A Drive in the Foothills

With my cousin and his wife visiting us for the first time, we spent quite a bit of time showing them around…including a drive to the foothills of the Smoky’s and Bald River Falls in the Chippewa National Forest.  As we got a late start, we needed nourishment…so we took Janice and Nathan to one of our favorite spots for lunch and Baked Goods here in East Tennessee.

Of course, our lunch stop was at Tellico Grains…which is located in the town of Tellico Plains Tennessee.  So, here we are at the counter waiting for our turn to snatch up some baked goods while we were trying to decide which sandwiches we should order for lunch.  Nathan and Janice concurred that this is a warm and welcoming place with friendly people and nice service.

Tellico Grains has picnic tables as well as a couple of other tables with chairs for its customers.  The restaurant always seems to be clean and neat, as does the his/her bathroom.  Lots of wood provides that comfortable feeling, especially in juxtaposition with the brick structure.

Here’s Janice’s sandwich… It’s "Stu’s Reuben" and it consists of “Freshly Sliced Pastrami and Corned Beef Piled High with Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese and Homemade Thousand Island Dressing on  Pumpernickel Rye” (Janice asked for her Thousand Island Dressing on the side) She gave it a ‘thumbs up’, very tasty.

Laurie and I are sort of stuck on Tellico Grains’ "Wauchessi Club" sandwich.  We raved about it to the degree that cousin Nathan ordered the same sandwich.  The Waucheesi Club consists of “Smoked Ham, Roasted Turkey, Benton’s Smoked Bacon, Pepper-Jack Cheese, Red Onion, Mayo, Dijon Mustard, Lettuce and Tomato on Sliced Sourdough Bread”.   So many great flavors…very filling too!

We actually did drive on to see the Bald River Falls… Bald River is a major tributary of the Tellico River, which in turn is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River.  With all the rain we’d had the previous week, these 80 to 100’ waterfalls were really roaring...a beautiful sight! 

There is a pool at the base of the falls that is popular for swimming by the younger generation.  Above the falls, one can find the 5.6 mile long Bald River Falls Trail, reported to be of moderate difficulty.  The Bald River and 3,721 acres of its watershed are part of the U.S. Forest Service’s “Bald River Gorge Wilderness Area.

To get to the Falls, take TN Hwy. 68 east from I-75 and/or east from US Hwy. 411.  In either case, you’ll pass through the town of Madisonville on your drive.  Upon arriving at the town of Tellico Plains, turn left/east on TN Rte. 165, The Cherohala Skyway.  Follow the Skyway until you intersect with Tellico River Road (Forest Service Road 210) Go about 5 miles down this paved road and you’ll arrive at the Falls.  It’s worth the drive!

Of course, we did bring home some baked goods from Tellico Grains Bakery!  Here are some of their great coconut cookies accompanying our breakfast for the next morning…fresh scones! (rhubarb strawberry plus strawberry raspberry) 

Credits to my cousin Nathan for these photos... To enlarge any of them, just click on the photo you'd like to view more closely.

Tellico Grains Bakery is located in Tellico Plains at 105 Depot Street.  The bakery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 8 AM to 4 PM.  In January and February, they are only open on Saturdays from 8AM to 4 PM.  Phone: 423-253-6911.  Website: http://tellico-grains-bakery.com/.