest it traverses.





Another unexpected gem found on the ongoing Voyages of Macgellan!

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Happy: I Almost Met Duke!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy because I almost met Duke!

Macgellan and I were cruising around the Smoky Mountains yesterday -- him driving and me sleeping, of course! -- when all of a sudden I woke up to the smell of baked beans!

The next thing I know, we've pulled into the Bush Beans Museum and Visitor Center and Macgellan is telling me I might get to meet Duke. I didn't understand at first, but after putting on my best frock and walking to the door it started to make some sense.

Duke is famous -- like me! -- as spokes-dog for Bush's Beans. He's been on TV and everything! He's very handsome in all his pictures, and I was pretty excited to meet him. Sadly, Duke is on vacation and wasn't available to have a photo-op with me.

Instead, a nice man who is the company historian came out and took some photos to use in their company newsletter. When Duke sees them, he'll be pretty disappointed he didn't get to meet me!



I wasn't allowed to tour the museum, but Macgellan says it's very well done and interesting, full of information about beans, company history and Duke. He suggests you stop by if you're in the area.

They did let me pose in front of a thing called a "green screen" so that I could sort of have my picture taken with Duke. It was a little weird because I had to sit on a stool, and I still wasn't tall enough. That's me at the bottom of the photo!



I told Macgellan that I just never know what kind of fun experiences I'm going to have, even when it seems like they don't work our perfectly. I didn't get to meet Duke, but I had a great time anyway!

US Hwy 70: Smoky Mountain Circuit

I began a day of exploration by driving south out of Newport, TN, along a pleasant rural road with consistent views of the Smoky Mountains. As you can see, the weather was absolutely perfect!



Nearing the mountains, I turned southwest along the National Park boundary and proceeded through a couple of charming little mountain towns. After those, the roadside became progressively more built up until I reached the overwhelmingly tourist-trap town of Gatlinburg. I hated it in an instant.



Luckily, there's a nice nature road that loops out of town and back, which I enjoyed for a couple of hours and will post about separately. With that behind me, I headed north into Dante's ninth circle of hell called Pigeon Forge. I'm unable to describe it, and this photo doesn't even do it justice. I drove through several miles of every kind of tacky amusement without stopping, not even at Starbucks!



Thrilled to have escaped that nightmare, I continued northeast back toward my base in Newport. The trip was made rather amusing by what looked like large-scale yard sales taking place every half-mile or so. I don't know if this was a special Saturday for yard sales or if it's an every week affair, but I can report that people seemed to be taking them quite seriously!



Approaching Newport, I was relieved the road resumed being a pleasant rural affair with nice views!



Overall, I'd say it's been a good day of exploration, despite the yucky parts in the middle. I'm staying here tomorrow to take care of some chores, during which I will post about the nature road and a little adventure that Happy had along the way... Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Into The Smoky Mountains

I rolled out of Asheville in good order this morning, heading northwest into the Smoky Mountains. After two beautiful weather days I was a little disappointed by the haze, then reminded myself that there's a reason they call them the Smoky Mountains! (Memo to self: Don't be an idiot.)



The four-lane road soon gave way to a two-lane affair that was narrow, steep and twisty in spots, but overall very enjoyable. My dash-cam doesn't always capture the scenery at its best, but it's the best I can do while keeping my eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.



I crossed the state line and stopped for lunch at a classic little diner in Newport, TN. Do yourself a favor and click on the photos below to check out the ambiance, characters and menu!



While enjoying a tasty BLT sandwich, I read up about the area and decided Newport is a good base of operations for Smoky Mountains exploration. So, I've parked my rig in a nice campground and settled in for a couple of days... Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Asheville, NC

I can see why Asheville has a reputation for being such a nice little city. The compact downtown area is crammed full with all manner of shops, restaurants, bars, music clubs, etc. A microcosm of this is the Grove Arcade which houses a broad array of retail establishments with outdoor street entrances.

Inside, the three-story atrium gives access to retail shops on the ground floor and professional spaces above. I think there are even apartments on the top floor, for those who love downtown living.

Like all of the city, it is very clean, tidy and inviting.

I asked many people if they liked living here and the unanimous answer was that they love it.

There's a clear sense of pride in the city, echoed in a ubiquitous theme of shopping locally.

It's nice to spend time in a happy, vibrant place with a sense of shared community.

It's also nice -- and fun -- to be in a place that is clearly dog-friendly and takes its coffee seriously.



Speaking of coffee-friendly, how's this for a coffee joint! It's one of Asheville's landmarks and well worth a visit. I recommend a double espresso machiatto!



Immediately around the downtown core is a variety and range of neighborhoods, generally nestled in or on the local hills. Further out, there is a some sprawl that feels a little sketchy in parts.

I've had a nice couple of days here and could see coming back for a longer visit sometime, but the Smoky Mountains are calling my name. I'm ready for some time in the woods and plan to continue northwest on US70 tomorrow... Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Biltmore Estate

The weather was perfect this morning -- clear, sunny and cool -- so Happy and I headed straight for the Biltmore Estate. The approach road is three miles long, a brilliant lead-in to the main attraction. The mansion is everything it is reported to be, and more.

We spent most of the day enjoying the Biltmore's spectacular outdoor offerings. At one point, I swear it looked like Happy was dreaming about living there!

I can't say we walked everywhere on the massive 8,000 acre estate, but Happy and I took what was by far the longest walk we've ever taken together.

The Hapster was in absolute heaven, stopping every few feet to smell something in earnest. If I didn't have her on a long retractable lead, walking with her could easily become an annoying stop-and-go process!

Although the mansion is the main feature and the fancy gardens are the close runner-up, we particularly enjoyed the large open fields, varied woodlands and exquisite mountain views. What's not to like about spending a beautiful day in a place like this?



We're going to check out the highly renowned town/city of Asheville tomorrow… Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Return To Asheville

We left Atlanta this morning, after a good multi-purpose week. As you know, Happy had an event at the Fulton County Jail. I also did a couple of days consulting, but mostly visited with old friends.

We have returned to Asheville, NC, via a route through the North Georgia Mountains. It's always a lovely drive, even on an overcast and occasionally rainy day.


Happy wasted no time getting her road game on. She obviously sleeps well in the truck, and I think she may actually have figured out that we're going for a long drive whenever I hook up the trailer!



We're going to spend at least a couple of days checking out Asheville, which everyone says is a great little town/city… Stay tuned!

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Happy: I Went To Jail!

Hi!... I'm Happy... I'm always Happy... Today I'm happy I went to jail!

Macgellan and I are in Atlanta, where a group called Canine CellMates runs a great program to rescue dogs from death row and pair them with inmates at the Fulton County Jail, to be socialized, trained and readied for adoption.

When Macgellan told them we were in town, they invited us to visit them in jail and tell my story!

Macgellan did all the talking, of course, and showed them lots of photos and videos. I had a great time hanging out with the guys, getting tons of pats and giving them my best photo-op smile.



The Canine CellMates program is really good for canines and humans, so maybe you could like them on Facebook, send something from their Amazon Wish List or even throw them a bone!

We will be in Atlanta over the weekend, then head north to continue our road trip along US Hwy 70.

If we'll be passing through or near your town and you'd like us to tell my story to your school, group, company, etc., just let us know... Macgellan is pretty good at telling my story, and I'm the best at getting pats!

US Hwy 70 — Detour: Nantahala Transit

I'm taking a detour from US70, enroute to Atlanta for a multi-purpose week. Yes, I promise to tell you about it when the time is right.

Leaving Asheville this morning, I had a beautiful drive WSW through the Nantahala National Forest. The road is almost entirely two-lane, tree-lined and offering regular views of the Smoky Mountains.



Much of the route follows the Nantahala River, where enthusiasts are already rafting and kayaking despite pretty chilly water temps. Happy was quite amused by them during our picnic lunch!



I've stopped in a lovely campground near the small town of Marble, NC, very close to the Georgia border. I need to press on to Atlanta tomorrow, but plan to stop here again for a few days when I backtrack to rejoin US70.

Worth noting is that I've made pretty swift travel across the state of North Carolina. That's the result of something I've long dealt with on the Voyages of Macgellan: As soon as you put something on the schedule, you have a schedule! When I've concluded my scheduled appointments in Atlanta, I intend to leave my schedule entirely clear and start taking my time on the route… Stay tuned!

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US Hwy 70: Into The Foothills

West of Statesville, US70 is primarily a two-lane country road. It's obviously the poor relation of I-40 — which runs parallel only a mile away — but it's in good shape overall. With an average speed limit of 45mph and routine stops at crossroads and towns, it offers only half the speed of the interstate but is at least twice as pretty, entertaining and fun to drive.



Passing through numerous small towns there is quite a bit of light manufacturing, much of it looking to be related to furniture and finishing. In places, there is some evidence of much older or extinct factories for textiles, bricks, etc. Like just about every other rural area I've driven through in this country, the towns pretty much all show signs of age, wear and financial struggle. A few appear to be giving tourism a go, but not many and not entirely successfully.



Approaching Asheville, US70 joins I-40 for the long slog up and over the eastern continental divide. From there, the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains come well into view and beckon.



I plan to stay in the area just for tonight and tomorrow, but will be back for a longer visit after a little detour that I will explain soon… Stay tuned!

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