Walland RV Rally – Oct. 2013

A belated Thanks To All Of You Veterans And Veterans-To-Be out there.

The week of Oct. 21, ten RVs from the Tennessee Travelers chapter of the FMCA assembled for a rally at Misty River Campground in Walland, TN – the first ever rally for Bev and I.  The rally hosts had a nice week planned including breakfasts, dinners, and day trips.

Breakfast meals were provided at the campground and dinners were a mix of restaurant and campground meals.  The day trips included a drive along the Foothills Parkway with picnic lunch, a tour of the Heritage Center in Townsend, and a drive up the old Tremont logging railroad bed along the Middle Prone of the Little River where I got a few shots.

This area was extensively logged in the early 1900's and per Wikipedia - "While the logging operations provided an economic boost to the northwestern Smokies, the rapid deforestation of Little River's watershed proved devastating for the river's ecosystem. With the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 and the end of logging operations in 1938, however, the forest quickly regrew. The Civilian Conservation Corps converted Little River Railroad's railroad beds into roads and trails. Today, other than the occasional stray skidder cable or railroad tie, there is little immediate evidence that logging ever took place in the area.

In 1969, Maryville College, with the help of the National Park Service, established the Tremont Environmental Education Center at the site of a former Job Corps center in Walker Valley. The purpose of the center was to provide a first-hand approach to understanding the environment and ecology of the mountains.[14] In the early 1970s, the center hosted the Youth Conservation Corps during the summer. In 1980, the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association assumed control of the education center, and in 1985 the name was changed to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to further acknowledge its ties to the park."

On the way out, we stopped at the Tremont Visitors Center.

This is the old bridge to the visitors center - note the stones that the flowing water has deposited on it.

The final night, we had a hot dog roast around the large fire pit at the campground – as more of a camper than RVer, this was my favorite event.  Sorry I didn't get more pictures but weeny roasting, visiting, and sitting around the fire got in the way - the fire was completely surrounded by people, especially as the sun began to set.

Supper was followed by a showing of the movie "Christy: Return To Cutter Gap", which was filmed in part in the Smokies.

Bev and I had a very nice time and really enjoyed the folks in the group – I’ve come to realize that RVing for me is more about the people we interact with than the places we go – although I like that too. 

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/21–10/25/2013 event date