Mind the Gap

Cumberland Gap, that is. :)

After my 2 week stay at Stony Fork, I ventured West to visit the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and stay at the Wilderness Road campground. Sooooo much history here, which involved my ancestors, as I mentioned in my previous post.

Tucked away in Site C-17 at Wilderness Road Campground

There are lots of historic things to seek out and explore, as well as many trails and geographic sites. I know I'll be back here in a couple of weeks, so I didn't want to exhaust everything in one go, so I limited my exploration to visiting the historic town of Cumberland Gap, TN and the Pinnacle Overlook that is located within Virginia, and very close to the campground.

Panoramic view from Pinnacle Overlook
L-R, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky

Cumberland Gap, TN

It was so clear the day I visited the overlook, that I could actually see the Great Smoky Mountains that are approximately 66 miles south.

The National Park Service commissioned an artwork commemorating the great migration West on the Wilderness Road by artist David Wright. Looking at the scene brings to life what my ancestors experienced so many years ago when they made the journey from Virginia to Kentucky through the gap. A journey fraught with dangers and physical challenges -- one I'm not sure I could have made.

Gateway to the West by David Wright

Cumberland Gap, definitely something to put on your bucket list to see and experience.

Coming Back Home

Wait, it's not what you think. I am not heading back to Arizona. Rather, I have come to the state of Virginia, into which my paternal ancestors first emigrated back in the mid-1600s. Of course, at that time, Virginia was the first colony of what would become the United States. I've been fascinated with my paternal family history for many decades and on this trip, I've learned even more about them.

My 7th Great-Grandfather, William Ball, who was born in England in ~1632, emigrated to the colony of Virginia in ~1649 as an indentured servant on a ship captained by John Fleet, settling in Christ Church Parish, Middlesex, County. After the typical time of 5 years working off his indenture, he was granted a land certificate on October 24, 1653.

I have yet to visit Christ Church Parish, but it's on my list of places to see in Virginia in the future. But, I have been staying in an area that is very close to the great migration route, known as the Wilderness Road, where my ancestors traveled. It gives me goose bumps when I think about it. After leaving Virginia in the late 1770s, they settled in Kentucky and lived there for several generations.

I've been spending my time in Virginia in and around the town of Wytheville (pronounced With-vill), which is a small close-knit community, at an elevation of 2,400' in the Blue Ridge mountains. The Stony Fork forest service campground is only 8 miles from town, situated at the base of Big Walker mountain.

My own slice of the Jefferson National Forest - Site 45 in Stony Fork Campground

Stony Fork campground has its own resident Beaver that Steve, the camp host, refers to as the campground mascot.

Stony Fork creek that winds its way through the campground

As luck would have it, I found not one, but two four-leaf clovers in the campground. They are definitely getting easier to spot. Here's the second one I found. I've decided to no longer pick them and to leave them be for others to see.

The Big Walker lookout tower that has been managed by the same family for many, many years is located near the top of a lovely twisty, turning scenic byway, just a few miles from camp.

Big Walker Lookout and Store

View looking Northwest across the road from the lookout

In all, I spent two weeks at Stony Fork, just savoring the cooler, less humid climate. I ventured up north to West Virginia to check that state off my list (only 10 to go now) and stopped in the community of Bluefield.

My next camp takes me to the Cumberland Gap, which is home to some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen, as well as lots of national history.

Horses, Bourbon, Bluegrass, and KFC

Y'all know I'm talking about Kentucky! My drive through the state from Indiana to my campsite took me through some of the prettiest country I've ever seen. I stopped in Lexington, the racehorse capital of the world, where all of the major streets are named after famous horses. And, I saw my first "rickhouse" -- a storage facility where Bourbon is aged. Huge black buildings in the middle of the countryside. At first, I thought they were a data center. LOL.

My site in Holly Bay campground was very peaceful and quiet. Holly Bay is located on Laurel River Lake, one of Kentucky's cleanest, clearest, and deepest lakes. It was very pretty to say the least.

Site E3 at Holly Bay -- getting in the mood for the 4th of July

Laurel River Lake

I saw a lot of Poison Ivy all around my campsite. You know the rule, "Leaves of Three -- Let Them Be", unless of course they are a clover leaf.

A fun fact about where I was staying, is that just a few miles from camp (Corbin, KY) is where Colonel Harland Sanders concocted his famous "11 Herbs and Spices" recipe and perfected what is known today as Kentucky Fried Chicken. His Wikipedia page makes for some very interesting reading.

My next stop is Virginia, so stay tuned for that.

Hidden Paradise

My next camp after Illinois was tucked away along the grassy, tree-lined banks of the Flatrock River in the tiny town of St. Paul, Indiana, at Hidden Paradise Campground. The site is about 50 minutes from Indianapolis, but a world away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Site 74 along the Flatrock River

If you're a fan of Saturday Night Live from the old days, you may recall the hilarious Chris Farley skit, where as a "motivational speaker" he makes mention of what can happen to youth who go astray, and may up ending living in a Van down by the river. Fortunately, I have not gone astray, but, I was living in my Scamp down by the river. 

View of the Flatrock River from my campsite at Hidden Paradise

I also got "lucky" during my stay (okay, get your mind out of the gutter). What I mean by lucky is that I found a four-leaf clover while my daughter and her boyfriend were visiting me from Indianapolis. You see, this daughter has a knack of finding them, and I think some of that luck rubbed off on me.

A "lucky" find

For the young or young-at-heart, there is a fun water playground available for a fee at the campground. For free, you can kayak or tube the river.

Dream Lake at Hidden Paradise

The campground has a wonderful, fully stocked store, golf carts for rent, laundry, cabins, tent sites, electric sites and more. And, on weekends, they have Karaoke!! There is something for everyone at Hidden Paradise,

A couple of funny signs in the camp store

Stay tuned for my next post, coming from the beautiful state of Kentucky.