Tennessee Country Life - Can I See Myself Living Here?

A while back still in Knoxville, I was taking a walk downtown. It was during the winter when the sun set around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. On the way back to my apartment, I snapped a picture with my phone and posted it on a Tennessee-based Facebook page. I don't really maintain an active Facebook profile, but have one to get hiking ideas and participate in events. 

A few days later, somebody reached out to me from the company of the boat photographed, and told me she was in charge of Marketing for Volunteer Princess Cruises. She wanted permission to use that picture in the marketing materials. I asked for some compensation, and in exchange she promised me tickets to their sunset cruise. She later mailed them to me to my home address. I tried to schedule it early in the spring, but a friend of mine was not able to make it, so we had to reschedule for May.

The cruise was quite an interesting experience with beautiful views of the Tennessee River and surrounding neighborhoods. I arrived at the parking lot to discover that my small umbrella might not stand up to the wind and pouring rain. My dressy attire was soaked in a few minutes as we proceeded to the dock. After looking at the weather forecast, I was reassured and quickly enough the weather cleared up. The clouds actually made the views even more spectacular. 

The following week was quiet and peaceful. During the work week, I tried to get out to go to the gym, and the days I did not, I started to just walk around in the cabin to get my 10,000 steps. On the weekend, I decided to explore a bit more and a bit further than I would normally and to go to Virginia. Sand Cave and White Rocks trail was the trail I wanted to hike. It was a moderately hard trail of about 10 miles round trip with 2,300 ft. elevation gain. I enjoyed both the view from White Rocks and the Sand Cave. 

View from White Rocks

View into the Sand Cave

I then ventured to the Pinnacle Overlook just 20 minutes away from the trail. The views were spectacular and did not require miles of hiking, just 0.2, to be exact.

View from Pinnacle Overlook

As tired as I was, I decided to finished the day hiking Tri-State Peak trail to the site where three states  converge in one spot. It was so hot that I was very resistant to do this final trail, but I pushed myself and was glad I did. An hour and a half traveling back went by quickly as I honestly earned my dinner.

As much as I enjoyed the hiking nearby, I wasn't too fond of the neighborhood and in general country life here. Each neighborhood had abandoned properties wherever you went. The nicer areas of towns frequently showed confederate flags or some sort of religious messages. People were nice, but there was something about them that made me suspicious of them and them probably suspicious of me. It felt like behind the niceness there was standoffishness as if they were looking at you as a stranger. I definitely did not feel southern hospitality that I was hoping to experience. I hated loud trucks, people having disregard for animals, neglected properties. I thought I could live in a conservative state, but the more I did the more I realized that it will get a lot to get used to this.

The the last full week in this Airbnb was spent driving back and forth to Knoxville to get two of the medical tests done. During the weekend, I was planning to go back to Knoxville to drop off the books I took from the library, meet with a friend of mine for lunch and figure out what things I needed to bring to North Carolina from the storage. I also managed to accomplish some hiking. I hiked the White Rock trail (yep, another White rock), which was very nice, but I wanted something bigger and better.

I found a hike that had over 1,000 positive reviews, and although it was about an hour and a half away, on Memorial Day, I decided to take make the drive. I definitely did not regret. I hiked Grassy Rich Bold near Roan Mountain and finished with Cloudland trail. Both were truly spectacular, so I had a great conclusion to my Tennessee stay. 

View from Grassy Rich Bold trail

View from Cloudland trail

On the day of the departure I had my last doctors appointment in Knoxville, drove back and headed to North Carolina. Originally, my plan was to stay overnight and drive there in the morning, but I ended up returning from Knoxville much sooner, and definitely didn't want to spend another night in that cabin. It wasn't bad, but it was definitely not what I expected. I cleaned the cabin, emptied the refrigerator into my cooler and loaded the car.

Grassy Rich Bold via AT + Cloudland Trail

This was my last weekend at the Airbnb I was living in for the past month. I wanted to find a good semi-local hike worthy of my time. I zoomed out on Alltrails to see what's out there and found Grassy Ridge Bald via Appalachian Trail about an hour and a half from my current place. Just from the number of reviews and the pictures I knew this was going to be something spectacular. I didn't mind driving further to get to that view. I planned to hike this 6 mile trail and if I had a bit more motivation after completing it, I would also hike Cloudland Trail, which was really close by.

I arrived at the parking lot early in the morning after a nice drive. There were quite a few people there, but the parking lot was large. I found a spot and started my hike with a brief stop at the first bush that looked private enough for a bathroom break (coffee + 1.5 hours in the car = need to pee).

At first the hike was very cloudy. The first section of the trail briefly went into pine forest which with the addition of fog seemed rather Harry Potterish.

Foggy beginning of the hike

I was a bit concerned that I would not be able to see any views at all, but pretty quickly the fog was starting to break apart showing what I was dying to see in reality from pictures.

The trail reminded me many hikes in California as vegetation and the landscape were very similar. I saw many overnight hikers (or possibly thru-hikers since it was part of the AT?) coming in the opposite direction from where I was going to.

The views became even more spectacular as the fog was literally evaporating. 

The view from just one of the spots along the trail

Everywhere I looked I saw landscape that looked like something from National Geographic and definitely from Bob Ross's paintings. Even people annoyingly taking up the whole trail were not as irritating as usually.

The elevation gain was slow and gentle

Soon I was getting close to the turnaround point where views were just as fantastic as along the rest of the trail.

This was the view from the turnaround spot

I reached the turnaround spot where two females with their loud children were camping. As one of the kids was spitting water over himself, the peaceful landscape was telling me not to pay attention. But why, why on earth would you allow your child to behave like that??? And why, why would you camp right ON the spot where everyone was trying to get to? I had no answer to that. After a few minutes, I was ready to go back.

I returned to the parking lot and noticed that the gate towards the parking lot where Cloudland Trail started from was open. The night before one of the Alltrails reviewers mentioned that it was closed, so he had to hike 1.7 miles on top of the mileage of the trail. I was lucky to drive up there, and after paying my $3 through the honorary system right before entering the parking lot, I started the hike.

It was nice and cool on top of the mountain. For a day that was supposed to be in the hot high 80s, the elevation made it pleasant high 60s.

The first fork in the road was towards a view. And the view was spectacular.

I continued moving through the woods. It was such a pleasant walk on soft ground covered with pine needles.

Pine needles covering the ground

I quickly got to the view point, and it did not disappoint. It was one of the most incredible views I've seen, although pictured just don't do it justice. The partial cloud cover also made them somewhat dark.

Not sure if the video might better reflect how incredible the view is, but here it is.

I was back at the parking lot in no time since the trail was just 2.5 miles round trip. What an amazing day! Three hours of driving were completely worth the views. This was a perfect ending to another Airbnb stay.

White Rock Loop near Johnson City, TN

White Rock Loop in Buffalo Mountain Park near Johnson City, TN is another trail with a "unique" name. It seems like there is a "white rock" pretty much in every park, not confusing at all.

My plan today was to hike two trails starting with White Rock. The parking lot at the trailhead was tiny with maybe 6 car spots available. I was the 4th car. The trail started out with a few streams, but sturdy bridges were conveniently placed by some human beings right over them. 

I decided to hike counterclockwise and when it came to the first intersection instead of hiking the actual trail I took a detour on Tower Ridge. Bad choice for two reasons. I most likely was the first person hiking the trail today, so I managed to catch every single spider web stretched across the trail. I also bypassed the actual White Rock viewing spot (or so I think). As I reached the intersection again, I turned to backtrack White Rock trail and possibly see White Rock. I found a nice viewing spot, but I am not sure this was the very spot I was supposed to be at.

View from supposedly White Rock (but probably not...)

Lesson learned, just follow the damn trail!

I continued along the loop towards the lookout point on top of Buffalo Mountain towering over the city at 3,300 ft. The elevation gain throughout the hike was pretty miserable, especially with humidity as high as it was today. Luckily, I was hiking in deep shade (with spider web sticking nicely all across my sweaty body) again. I reached the lookout point, but the view was not really spectacular because of the foliage coverage.

The view from Buffalo Mountain lookout point

There were two picnic tables there, but luckily no people. I sat for a few minutes in peace and quiet, but was feeling "buggy" (probably because of all this spider web and who knows what else stuck to me). I continued going along the loop briefly debating whether I should just turn around and see the view from the real White Rock. The QR codes on the signs convinced me otherwise as there were even more viewpoints on the second part of the loop.

The trail continued mostly flat and slowly lost elevation. It was a very narrow trail, almost overgrown. I stopped at a few viewpoints that were quite nice as well before returning to the parking lot.

I really was not feeling up to hiking the second trail that I planned, another 40 min driving distance. I wanted to take a shower.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

I saw pictures on multiple websites for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The views were gorgeous, so I wanted to go. I picked Sand Cave and White Rocks via Ewing Trail, an 8ish mile trail with 2,300 ft elevation gain. It had two instead of typical one destination - the cave and the view.

It took me around an hour and a half to get there. The parking lot was only 1/3 full. I started the hike around 9.30 am. Most of the hike was in dense forest. I love this kind of setting. It almost feels like you are on another planet or at least in a Harry Potter movie.

At the trailhead

Getting closer to the top

The incline was relatively quick, especially when it got closer to the "view". I was determined and sweaty - the east coast humidity definitely makes a difference. I passed several groups of boy scouts and finally got to the top. The view was slightly overcast, but the clouds just added to the whole experience.

Overcast view from the top of the mountain - White Rocks

As soon as I heard boy scouts catching up, I left the rocks and headed towards the cave. Shortly, I was descending towards running water. I wasn't sure what to expect. I crossed a shallow stream heading towards the cave. It was completely isolated, almost eerily... A small waterfall was dripping next to it. I approached it hoping to be refreshed, but the ground was wet so I backed off being cautious of slipping. The cave smelled like urine. I didn't like that humans invaded even this isolated part of the forest. I took a few pictures and turned around. 

The stream

The stream flowing from the top of the cave

Panoramic view of the cave

Peculiar geological structures of the rock

The rest of the hike was pretty uneventful, but long. I was tired after so much elevation gain, but satisfied that I still was able to hike longer hikes with higher elevation gain.

I didn't want to stop there, I felt good to hike more. I stopped at Pinnacle Overlook Trail, less than 0.2 miles from the parking lot. The view was worth it, very much worth it!

Finally, although a bit tired by now, I wanted to hike a shorter trail, Tri-State Peak Trail where 3 states come together. I don't think I have been to such a place before, so the idea of being in all three states, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia was just too enticing! The trail was only 2.5 miles round trip with some elevation gain. It was pretty warm by now, and the elevation gain was really getting me winded.

I was determined to get there quickly to pass a few louder groups with kids and get a few minutes of peace at the top. And indeed I did!

It was a great adventure with a lot of hiking. Exhausted and yet satisfied with my accomplishment today, I headed back to the Airbnb.

Pinnacle Mountain near Johnson City, TN

Pinnacle Mountain was just around the corner (well, 45 minutes away from "the corner, which is not too bad by rural standards). This was going to be the longest hike yet this year. On Sunday morning, there were only a few cars at the parking lot.

I started the hike nice and steady. The elevation gain was consistent and not too steep. I just loved the sounds of forest. Dense foliage was covering the sun creating nice shade. While it was going to be a hot day, the shade made it completely tolerable.

There were very few lookout points on the trail, but as I got to the top even the foliage was not preventing the views from unfolding.

The tower on top presented to be a challenge due to my fear of heights, but I mastered the first flight of stairs to be presented with even better views.

Stairs that I climbed holding the rails tight with both hands

On the way down, there were a few ATVs playing loud music attempting to get uphill. It reminded me of how much I like being away from people. Lack of respect for nature is infuriating. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this trail. It is not heavily trafficked and offers nice views.

Back in Tennessee

I arrived at the cabin in Tennessee, about 30 minutes away from Johnson City, and almost immediately started to unpack. It was becoming a routine. The cottage was much smaller than the house in southern Kentucky, but I expected that. It had a living room and kitchen combo, a separate bedroom and a bathroom. Everything was covered in wood paneling, which added to the rustic feel of the whole place.

Living room - the couch was to be covered as it smelled like a wet dog

Kitchen/coffee bar

Kitchen and the hallway to the bedroom

Bathroom

Bedroom (the sheets were on, but I changed them to my own)

Sink across the bathroom

View from the hallway

Right away I noticed that the place was not very clean. Luckily, I brought my vacuum cleaner with me as I always do. I didn't have a vacuum bag, so the next day I was planning to go back to my storage and Knoxville to pick up a spare as well as a few other things. I was quite excited to do that since I haven't seen my things in over a month. I also scheduled a hair appointment. Coming back to the civilization felt really nice. 

After getting situated, I remembered that the listing for this Airbnb advertised a pond. I was determined to find it. The cottage was surprisingly close to the road, so there was a lot of traffic noise, but the back of it was in the wooded area. To get to that wooded area you had to pass a large field of grass. I wasn't really thrilled about it since the tick season was just getting started. Nevertheless, I decided to check out that pond and walked towards it. It turned out to be a nice body of water, although it was so far away from the cottage that I didn't anticipate that I would be spending much time there. 

I also saw a pathway into the woods and sent the host a message asking if it was part of their property and whether I could walk there. The host responded that it was and I could. It was about half a mile trail in the woods, although it wasn't overly peaceful as the noise from the highway on the other side was quite noticeable. 

The following day I did go to get my haircut and highlights done, although I was quite disappointed with both. I headed next to my storage. I was really excited too I get a few things like a nail polish and extra snacks from my there, but opening the boxes trying to find things was a challenge even though I carefully wrote on the side of the boxes what was in them. I also grabbed some of my dresses as the warmer season was coming. I headed to the post office and got a few pieces of mail from my PO Box and then stopped by my friend's house to get a package that was waiting for me there. It was an exciting day. 

I noticed that every time I moved to a new place the first week there creates this unusual high, excitement about the newness of the new location, new things. It doesn't last too long - after the first week it's long gone as I get back into the routine. I wondered to myself if this is what I'm looking for, that first week. This is when I do the most hiking and exploring. It fades away as the month progresses. I found it to be beneficial to create a list of things to do and places to see in the area I'm in during this first week and spread the activities throughout the month. 

Indeed, this first week I took a day off and spent some time in Knoxville going to the farmers market, hiking my favorite spots where I used to live, as well as going to the doctor's appointments. I also caught up with a friend of mine and picked up a few books at the library. I finally started going to the gym which was about 30 minutes away from the place I was renting, but that distance seemed doable given the fact that I haven't been at the gym in awhile. It felt good to get back to my usual physical fitness, or at least some of that. 

The second weekend I went to check out Jonesborough, a small and quaint town about half an hour away from my Airbnb. It had a farmers market where I picked up a few things and reminded me of Asheville, North Carolina. It was quirky, but not too quirky. I stopped by at the local grocery store Earth Fare in Johnson City where I bought a few specialty items. I found cheese that my friend and I bought back in California on our Marin County retreat. It brought back good memories. I also met with a group of people for a drink at the local brewery in Johnson City. These were also remote workers, but they were not traveling like I was. I missed the social aspect of traveling. 

I also went on a hike the Pinnacle Mountain Tower Trail, one of the longest hikes I've done this year. It felt good being able to do that. I climbed the first set of stairs to the tower top and decided not to go any further because of my fear of heights. I thought this view was good enough...

The Airbnb itself was not as great as I hoped it would be. The traffic noise and some pests in the cabin were making the whole experience just good, not great. As it got warmer and warmer, I started finding ants in the kitchen and bedroom. I contacted the host twice who merely gave me some traps that did not attract anybody or anything, including ants. I would discover an ant a night in my bed. It was not terrible, but not a pleasant experience either. I had to keep the fan on for white noise as the traffic continued through the night, albeit at a smaller scale. 

On a good note, the Internet was fantastic and I got to watch TV quite a bit after work. I also had some visitors in the form of a couple of birds that started nesting on top of the light on the porch. It was amazing watching them build their nest overtime.

Birds nesting

In the Airbnb listing, the porch was a huge sell, and for some reason I thought that it was screened, but I ended up not spending much time on it at all as Carpenter bees were all over it. I also didn't walk too much in the backyard as I found a tick on my clothing one time I decided to venture out there. Luckily, it was not yet embedded in me. Did I mention the fruit flies? I don't think I did. Somehow there was an infestation of fruit flies, possibly when I left a few bananas out for a day. I would not be able to get rid of them until the end of this day. It was an annoyance, but certainly part of living in the country I guess. I was getting sick and tired of bugs.

The air conditioner in the cabin was not that great either. It was a wall unit in the living room, and the bedroom did not have anything, so it got pretty hot at night when the weather was in the 90s. I was lucky to have access to the laundry machine which was not typically offered to guests for a short stay. Finally, there was plenty of privacy in the cabin as the host lived on the other side of the hill. The property was gigantic, so I saw him only once or twice. He was one of those people who preferred to stay away from the guests, so we didn't interact much. I was not too thrilled about his handling of the ants, but again it was a shorter stay, so I didn't mind it. That's another aspect of renting Airbnbs only for a month. Even if things are not great, you know you can move on to the next one that might be better. I think that's what I mostly dislike about renting a more permanent space. You're kind of stuck there for a long time.

The proximity to Knoxville allowed me to take care of a few doctors appointments and tests, but certainly burnt a lot of gas as Knoxville was about an hour away. There was not much to do in the immediate area, but there was access to everything within half an hour. As always, during the 2nd week of my stay there it almost started to feel like home.