Clingman's Dome

Here is my view from the parking lot at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

This is a beautiful part of North Carolina.

This is the visitor tower. It is similar to the one we saw in March at Shark Valley National Park. This tower was constructed in 1959 and is different from other National Park buildings. Normally the National Parks use stone and wood and natural materials. This is cement and designed to look like a space tower. This is a brilliant design way ahead of time because it allows people with disabilities to visit.

From the tower here is the view to the south that includes part of the ramp I walked up.

The view to the east.

The view to the north. The town in the distance is Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This tower is right on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.

The view to the west.

 

Tornado Damage

Today we drove north and west from Waynesboro, Tennessee, through Kentucky, to Missouri. We bypassed Paducah and drove on smaller roads through rural Tennessee. We were running low on gas by the time we came to Mayfield, Kentucky. Mayfield is a disaster zone. Power lines tipped dangerously toward the road. Barns were destroyed. Roofs were missing. None of the stop lights worked. Some roads were closed. Stores and gas stations are without electricity. FEMA trailers were pulling into town also looking for gas to buy. We saw relief workers handing out water and supplies. All through the country side sheet metal littered the road sides. We saw trailers on their sides. We saw cars and pick ups out in the middle of a field with no tire tracks leading to them. The tornado must have lifted vehicles and put them down again. The entire town was a mess. The devastation was heart breaking to witness. We left Mayfield without gasoline and headed north where electricity and gasoline were available.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Last night about 1 a.m. a strong wind woke me up followed by loud claps of thunder and pouring rain. When we left Mammoth National Park and got to the highway, we began to see tornado damage around Bowling Green. The temperature at 9 a.m. was 66 degrees. The temperature at 3 p.m. was 46 degrees. Highway signs were blown across the road. Most of the airborne pieces of metal or roofing landed near the fence on the median of the highway. Roofs were missing off of factories. Trees were toppled with the crowns pointed at the highway. The wind must have come from the north. Nashville had less damage. We drove through Nashville and headed south on Natchez Trace Parkway.

This parkway has scenic vistas. Few roads intersect with the parkway. Speed limits vary between 45 and 50 mph. Bikes are encouraged. Towns are located off of the parkway. Here is Jackson Falls. The parkway travels 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, Louisiana.

This is an historic travel route for Native Americans. The route has camping spots and picnic spots and restrooms. The rivers ran high after the storm last night.

This monument honors the deaths of soldiers during the war of 1812.

We walked part of the old Natchez trail off of the parkway to get a feel for what it was like 200 years ago.

We came upon an old phosphate mine.

Meriweather Lewis (Lewis and Clark) died here.

Some say he was murdered. Others say he died by suicide. We completed 75 miles of the Natchez Trace trail today.