Labour Day Weekend 2004
This weekend we'll take you into the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina.
Our first stop was the Biltmore House (using the term house rather loosely) in Asheville NC
The Smoky Mountains are part of the Appalachians which run all the way up the eastern US.
Deep in these mountains is the Cherokee Indian Reserve. We happened upon a tobacco plantation along the way
We drove further into the smoky mountains to Cherokee where there is a casino and a great museum which tells the story of the displacement of the Cherokee people in the early 1800. The Cherokee people were driven from this area to Oklahoma (Indian Country) by then General, soon to be president, forever to face the 20 dollar bill, Andrew Jackson. The story of the trail of tears is yet another story of the brutality that native Americans suffered at the hands of Europeans
From Cherokee we traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway back to Ashville. This scenic highway runs all the way from Cherokee to the Virginia border. winding up, down and through the hills and hollers. They advertise it for biking, but you wouldn't catch me on that narrow mountain road without a shoulder on a bike. There were however many braver souls than I on bikes.
Next we traveled to Hendersonville to take in the Apple Festival. BTW, North Carolina grows the best apples that I have ever tasted.
Yeeee Haaaa! its a street party
Time to head for home