On our visit to the Smokies on August 27, we visited Cades Cove, one of our favorite places in the Smokies. To find out more about Cades Cove and to see a map of the 11 mile loop road, click HERE. You will see the John Oliver Cabin, which is No. 2 on the map.
This is one of over 70 historic buildings in the park. The collection is believed to be the largest of its kind in the East. John Oliver arrived in the cove prior to 1820 and bought this land in 1826. It remained in the family until the park was established more than 100 years later.
Above is the John Oliver cabin, taken from the road. You can tell that it's a little walk to get to the cabin. Below are more pictures.
Cades Cove has fences similar to this around in several of the homes and places along the 11-mile drive. I am a 'fence' person---so as you can imagine, I took several pictures of the fences.
You saw the big field between the road and the cabin... WELL---I took off across the field while George took the path closer to the cabin. He took a picture of me out in the field.... (Luckily, I didn't get any chigger bites!!!! ha)
If you stand at the cabin, this is the view you get of the mountains across the cove. Isn't it fabulous (despite the fact that it was hazy looking that direction)?
This was taken by me from the middle of the field --looking toward the cabin. You can see George walking on the path to get a close-up picture of the cabin.
George took this picture when he got close the the John Oliver Cabin. Looking at this cabin, it amazing that large families often lived in such small buildings. Exact arrangements differed from family to family. Usually, however, parents, infants and daughters slept on the first floor and sons slept in the loft.
Not much except mules, muscles, simple tools and neighborly help was needed to fell the trees, get them to the building site and build the house. The round logs first were scored along their length with a felling ax, then hewn with a broad ax. The notched corners need no nails or pegs; gravity holds them together
Chinks (open spaces between logs) were filled with mud to seal out wind, snow and rain. The stone chimney is held together with mud mortar. Such a home sometimes served as a business, school, hospital, orphanage, nursing home and poor house.
Hope you enjoyed seeing and reading more about the John Oliver Cabin.
++++++++++++
A blog friend visited us at our home this past Sunday. This is KELLY. I met her and her husband last Summer when they visited his parents, who live near us. We had wonderful time sitting on the deck and chatting!!!
Kelly brought her sister-in-law (Sabine) with her... Sabine lives in Germany --so it was very exciting to meet her. Thanks to both of you for coming to see us!!!!! OH--how I love blogging!!!
Hugs,
UPDATE on yesterday's Blog: The first bird pictured is not a Goldfinch, and not a Yellow-rumped Warbler.... HE is a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (immature male losing his colors).... How 'bout that? This is a 'lifer' (new bird) to me --so I am very excited to see him at my feeders!
60 comments:
Good morning Betsy - Great pictures as always. Where are you guys heading in the Prius this weekend??
Jane
Lovely pictures of the mountains.
We have many of these log homes around here, I think at one time that was the only method of building in the very rural areas as you say. I don't think I would want to live in such close quarters with my family but I guess if there is no choice..
Not far from us is a home like this but with a few modern conveniences added.An old lady lived there till last year when she went outside with her hairdryer to try to thaw her pipes and was electrocuted!! Her friend, who we know, went to check on her as she wasn't answering her phone and found her dead in the snow at the back of her house.
Had an early wakeup and so lovely to catch up on your blog now that I am getting back into the routine of things.
Nice Cove shots. I imagine the first settlers thought they had found nirvana when they crossed the mountains and found this beautiful valley with flat ground, game and water. It's hard to imagine large families living in those homes when I look at the monsters now with just two people living in them - lots has changed in 200 years.
That place is beautiful. I think it's amazing that gravity holds the whole thing together . . . through storms and cold and wind. Where would Home Depot and Lowe's be if people still built their houses that way? Kind of nice to think about, isn't it? ;-)
That is such a pretty old house ~ isn't it amazing how big families lived in such small houses and now we have very small families living in humongous houses? Oh how times have changed.
Looks like you had fun with your friend and her sister-in-law!
xo Catherine
Love Cades Cove, thanks for taking me back.
As for the cramped quarters in the cabin, I guess when you are making the lumber yourself instead of Home Depot, you learn to accept small.
Very Informative Post (VIP) about the John Oliver Cabin. I love visiting that place. Glad you did not bring the chiggers home with you. ☻
I too love old fences and cabins...great post and how exciting to have bloggers visit and the NEW bird in town!
I can't imagine living in a home that small.Love the fence scene.Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures.
Blessings,Ruth
I would love to live in a place where I had those views all day. So pretty Betsy!
Glad you got to have a good visit with Kelly.
i love log cabins and i love old fences, and these are just wonderful to me. I see that small red dot that is you trekking off acrros that field. i started scratching my legs when i read the word chigger. those things I do not like. lucky you missed them
Betsy, I enjoyed getting to see this up close!! I've been by there several times but the driver was not a hiker:(
stunning!
and oh, how fun to meet up with those in the bloggy world!
Hi Betsy. I can never get over how beautiful your part of our country is.
BTW...yes, I did see the movie "Walk The Line" it was very good. I thought Reese Witherspoon did an excellent job playing "June". The movie answered so many questions about their relationship.
Good Morning,Betsy!
Such beautiful shots of such a beatiful historic place! Pictures are always better when you stay off of the path aren't they!! It is always amazing to me how they built such incredible buildings with nothing more the brut strength!
I bet this area is absolutly gorgous in the fall....counting the days!
Have a fabulous day!
That cabin has the most fantastic of views!!!
So nice you got to see Kelly and her sister..I am sure you girls had NOTHING to talk about. :)
xox
Suz
Loojks like a wonderful day... you are just getting to meet all kinds of blogging friends.
It is SO nice to get together with blogging friends -- when it works out. And a bonus sister yet -- how fun.
i love looking at your pictures! A new bird is a great find! My mom and dad get so excited when they find a new one. I look forward to the days when I can stop and look out my window to see who is visiting. Right now I am just flying around the house!
Looks like, by your weather map, you are getting some much needed rain today. Glad to see it!
Have a great one!
Beautiful scenery and I love fences too. It's always fun to be included on your trips :)
☼ Sunny
Cades Cove is such a beautiful place and your pictures really do it justice. We went to Old Fort Harrod this weekend and like you I can't imagine whole families living in those cabins. I know you really enjoyed visiting with your blogger friend. I bet it is great fun to actually meet someone you have known online for a while.
And there is Betsy...outstanding in the field! Nice photos of such a wonderful place. We've got to get back there soon.
I can't imagine living in such a small place with so many. But you what - all of the places that I've lived over the earlier years were actually small. They didn't seem so small back then. Lovely place to visit. Neat that you met a blogging friend.
Love Cades Cove. We have spent many happy afternoons there. I love the view from Rich Mtn. Road!
The view from the cabin is gorgeous. How nice that you had a return visit from a blogging friend!
You know I love those mountains! And I feel especially at home when I see them with their "blue" haze. When I was growing up in the "valley", I saw them in every direction I looked. They always made me feel safe. They also caused me to have a non-existent sense of direction!! I am hopelessly lost here with no mountains or oceans to steer me in the right direction. Outside of Chicago, I drive aimlessly through corn and soybean fields but usually end up at my destination.
Best,
Bonnie
Beautiful pictures betsy. I love that old cabin and the view is wounderful
I like your header too.
Haven't we had a nice summer. MB
I would live there in a place like that you have visited, are tired of chaos and noise of the city,
hi Betsy
I would live there in a place like that you have visited, are tired of chaos and noise of the city,
hi Betsy
I LOVE that cabin & I think I'd have to fight my brother for the loft! =)
Interesting post script about the Green Warbler - who knew? Very similar to that Goldfinch indeed. Your shots from Cades Cove are nice - I sure want to go there. Nice pictures of your blog friends too. Have an exceptional day. Glad for our rain!
Three beautiful ladies!!!
Loved these photos!!! When I see split rail fences it always makes me think about Shiloh Military Park...I guess they have them too!!!
Betsy, the more I see of Cades Cove through these lovely photos, the more I want to see it for myself. It looks an amazing place. The Tennessee Tourist Board would be very happy that you are such a great ambassador for the state :) Lovely to meet your blogging friends like that. I look forward to the day. I too love blogging for the friends I have met online and for the gorgeous places it takes me.
An English Girl Rambles
I love the fences, too. And the cabin is awesome! It must have been a real fancy one, because it has two porches, one in front and one in back. Love you and George out in the field. Lucky Kelly!! But I see you got pretty crabby with her and her sister!!
This a beautifully preserved cabin and actually quite large from the ones I've seen in other places What a gorgeous view they had!
How nice to meet a fellow blogger and now her sister-in-law from Germany! All three of you look so pretty!
No chiggers and no snakes!!! Good for you!
Lovely, lovely place.
Amazing how blogging makes this world a little smaller, isn't it?
Each time I visit Cades Cove I find myself standing inside this little cabin and wondering how on earth the family made it through those cold, harsh winters..
What stamina and fortitude it took, drafty walls, and cooking took all day long on the one open hearth fireplace.
One thing for certain they had LOTS of deer meat !
I am always in awe of Cades Cove, you have captured it beautifully, and those fences.....{breathtaking}
Loved this post and your trip to the mountains Betsy, thank you for sharing.
x
Jo
The views from the cabin are so nice! I think it would be wonderful to wake up to a view like that each day. So happy you had a visit from a blog friend again. Lovely photos!
What a good post Betsy! You know since we have a log cabin it is lots of fun to see the old timers. Such advancement in how they are chinked and made. Isn't it a blast to meet fellow bloggers?! This trip to Boston is so short that I never alerted anyone. Maybe next time. I say I plan on doing an "eating tour" of New England when Patrick retires!!
Thank you for another wonderful trip through the Coves. Such beautiful scenery. I think that is so neat meeting some of your blogging friends. WE had a terrible storm this morning. A young flood actually. I thought sure it would come in my house. Never say so much rain at one time in my life.
Betsy: Blogging does give you so many great opertunities to meet great people. The view from the cabin is wonderful.
Aren't log cabins so fascinating...you can just imagine the life they lived....cooking over the fire and sitting in the twilight....
How fun to meet your fellow blogger! that is wonderful!
We visited this cabin October 2009 on a very drizzly day. It is still beautiful regardless of the weather. Turkeys were wandering by and gobbling which is unusual for turkeys that time of year (or so dear hubby states). Thanks for taking me back to sweet memories.
I sure have enjoyed the pictures you and George have shown of Cade's Cove...I have been there but it was several years ago.
Oh the photos of the fence and cabin are gorgeous. i love them. Am so glad you met another blogger. I am so jealous. I hope someday I will be able to meet you in person too.
What a neat place to visit, Betsy! I love the view there. So pretty! How fun that you got to meet some blogging friends too. Isn't blogging great! :)
Note to Khaki:
I cannot respond to you since I don't have an email address and your blog is not listed on your profile page..... EMAIL me if you read this: betsyadams@mac.com
Hugs,
Betsy
Betsy, loved these pics! LT and I visited Cades Cove in 2005 for the first time. We fell in love with it, it's history, it's preservation...just everything.
About the "haze" you mention: when I was little my aunt said this to me when I said I'd like to take a picture of the moutains on a clearer day (duh, Deb, it's the Smokies)...anyway, she said, "Take the picture now, it's the haze that makes it ours." Glad you took the pic!
Glad you got to meet your blogging friend, Betsy. Beautiful shots of your trip, that's a wonderful old cabin. And I must say you are outstanding in your field!! Diane
Hi, Betsy. The cabin and fence are so lovely in their simplicity. My list of must-see places grows nearly every time I visit your blog.
It's so neat that you got to meet up with Kelly and her sister. I have yet to meet any of my blogging friends (aside from my high school girlfriends who got me into blogging in the first place). But it's been great making new friends through blogging, and hopefully, I'll get to meet you someday, too!
Loved seeing these beautiful places . . . some of our favorites spots on earth!
Every time you post about Cades Cove it makes me want to go back there,I'm hoping for a late fall trip after the leaves drop and the crowds leave.
Have a blessed tomorrow
marilyn
Oh, what a beautiful view - just incredible. Enjoyed the photos of you with Kelly and Sabine! Great fun!
Oh, I just loved this post, the photos are wonderful! I would have loved to have lived in the cabin with that beautiful view! Not sure I would have made a very good pioneer woman, tho...:)
Have a good Thursday!
Cheryl
Haha! There wer are!! We had a fantastic time. I'm so glad your knee is getting better. You're such an active gal, being tied down with a knee injury must have been the pits!
Loved the cabin and the smokey mountains, Betsy..gorgeous place.
That cabin is fascinating. John Oliver certainly picked a great spot to build his home. I love the old fence, too.
I'm a fence gal too, I love that photo. The old cabins always fascinated me (and still do). It's hard to imagine living that way but our ancestors did.
You mentioned our flat lands. The photo was taken from a ridge and it does look really flat. We live in a very large valley but the Cascades Mountains (St Helen's is in this range) are just west of us. Locally we have Blue Mountains.
Betsy you are Out Standing in your Field LOL..
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