On top of Old Smoky....

I get it now. I really understand why these are called the Great Smoky Mountains. The mountains have a look of blue smoke or fog about them all day long, but especially in the mornings and evenings. Of course, the many campfires at our campground probably adds to that look. :-)

This is an absolutely beautiful area of the country, and I'm so glad I added it to my travel itinerary. Unfortunately, I couldn't get in at the campground in town that is having a bluegrass festival this weekend. They're booked solid all week. So I've had to settle for listening to my "O Brother Where Art Thou" CD. Maybe when I'm working my way through Appalachia toward Pennsylvania this weekend I can find a bluegrass fix somewhere.

However, I'm very happy with the KOA campground where I've planted for 3 nights. They are actually in the national park, and have shuttles to take us just about anywhere we want to go. Which is a good thing, since everyone around here has discouraged me from riding my scooter along these mountain roads. The only bummer with being in the mountains is internet access. My Sprint connection is useless out here, and this evening I purchased a day's worth of WI-FI access so I could update my blog, do some route planning, and check my email (17 messages accumulated just since yesterday morning - good thing I asked people not to send me all their usual forwards to fill up my box when I have no access. I still get some, but not as many thankfully.) I don't know what kind of access I'll have all weekend, or next week when I'm in the Poconos for that matter. So my blog entries may be a bit sporadic for a while.

There is so much to see and learn and do in this region. Today I focused on the Native American culture with a visit to an authentic Cherokee village. There I learnd about beading, pottery making, weaving (both baskets and belts,) canoe making, weaponry, shelter & cooking, tribal hierarchy & clans, and lots of things about the spiritual aspect like dancing and music. The picture I've included today is from inside the tribal council building representing where representatives of the 7 clans of the Eastern Cherokee tribe met regularly. These are the ceremonial headdresses for the Peace Chief and the War Chief, and some of the garb they wore. Most often the Peace Chief would be in charge, but in times of war he would hand over the leadership to the War Chief. As our guide described their roles, it seemed to be very much like a spiritual role vs. a government role. Church & state, both working together, but very much separately.

I was also impressed with the role of women in their culture. It was very much a matriarchal society, with women & children included in not only leadership roles, but also the ceremonial dances. In fact, the dances were usually led by the "Beloved Woman" - a role most often filled by the widow of a late chief. There was so much I learned about the deeply spiritual aspect of the tribal culture, that I cannot possibly write it all here. But I will gladly share it later.

Tomorrow I am taking a railway excursion through the mountains. I can't wait! If I can get photos ready in time to post before my WI-FI access expires, I'm sure I'll have some good ones on my blog tomorrow.