Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2014 - 25

BRYSON CITY, NORTh CaROlINa

Trains and Shakes
Anne Morales breezed down the tracks of the Great Smoky
Mountains Railroad with her five-year-old granddaughter,
Mirah-Kohle, on a summer's day. This pair from Concord, North
Carolina, waved to boaters on Fontana Lake. And they enjoyed
the views of the Nantahala Gorge on a 44-mile, round-trip run.
Closer to Christmas, thousands board the Great Smoky
Mountains Railroad's Polar Express train in November and
December at Bryson City, says Horace Collins, who handles
maintenance on the railroad.
Returning to the Bryson City Depot on any excursion, be
sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. One option: Choose a thickand-creamy milkshake at Soda Pops Ice Cream Parlor on Everett
Street. You'll find the owner, Paul Crawley, an ice cream man
who guarantees to satisfy. "I get a lot of train business," says
Crawley, 52. "People who come here want to slow down. They
want to walk and smile."- JT

friends rather than renting a random cabin somewhere in the mountains."
Well, we did. While here, my son and I walked
the well-manicured grounds. We made a dash for the
playground. And we relaxed on rocking chairs on
the front porch of the cabin, reading The Bible on a
Sunday morning.
Coming home, we took a break from the curvaceous climbs of U.S. 19, between Cherokee and
Maggie Valley, and slipped down a short path to see
Soco Falls from a viewing platform. This short walk
made a great way to cap a lazy day - and brought a
fond reminder of an earlier trip to see Porters Creek
in Tennessee.
A marvel of Sevier County, Porters Creek gently
caresses smooth-sided boulders. Hiking here, we
traced a mile of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. Upon return, we paused for a picnic
lunch with Carroll McMahan, a Sevier County
historian.
"Porters Creek Trail is a road that people lived
on," McMahan says. "It was one of the more heavily
populated areas - prior to the days of the park."
Today, the creek is profoundly quiet. Away from
the roars of the thrill rides, the bells and whistles of
the museums, the flashy restaurants and even the
wave pools, it was good to drink in Porters Creek's
purity. Walking along that watercourse, I could
understand the soul-stirring nature that continually
pulls Parton back to the Great Smokies. And I could
feel the beauty that the artist Robert A. Tino so carefully captures.
"The park is the reason that we're here," Tino
says. "Of course, it is a natural wonder. And it's gorgeous any time of the year." 

The Rudicoaster at Santa's Land in Cherokee, North
Carolina delivers a realitively gentle ride for kids, in a
park that celebrates Christmas nearly year-round.

Click the photo or visit
BlueRidgeCountry.
com/Santa for video.

if you go
Adrenaline Park: Kodak, Tenn., 865-933-4433, adrenalinepark.com
Adventure Park at Five Oaks: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-453-8644, adventureparkatfiveoaks.com
Cedar Lodge Condos: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-428-2321, cedarlodgecondos.com
Cliff Dwellers Gallery: Gatlinburg, Tenn., 865-436-6921, cliffdwellersgallery.com
Dollywood: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-428-9488, www.dollywood.com
Forbidden Caverns: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-453-5972, forbiddencavern.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Gatlinburg, Tenn., 865-436-1200, nps.gov/grsm/
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad: Bryson City, N.C., 800-872-4681, gsmr.com
Great Smoky Mountain Wheel: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-286-0119, islandinpigeonforge.com
Highland Manor Inn: Townsend, Tenn., 865-448-2211, highlandmanor.com
Lands Creek Log Cabins: Bryson City, N.C., 828-736-2319, landscreek.com
Lumberjack Feud: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-428-8688, lumberjackfeud.com
Mel's Diner: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-429-2184, melsdinerpf.com
Pigeon Forge Tourism: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 800-251-9100, mypigeonforge.com
The Resort at Governor's Crossing: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-429-0500, governorscrossing.net
Robert A. Tino Gallery: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-453-6315, robertatinogallery.com
Santa's Land Theme Park & Zoo: Cherokee, N.C., 828-497-9191, santaslandnc.com
Sevierville Tourism: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-453-6411, scoc.org
Soda Pops: Bryson City, N.C., 828-488-8456, sodapopsicecream.com
Swain County Tourism: Bryson City, N.C., 800-867-9246, greatsmokies.com
The Track Family Recreation Center: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-453-4777, pigeonforgetrack.com
Timberwood Grill: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 865-286-0600, timberwoodgrillpf.com
Tony Gore's Smoky Mountain BBQ & Grill: 865-429-7771, tonygore.com
Townsend Tourism: Townsend, Tenn., 800-525-6834, smokymountains.org
Tuckaleechee Caverns: Townsend, Tenn., 865-448-2274, tuckaleecheecaverns.com
Wilderness at the Smokies: Sevierville, Tenn., 865-428-5770, wildernessatthesmokies.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 | 25

http://www.blueridgecountry.com/Santa http://www.blueridgecountry.com/Santa http://www.adrenalinepark.com http://www.adventureparkatfiveoaks.com http://www.cedarlodgecondos.com http://www.cliffdwellersgallery.com http://www.dollywood.com http://www.forbiddencavern.com http://www.nps.gov/grsm/ http://www.gsmr.com http://www.islandinpigeonforge.com http://www.highlandmanor.com http://www.landscreek.com http://www.lumberjackfeud.com http://www.melsdinerpf.com http://www.mypigeonforge.com http://www.governorscrossing.net http://www.robertatinogallery.com http://www.santaslandnc.com http://www.scoc.org http://www.sodapopsicecream.com http://www.greatsmokies.com http://www.pigeonforgetrack.com http://www.timberwoodgrillpf.com http://www.tonygore.com http://www.smokymountains.org http://www.tuckaleecheecaverns.com http://www.wildernessatthesmokies.com

Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2014

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