Elizabethton and Sycamore Shoals Vacation 2002

We celebrated our wedding day in an East Tennessee State Park. Fitting I would say for two people who have spend so much time in the out-of-doors. How Sweet It Is! We lived in Knoxville at the foot of the Smokies for several years before finding our way to Nashville as our permanent home.

We love going back to the hills and mountains where we fell in love. On one of those visits in 2002 we toured Sycamore Shoals State Historic State Park. This lovely spot along the Watauga River played an important role in the development of America and the concept of the majority-rule system of our democratic government. In 1772 this spot was the first permanent American settlement outside the original 13 colonies. It became the center of frontier life during this important period in the foundation of our country. It just gives us goosebumps to visit historic parks and relish in collective past.

A page from my art and travel journal.
Watercolor drawings of things seen along the trip.

There is a small museum in the Sycamore Shoals State Historic State Park where they had patterns for sale for basket weave stars. I bought the pattern with high expectations for making these stars for Christmas presents. So often I dream about these big kinds of time consuming projects that stay in my dreams and never materialize. In my 30's and 40's I did a lot of basket weaving and still enjoy it when my hands and arthritis cooperate. But miracle of miracle, I actually made about 10 of these. They are beautiful and the two I kept have been hanging in my kitchen all this time since 2002.

At the top of the photo is one of my handwoven baskets in the Amish style done about 25 years ago and hanging below it are two of the Stars woven at Christmas 2002.

This photos is a silhouette of the stars shot through the glass doors against the light of the yard.

Below is a Historical reenacting and living history that is a highlight at many state and Federal parks. Here a volunteer showing a gun of the time period and...

another authentic weapon of the time period.