Through the Mountains – Family Visit (VI)

…continuing with our family visit saga!

What to do and where to go in the Covid-19/corona virus era?  We’re all “of a certain age” or more, so what destination would allow us to get out, see some beautiful scenery and safely have something to eat?

Fortunately, I remembered a place we’d recently discovered on the other side of the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina…so off we went!

We headed through the mountains on US Hwy 129, also known as “The Tail of the Dragon”.  This excessively twisting and turning highway snakes its way through the mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina.  Despite the dangers, or perhaps because of them, it is very popular with motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts. (No trucks or vehicles with trailers allowed!)

This was our objective.  Tapoco Lodge sits on US 129 just at the other end of ‘The Dragon”.   Laurie and I had visited it for the first time back in late September of 2019.   

One of the pluses was that they have a large well-spaced outdoor dining area along the Cheoah River.  Part of the outdoor dining area is under cover and part of it is out on the dual level patio.  We were seated in the covered area as there weren’t any tables available on the patio.

Laurie’s sister Bonnie and her husband Bill loved the ambiance along the river and at the edge of the mountains.  The most popular beer at our table was “Dirty Girl Blonde” from the Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City North Carolina. ($6.00)

Just in case you didn’t see my October 4, 2019 post about our earlier visit to Tapoco Lodge, here’s a little background on it.

“The Tapoco Lodge was built in 1930 by the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) to complement its hydroelectric projects in this area of North Carolina.  “Tapoco” is a construct made from the first 2 letters of each word in the name of the Tallassee Power Company.  That company had begun construction of its first dam in the area in 1916 and the lodge sits on property that had been occupied by the town of Tapoco…a temporary company town which was built to house workers and their families while the hydroelectric projects were being built.”   

The reasons why we couldn’t get a table on the patio area along the river were two-fold.  First it was about capacity limitations so many tables were just not being used.  Secondly, the best riverside tables were spaced so that every other table was closed and unavailable.     

I’ll start out with a confession… I forgot to take most of the food photos!  The worst part is the camera was right on the table in front of me…

However I did manage to take pictures of the appetizers.  This was an order of Trout Nuggets. ($14.00) It was a bit different than the usual appetizers and it was a hit with our group!

This creation, Tapoco Chips, was my favorite appetizer!  It wasn’t healthy but it had great flavor… ($12.00) It’s a pile of home style potato chips topped with ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles and Applewood smoked bacon.  Normally, it is covered with the green onions but my tablemates allowed them to be ‘on the side’ as I don’t care for them… Thanks!  The whole group was happy with this offering!

Laurie and I both had Tavern Burgers with bacon and cheese.  The burgers were very good but they were ‘resort’ priced.  The basic burger was $12.00 but when you add the cheese ($2.00) and the bacon ($3.00), you end up with a $17.00 burger.  They do come with your choice of a side…

The Tapoco Lodge is a popular stop for bikers riding the “Dragon”.  We saw a lot of leather being worn in the restaurant.  To learn more about Tapoco Lodge, accommodations and its restaurant, go to https://tapoco.com/.  To check out my previous and more expansive post regarding the Tapoco Lodge, click on https://bigdaddydavesbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2019/10/historic-tapoco-lodge-robbinsville.html.

  

It's our observation that Harley riders are the most careful group on the Dragon…possibly due to their average age and definitely because their rides are heavier and more unwieldy than the more ‘modern’ crotch rockets favored by younger riders.  However on this trip back and forth though the mountains although we saw some riders going too fast, no crazies tried to pass us unless it was safe to do so…

Laurie took this nice photo of the Cheoah Dam, which is just a bit west of the Tapoco Lodge.  Situated on the Little Tennessee River, this complex consists of a dam and powerhouse.  It was the first of several built by the Tallassee Power Company.  The dam and powerhouse were completed in 1919 and they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A bit of trivia… This dam was used as a filming location for the 1993 movie “The Fugitive”, starring Harrison Ford.  When the dam was completed, this was the highest overflow dam in the world, it had the largest turbines and the 150,000 volt transmission line had the highest voltage and longest span for a transmission line, at 5,010 feet across the river.

I’ll end this post with a great photo of an 8-point buck.  Laurie spotted him as we neared home after our day’s adventure.  She snapped several photos hoping to capture a real winner.  Success!  Seeing this deer and getting a good photo were nice exclamation marks capping our day…

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