Day 2: November 24, 2006
Train Ride & More 		Previous Day
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Road to Nowhere, Lake Fontana, NC Road to Nowhere, Lake Fontana, NC Road to Nowhere, Lake Fontana, NC Road to Nowhere, Lake Fontana, NC Road to Nowhere, Lake Fontana, NC Even without its story, the "Road to Nowhere" would be a worthwhile drive. A scenic roadside, great views, and, at the end, an interesting tunnel. That very phrase should tell you something. Tunnels don't belong at the ends of roads. They are supposed to provide access to something. Technically, the road doesn't end precisely at the tunnel, there is a hundred yards or so of pavement on the other side, but a barrier stops vehicles well short of the tunnel. And the tunnel is the most visible evidence of an unfulfilled promise made over six decades ago. The road was to provide access to family cemeteries for people displaced by Fontana Lake. Without the road, relatives rely on the National Park Service to ferry them over the lake to visit the cemeteries.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, NC Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, NC Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, NC Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, NC Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, NC I guess the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a big reason for me being in Bryson City. It turned up in a web search and sounded like just the thing for an early winter day in the Smokys. But, even though I had put the train in my plans a couple of weeks ago, I was unsure of whether I would ride it Friday or Saturday and did not make a reservation. I did manage to get a ticket for the rather loaded train but that might not have been the case had there been more than one of me. GSMR offers several different excursions including some with steam power. My ride was with diesel on what they call a Nantahala Gorge excursion. From Bryson City it travels twenty two miles out and back with a one hour stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Passengers are directed to interesting sights, like this 1860s house and the talc/limestone/granite mining operation, by a speaker system and attendants in each car.

As a solo traveler, I have little control over who my neighbors are on trains, buses, planes, and other conveyances and sometimes that's a very bad thing. Not so today. I shared a four seat cluster with a couple and the wife's mother who were sort of celebrating the holiday along with Mom's Thanksgiving eve birthday. Good company that I appreciated.

Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC The first picture was actually taken from a train window. The others are from our layover at Nantahala Outdoor Center. The Appalachian Trail passes through the Center and it is a focal point for hiking, biking, paddling, camping, etc. I believe, but am not certain, that the kayaker passing by the NOC in the last picture is the same one seen in the shot from the train.
Blue Ridge Parkway Entrance, Cherokee, NC I had seen a closed sign at the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance from the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway but the website had nothing about a closure there. No one I asked was sure just what was closed but I did learn that it was probably due to a rock slide. One of the GSMR conductors thought I could probably get on at Cherokee but he was not sure. It was only ten miles to Cherokee and it seemed worth the drive - especially in sunny 72 degree weather - to take a chance. The Parkway was closed but it was still worth the drive. Did I mention it was 72 degrees?
Museum of the Cherokee Indiana, Cherokee, NC Museum of the Cherokee Indiana, Cherokee, NC Museum of the Cherokee Indiana, Cherokee, NC Museum of the Cherokee Indiana, Cherokee, NC Museum of the Cherokee Indiana, Cherokee, NC A visit to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian had been in my plans but I was starting to think it might get cut. Even though I would have taken advantage of the weather to drive just a bit of the Parkway had it been open, the closure did give me the perfect opportunity to get to the museum about an hour before closing. The museum does a nice job of telling the story of the Cherokee and associated tribes. The story begins much earlier but the majority of exhibits understandably involve events following European contact.
Smoky Mountain Trains, Bryson City, NC Smoky Mountain Trains, Bryson City, NC Smoky Mountain Trains, Bryson City, NC Smoky Mountain Trains, Bryson City, NC Smoky Mountain Trains is right next to the GSMR depot in Bryson City. It is an impressive model railroad store and an equally impressive museum. Normal admission is $9 but it has just been acquired by GSMR and they are celebrating (experimenting?) with $1 admission through the month of November. I sort of thought of visiting at the end of the train ride then opted to check out the Blue Ridge Parkway instead. (72 degrees, remember?) It turns out they are also currently open past the advertised 5:30 so I was able to visit after I returned from Cherokee.

There are thousands of cars and engines displayed on walls and in cases and lots of old guys in the know and young kids in awe were oohing and ahhing over them. There are two operating layouts. One is for kids and has kid accessible buttons around it that operate many of its features. The other has about a mile of track and is definitely for the pros. I spoke with the "engineer" running the display and he told me that they have about fifty operating engines and they try to run about six at a time. He was clearly enjoying himself and asked if I had "trains at home". When I told him no, he instantly responded, with a big grin, "We can fix that."

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