Itineraries

September Vacation - Melungeon Star Trail

jase.clamp@winworld.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:59:09 GMT

Explore the rich history and biodiversity of Hancock County as it stretches from Clinch Mountain on its southern border to Newman’s Ridge and the Powell Mountains to the north where it lies against the southwestern border of Virginia. Start with a picnic at Elrod Falls, or enjoy the drive along the Clinch and Powell rivers, bearing witness to one of the world's most renowned and ecologically diverse bodies of water.

The year of the first settlement of the
area is uncertain. Some historians set the date at 1795 while others cite evidence of settlers receiving grants to the land much earlier. Predating all of these, however, were the people known as Melungeons who were encountered by French traders in the mountains of east Tennessee in the late 1600's.

Mahala "Big Haley" Mullins was the most famous of this group. Haley was the notorious matron of a clan of moonshiners that lived on Newman's Ridge. Her scandalous girth, gumption, and tenacity at moonshining both scandalized and amused many in her day.

All evidence points to the fact that these unique people were long ensconced on Newman’s Ridge when the first settlers made their way to the land now known as Hancock County. Hancock's relative isolation has preserved the beauty of the area, a rural quality, and many traditions of Appalachian culture.

Mahala Mullins' Cabin on Newman's Ridge Vardy Presbyterian Church Mahala Mullins' cabin is located on the site of Vardy Church. The cabin was moved to the site from Newman's Ridge to protect it from deterioration.

Overview of the Quilt Squares »

The Route:

*Note: The trip to Vardy is not recommended for large passenger or cargo vehicles. It crosses over two mountains and contains many 180-degree switchbacks and steep inclines. For this reason, the route is a favorite of experienced motorcyclists but for drivers unfamiliar with the terrain, BE AWARE of sudden curves and other increased risks associated with mountain crossing. If you've got that well in hand, you should be able to enjoy some spectacular views of the seasonal foliage and valley below.

Be sure to fuel up your vehicle before starting this trip and try to maintain as full of a tank as possible throughout your trip, in case you chance to get lost. Take advantage of public restrooms wherever you find them. They may be few and far between.

Starting from Hwy 11w at Mooresburg, go north on Hwy 31. Along this road the Crossroads Restaurant may be your last chance to stop for food, drink, and a restroom until Sneedville, forty minutes north. D & J Market & Deli [8760 Highway 31 (423) 733-9940] is well before Sneedville but does not have public restrooms.

As you tour Hancock County, notice that the quilt squares are radiating or star patterns.

Approximately 10 miles north from Mooresburg, take a side detour on Elrod Falls Road to see "Cowboy Star" quilt square at Elrod Falls. There's a picnic pavilion here but no public restroom or potable water.

Also along Hwy 31 is "Century Star" on the side of a service station about seven and a half miles after Elrod Falls Road.

Next stop: Sneedville.

Cross the bridge over the Clinch River. Across the river, there's a fueling station.

Clinch River Market 127 Tazewell Hwy,
Sneedville, TN 37869 (423) 733-4895

At this point is a junction of Hwy 31 and Hwy 33 and without a map (or even with a map) the names can get confusing. From the river, looking northward:

--Turn left and you're on Hwy 33/Tazewell Hwy, which ends at 25e near Tazewell/Claiborne County.

--Go straight (north) and you're on Hwy 33 which becomes Main Street in Sneedville for awhile.

--Turn right and you're on Roberts Road and that will take you to Kyles Ford.

We highly recommend that you take a moment to fill your tank with gas and buy a Hancock County map. There are few service stations in Hancock County and if you don't know where you are the roads will seem to wander for miles before running across people to ask directions. Cellphones may not get a signal due to the mountains. A full tank of gas and a map will ensure you have enough gas to last until you get back on track.

At Clinch River Market near the bridge, if you turn left or right, you'll run across additional quilt squares. Straight ahead, Hwy 33 becomes Main Street for a while. There are several quilt squares in the town of Sneedville, which you will easily come upon if you simply drive down all of the roads (there aren't many). Sneedville is the county seat of Hancock County and is its only incorporated town. Its population was 1,257 at the 2000 census and in the warm season, you may be surprised by how many people you see walking about town, being social with one another. Jimmy Martin, a lively performer and dubbed the "King of Bluegrass" was from Sneedville. He was recently inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. Sneedville is a very friendly Appalachian town and a great getaway, especially for anyone interested in exploring their Melungeon roots and heritage.

The first painted square you may spot as you get into town, the "Dawn Star" is a colorful star quilt block placed on a red building at the west end of Main Street (Hwy 33).

To go to Vardy, turn northward off of Main Street onto Newman's Ridge Road (Hwy 63). Follow this road up over the mountain. On the other side, after driving a very short distance, turn right at Vardy Blackwater Road. As the name indicates, this road will take you through Vardy and goes all the way north to Blackwater, Virginia. Its approximately 12 miles long. Almost exactly halfway down the road (6 miles) is the TN/VA states line. Around four miles is Vardy, and about half that again, is the Rose Farm, the location of the first quilt square along this road. It's located on a black barn. Across from the barn is a lovely little white house with a very flowery garden border in season. At Vardy, you'll find the Mahala Mullins cabin, transported to this location from Newman's Ridge in order to maintain it along with the Vardy Presbyterian Church. The two buildings comprise an interesting museum about the church, Presbyterian missionaries, and the former Vardy School that were located in the Valley, plus Mahala Mullins cabin has many artifacts of the era and locale but most noticeably, lacks an antique moonshining still. If you have one and wish to donate it or anything else to the Vardy Historical Society, or to schedule a tour of the museum, contact the society at (423) 733-2305.

After the museum, continue on this road until Blackwater, Virginia. Turn right (south) on Hwy 70 toward Kyles Ford.

Next Stop: Kyles Ford.

Kyles Ford is famous for its biodiversity of mussel species. This is in fact, common throughout the Upper Clinch River but the species are protected and monitored here at the Kyles Ford Mussel Shoal preserve at the Kyles Ford Wildlife Management Area.

"Cabin Windows" quilt square is located at the River Place Market and Cafe in Kyles Ford. Here you can stock up on supplies, grab a bite to eat, or rent a cabin or historically preserved Appalachian cottage or cabin.

River Place on the Clinch, 2788 Highway 70, Kyles Ford, TN 37765 (423) 733-4400

If you'd like to end your tour of Hancock at this point, continue down this road to get to Rogersville and get back on Hwy 11w.

If you want to see more squares you may turn either way on Hwy 33 to see more or go past River Place and turn down [Joe] Alder Road, it's about 6.5 miles long. On this road, you'll come across the "Unfolding Star" quilt square on a shed at the Candle in the Wind Studio owned by Tammra and Gill Russell. Joe Alder Road comes out at Hwy 33 (Kyles Ford Road). Turn left toward Sneedville. 1 mile down Hwy 33, turn left onto Roberts Road and check out the little side roads along the river to see a couple more squares. Roberts Road runs along the river and comes back out at the bridge and the Clinch River Market service station.

October Vacation - Historic Mooresburg & Rogersville

jase.clamp@winworld.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:58:34 GMT

For a quaint little getaway, stay at the Home Place Bed & Breakfast in Mooresburg along Cherokee Lake, between Bean Station and Rogersville. Innkeeper, Priscilla Rogers is a descendant of the founders of Mooresburg and Rogersville and has generations of innkeeping in her ancestry.

The Home Place was built in the mid 1800s as a log cabin. The original log cabin structure interior is visible in the doorframe of the kitchen. This cozy bed & breakfast is indeed "homey" as innkeeper Priscilla Rogers makes all feel welcome and at home upon arrival. She's modest, friendly, and knowledgeable about the area--the ideal hostess. If you inquire, she will relate stories and details about her family history and homestead, area history, and will give you a tour of the home place, sharing stories behind the many family artifacts on display. Here you will also find local tourism information as well and the vintage family furnishings, framed portraits, and quilts make the experience complete.

Mooresburg itself is a small, unincorporated community between Bean Station and Rogersville. It was traditionally located along Hwy 11w but that section of road is now Old Hwy 11w. In its prime, Mooresburg was an important stage coach stop for travelers headed west. Now its old residences and the few remaining original structures are a peaceful and quiet reminder of times past.

Historic Marker: Williams Home Place
Location: Corner of Hwy 11 W and Slate Hill Road in Mooresburg, TN.

"Three-tenths of a mile north at 132 Church Lane, Hugh G. Williams and Carrie Moore Williams, descendants of Hugh G. Moore, a founder of Mooresburg, resided here in the late 1800's. The Williams owned the Mooresburg Springs Hotel, a well-known mineral spring resort. Guests from many states visited every summer to drink the mineral water, eat home-style cooking, and enjoy dancing and playing horseshoes. The Home Place is located on Hugh Moore's original land holdings."

There are two restaurants within short distance of the Home Place:

Crossroads Restaurant is located at 802 Old Hwy 11 W in Mooresburg (423) 272-3962.

Country Corner is located at 113 Old Hwy 11 W (423) 272-5027.

Next stop: Rogersville.

After Mooresburg, on your way further heading east on Hwy 11w toward Rogersville, you will come upon the Harrell Farm Barn Quilt on your right. It's up on a hill and visible from the highway. The pattern is "Mariner's Compass" painted in browns. The barn is located in a field and sometimes horses are seen mulling about nearby.

When you arrive in Rogersville, Hwy 11 W will make a Y split where 11 W continues to the left and to the right is West Main Street. Take West Main Street and this will carry you on into the heart of Historic Downtown Rogersville. On your right, you'll see the Historic Hale Springs Hotel and down the block also on the right is the historic courthouse. Again on the right, just after a grassy area there, look up and you'll see the quilt square "Country Decision" on the courthouse annex. In the downtown district, you'll find antique shops, restaurants, artist studio or galleries, and other services and shops all within walking distance of the courthouse. There are many beautiful old buildings in Rogersville. It's the oldest town in the state of Tennessee, second to Jonesborough but Rogersville is a bit larger than Jonesborough. Their October Heritage Days festival is one of the top festivals in East Tennessee with a good selection of vendors from the local area and also from North Carolina and Virginia and beyond.

If you have a little time to shop but can't fit in a lot, at the very minimum, you must stop at the corner of Main Street and Church Street. Side by side are the Mountain Star Antiques Mall and the Rogersville Artist Gallery. That's a great place to start out and then see what else you might find of interest downtown.

If you're ready to grab a bite to eat, Rogersville has plenty of restaurants but there are two within a block of the Mountain Star Mall:

Oh Henry's 201 E Main St, Rogersville, TN - (423) 272-0980

Miss Bea's Perks & Pies 109 S Church St, Rogersville, TN - (423) 272-6555

Guided Group Walking Tours:

For a guided walking tour of Rogersville, enjoy its stories and history led by experience storyteller, Guerry McConnell of Tour Designs & More, Inc. 423 East McKinney Ave, Rogersville TN 37857 guerrymcconnell@bellsouth.net, www.tales-tonics.com 423-272-8549 * 921-0799 Fax

Tour Designs & More, Inc. introduces its walking tours of Rogersville’s –the ‘City of Trees’- historic downtown. This is the first installment of several tours which are being developed to cover the remarkable history and character of Hawkins County. By appointment - 2 ½ hours @ $10.00 per person, $50.00min.

Tour Designs & More, Inc. was founded in Nashville, TN in 1988 primarily to serve tourists visiting Tennessee. Clients included motor coach groups, school groups, corporate and sales incentive groups. Through her 30 years of tour experience, Guerry McConnell has worked to showcase the best of the area, while entertaining her clients.

Guerry McConnell, President & Owner of Tour Designs & More, Inc. says “Hawkins County loves company, and we want to show you the best.”

November Vacation - Towsend to Tellico Plains

jase.clamp@winworld.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:58:02 GMT

First Stop-and-Stay: Townsend, Tennessee, the Peaceful Side of the Smokies.
Treat yourself to a refined Southern Appalachian vacation. Stay at what has been repeatedly awarded the title of best resort in the southeast and even #1 in the world for cuisine, service, and style. Blackberry Farm in the neighboring community of Walland offers the best of Southern Appalachian flavor and hospitality. Enjoy tennis, swimming, hiking & biking trails, fly fishing, a spa, fine foods, and a clubhouse amidst the secluded 4,200 acre estate in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, minutes from Cades Cove in the world-famous and #1 visited park in the country, Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Tour the working farm facility at your leisure and discover farm animals, honeybees, blackberries, an apple orchard, and more. Fine foods prepared on premises by three resident chefs or by special guest chefs, and all overseen by the proprietor who is also a chef! So the food must be good right? Experts agree. The dining is excellent and the service can't be beat. November's Blackberry Farms adventure series takes place November 14-16th. Gain valuable photography know-how "Behind the Lens" at Blackberry Farm. Located at 1471 West Millers Cove Rd., Walland, Tennessee. (865) 984-8166 Fax: 865-983-5708 info@blackberryfarm.com
www.blackberryfarm.com

Discover holiday photography at Townsend Visitor Center 7906 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy:
Nov. 5-7: Photography-Linda Waterhouse
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day-Open 9:00am--3:00pm - Holiday Photos-Mary Grace McCaffery
Nov. 28-30: Holiday Photos-Mary Grace McCaffery

If you need to do some shopping, stop by nearby Townsend to find quaint shops and fresh local foods at the farm market, which takes place every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Townsend’s Trillium Cove Shopping Village along East Lamar Alexander Parkway.

Also in Townsend, be sure to stop and visit Mountain Sage Gallery to see the "Delectable Mountains" painted quilt square. These are truly local arts and crafts at Mountain Sage, all from East Tennessee and a few from nearby in North Carolina. 7277 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy (865) 448-0809.

Have lunch next door at Sister Cats Cafe in Nawger Nob, which is a plaza full of artisans, arts, and crafts. I ordered tea and a Black & Blue Salad (Roast beef, cranberries, feta cheese, blue cheese crumbles & candied almonds served on romaine greens with honey mustard vinaigrette) with a side of Mandarin Orange Salad (pecan, romaine, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, & pecans with orange poppy seed dressing). Both were scrumptious. What can I say, I love salad! I left happy and looking forward to my next visit. You will too. Careful though, great salad is habit-forming.

Quilters and quilt lovers, find the "Log Cabin" quilt square, local made quilts and plenty of quilting supplies at Pappy's Quilting Place 3426 Sevierville Road in Maryville,TN (865) 980-0950.

Serious music lovers will want to check out the WOOD-N-STRINGS Dulcimer Shop, makers of fine Clemmer Dulcimers and Ban-Jammers. 7645 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy (865) 448-6647. www.clemmerdulcimer.com

If this leaves you still wanting more, discover the music stylings of the local community at Rocky Branch Community Center, located about 1/8 mile on the left, down Rocky Branch Road, off of Hwy 321 (Lamar Alexander Pkwy).

Apologies for the hundreds of things I'm leaving out, this is one of those places where there's just too much to do to quickly tell all so...moving on to:

Next Stop: Tellico Plains, Coker Creek, and the Cherohala Skyway.

Near Blackberry Farm, take the Foothills Parkway down to Monroe County, get onto 129, then to 72. You'll have to go out of your way a bit due to Tellico Lake. 72 will hook up with 411 and continue south over the lake. Get off on the Hwy 68 exit and follow 68 all the way to Tellico Plains. When you get there, stop at the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center, stock up on information for your stay in the area, and see the "Crossed Paws" quilt square. The visitor center has a gift shop and there's a museum next door that also contains a gift shop. As it's November, you may have even more shopping to do for the holidays so head on over to the Scott Street Arts district across the street. You can see the first attraction, "The Barn of Plenty" antiques from the visitor center. It's literally, a white barn full of antiques (and cats).

(to be continued)

Appalachian Ghostwalks

jase.clamp@winworld.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:57:26 GMT

Happy Haunted Holidays! There will be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmas’ long, long ago – it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Did you know that our modern Christmas was derived from a Ghost Story? Learn the history and origins of our most beloved Christmas traditions on select Christmas holiday ghost tours. “Ghosts of Christmas Past” Ghost Tours began November 1st and operate nightly through January 15th for couples and groups! Call 423-743-WALK for reservations.

Discover the history and mystery of some of the Appalachian Quilt Trail’s most historic towns including Historic Rogersville, Greeneville, Erwin, Jonesborough, Johnson City and Kingsport TN and Abingdon, VA. Operating 365 days per year, make a reservation for 2 or 20 today!

Learn more at www.appalachianghostwalks.com

AQT Pre-Planned Itineraries

jase.clamp@winworld.com (Administrator) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:56:36 GMT

AQT Pre-Planned Itineraries

Appalachian Ghostwalks

Appalachian GhostWalks operates all year through with daylight and evening tours available 365 days a year. Our tours are designed to educate and entertain you and your guests with the history and mystery of Tennessee and America's First Western Frontier