SWANNANOA, NC. On Tuesday, the 25th, we made our way to Bryson City, NC to ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, which is billed as a viewing adventure.  We imagined views like the ones on the Blueridge Parkway.  We made reservations for seats and box lunches a week in advance in anticipation.  

The town is undergoing road construction in the area of the train station, making it difficult to find the parking lot and proceed from there to the train station.  With Betty walking with a boot and cane, we wondered what it would be like just getting on the train.

The parking lot was an unpaved sand lot with no markings.  We had paid in advance, so the attendant waved us to a spot along the street farthest from the station.  There was promised assistance to those who needed it, but we both walked to the train station, dodging the debris of construction work.  Once there, we searched for where to go next.  After asking around, we were directed to the side of the station where we got in line to pick up our lunches, which turned out to be one sandwich and a bag of chips and a bag of cookies.  There was also high priced food on the train after departing, which most people bought.  I later got Betty a Diet Coke for $3.21!

The Long Train.  We Were in the Car Near the Back.

Train Station.  Construction on Right.  Box Lunches on Left.

We waited quite a while on a park bench waiting for a golf cart driver to get us to the train car where we had reserved seats.  Eventually a couple men greeted us and told us our rides would be coming soon. Eventually a railway worker brought us by golf cart to the train car where we had reserved seats.  At our car, another railway worker who looked like he could have been a buddy of Daniel Boone assisted Betty.  I lovingly referred to him as Father Time.

Betty Helped from Golf Cart Once Arrived at Train Car

Betty Coached Along by Father Time

Father Time Walks Betty to the Rail Car

It was a long ride almost to the end of the train.  Our gondola car was third from the back of the train.  Once aboard, we took our seats.  Not long after that a woman with a large family from Charleston came in to claim our seats, saying she had reserved them.  We showed our proof of reservation, and she stewed quite a while about the poor reservations system, etc.  Some time later, they withdrew quickly.  Someone told us they had reserved seats for the prior week.  Peace at last.

When the appointed time for departure arrived, there was no notice.  The train cars jerked into motion, as only train cars can.  We were reminded of how much smoother the ride of an airplane is and why most people avoid trains.  Once in motion, getting to a restroom or the diner car required walking from car to car after car while moving.  And a wild motion it is.  Side to side jerking along.  Stepping between cars that are shifting in opposite directions is a bit worrisome.  

The anticipated adventure was far over-stated.  We were seated on the right side of the car as we traveled toward our destination, which turned out to be no destination at all, only a point for the locomotives to travel a side track to the other end of the train of cars and hitch up.  We were then told to move to the opposite side of the train cars so that we could travel back to the station viewing the other side of the tracks.

Along the way, Father Time shouted out his travelogue lecture about the history of the area and how the train works.  One point he greatly emphasized was the wear and tear on the wheels as they rub against the tracks.  He kept coaching us to look over the side to see the grease boxes that automatically squirt grease onto the wheels as the train passes.  We watched a long time in anticipation, ever coached by Father 
Time.  

Father Time Barking Out His Observations

An Old Telegraph Pole from the Old Days

Appalachian Trail Crossing

Once we saw a grease box, he encouraged us to shoot photos of it.  Turns out it was not much of a photo op, and he laughed and teased us that he had never seen so many people so eager to look at a silly grease box.  Laugh on us!  Perhaps the whole trip was a laugh on us.

Grease Box.  Not Much to Look At.

Most of the trip out on our side of the train car was a view of never-ending kudzu, the vine that ate the Carolinas.  Trees, lamp poles, power lines and poles, telephone poles, signs ... just about anything standing vertical or connected to it was covered with the stuff.  A very monotonous ride and no adventure.  On the left side of the train we could see that we were approaching a gravel quarry and packing company.  There were large piles of various sized gravel.  Lovely sight.

Kudzu: The Plant that Ate the Carolinas

Gravel Quarry

Gravel Quarry

Local Resident With Little To Do With Himself

One surprise along the way was a Big Foot impersonator (I think that was what he was supposed to be) who waved at us as we passed one road.  The Loose Gravel may be in his head.

Close Up of Our New Friend

Once we reached our "destination" and the locomotives moved to what had been the back of the train, we moved to the seats on the other side of the car.  After riding a good ways, passing the gravel quarry once again, we stopped at a park where happy people were entering the Tuckasegee River to float in various rafts that were shaped like kayaks and other craft.  They appeared to be having much more fun that we were.  We ate our lunch and waited to start moving back to the station.  Seemed like a long wait.  Once again, when the time arrived to go, without warning the train jerked violently forward into motion and off we were going.

White Water

Rafter Enjoying the Ride

More White Water Rafting

Calmer Water Toward the End

The scenes were far better now.  The river progressed through various stages of white water.  We got a few pictures of the happy rafters.  As we got closer to the station, the river was calm and we saw several pontoon boats and house boats.  We were surprised to see house boats on the river.

Pontoon Boat

House Boats

House Boat

House Boats

Once the Train Ride "adventure" was over, Betty could not resist some ice cream, and there just so happened to be an ice cream shop in town.  It is the Box Car Cafe & Cones, with Betty Boop out front starring as Boxcar Betty.  I got a shot of the two Bettys together.

The Two Boops

 SWANANOA, NC.  This past Sunday night (July 16th), we attended for the third year now, the Michael Card concert at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.  The evening began with a great supper (their food, service, grounds, accommodations, etc. are always outstanding), followed by the concert.  Michael's genuinely friendly personality comes through his music and comments, just as it does in his teaching.

Monday through Friday noon was his teaching series on the book of John.  His teaching method is unique in that it delves into the history and irony of events and interrelationships of the personalities mentioned in scripture.

The Friday before the concert, Betty was stepping down from the platform at the back of the bedroom, and twisted her ankle, resulting in a break of the fibula down at the ankle.  She was in great pain, so we went to urgent care in two places, resulting finally in a boot to wear along with crutches.  Her pain medication (Tramadol) has unsettling side effects.  The people at The Cove were very helpful, providing a wheelchair for her and allowing her to go to the front of the meal lines, with assistance getting food from the buffet.  I also benefitted by having the same access to the front of the line.  Betty was very pleased and impressed with how many of the ladies at the Cove were eager to help her get around, as Betty said, "to push her around."

Entrance to The Cove

Closeup of Cove Entrance

The first floor of the Cove building has the bookstore and conference rooms.  The second floor (ground floor) is the teaching lecture hall and cafeteria, with numerous support areas.  The third (top) floor has rest areas, a business area with computers and printers, numerous very impressive conference rooms and auditorium, etc.  In the main area where the elevators open, there is a needlepoint of Billy Graham done by someone in Hong Kong back during the Hong Kong Crusade (1975).  A very impressive work lovingly done back when Hong Kong was free of Chinese communist rule.

Needlepoint Portrait by Timothy Yu

Third Floor Prayer Room

Closeup of Prayer Room Kneeler

View Out Window

One afternoon was reserved for book signing by Michael.

Group Photo at Book Signing

Michael Signing Betty's Book

Michael Shows Betty a Photo

Toward the end of the series, Michael displayed artifacts from his travels to Israel.  Some of these were also shown at last year's teaching series (please see section of last year's blog).  The item that impressed me most was a funnel from the time of Abraham.

Top View of Funnel

Side View of Funnel

Bottom View of Funnel

Prayer Shawl and Phylactery 

Today we are resting and catching up on things like updating the blog.  We need to do a week's worth of laundry soon.  Our time at the Cove was great but a bit disorienting.  Everything is done for you:  meal provision, cooking, serving, cleanup, etc.  There are free beverages all day, along with vanilla and chocolate frozen yogurt dispensers (all you can eat).  Places to sit and meet people, especially around the meal table.  Getting over there by 8 am was a challenge for us, especially since the last teaching lesson ends after 9 pm, then the drive back to the motorhome, helping Betty into the motorhome, preparing for the night's sleep (less than 8 hours), then back to the Cove.  But the worship and fellowship with people from all over the continent is wonderful.  Now to get back to "normal." 

SWANNANOA, NC.  Yesterday, Thursday, after running some errands, we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens Visitors Center, which was closed, I guess due to impending poor weather.  Things inexplicably close around here.  We proceeded north on the parkway to the Glassmine Falls overview.  One more example that is was the wrong time of year to see waterfalls.  The rock, center left below, is supposed to have water flowing over it.

Glassmine Falls Overview

The Falls Area

We walked up a path to the left for a better view of the area (see below).

Panorama of This Wider View

Betty Looks for Layers of Mountain Ridges

View Down Trail is Pleasant

Closeup of Scene

We then drove to Mount Mitchell State Park.  As we drove up the long winding road to the top, it started to rain.  The concession stand was closed (like everything else around here), so we used the restroom and looked at the small museum inside.  Finally decided to leave, since it was too wet to hike the trail to the summit.  As we drove down from the mountain top, it stopped raining and cleared off.  We decided to keep going down.

As we headed back to the campground, we saw a pull-off area that might be interesting.  One side of the area was a higher ground with a signpost and another sign pointing to a trail into the thick rhododendron bushes.  One sign said Rhododendron Trail, and another sign said Craggy Pinnacle Trail.  It seems that everything in this area is named "craggy" something, including the tunnels.  

The rhododendron were not in bloom this time of year, so it is a solid green view inside.  The sign says 0.7 mile, and others who had hiked it before said it was not far and not hard.  I foolishly forgot the last time I heard that lie.

Innocent-looking Trail At the Start

We ventured onto the trail for what seemed like a short while, but things started to look ominous, too much like Hickory Nut Falls Trail.  People were coming back from the hike, saying that it was not bad, etc, etc.  Betty decided to turn back but told me to hike to the end and take photos.  It was so hot and humid that I did not even wear my hat, since the sun had gone back in.

Betty Took This As I Entered the Trail

This Is Where Betty Decided to Turn Back

Look Familiar?

On and On It Went

A wedding party was headed up the trail with a photographer and assistant to take wedding photos up there.  The bride was wearing her wedding dress and the groom held his tux in a coat case as they strode by me.  I figured the view up there must really be great, and the hike must get better for them to continue up there dressed like that.

Some Parts Not As Bad As Others

I Could See Hikers Returning From the Hike Up There

Everyone of the returning hikers said just a little bit farther, and of course it would be worth it.  How familiar that sounded.

Scenes Like This Made Me Think I Must Almost Be There

And On I Went ...

No Cavemen Home As I Passed

I Could Hear Voices Ahead As I Came to A Fork in the Path

The trail then split into a fork. The sign offered no help, and the path to the right looked simpler, so I decided to try that.  Just then someone I met coming back a while ago was returning up the trail behind me.  I recognized him and knew he had been to the end of the trail.  I asked him which path I should take.  Darn it! He said the one on the left that looked pretty bad.

My apologies to Robert Frost, but I was not able to take "the road less traveled by..."

After some more trudging along, lifting my feet high to reach over boulders, I finally came to the top.  There is a lookout area provided up there.  As I stepped into the entryway, a park ranger was leaving looking flustered.  He said a bad storm was headed that way, and he was leaving with his weather radio.

Entry to Lookout Area

Fairly Large Area Up There

There was no bad lightening, but the wind was getting pretty strong.  It was hard to hold my phone steady to get photos.

The Wedding Party Was Struggling With the Wind

If the Weather Had Been Better, This Would Have Made a Great Wedding Photo

Panorama of Their Photo Background

Another Panorama

If the hike had not been so arduous, I would have taken my DSLR camera, but it weighs far too much.

Yet Another Panorama

"On A Clear Day, You Can See Forever ..."

While there was still light, we drove back to our motorhome.