1. To the Outer Banks and Back - Thru Tennessee
- Craig Tidball
- Oct 21, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 29, 2024
“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.”– Moslih Eddin Saadi
Part 1: Nashville to Asheville
The travel plans for Springtime 2024 just kept growing and became our longest trip to date. The route formed a large loop from northern Indiana, west to St. Louis, and then east to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Outer Banks, and finally a leisurely return through Virginia and Pennsylvania.
We began with a doctor visit in St. Louis that couldn't be rescheduled, but we figured,
as we were already south, let's include the diversion before heading east. The change afforded us a visit with family and friends and views of the beautiful rolling hills of southern Illinois. With an easterly wind, we made good time to our first stop just east of Nashville, Tennessee, at Seven Points COE Campground on Priest Lake. This site made COE believers out of us. It was one of the finest campgrounds we have experienced: large lots, beautiful lake views, asphalt drives, concrete table area, excellent hook-ups, and neatly maintained.
The Army Corp of Engineers (COE) developed this site in conjunction with enhancements to the J. Percy Priest Reservoir, also known as Priest Lake. We found the evening views of the lake a peaceful way to end our day.
Seven Points Campground is near Hermitage, Tennessee, the home and burial site of Andrew Jackson. His large estate, called Hermitage, is beautifully maintained and includes an excellent museum of our seventh president.
From Nashville, we headed east on Interstate 40 towards Asheville but enjoyed a stop at the famous Buc-ee's in Crossville, Tennessee. We try to visit a Buc-ee's whenever we are nearby as we enjoy their gas prices, good food, and the buzz of the crowd. It seems everyone was enjoying their day.
Our destination today was Mamma Gertie's Hideaway Campground east of Asheville. We arrived late afternoon and noticed this up-to-date facility had all the latest technology in reservations and communications. We were escorted up the mountain to the highest area of the park. It's an amazing luxury section for a smaller number of RVs. This section has it's own key-pad-entry clean bathhouse, spectacular views of the valley and each valley side site had a deck built over the hillside with our own porch swing. We stayed two nights and hope to return to Mamma Gertie's.
This segment describes just part of our journey to the east coast but suffice to say, if you're heading across the middle south on I-40, these are three points of interest that won't disappoint you and you might just find us as we travel Along the Pooka Trail.
Comments