Our Last Day in Pigeon Forge........ Breakfast, Caching & Shopping 5/5/2008

We left early this morning as I took Mom out to breakfast at Flapjack's Pancake Cabin #21 here in Pigeon Forge. Very nice small place and the pancakes were great. After we ate it was on to our first cache in front of an amusement park. Our next cache was at a CVS Drug Store in a tree. We went and picked up Muffy & Raggs and went to our third cache behind a small shopping center. Then our fourth cache was near the Comedy Barn and a retro diner. The theater features comedy, variety shows, magicians, fire-eaters, jugglers, ventriloquists and country and gospel music. The retro diner was named the Happy Days Diner and of course was decorated in a 50's and 60's theme. Our next cache was at a Walgreens Drug Store in a tree behind the store.
The next cache was at a very quaint restaurant named The Old Mill. In the early 1800's, a water-powered gristmill on the banks of the Little Pigeon River became one of the main hubs of activity in the small mountain community of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In those days, the mill faithfully produced the meals and flours that were crucial for the day-to-day existence of the Smokies' early settlers. In fact, The Old Mill even furnished electricity for the town until 1935. One of The Old Mill's most distinctive features is the giant water wheel that harnesses the flow of the Little Pigeon River. Inside the structure, an antiquated yet reliable system of shafts, belts, and pulleys still gets the job done, working to turn the 4600-pound stones and grain elevators. Weighing one ton each, the massive flint granite stones, called French Buhrs, are only the second set ever used in The Old Mill's 175-year history. When they're in action, the stones convert grain into about 1000 pounds of product each day, six days a week. Resident millers then hand-fill, weigh and tie each bag of stone ground grain. Products ground at The Old Mill are used in many of the dishes at the Old Mill Restaurant including biscuits, corn bread, pancakes, hush puppies, muffins and grits. We also use our own grains for the homemade artisan style breads that are prepared each day at the Old Mill Bakery Café. Today, The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and just as in the 19th century, it's still one of the most popular places in the Smokies and one of the most photographed mills in the country. We walked around looking at the restaurant as well as visiting the gift shop which carried many of the things made by the artisans in the area as well as many homemade food stuffs.
Next cache was located at a now defunct theater called Dick Clark's American Bandstand which as i said is closed now but is in the process of remodeling and will reopen in 2009. Last year the theater hosted many many headline acts such as Air Supply, Beach Boys, Chubby Checker, Mel Tillis, Tony Orlando, Wynona Judd, Lorrie Morgan, Charlie Daniels, The Temptations and Crystal Gayle. They will be adding an indoor amphitheater, restaurant and resort hotel.
Next cache was located near the Pigeon River along an overlook, then it was on to a location where they had a train ride up to Dollywood as the engineer sounds the whistle and your mountain excursion is under way. Our authentic 110-ton coal-fired steam engine takes you on a breathtaking five-mile journey through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains where you'll enjoy pastoral scenery and some of the most beautiful views that nature has to offer. The only thing is that it also was out of service while repair work is completed. Due to the age and complexity of the machinery, a readily available supply of parts and raw materials is not accessible. Parts needed for this first step of the renovation are being fabricated by a blacksmith under exacting specifications. Just a note that we did drive out to Dollywood but you had to pay $10.00 to drive through the gates and park so we couldn't even get a glimpse of the park.
Then it was on to a cache located in a small local cemetery, then a long long drive out in the country and down a narrow 2 lane road and up a grass driveway to an old cemetery located at the top of a hill and we can say that was quite a drive for a cache. Then we drove 2.3 miles up the side of a mountain for a virtual cache called "The View from Heaven" and it certainly was as you can see by the pictures. Once we got to the top we couldn't believe the view as it was breathtaking. On the way up we also stopped for a cache along the only pull off on the road. Then it was back down and to our last cache located out in the country at Oldham's Creek Missionary Baptist Church.
We drove back into Pigeon Forge and back to the coach and Mom went shopping at a few of the interesting shops she saw as we drove around. I stayed here and planned the rest of our trip back north to home, shaved, showered and took a nap. Once Mom got home she did our cache logs and I fixed dinner. I am doing the blog before we eat and then plan to watch TV for the rest of the evening. We are off tomorrow for Rocky Top Campground in Blytheville, TN so we will say until tomorrow from there we love you all and miss you.


Picture List:1-4-A View From Heaven, 5-12-The Old Mill Restaurant and Gift Shop, 13,14-Dollywood Express, 15-Oldham's Creek Missionary Baptist Church, 16-Old barn along the back roads, 17-Wedding Chapel, 18-Boogertown Road, 19-22-Happy Days Diner, 23-25-Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater.