2007-17 Bald River Falls, Tennessee
Hello All,
It has been a fun week. Our friends Ken and Elyse arrived in their motorhome, and our friends Tom and Helen stayed for a few extra days. We've been busy going on the boat and hitting many of the local attractions. One evening while we all were having dinner at our place there was a knock on the door. It was a neighbor in the campground inviting us over to their place to see their "9 o'clock flower." We said, "…say what?!" He said it was the talk of the campground. It blooms before your eyes every evening around 9 p.m. and then drops those flowers the next day. That evening around 9 p.m. it starts the process with new blossoms all over again. They had the scientific name for it, but we can't remember it. We like what the locals call it--"the 9 o'clock flower!!"
Our sightseeing this week took us into the Smoky Mountains with a stop at Bald River Falls--hence the photo of the week.
It has been a fun week. Our friends Ken and Elyse arrived in their motorhome, and our friends Tom and Helen stayed for a few extra days. We've been busy going on the boat and hitting many of the local attractions. One evening while we all were having dinner at our place there was a knock on the door. It was a neighbor in the campground inviting us over to their place to see their "9 o'clock flower." We said, "…say what?!" He said it was the talk of the campground. It blooms before your eyes every evening around 9 p.m. and then drops those flowers the next day. That evening around 9 p.m. it starts the process with new blossoms all over again. They had the scientific name for it, but we can't remember it. We like what the locals call it--"the 9 o'clock flower!!"
Our sightseeing this week took us into the Smoky Mountains with a stop at Bald River Falls--hence the photo of the week.
In the mountains the
rhododendrons are blooming and there is a bright red-orange flower starting to
bloom above the 5,000 foot level. While we snapped many photos we have yet to
be able to identify it.
Another point of interest we visited this week was the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. Sequoyah was the creator of the Cherokee writing system. Never before, or since, in the history of the world has one man, not literate in any language, perfected a system for reading and writing. It took him 12 years to develop the language. Within a few months of introducing the language to the Cherokee people thousands became literate.
We made a trip to the Tennessee Valley Winery and did a bit of wine tasting. Our next stop was the Sweetwater Valley Cheese Farm. We toured the dairy, saw the food and vitamin mixture being created for the cows, and watched the milking process. We were told that each cow consumes over 100 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water per day. We also watched them process cheese. They use about 15% of the dairy's milk for cheese. The remainder is sold to Mayfield Dairy. So, we went to Mayfield Dairy and toured the plant. Mayfield buys milk from over 200 dairy farms in Tennessee. We watched them make milk jugs and fill them for distribution. Did we mention they also make ice cream? And, where do you think the plant tour ends. Yup, in their ice cream parlor!! We were good though, as we limited ourselves to one scoop each!!
We also went to the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE) in Oak Ridge, TN. In case you were wondering, the Oak Ridge Boys singing group did not come from there. Oak Ridge was built under a cloak of great secrecy during World War II. A city and three plants (Y-12, K-25 and X-10) of unprecedented scope were constructed to develop a technology that ended the war. On a tract of 59,000 acres, the town of Oak Ridge and its three plants were created in 1942 as a major site of the "Manhattan Project." There were armed guards at the entrances to the city, and it was run much like a military base. At its peak, the population rose to 75,000. Today, the modern city has 28,000 people.
The Y-12 plant was built to separate the uranium 235 isotope from natural uranium in sufficient quantity and quality to produce a fissionable material for atomic weapons. The K-25 plant was built to separate uranium 235 by a more economical method. This plant became one of the largest concentrations of laboratory equipment in history. The X-10 facility was where a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor was constructed as a pilot facility for the larger plutonium production complex in Hanford, Washington. Oak Ridge and AMSE are on our list of places to visit again in the near future--lots of neat hands-on stuff to explore.
We bid farewell to our friends. Tom & Helen departed for Florida and Ken & Elyse left for North Carolina. We wish them safe journeys. After they left, Barb and I decided to take in a movie. We went to see Michael Moore's new release "Sicko." No matter what your politics are, we highly, highly, highly recommend this movie. Every American should see it.
Until next time,
Dave and Barb
The Traveling Browns
Another point of interest we visited this week was the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. Sequoyah was the creator of the Cherokee writing system. Never before, or since, in the history of the world has one man, not literate in any language, perfected a system for reading and writing. It took him 12 years to develop the language. Within a few months of introducing the language to the Cherokee people thousands became literate.
We made a trip to the Tennessee Valley Winery and did a bit of wine tasting. Our next stop was the Sweetwater Valley Cheese Farm. We toured the dairy, saw the food and vitamin mixture being created for the cows, and watched the milking process. We were told that each cow consumes over 100 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water per day. We also watched them process cheese. They use about 15% of the dairy's milk for cheese. The remainder is sold to Mayfield Dairy. So, we went to Mayfield Dairy and toured the plant. Mayfield buys milk from over 200 dairy farms in Tennessee. We watched them make milk jugs and fill them for distribution. Did we mention they also make ice cream? And, where do you think the plant tour ends. Yup, in their ice cream parlor!! We were good though, as we limited ourselves to one scoop each!!
We also went to the American Museum of Science & Energy (AMSE) in Oak Ridge, TN. In case you were wondering, the Oak Ridge Boys singing group did not come from there. Oak Ridge was built under a cloak of great secrecy during World War II. A city and three plants (Y-12, K-25 and X-10) of unprecedented scope were constructed to develop a technology that ended the war. On a tract of 59,000 acres, the town of Oak Ridge and its three plants were created in 1942 as a major site of the "Manhattan Project." There were armed guards at the entrances to the city, and it was run much like a military base. At its peak, the population rose to 75,000. Today, the modern city has 28,000 people.
The Y-12 plant was built to separate the uranium 235 isotope from natural uranium in sufficient quantity and quality to produce a fissionable material for atomic weapons. The K-25 plant was built to separate uranium 235 by a more economical method. This plant became one of the largest concentrations of laboratory equipment in history. The X-10 facility was where a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor was constructed as a pilot facility for the larger plutonium production complex in Hanford, Washington. Oak Ridge and AMSE are on our list of places to visit again in the near future--lots of neat hands-on stuff to explore.
We bid farewell to our friends. Tom & Helen departed for Florida and Ken & Elyse left for North Carolina. We wish them safe journeys. After they left, Barb and I decided to take in a movie. We went to see Michael Moore's new release "Sicko." No matter what your politics are, we highly, highly, highly recommend this movie. Every American should see it.
Until next time,
Dave and Barb
The Traveling Browns