Oct 19, 2018 Adventures in the South 2 - Cherokee & Great Smokey Mountains

This was a very long and eventful day!  We started in North Carolina, then headed west towards the Great Smokey Mountains But first we drove a bit in South Carolina, a first for the van. Then to the Cherokee Reservation.  Here we visited the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, where Cherokee artists sell their work. It was unbelievable - hundreds of baskets for sale!  Plus the Gallery, which featured historic baskets and stories of the weavers.
 .Left: Qualla store. Below:Gallery.
Next, we crossed the street to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Bryn spent a lot of time looking at the baskets there as well. There were some great pieces by new artists as well as older pieces. So we went back to Qualla. Which one to buy? Luckily Bryn started talking to the man at the counter, and she recognized his name as one of the artists in the museum, and asked him which were his. After talking about his basket in progress, she went home with the little basket made of white oak, pictured on the counter in front of Gabe Crow.

       And then, as if there wasn't enough excitement already this day, we went to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park!  The mountains are so named due to the fog and low clouds, which we went through, and then we had blue skies.  We stayed at Cade's Cove campground, in the Tennessee part of the park. Randy cooked spaghetti, and we turned it into a gourmet meal with our New York sharp cheddar and orchard-fresh apple. And we saw wild turkeys roaming around the campground!