On the Road Again…

Covid-19 ‘stir crazy’ yet?  Well, Laurie and I are fortunate in that we live in a beautiful part of the USA and that we’re not living in the middle of some large metropolitan area.  So, a couple of days ago on a sunshine filled day, we went on a drive around the back roads in our area. We stayed in the car at all times but at least we were able to enjoy a change of scenery…

This is a view of part of the upper reaches of Tellico Lake along TN Hwy 360 in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.  With social distancing and most other activities closed and unavailable, large numbers of those who enjoy fishing are out doing their thing, both via boat and sitting along the shoreline.  Social distancing is easy for these folks…

As we crossed a bridge over the lake, we stopped and took this photo of the Smoky Mountains in the distance.  Since most of this land is under Federal and/or Tennessee Valley Authority ownership it still showcases nature and East Tennessee at their best…

Shortly after leaving the lake, TN Hwy 360’s route leads through an area of country residences and small farms sprinkled along the edges of the Cherokee National Forest.  The scenery makes one forget that we’re in the midst of a world-wide health pandemic.

As Laurie loves horses (and donkeys, goats, llamas, pigs, sheep, cows, etc.) we had to stop and take a picture of these horses being prepared for a trail ride in the hills… One of the horses checked us out.

…and then there was this reminder of the times we live in!  We encountered this sign near the entrance to the Cherohala Parkway near Tellico Plains Tennessee.  The Parkway, TN Hwy. 165, leads over the mountains through the Cherokee National Forest to where NC Hwy. 143 starts at the state line. 

The Graham County Sheriff has set up a roadblock at the state line.  Graham County is one of 11 (out of 100) counties in North Carolina that hasn’t reported a Covid-19 infection.  To keep its residents safe, County government mandated closures of all vacation and rental properties and has set up checkpoints on all of the roads entering the county.  Only residents and non-resident property owners or non-resident employees of county businesses plus vendor and commercial traffic are being allowed to enter Graham County.

Since US Hwy 129 (the Tail of the Dragon) runs through the county, I’m surprised that a county can actually legally block traffic that’s passing through.  Nevertheless, kudos to Graham County for trying so hard to keep Covid-19 away from their residents…

Once we turned around by that sign, we drove through the center of Tellico Plains Tennessee.  This little town is quite reliant on visitors to boost the economy and on a beautiful spring day like this one, it would normally be quite busy.  Instead, it looked like a ghost town…

It was sad seeing Tellico Grains Bakery, an extremely popular family operated business, closed down for the duration of this health emergency.  Folks would normally be in line for baked goods or lunch.  The good news is that the second floor of the bakery is also the family home and there’s a good chance that the business will survive this pandemic.

From Tellico Plains, we took TN Hwy 68 over to Madisonville Tennessee.  Madisonville, (population about 5,000), is the county seat of Monroe County and other than a few passing vehicles, its downtown area with its restaurants, shops and courthouse was completely deserted.

As we headed along the back roads in the direction of home, we passed a deserted Hiwassee College.  This is one college that didn’t close due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  This private liberal arts college outside Madisonville was founded in 1849 and it was associated with the Methodist Church.  After being in operation for 170 years, due to financial difficulties, the college closed in May of 2019. 

   

Hiwassee College had a significant school of dentistry.  Of interest to Laurie was the fact that this college was ‘horse’ orientated, offering BS degrees in both Equine Science as well as Equine Management and Training. 

The campus with dormitories, classrooms, stables and much more…on 290 acres…with terrific views of the mountains, has been on the real estate market for some time.  Currently, the listing shows that a contingent sale is pending but if it falls through, this could be your opportunity to start your own college!  

The property and its buildings were listed for sale at an asking price of $8,625,000.  To view the listing, you can just click on the following: https://www.kaarcie.com/listing/30464715/225-Hiwassee-College-Dr-Madisonville-TN-37354

So we continued on down the road and…wait!  Looks like something exciting is going on.  Perhaps a fire…hopefully not a disaster for some local family.  We were so focused on the fire trucks that we didn't notice that sign...

So much for excitement!  Thankfully no one’s home was burning down.  The volunteers for the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department were washing down their equipment and ensuring that they would be ready to respond to any local emergency.  Extra thanks and prayers for all volunteer fire departments and to all of our front line guardians in these critical and dangerous times.   

We love this house and its peaceful setting, all accentuated by a glorious spring day!  This is a very well maintained and tastefully expanded old time farm house.  Note the center chimney in the main house as well as the log cabin portion at the rear right side of the photo.

As we neared our home and the end of this day’s back roads adventure, we stopped so Laurie could chat with this young cow.  He was quite curious.  When we stopped and Laurie started talking to him, unlike the others that were nearby, he came right over to the fence.  I think he liked the sound of her voice…

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave