Railroad Museum

 While waiting for our train rides at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, we visited their museum.  It turned out to be an amazing attraction in itself, not just something to do while waiting.

While the walls of the museum are filled with thousands of historic engines and cars for model railroads in various gauges, the central attraction is a gigantic O27 gauge layout.  The layout itself is twenty-four by forty feet…we figure this to be as wide as and eight feet longer than our entire garage apartment building at home!

Not only is the overall layout fantastic in its dimensions, the tiny details kept amazing us.  There was a tiny brush fire in the woods being put out by the fire department.  The police car that stopped a speeder had tiny blinking blue and red lights. The figure of a welder wearing a mask actually had a torch that emitted blue flame at intervals.  There were too many to name.

There was even a drive-in theatre with a movie being projected in real time.  

By looking at the control panel at the end, it was possible to see that there were seven separately wired track systems so that seven trains could be simultaneously running without any possible contact with each other.  It must be something to operate this layout.

If you have a chance to ride the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, be sure that you take time to adequately visit the museum…it is very much worth the time spent there.

Two Train Rides!

 Trish and I have spent the past few days in Bryson City, North Carolina, in the mountains in the midst of fall leaf color time.  While here, we have had two different rides on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Our morning ride was by steam train to the Nantahala Gorge.  We crossed part of Fontana Lake and then followed the Nantahala River up the Gorge.  The trip included an hour lay-over stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center on our way back.

In the late afternoon, we took the sunset ride by historic diesel engine from Bryson City following the Tuckaseegee River to Dillsboro and back.  This ride included the long Cowee Mountain Tunnel and lots of scenery.

We loved these train rides, and, we loved the fact that this excursion train has turned the little town of Bryson City into a busy destination for tourists.  If you are in this part of the world, give it a try!

Riding the Rails

 Fifty years ago I was the minister at the Andrews United Methodist Church in Andrews, North Carolina.  In those days the train came right through town every day, just over a block from the church.

Today there is no train, bit the tracks are still there!

As a branch of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, there is a rail bike tour option headquartered in Andrews.  Yesterday Trish and I took this most enjoyable little trip.

We got our rail bikes in Andrews and got our instructions.  About twenty other people were with us on a half-dozen rail bikes.  We headed east out of town with our five mile goal being the Rhodo Tunnel.

With the fall color of the trees, this was a perfect time to take this trip.  You have to pedal these bikes, but they do have a little battery boost just like an e-bike to help on the hills.  Since this is railroad grade, we did not ever realize that we were going uphill on the way out of town.

After five miles, we came to the destination tunnel.

The tunnel is more than 300 feet long.  It was built over a four-year period of time by hand using prison labor in the 1880’s.  You can see how the slate-like rock was broken up with chisels and hammers.  It is much cooler in the tunnel than on the outside.

On the other side, we had a picnic while they turned all the rail bikes around using a small turntable.  Then we were lined up to go back.

When we started back, we realized that we had actually come uphill more than we knew.  We got to coast almost all the way back.  It was delightful!

This is an easy trip and anyone would enjoy it.  We had one lady with us who was celebrating her 98th birthday…we think her daughters did the pedaling!

If you are near the little town of Andrews, give it a try.

My Friend Freddie

 When I got to the seventh grade, I became close friends with Freddie Hall forever.  

We did a lot of camping together and were in band, chorus, and orchestra together throughout high school.

After graduation, Freddie went to the University of North Carolina and then volunteered for the Air Force.  After basic training, Freddie entered flight school and became an F-4D fighter-bomber navigator.

In December of 1968 he and Julie, whom he met when in training in Arizona, got married and drove across the country from California to visit home in North Carolina.  After that visit, we told him goodbye, and he was sent to Vietnam the end of February.

On April 12, Freddie and his pilot, Colonel Ernest DeSoto, were recalled to DaNang before completing a mission.  Their plane entered a cloud bank and never emerged.  No wreckage or other record of the lost plane were ever discovered.

For the past fifty-four years we have all lived not knowing what happened to Freddie.  His parents both died never knowing.  He was simply listed as MIA. (There are still 1,235 servicemen listed as MIA from Vietnam.)

In March of this year their wrecked plane was discovered just over the Vietnam border in Laos.  From the tail number, DNA analysis, and Freddie’s wallet on board, remains were secured and identified as Freddie and Colonel DeSoto.

On Tuesday, October 10, it was my privilege to give the eulogy as Freddie was returned for burial at home in WAYNESVILLE.

We all followed his casket as it was borne a mile up Main Street from First Presbyterian Church to Green Hill Cemetery.

The honor parade was led by a bagpiper and Main Street was lined with hundreds of people, including countless veterans, many of whom came from far away. It was an emotionally moving remembrance.

With full military honors, including a three gun salute and a closing fly-over, we finally said goodbye to Freddie knowing at last the end of the story.  The folded flag and other symbols were presented to his widow, Julie.  She will be buried here with him when her time comes.

The Festival Goes On!

 By Sunday evening after the National Storytelling Festival concluded, Trish and I were exhausted.  I completed nineteen performances during the week, including the Teller In Residence performances, and played with the Novelty Band on three occasions.  Now we can rest for a day.

One  of the high moments of the Festival for us came Sunday afternoon when Josh Goforth joined Michael Reno Harrell for a shared performance called “People We Have Known.”  Trish and I both hope that they will keep working together on occasion and that we will get to see it again.

This was my forty-third year to be on stage at the National Festival.  Each year, for me, seems better and better.  Now the tents must come down as we already start our countdown for 2024.

National Storytelling Festival

 Trish and I are in Jonesborough, Tennessee, for the 51st National Storytelling Festival.  

Our week here started with my being the Teller In Residence for the Storytelling Live! program.  Each day of the week I told stories at the Center Theatre for people who arrive early for the Festival.

On Wednesday evening the tents are up and I do an event at the Library Tent.  We had about 1,500 people this year…eager to be back for live telling.

On Thursday the Beer Garden opens and I get to begin playing with the Novelty Band.  Our playing goes on through the weekend at the Dining Tent and the Yarnspinner Party.  I love getting to play with these guys!

By today things are in full swing and we are right in the middle of the Festival.  This is the storytellers’ great homecoming event of the year and is my 43rd year to be telling here.  Trish and I love this week!

Cave Run Festival

 I have been coming to Morehead, Kentucky, to tell stories for 27 years, since before this festival was started.  It is still a favorite place to tell stories.  The audience is quick and supportive, and, the setting is spectacular.

The festival is held on the shores of Cave Run Lake at the Twin Knobs Recreation Area just south of Morehead.  This is a National Forest Service site where there is also a lovely campground.

On Thursday and Friday we have hundreds of students here on field trips.  Here Bill Harley is finishing up the Friday school day.  At the same time, adults who are in the know start to arrive and sit in the back for the last children’s stories. (The official festival starts Friday afternoon.) By Friday evening the parking lot is full.

Lots of families come here. There is plenty of room to play by the lakeside during times of tiredness and at break times.  Even when listening, the view behind the tellers is beautiful.  

I love telling here and look forward always to the next time Trish and I get to come back. (2025!)