AN AUTUMN APPLE ADVENTURE

TALE OF TWO RUNAWAYS  Sometimes Monty and I like to run away. Sometimes we plan ahead. Sometimes it is a spur-of-the-moment, can't-take-it-anymore, gotta-get-away runaway. This week we planned the night before to run away and buy apples in the north Georgia mountains. Yes, we could have gone to Walmart to buy apples. But where’s the fun in that?

A RUBY RIDE  On this October morning, the skies were a brilliant shade of blue, not a cloud in the sky. The air whipping around us was warm and as the scenery flew past we saw splashes of orange and red leaves, a preview of the autumn color that will burst forth in the next two weeks. It was a perfect day for “A Ruby Ride”, which involves the two of us with our hair whipping in the wind, riding in our little red Miata – we call her Ruby – with the convertible top down.

Carmen, our trusty Garmin, (Yes, we do have a habit of naming inanimate objects.) guided us with her soothing voice through the back roads to Blue Ridge.  With Monty at the helm, Ruby hugged the curves of the road over scenic Fort Mountain. It was a glorious day!  It is true that if you are lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough!

MEGA MERCIER  The 200-acre Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge is not just an apple farm – they also grow peaches, nectarines, blueberries, sweet cherries and blackberries. Since it was our first visit to Mercier we weren’t exactly sure what we would find.  We quickly realized that is is not your roadside farm stand.  The place was buzzing with so many people and cars that they had someone directing traffic into the parking lot!

Once inside the retail market we were pleasantly surprised at the size of the market, the variety of items, and the smells assaulting our noses! The aroma from the bakery was that of apples and breads and fried pies.

CIDERS, JELLIES AND JAMS  As we delved deeper into the market, we realized that Mercier offers so much more than the ½ peck of apples we had placed in our cart. There were bottles of fresh cider – we chose Muscadine Cider over the traditional Apple Cider. There were shelves of jams, jellies, honey, spreads, and other gourmet items in dozens of flavors and sizes. We finally settled on a jar each of Applesauce, Apple Butter, and Corn Cob Jelly.

BAKE IT  In the baking section, Monty planned a future Bucks Mountain breakfast by picking out a package of Apple Cinnamon Pancake and Waffle mix. Since I couldn’t decide which one we might like best, I added both a bottle of Apple Syrup and another of Maple Praline Syrup.

There were many choices of dessert mixes, but I finally settled on an Apple Crisp mix along with a No-Bake English Toffee Cheesecake Mix and Key Lime Cheesecake Mix. The smells from the mixes positively made my mouth water. Later at the checkout, the clerk confirmed that I had made good choices. She said the cheesecake mixes were the best!

HOME DECOR AND GIFTS GALORE   Over at the far end of the market, I was pleasantly surprised to find a home décor and gift section to browse. There were kitchen items, farm toys, garden items, walking sticks, bee skeps, tee shirts, hats, and so much more.

BAKERY / DELI DELIGHTS  Once we filled our cart, we made our way to the bakery/deli – the source of all those tantalizing aromas. There were sandwiches and wraps made to order with Premium Boar’s Head meat and a variety of cheeses. To satisfy the sweet tooth, one could choose from fried fruit pies, donuts, pastries, and fresh breads. The fried pie flavors ranged from apple, peach, cherry, blueberry, sweet potato, dried apple, blackberry, apricot, to pecan cranberry apple. Did I mention the muffins, cookies, cupcakes, scones, and homemade cream horns? Oh, and the ice cream – cup or cone – with lots of flavors to choose from!

CIDER 'N PIE  At the deli Monty ordered a cup of hot apple cider and I chose cold apple cider. We took our cups of cider to a cozy little table in the café where we shared one of the delicious fried apple pies. We did our best to keep the moans of pleasure to a minimum at each delectable bite.  It might be illegal to go to Mercier and not eat a fried apple pie.  We're not sure, but that's the rumor.

SPOOF!  The last two weekends in October Mercier Orchards will be hosting their first annual S.P.O.O.F. – which of course stands for Spooky Pumpkin Old Orchard Fest - a Halloween Festival and U-Select Pumpkin Event!

Sat-Sun, October 23-24, 2010
Sat-Sun, October 29-30, 2010
10 am – 4 pm – U-Select Pumpkin Event - $6 for wagon ride and to selection your own special pumpkin!
4 pm – 8 pm – Halloween Fesitval - $6 for a wagon ride to select your own special pumpkin; or purchase a ticket for other Halloween activities that will be available such as Apple Fishing, Buncy House, Face Painting, Spook House, and more!)

HOW TO GET THERE  If you haven’t been to Mercier Orchards, you should plan to visit in October. It’s a great day trip and getaway to the north Georgia mountains!

Here’s what you need to know to get there:

Mercier Orchards
8660 Blue Ridge Drive
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Phone: 706-632-3411
Toll Free: 1-800-361-7731
Fax: 706-632-2685
Email: customer.service@mercier-orchards.com
Web Site: http://www.mercier-orchards.com/

STORE HOURS:
OPEN ALL YEAR LONG! Mon-Fri 7:00 am TO 8:00 pm; Sat-Sun 7:00 am TO 8:00 pm; CLOSED New Years Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From Atlanta: Take 575 north to 515 north; follow all the way to Blue Ridge. Turn left on HWY 5 north, Mercier is about a mile and a half on the left.
From Chattanooga: Take US 64 Ocoee road to TN 68; turn right on HWY 5; Mercier is about 12 miles or so on the right.

Happy Apple Pickin' !

Seeing Dots. Green Dots.

I've been asked many times, "How do you and Monty decide where to go on your road trips?"   We first ask ourselves two simple but important questions.

How much time do we have?

How much money will it cost?

Green Dots

If there are time constraints and we only have from a few hours to a couple of days, I usually will get out the trusty Rand McNally Atlas and start searching for nearby green-dot roads. That is almost always my first tactic in looking for nearby destinations.

Whoa, wait a minute. I can almost hear voices in unison crying out, "What in the heck are green-dot roads?"

Green-dot roads are scenic roads. Most all atlas maps will mark the scenic byways with little green dots. I have been a fan of love green-dot roads for more than 20 years!

In the days before digital cameras, my mother used to travel with us. I would pull out the Atlas and announce that I was looking for a green-dot road. Mama would moan because she knew it meant a long day with a lot of stops so that I could jump out of the car to photograph the scenery. On one of our trips, she groaned and told me that every one of those green dots stood for another roll of film that I would be shooting. An exaggeration, of course. But only slightly.

If you are looking for a adventure on a scenic road, travel down a green-dot road!

In my next blog, I'll talk about planning a trip by spotting red ink.

Dunlap Coke Ovens

The Getaway

It was a Tuesday and we found ourselves free for the day from all family and farm responsibilities. And we had no where to go. We had to fix that problem FAST!

Tennessee Bound!

We put the top down on the little red Miata, otherwise known to us as Ruby, and headed to Chattanooga. From there we headed northeast to Signal Mountain where we picked up Highway 127 North. It is a two-lane highway through the rural countryside, dotted with hills and farms. The weather was perfect, too. Cloudy so not too hot and not too cold. A perfect day to be out on a date together with Ruby!

As we drove through the tiny town of Dunlap in the heart of Sequatchie County I saw a sign for “Coke Ovens”. Coke ovens? Was this about Coca Cola? No.  The Monty remembered his Dad telling him about coke ovens being used to convert coal into coke for the iron industries. We had already passed the sign and the turn, so Monty did what he does best. He turned around!

What a great place the historic Dunlap Coke Ovens Park turned out to be. First, there was not a soul around. The museum was closed and the park was deserted. We had the park all to ourselves!

History of the Coke Ovens

Located on 62 wooded acres the park is open daily for self-guided tours. There are remains of 268 beehive coke ovens on the property. The first ovens were constructed in 1902 at the base of Fredonia Mountain. More ovens were built over the course of the next 20 years and were used to convert mountain coal into “coke” and sold to the iron and steel foundries in nearby Chattanooga. These industries used the coke to smelt the iron and steel. By 1927 the onset of the Great Depression had taken it toll and the mining operations were shut down.

The coke ovens lay dormant for more than 50 years, exposed to the ravages of nature, garbage dumpers and rock thieves who dismantled stone from the ovens. In the mid 1980's local citizens formed a historical group and began efforts to clean up the site. Today the ruins of the coke ovens is now a beautiful, wooded park that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Park is maintained by the Coke Ovens Museum Association and The Sequatchie Valley Historical Association volunteers.

WHAT ELSE?

Museum – The museum building is an exact full-size replica of the original coal company store known as the "Commissary".  It was constructed in 1902 by the Douglas Coal and Coke Company. The museum currently does not have regular hours. The museum currently houses the largest collection of regional historic coal mining photographs in the state of Tennessee. Hundreds of donated mining artifacts are on display inside the museum. If you know ahead that you are going to visit, call to arrange a personal tour.

Incline Hike - There is a beautiful incline hike to the bluffs on Fredonia Mountain. We made it part way up the incline but had to turn back when the rain made us run for shelter. The full hike climbs 3900 feet to the top of the bluffs where you can explore the area where the coal was once mined.

Mine Replica – There is a authentic replica of a coal mine next to the museum. The beautifully landscaped property is dotted with original mine equipment.

RR Caboose – There is an authentic NW railroad caboose located on the property.

Bluegrass Musicians Memorial – A memorial dedicated to Sequatchie Valley region mountain music performers.  

Picnics – There is a shady picnic area across the street from the Museum property near a pretty little babbling brook.

What we liked about the park
Scenic road trip in a day if you live close enough
Free admission
Quiet times with nature
Interesting to adults and kids alike
Educational and historical
Picnic tables and pavilions; hiking trails; photo opportunities

View more images of the historic Dunlap Coke Ovens Park
More Coke Ovens Images

WHERE
The Coke Ovens Park is located in Dunlap, Tennessee in Sequatchie County. (30 miles north of Chattanooga, 50 miles from Crossville, 115 miles from Nashville and 120 miles from Knoxville.)

If driving on U.S. 127 North, turn left on Cherry Street at the traffic light. Cross over the railroad tracks. There is very good signage, so just follow the signs to the Coke Ovens.

HOURS
Open daily for self-guided tours Museum Hours: Call for hours Tours by appointment 423-949-3483

CONTACT INFO
Call 423-949-3483
Coke Ovens Web Site

OTHER ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Dunlap also proclaims itself as “The Hang Gliding Capital of the East”. The town is the site of the East Coast Hang Gliding Championships and home of the “The Tennessee Tree Toppers”, a hang gliding community of pilots and friends in southeast Tennessee. The Sequatchie Valley boasts some of the best soaring conditions in the United States. Top pilots from all over the world come to Dunlap to fly the winds and marvel at the beautiful valley.

First weekend in June - Annual Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival
First Saturday in October - Annual Coke Ovens Fall Festival
August 5-8, 2010 – The World’s Longest Yard Sale on Highway 127

Visit Today's Getaway again soon. 

Watch for upcoming details on a new giveaway!

I ♥ to Travel!

Welcome to this new Getaway blog! I invite you to follow two Travel Bugs on their adventures.


I have been traveling with The Monty for more than 20 years. Happily! The Monty is my hubby. He loves to see new places through his blue eyes which I think are the beautiful color of a cloudless sky. As for me, well, I love to see new places through the viewfinder of a camera.


The Monty loves to tell people that if he slows the car down, the passenger door flies open. And it’s not much of an exaggeration. He will stop the car on a dime, turn around, pull off road, hike for miles, tote camera equipment, and best of all heap praise upon all of my images. As this blog progresses you will find that I adore Monty, and for many more reasons than just his being this photographer’s perfect road companion.


My plan is to post a travel blog about once a week. It could be the remembrance of one of our trips to places like the rugged coastlines of Nova Scotia or the majestic mountains of Colorado or or just an old crumbling mill found on a day trip.


It might not be practical for you to visit the exact same locations where we have been. You might live too far away or perhaps finances are a factor. But maybe one of our adventures will inspire you to take a trek and create an adventure of your very own!


Happy Travels are the Best Travels!


Patricia

Return to Today's Getaway again soon!
Watch for upcoming details about a new giveaway!