Left Burgess at 9:30. Drove straight to Murphy with ONLY ONE stop for gas and bathroom--even Warren Buffet (Eve's dog) held it.
Nancy made chicken breast sandwiches with dried cranberries and blue cheese dressing which were consumed for lunch and dinner.
After trying to decipher both Google map as well as the vague directions supplied, we made our way up hairpin turns to 1484 Cardinal Lane in Murphy, the county seat of Cherokee County, the western-most county in North Carolina.
Of note: if a cabin is advertised as having a "great view" or is located in a development called "Skyview Acres," you will likely encounter steep inclines. Since we arrived after dark (sometime after 7), we went to bed clueless as to the scenery from the deck.
Sun, Dec 27Woo Hoo, what a view. Took a long walk and liked what we saw. Then went in search of a grocery store and were rewarded with In-gles, an Asheville-based chain founded in 1963 that established stores in areas underserved by the larger chains. Eve fell in love with the Laura Lynn (store brand named after the founder’s daughter) English muffins and before the week was out, we went back for more.
Then back to await the arrival of Nancy's son Mike, his wife Debbie and granddog Anna. They arrived around 3 and we had a good walk and good visit, not to mention another trip to lngles. Later Nancy fixed one of those "l'll never have the recipe again" dishes--sauteed-in-olive-oil chicken breasts and onions sprinkled with curry served with a Chardonnay-based sauce of almonds, raisins, brown sugar and more curry.
Served with an lngles spinach-pasta salad that also contained, to our surprise: chicken. And we can't forget the Betty Crocker instant garlic mashed potatoes. Eve put on her game face and pretended to like them.
Mon, Dec 28Visited the Reach Thrift shop in Murphy, can't remember what we bought. Off to prove to Mike and Debbie that there really is a Brasstown and they really do drop the possum. We arrived at
Clay's Corner and Clay (Logan) himself was manning the cash register at this small general storel/gas station situated at Brasstown Road and Old Hwy 64.
Clay apologized for his nonstop consumption of boiled peanuts but said he just couldn't help it. ln addition to life's necessities (gasoline, alka selEer, potato chips, milk, bread, video rentals), the store carries possum paraphernalia--bumper stickers (the other OTHER white meat), tee shirts, aprons, postcards as well as not-for-sale works of art, We asked Clay about the latest addition to the New Year's Eve lineup, the Redneck Rodeo, "Oh, it's just a lot of bull," he drawled, revealing no details. Down the road apiece lies the
John C. Campbell Folk School, begun in 1925 by Campbell's widow Olive Dame. Students of all ages come here to learn the crafts and music of the mountain folk of yesteryear. The gift shop was open and busy.
We then sped off to the
Gibson Factory Return Shoe Outlet in Andrews. Nancy needed New Balance tennis shoes for her sore toe; Debbie needed shoes that were easy to put on because of her wounded finger. Eve needed shoes because she has a shoe addiction.
Success! Nancy found a great pair of New Balance tennis shoes, Eve found a sharp looking pair of red leather flats and Debbie got her no-tie tennis shoes, Dinner was warmed up leftovers, after which we set about solving the world's problems.
Tues., Dec. 29Off for breakfast at the Hometown Diner on Tennessee Sheet in Murphy-we all had the generous buffet, $5.99 including coffee. Mike and Debbie headed back to Greensboro, and Nancy and Eve took the
Murphy River walk that Eve had discovered the day before.
What a find. We parked on Thomas Street, across from the Konehete Park. A footbridge over the Valley River connected us to the park and hungry ducks gathered below. We walked along the river on the Thomas Street side on a path that was alternately paved, boardwalk or gravel and eventually came to the point where Valley River meets the Hiwassee River. Many benches along the way and we ended up at the L&N Depot. We gave murphy high marks for such a treat.
Then checked out Hayesville, an area east of Brasstown in Clay County. We were impressed by the Friends of the Library book shop--we'd never seen a used book store so lovingly arranged, not to mention a bulletin board loaded with clippings about authors.
Alas, many of the enticing shops in Hayesville were closed for the week, though we did find excellent coffee and biscotti at Cafe Touche. We asked where the nearest and cheapest gas station was and were told it would be worth the extra eight miles to buy it in Georgia. "That's what everyone here does," said our petrol-angel, "but you didn't hear it from me."
Off we sped to Georgia and sure nuff, were rewarded with cheaper gas. We then took the Zell Miller Parkway to 76 west and soon spotted a winery sign that led us to
Crane Creek Vineyards. Our $3 tasting charge was waived because we each bought two bottles. We loved this place, so picturesque and our vintner was personable as well as intelligent--he knew all about the Possum Drop.
Stopped at the Dress for Less Consignment store in Young Harris, Nancy thinks this is where she bought her black Timberland fleece top. We loved the rebar bottle tree outside, but it was $85. Then on to Blue Ridge where we had a Blizzard at Mc Donald's. Took route 5 toward home and were treated to the sister cities of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN.
Not only was the little bridge that carried us over the Toccoa River into Tennessee all lit for Christmas, the adjacent train trestle bridge sported festive lights as well. Picked up rte 68 and followed it to 64 east and back to Murphy.
Wed, Dec 30Happy Birthday, John!
Today is Scottsboro, Alabama day and the Unclaimed Baggage Center. Nancy scoped out the route, shouldn't take more than four hours. And then came that dreaded sign: Rockslide 64W-detour ahead.
And so we found ourselves on 68 north, a k a "Tennessee Scenic Parkway," though the word scenic didn't come to mind when we passed a yard sale gone bad.
Drove through Turtle Town, Coker Creek (well, those llamas/alpacas were kinda cute), Sweetwater. A shop owner in Coker Creek told us if we were looking for a nice day trip, we should try the Cherohala Skyway, which started out at the Tellico River (950 ft) and included Santeetlah, 5,390 ft, before it ended in North Carolina at Santeetlah Gap, 2,660 feet. Thank-you-very-much we said, and high-tailed it back to pokey route 68 to I-75 south. We had Stuff To Buy.
Took I-75 south to I-24 west (goes through Chattanooga) to exit 152 and hwy 72W. Took about a half-hour on 72W. We gained an hour as Alabama is in the Central Time Zone.
As we entered the UBC on West Willow Street, a woman told us about her great bargain-a Michael Kors handbag for only $90. Michael who? we asked each other when she was out of earshot.
UBC is huge and well organized and includes a sandwich shop (serving Starbucks) and even a concierge. Since we were veteran thrift shoppers, we found some of the used clothing prices hard to take. And whenever an original price tag was on an item, UBC's price was only half.
But every now and than a unique item would turn up, like the Sydney oilskin storm coat for $50.99, perfect for that trip to the Outback and with tags still attached. Ski boots ranged from $25 to $45; Skis $75 and up. But then came the fishing gear, with four identical poles, all with original tags. Nancy remembered an internet posting noting that the UBC also buys unclaimed freight.
Eve bought a pea sweater, blue sweater, socks and a vest. Nancy bought socks (99 cents, but new) and a flattering (or so she thought) red pair of prescription eyeglasses, sure that she will find an optician willing to transfer her lens prescription to these.
We then ventured over to the Annex, unaware that we should not have gone there without paying for our items in the main store. The Annex truly looked like a thrift store and we found half-full bottles of hand lotion and melatonin capsules not to our liking. After a complicated checkout because we should have paid in the other building, we left.
Not surprisingly, there are copycat stores, including the T&W Un-claimed Baggage store directly across the street and the Bag Unclaimed next to UBC. Tried T&W and couldn't escape fast enough. Had to hit the Scottsboro Goodwill, but were tired-Nancy bought a pair of socks, Eve bought the "Unauthorized Biography of Kitty Kel-ley." Nancy spotted a girl's tee shirt with "Michael Kors" spelled out in silver sequins. Filled up the tank and headed back on route 72E.
While on the I-24 we were treated to a fireworks display compli-ments of Big Daddy Fireworks. Then there was the storage facility with the number 1-800-Pack Rat.
Nancy had come up with an alternate southern route back that would take us below the 64 rockslide. She never bothered to ascertain if the rockslide extended to 64 east!! So we took a convoluted route that took us to 76E in Georgia and a snowstorm.
Fortunately, we descended and eventually found Blue Ridge, GA and 68 north back through our picturesque towns of McCaysville and Copperhill. By this time we knew the drill--we would soon find 64 east to Murphy.
Thurs, Dec 31Our goals today were the Murphy Pawn Shop and the Cherokee Museum. But first to see where Old Murphy Road went. Not where we thought. Ended up on 64 and saw lots of natural foods/holistic healing places. Found the Humane Society thrift shop, but we were pretty shopped out at this point. At Nature's Way, we wondered what in the world Anita L. Patten (see photo) had done!
Had to hit Ingles again, Nancy had post-nasal drip issues and needed 3-ply tissues; Eve needed more of those Laura Lynn muffins. Ate at the No Name Café near Old Ranger Road.
Then on to the town of Murphy and the wonderful shops. Nancy bought a handmade necklace and some Bear Rooting Rub emollient at Native Touch. We fell in love with "Consider the Lilies," a consignment/variety store (they sell smoothies here, too). Nancy found the perfect necklace for a friend and Eve found several sweaters. The owners were great fun and it was here that Eve bought a bumper sticker.
Stopped by the Cherokee Museum, but realized it encompassed not only the Cherokee Indians, but the county itself, so decided not to go in. Totally forgot about the pawn shop…
Back to Cardinal Lane to rest up for the night's events.
We arrived in Brasstown a little after 8:30 and got a great parking place close to the action. Clay's Corner had morphed into an event center, a stand set up outside sold possum stuff; the store itself was closed. Bleachers were set up and the sound men busily readied the stage.
We strolled over to the shops at Brasstown where Jackie Jenztsch's shop Carolina Crafting sells Nancy's possum ornaments. Jackie presented Nancy with a check for ornaments sold to date and introduced us to Ron, her cameraman who would be videotaping the night's events. All of the shops had refreshments for visitors.
We then walked over to the John C. Campbell school and peeked through windows at their cooking and music studios. Strains of fiddle music drew us to another building and found that hall filled with dancers doing a progressive waltz. Eve soon found a young friend and he took some interior photos. They said it was a community dance. Nancy opined that this was definitely the Brasstown NPR crowd.
This was the night of the Blue Moon-the second full moon in a month, the first having been Dec. 2. The weather forecast had been iffy and there were lots of clouds, but the night sky was light and now and then we caught a glimpse of that big moon. Amazingly, this was the warmest night so far-44 degrees.
Back to Clay's Corner where we found seats on the bleachers. A giant screen situated above the stage provided everyone with a view of what was happening onstage, be it the womanless beauty pageant, the Red Neck Rodeo, a moving tribute to the military, the Brasstown Brigade, or the Brasstown Baptist Church choir. When there were no live performances, a documentary on western NC speech and mores played. This event was about God and country.
A costumed possum dubbed "O.P." circulated and was constantly sought out for photo ops. (Why does the possum cross the road? To get funnel cakes, same as we did.)
Across the road on a steep bluff where B R A S S T O W N letters stood tall (a la Hollywood) and were festooned with red lights, the Brasstown Brigade gathered.
They proceeded to shoot off [loud] muskets and there was one long and involved soliloquy Nancy captured on video and may or may not try to transcribe.
The magic hour drew near and we counted down:
Ten…nine… eight…the live possum, safely ensconced in a tinsel-decorated Lucite box with air holes, neared the bottom with each second…
seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hats were thrown in the air to great cheers and fireworks. A few minutes later Clay and O.P posed for photos, along with the 2010 dropped possum.
We headed back to Cardinal Lane, wondering when we'd ever had so much fun on New Year's Eve.
Friday, Jan 1, 2010We drove through some of the neighborhoods, never quite able to figure out how to reach the homes we viewed from our deck. We went up and down roads with names like Oleo Ranch Lane, finding what seemed to be mostly homes built in the last 10 years, some with the rustic mountain cabin look and some with the out-of-place-here look, but all costly.
We explored Tarheel Estates, hoped to find the Talc Mine but road closed off. Did see a cute sign advising drivers about the dogs…Back to the River Walk in Murphy, then for sustenance and bathrooms at Burger King-double cheeseburger and junior whopper only $2.16.
Thence on to Joe Brown Road which we thought might lead to the Trail of Thousand Tears or something like that we'd read about. We had not thought to bring any maps . The road went on forever, past breathtaking views of the Hiwassee River and depressing sights of derelict trucks and residential squalor. By 3 p.m. it was 37 degrees.
Eve noticed that the gas gauge was dangerously low; we both noticed that we'd passed no commercial establishments for miles. About that time we viewed on our left a gigantic confederate flag flying outside a single-wide with a front door emblazoned with the same flag. We sped on. We came across a more substantial home and Eve pulled in to the muddy driveway and said she would ask for directions. Nancy viewed in cowering terror FOUR barking dogs approaching. Eve got out of the car and strode up to the home like she belonged there and the dogs humbly followed.
The owner was a little annoyed at being disturbed, especially after Eve asked him to write down the directions, but he eventually accompanied her back to the car. "Did you see the place with the Confederate flag?" he asked. We had. "Sheriff don't even come down here. It's lawless." Eve said he couldn't have been a total redneck, since there was a Mazda parked there.
His directions worked--we would never have taken that upaved road otherwise--and led us to route 68 and Tennessee. And so we once again drove through Coker Creek. Eve said she was never worried, she had invoked her spiritual guide Tall Pines to help us.
Got gas at Tellico Plains and Nancy noted that the guy in Coker Creek had recommended the Cherohala Skyway, which begins at Tellico Plains. Maybe we could take it east back to North Carolina.
So we headed east on rte 165, 4:15 p.m., 35 degrees. Drove to Bald River Falls, beautiful. Surprised at the number of kayakers-the water seemed fast and low, one would think they would constantly crash on the rocks but obviously not. On to Turkey Creek, elev 2,630 where we looked out over the Appalachians and the Tennessee River Valley.
Continued our upward climb and became fascinated with the whit-ish cast on the mountains. What kind of trees were they? Then we rounded a corner and the only thing missing was "Lara's Theme." That whitish cast was ice, and everything was covered, from the weeds and bushes to the trees. We glanced at the temperature: 22 degrees. And both of our digital cameras read "card full." We dumped a few shots--nothing could trump this sight--and began snapping.
We then began a harrowing drive. The road became snow-packed, with an incline. The car ahead of us was laboring up the hill, we could hear his fruitless accelerations, but he stopped in the middle of the road and the passenger waved us on and we passed on the right. Eve said she had 4-wheel drive and we should be okay. Now the temperature was 14 degrees. Some areas would be clear, but those that were shaded were treacherous. A sign read "9% next 1.5 miles."
We crept on and as we began to descend, the road cleared. Once out of danger, and again thanking Tall Pines, Eve commented, "This was a most spectacular New Years Day--if this is a precursor to next year, I'm overjoyed."
We finally linked up with rte 129 south and reached Cardinal Lane by 7:30. Eve said she thought 10 a.m. would be a good time to leave the next day; Nancy secretly wanted to leave earlier but hey, she wasn't driving!
Sat, Jan 2Coffee made, we began to pack in leisure-until we saw the snow falling outside. That 10 a.m. departure turned into 8:45.
We soon hit sunshine and realized the folly of our panic, until we encountered more snow than ever, this around an area called Top-ton. Hmmmm,
TOP ton…could it have something to do with elevation??
Nancy slyly told Eve that she (Nancy) had asked Tall Pines for an earlier departure…
While we saw lots of snow on the landscape near Asheville, we said farewell to slippery roads. None of us, including Warren, had the disciplined bladders experienced on the trip down--we stopped numerous times, finally reaching Burgess a little after 7 p.m.
