As soon as I woke up, I grabbed my camera to capture a shot of the spectacular view from the deck of Dave and Beth Harris's home located on the east brow of Signal Mountain, Tennessee! If you focus really hard, you can see the Tennessee River Gorge and parts of Chattanooga. Okay, that's on a clear day...this is the second day that Signal Mountain is socked in with pea soup fog.
A little rain and a lot of fog won't deter "hardcore bikers" like Sid and Gail Spragins! We don our rain gear and wrap up the bike back pack. Sid shows his best side in this photo as he hooks up the trailer in preparation for our day on the road.
I shot this as we were moving down Sawyer Cemetery Road toward Highway 127. We were going about 15 mph because the fog was so thick. This could be a very long day...
Less than 20 miles from foggy Signal Mountain, we emerge into the sun overlooking Sequatchie Valley as we head down the mountain toward Dunlap, Tennessee. Sequatchie Valley was named for the Cherokee Chief, Sequachee, who signed a treaty with the colonial government of South Carolina. Historians who have studied the language and lore of the Cherokee differ over the exact meaning of the word, but the general consensus is "opossum, he grins or runs."
We were heading for Dunlap, Tennessee, hang gliding capital of the East. The Tennessee Tree Toppers Hang Gliding group has two launching areas in the valley: the Henson's Gap ramp where their clubhouse and camping sites are located, and the more challenging Whitwell site. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any hang gliding due to the threatening weather.
The drive through the valley was fantastic. The road was good, not much traffic and the views were incredible. I captured this photo of a farm with a waterfall in the background. We noticed countless waterfalls from the Cumberland Plateau as we passed through Dunlap, Whitwell and Jasper. If it hadn't been for the recent rains, we wouldn't have noticed the creeks coursing down the escarpment from the plateau. It was truly a sight to behold. If only I could have taken a good photo of them...but one is limited when riding on the back of a motorcycle at 55 mph...
We stopped for lunch in Jasper at Carol's Southern Cooking Cafe, a small place with only 6 tables serving delicious fare. We had a chat with Benny, a fellow diner who lives in Whitwell. He used to work in the coal mine in Whitwell until it closed after an explosion that killed 13 miners in 1981. He started working there when he was quite young and has arthritis as a result of many years in the damp environment. (I think Benny is in his late fifties.) He said there wasn't much industry in the valley and that most folks travel 33 miles in to Chattanooga to find work. He was very excited about 650 good-paying jobs that will be brought in to South Pittsburg in the near future. He explained that a school is being built to educate the workers for the jobs. He also shared that many retirees from Chicago and Florida have moved to the valley...it's a gorgeous place to live with a low cost of living and a slow-paced environment. Benny seemed very happy with his life in Marion County. I've posted photos of a couple of churches we passed in Jasper before taking Hwy. 41 N and heading up to the Cumberland Plateau toward Tracy City, Monteagle and Sewanee.
We passed Monteagle Winery, but didn't stop to visit because it was chilly and the sky had turned dark. We were a bit worried about being caught in the rain again. We also passed The University of the South, a gorgeous university in Sewanee that we have visited on a previous trip through the area. We descended from the Cumberland Plateau toward Cowan, a picturesque little town in a lovely valley in the midst of spring. Forsythia and redbuds were everywhere. I think I could live here! Finally, we hit Hwy 64 and stopped for the night just past Frankewing, formerly the largest shipping station on the L&N Railroad line. It was a good day.
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