We left our Big South Fork campground early in the morning with a full day planned of trails and sightseeing. We knew we had a long day in the car as we had to make some progress heading South (thanks Irma!) and West. We had a diverse day mixed with trails and battlefields.
What We Did
Our first stop was an attempt to tire Sparky out – we went to Obed National Wild and Scenic River. The park actually consists of sections of four streams: Daddy’s Creek, Clear Creek, Emory River, and the Obed River. Over the course of thousands of years the streams have been cutting into the sandstone of the Cumberland Plateau – creating a beautiful rugged landscape. The visitor center was just a few hours South of Big South Fork National River & Recreational Area. We decided to picnic and do a small hike. We were still tired from our previous day hike so enjoyed a stroll to the Overlook and did the Bridge trail – basically being 1.5 miles total. It was warm, but the scenery was just too beautiful to pass up. We were surprised to see Sparky sunbathe while Steve was taking photos on the overlook. The park is small, but had plenty to offer – canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, bouldering, hiking, picnicking, and fishing. If we end up in the area again, we would try and find a boat to rent for the day to check it out from the water level (where it is more likely to see wildlife like river otters and beavers).
After Obed, we drove to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Does that town sound familiar at all? It should – it was where the Manhattan Project took place! The government basically created a small secret city to house all of the scientists and their families to create the uranium bomb. There were chemical plants and a huge industrial complex to for the thousands of employees creating the bomb. Oak Ridge was home to over 75,000 people! The town looked like any normal town – with theaters, parks, schools – except there was billboards posted everywhere from the government reminding everyone to remain silent about the town’s main purpose.
The Manhattan Project National Historic Park consists of three parks – Oak Ridge, TN, Los Alamos, NM, and Hanford, WA – all created in 2014 under President Obama. The main visitor center is located at the American Museum of Science and Energy. We had Sparky, so we didn’t have an opportunity to go through the museum. We did take a walk to Alvin K Bissel Park. The park has a few interesting things to visit including: the Library (also a museum), the Secret City Commemorative Wall and the International Friendship Bell. The Friendship Bell (weighing 8,000 lbs) symbolizes the friendship between Japan and the US after WWII ended. From what we were told at the visitor center, the bell is currently in limbo between a temporary and permanent exhibit – which is why it is currently sitting on the ground. The bell is still remarkable and exquisite.
After we spent a few hours in Oak Ridge, we drove further South to our next destination Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. This area is home to two major battles during the Civil War – the battle of Chickamauga (September 18-20, 1863) and the battle of Chattanooga (November 23-25, 1863). President Lincoln believed that in order to capture Richmond, he had to first occupy Chattanooga. Why was this small town of 2,500 people so important? Its location was key. It lies on the banks of the Tennessee River where it cuts through the Appalachian Mountains – with four major railroads converging. By capturing Chattanooga, it would essentially cut the Confederate supply lines. The first battle, Chickamauga, lasted a few days and resulted in heavy losses to both sides. A miscalculated move by the Union Commander resulted in a gap in the Union’s centerline and had devastating consequences. The Union Troops fled in the night, leaving the Confederates with control of the city. The Union troops stayed for a month in the surrounding areas, on the brink of starvation until General Grant arrived with reinforcements and supplies. The battle resumes November, with Grant leading the Union forces. After three days of battle, the Union was able to force the Confederate Army into retreat, and took command of Chattanooga.
We spent a few hours driving around Chickamauga. The NPS has a wonderful call-in audio guide taking us around several key battle spots. The monuments are quite humbling and beautiful. The Wilder Brigade Monument (tower) provides a spectacular view of the battlefield.
Where We Stayed
After our long but exciting day, we drove to Georgia and crashed at a Walmart. An interesting thing happened here. When leaving Walmart I was walking Sparky around the grass area when his two front feet suddenly sank further into the dirt. Suddenly, Sparky was hopping around yelping. I looked down and realized he had stepped into an ant farm, and those ants were NOT happy. It seemed like a hundred ants were crawling on him biting him. I quickly got a towel and wiped the ants off. After they were all off, Sparky didn’t want to pee in that area anymore – moral of the story – both Sparky and I were much more careful about where we stepped.
What’s Next
Alabama & Mississippi
