Frank Jarrett bought the inn in 1894 andwas able to capitalize on the burgeoning tourism industry of the Smoky Mountains as people from other parts of the country flocked to the region.  The Jarrett Inn gave the people who rode on the railroad a place to stay. Meanwhile, the food made the Jarrett House famous all over the country.  From Frank’s wife’s fried ham and redeye gravy to the biscuits that seemed to float off the plate, this was truly southern food in a truly southern setting.

Their menu is a huge draw still and whether you are there for lunch or dinner you are in for something special.  It is family favorites with a southern flare and all the sides are served family style.  For lunch you get to pick your entrée from selections like fried catfish, fried chicken or chicken and dumplings (the chicken and dumplings are incredible).  For dinner you will see some of the same options as lunch but with the inclusion of country cured ham, mountain trout and pot roast.  Every meal includes a family style portion of the following:  Cole slaw, candied apples, buttered potatoes, green beans, pickled beets and hot biscuits.  You will feel like you are back in your grandmother’s house for Sunday lunch.  One thing will really stick out on the menu though and that is one of their desserts:  vinegar pie!  Don’t let the name fool you; it is delicious.  Imagine pecan pie without the pecans.

Stepping foot in the dining room of the Jarrett House is like stepping back in time.  They have captured the feel of the early 20^th century.  From the table cloths to the stem ware, there is not a detail they have missed.  You can look at the nick-knacks on the wall or the furniture in the hall and the look of the antiques really sets the scene.  You have just stepped off the train.  You are ready to check into your room and brush the travel dust from your clothes.  You are hoping for a good meal but you are not really prepared for the mounds of food that await you.

Next time you are in Dillsboro walk across the main street to the Jarrett House for a meal.  Step back in time and pull your chair up to the table.  Order the country cured ham and experience southern style salt cured ham.  Order the chicken and dumplings and sop up the juice with a homemade biscuit.  Be sure to order a slice of vinegar pie for dessert; trust me, it is better than it sounds.  Visit the Jarrett House; it will be an experience you will talk about for years to come.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Jarrett House Dining Room

The Cashiers Farmers Market is easily located in the center of town and provides shoppers the chance to purchase fresh produce, fresh meat, jellies and jams, and even made-to-order food from the area. There’s something new each day as the selections are constantly changing with the seasons.  All the plants that are in bloom are brought out for sale in the spring. The market’s produce selection seems to change week to week in the summer and early fall as the harvest comes in.  Meanwhile, during the winter you will find Christmas trees lining the outside of the market and putting everyone in a festive mood.

Local farmers from all around the region bring their produce to the Cashiers Farmers Market.  Vegetables, fruits and other locally grown items overflow from the tables.  When you buy produce straight from the farmer, it just seems to taste that much better.  The meat too, it comes straight from local farmers.  From cured hams to fresh eggs, they have the farm fresh products you are looking for at the Cashiers farmers market.  You’re guaranteed to have the freshest offerings from local growers.  Each fall bushels of North Carolina apples are available as well as pumpkins for Halloween and various autumn decorations.

Jams and jellies align the walls of the market, as well as other sauces and marinades.  You’ll see apple butter made with local apples to marinades from some of the finest area cooks and caterers. Don’t won’t, there’s always someone giving out free samples. With as many jams and jellies as they sell, it’s really THE place on the eastern side of the Smokies to dress up a biscuit.  Whether you prefer a creamy consistency, or you’re more of a jelly lover, they have the jar for you.

Oh, and don’t forget the barbecue. Cashier’s bar-b-que or simply BBQ, might be the closest you get to heaven on earth.  The smell of their sandwiches attacks your nostrils before you step out of your car.  Just to the right of the store stands the BBQ pit – a new addition to the original market structure. Let your nose be your guide and follow it to the counter and order some of the market’s delicious BBQ. Rather than the usual lowlands BBQ with the North Carolina vinegar-style sauce, the farmers market’s BBQ is a sweet, southern barbecue.

Whether planning your next meal or walking around town browsing, the Cashiers Farmers Market is certainly one of those places that deserve a special marking on the map as a “must stop”. Sample the home made jams and jellies, get some BBQ for the road, buy a few local crafts to take home with you or just sit around and talk to some of the local farmers.  It’s a local business stop, but it’s very much a tourist attraction as well.

http://cashiersfarmersmarket.com/

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Cashiers, NC Farmers Market

To become more familiar with trees, plants and nature, visit an arboretum. The North Carolina Arboretum is dedicated to providing insight into the trees, plants and nature of North Carolina – especially those located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The arboretum’s revolving yearly exhibits ensures visitors a chance to see something brand new with each visit. The North Carolina Arboretum puts on a revolving show throughout the year, from the exhibits in the Baker Exhibit Center to the gardens outside there’s always something new and interesting to learn.

The quilt garden at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, NC.

The arboretum’s sustainable shelter project has been on display since the fall.  This particular exhibit gives examples of how people can use recycled materials and natural fibers in their daily life.  One such example is the garden shed which not only captures rain water, but also recycles the water that you use when you are tending to garden plants.  Not only is the garden shed an exhibit, it’s actually being used in the upkeep of the gardens around the shed itself.  Another exhibit shows how mud-daub houses are made with natural materials. All these exhibits demonstrate the arboretum’s views about how these materials can be used to help benefit the planet. More scientific explanations for the need of sustainable shelters will be available in the exhibit hall as well.

Besides the educational aspects of the arboretum, there are also a slew of recreational opportunities.  Numerous trails wind around the grounds of this 434-acre facility.  In all, there are 65 acres of cultivated gardens in this park.  From the winding path in the one of the most unique bonsai gardens in America to the straight trails at the quilt garden, the arboretum’s natural beauty will ease your mind and put your cares at ease while you explore the grounds.

A huge collection of sculptures also calls the arboretum’s gardens home.  This outdoor art collection reflects the culture of the region and is all a representation of the area’s local artists.  Take a self-guided tour of the art walk. There are brochures to get you started. The two indoor facilities also house collections of arts and crafts. Paintings of the natural landscapes in the area to mountain crafts are just a few of the noted works.  Be sure to visit the arboretum website before your visit so that you can make the most of your time at the North Carolina Arboretum.

The arboretum is centrally located in Asheville, NC, and only minutes from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The cost to enter is $8 per vehicle so it is also a very cost effective place to visit during your Smokies vacation.  The North Carolina Arboretum is a natural history museum that you definitely want to add to your itinerary.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

The North Carolina Arboretum

The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts is more than just a small, local theater showcasing community talent every couple of months or so. The SMCPA’s vision rivals many of your mid-size city venues with a yearly calendar of performances. For the common theatre “goer”, you’ll find a state-of-the art facility featuring free parking right outside the main entrance, refreshments in the lobby, and a coffee bar with all the trimmings. Ushers greet and direct guests throughout the venue and work as great ambassadors for the city sharing their recommendations on places to eat, stay, and visit.

The SMCPA officially opened its doors in 2009 and since then has seen many notable musical performances from such stars of stage and screen as Kenny Rogers, country music group Little Big Town, Lee Greenwood & Louise Mandrell, Guy Penrod & Lynda Randle, plus worldly-known acts like the Nutcracker Ballet performed by the Russian Ballet Company and the Wizard of Oz. Even movies (this Christmas, The Polar Express and It’s A Wonderful Life) are shown each month to take advantage of the theatre’s wondrous appeal.

The Overlook Theatre Company, from the Franklin community, performs a variety of plays throughout the year in the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts including drama, comedy, and seasonal specials. The theatre can also be rented by individuals for meetings and presentations when available.

The facility includes 1,495 seats with 8 designated locations for wheelchairs or electric chairs. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house as the seats gradually incline towards the back row. It’s 80 feet from the front row to the back. The intimacy of the first few rows is most appealing. You almost feel like you’re a part of the performance, despite the orchestra pit buffering the first row from the stage. The balcony is built neatly over the back rows of the main floor and features its own elevated seating – accessible from the lobby elevator.

The Annie Moses Band (www.anniemosesband.com), who recently returned for a performance at the SMCPA, played to a packed house. The group, made up of 8 family members, a drummer, and a couple of back-up singers, had the sound of a full string symphony complete with a piano player on the baby grand (the actual father of the family), and Annie herself who doubled as lead violin and vocalist. The Annie Moses Band gave a profound performance not only from a musical standpoint but also from their stage presence, costume and make up, and the band’s genuine ability to “play to the crowd.” The theater is hoping for a return engagement for the 2012 season.

Be sure to visit the SMCPA website, www.greatmountainmusic.com and add your e-mail address to their newsletter service. Every registrant is sent a line-up of artists and entertainers as soon as they are booked. Tickets can be purchased on-line as well through the site.

Since the Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts is located just a block off of Hwy 441 (Georgia Hwy), adjacent the interchange with Hwy 64, the choices for good food, before or after performances, are close by the venue. From steak houses to diners and fast food, many choices are available within a few blocks. If you would like to make a weekend trip out of your visit to the theatre, several good motels, franchise and private, and B&B’s are within just a mile or two of the venue.

With the Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts in Franklin, NC you get a state-of-the-art theatre experience surrounded by great people, enjoying Broadway-type entertainment – like the Annie Moses Band – at a very reasonable price. This is a showcase Franklin, NC and the Great Smoky Mountains community can really be proud of.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts

After sunset a whole vista of celestial ‘wildlife’ pops out.  Stars that you never knew existed hangout among familiar constellations.  Extra stars seem to accessorize Orion’s belt.  Ursa Major and Ursa Minor seem to fill out more and you can see why ancient people may have named them what they named them, instead of looking like a dipper it might actually resemble a bear.  Our view of the sky, usually inhibited by city lights, is opened up as you leave the vestiges of civilization and climb higher into the mountain.  Newfound Gap Trailhead, the parking area for one of the most hiked portions of the Appalachian Trail, is one of the best places to stargaze in the Smokies.

Due to the fact that there are no street lights at Newfound Gap Trailhead, there are no cities close enough to see and the fact that at night most of the cars in the parking lot are left by overnight hikers.  This leaves the parking lot vacant and the passing cars don’t add enough light to affect your night vision.  Once you get to the parking area, go to the furthest end of the parking lot, turn off all the lights in your car and wait for your eyes to adjust.  Once your eyes are used to the dark you will start to see some amazing sights in the night sky.  Remember that you are above 6,000 feet in this parking lot, so you may want to bring a coat in the spring or fall because it ill be cooler then it is in the valley areas.  If it is 60 in Pigeon Forge, it will be at least 10 degrees cooler on the mountain.

Another thing to keep in mind is the moon.  If the stars are brighter in the Smokies, then the moon is ten times brighter.  A full moon on top of the mountain is a glorious thing to behold but if your planning on seeing stars keep the phase of the moon in mind.  The perfect time to view stars by the millions is during the new moon.  With the moon out of the way, you will have an unobstructed view of the stars and your stargazing trip to the Smokies will be complete.  If you want to see an amazing moonrise, then get to the summit early during a full moon and it will bright enough to read by.

Because of the lack of lights on the mountain it is possible to take pictures of this starry expanse.  You will need to turn the flash off on your camera and you will have to use fairly long exposures.  Long exposures (one and half to two minutes minimum) will produce star lines on the exposure.  The Earth’s constant movement in relation to the unmovable positions of the stars causes the star lines. This is what you want.  Lots of light into the camera and giving the camera enough time to absorb the light you are letting it will make the outline of the trees hazy and the stars will be small streaks in the sky.  You’ll need to use a tripod to eliminate movement of the camera.

If you are looking for an after-hours opportunity for your family to enjoy something they may not get to see anywhere else, get out of the cabin or hotel room, pack up the cool weather gear and head to the top of the Smokies, or a place like Cades Cove.  Put a sleeping bag on the hood of your car, lean back and enjoy the view.  Instead of looking at the gorgeous mountains below the heavens, turn your eyes upward and look at the stars.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Stargazing in the Smokies

The Elkmont area was originally settled by two Smokies families in the 1840s, at least one of which came to the area to look for gold. Like most small mountain communities they were subsistence farmers that produced everything from corn to honey to make ends meet and put food on the table. The creek that runs along the Elkmont Trail is Jake’s Creek, named for Jacob Hauser, probably the first settler to this area. From this time period, the only existing structure is the Avent Cabin which was built around 1845 by the Ownby family.

John English, a Knoxville, Tennessee businessman, began a small-scale logging project in the Elkmont area along Jake’s Creek. This business venture started the logging period for the Elkmont area but it was a Pennsylvania native, Colonel Wilson Townsend (after whom Townsend TN is named) that established the Little River Lumber Company. Townsend setup a railroad that went from his saw mills to the logging camp in what became known as Elkmont to the loggers. The Elkmont area was used as the base of operation for the lumber company through the 20s and 30s. By this time Townsend had sold most of the land to the newly formed national Park. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

Townsend noticed that as the forest was being mined for its valuable resources that he could use the train to bring hunters and fishermen to the area. The railroad reached Maryville and Knoxville by 1909 and they began offering the “Elkmont Special.” This special was train service from Knoxville to Elkmont. Tickets on the Elkmont special became a hot commodity. Soon a bigger engine was added and in 1912 Charles Carter built the Wonderland Hotel – a 50 room resort lodge overlooking Elkmont. In 1914 a group of citizens from Knoxville formed the Appalachian Club. This ‘club’ built 40 or more rustic cabins and a lodge. The Elkmont area became the place for Knoxville’s elite to go. Membership into the Appalachian Club was hard to acquire. Even the removal of the railroad to another logging area did not deter the members, who, along with the help of Tennessee Governor Austin Peay, put in a road connecting Townsend and the Elkmont area.

By this point in history, National Parks like Wyoming’s Yellowstone started opening across the country. The idea to open a National Park in the Smokies may have even started with one of the members of the Appalachian Club. Whoever originally came up with the idea, in 1926 Colonel Townsend sold the initial 76,000 acres to start the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Park. Even though the national park would be a great addition to their community, the cottage owners and members of he Appalachian Club were losing their summer homes, their vacation spot. With the help of an attorney from the Little River Lumber Company they were allowed to sell their property at half price and get a lifetime lease. Most of the lifetime leases expired in 1992 with the last two expiring in 2001. The 1982 General Management Plan of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park called for the structures to be removed and the land would be allowed to revert to its natural state. In 1994, just a mere two years after most of the leases had expired, this plan was overridden when Elkmont was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, saving the cottages from destruction. Unfortunately, though they were saved from removal, they were left to deteriorate. The Park Service did not have the means or extra funding to preserve those buildings. The Wonderland Hotel collapsed in 2005 and has since been removed, though some of the historical fixtures and items from the hotel have been preserved. The homes along Little River and Jake’s Creek were also left to the elements, without upkeep.

At the time of this writing, there is sign of reconstruction going on in Elkmont. Some new porches and construction tape now adorn some of the cabins and cottages. According to a brief sent out from the Park Service in the fall of 2007, they are proposing that 19 of the remaining buildings be preserved. This preservation effort would include the Appalachian Clubhouse and other buildings of historic significance. This move is still waiting for approval but it is certainly a positive step to preserve some of the pre-park history.

Since then, the National Park Service in 2009 announced plans to restore the Appalachian Clubhouse and 18 cottages and outbuildings in the Appalachian Club area (which were older and more historically significant) and remove all other structures, including the Wonderland Annex which had collapsed in 2005.

Maybe this ghost town in the Smokies will receive some tender loving care, bringing back that Smoky Mountain vacation spot atmosphere that it had so many years ago.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Elkmont – Ghost Town in the Smokies?

At Carver’s Orchard Cosby beauty certainly shines through. The orchard processes apples that grow on the trees in the orchard and they have more than 40,000 trees to pick from. Those 40,000 trees include 126 varieties of apple, from standard fare to heirlooms. During harvest you can watch as thousands of apples are processed. The bright, shiny, red orbs roll down the conveyor belts to be sorted by hand into bushels. The bushels then go to the farmer’s market or to the trucks to be shipped out. The apples that make it to the floor of the farmer’s market are then picked over by cooks and apple coinsurers alike. Like any good farmer’s market they will even let you sample the apple before you buy. Each type is also marked as to what it is best used for, whether that be in a pie or just eaten as is.

Some of the apples end up being used in the orchard’s restaurant. Home-style food with an Appalachian twist abounds at Carver’s. At the beginning of each meal you get a basket of apple fritters and a glass of cider. Really at this point you could almost stop. The fritters are perfect and cider is so fresh that you start looking for pulp. But if you chose to stop you wouldn’t be able to experience the rest of the food they have to offer. From pot roast to catfish they carry all your family’s favorites. Their sandwiches are tremendous and if you get there early you can even have breakfast. Of course the only way to end a meal at Carver’s is with a fried apple pie.

Their fried apple pies are amazing. People in the area know where to get good food and if you are looking for a fried apple pie there is no other place to go. They are sold in the pastry shop and in the restaurant. You can get them with ice cream or by themselves. Either way you experience a Carver’s Orchard fried apple pie will leave you full and dream of a lazy summer watching the bees flit from apple tree to apple tree. Fried apple pies are a bit of southern nostalgia and if your kids haven’t gotten to taste one, you need to beat a hasty path to Carver’s Orchard in Cosby, Tennessee.

Article fromInside Gatlinburg, TN

Carver’s Orchard – Off the Beaten Path