Day 11: The Wilderness Road (part 2)

After visiting Sycamore Shoals and Elizabethton I drove north to Bristol Tennessee to begin the 1st portion of the Wilderness Road. Upon leaving Bristol you are quickly in Virginia heading west towards the Cumberland Gap. The first portion of the Wilderness Road takes you through Virginia to the Cumberland Gap at the junction of the Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia state lines.

I made it to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (VA), and spent the night at the Cumberland Gap Wilderness Road Campground. The next morning I would start the drive through the Gap and on to the end of the Wilderness road at Fort Boonesborough near Lexington Kentucky.

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Day 11: The Wilderness Road (part 1)

I left Johnston City, TN., with a full agenda for the day:

• Visit Elizabethton, TN., and Sycamore Shoals State Park
• Begin my drive of the Wilderness Road
• traverse the Cumberland Gap.

The three goals tie into my family history and ancestors (Littrell-Luttrell) .

The first connection: has to do with the Transylvania Company headed by Richard Henderson. The company, formed by Henderson was made up of Henderson and eight other partners. Associates of Judge Henderson from his days as a Judge in North Carolina. One of these partners was an indirect ancestor of my family line, a GGG++Uncle, John Luttrell.

John Luttrell, one of 8 partners with Richard Henderson, hired Daniel Boone to establish the
Wilderness Trail from Virginia to central Kentucky.
John Luttrell was at the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals and later, with Richard Henderson, joined Daniel Boone at the founding of Fort Boonesborough.
John Luttrell, commissioned Colonel, died fighting the British in North Carolina during the Revolution.

The treaty of Sycamore Shoals was signed in the area of the state park on the edge of Elizabethton, and the journey to join Boone in Kentucky began there heading north to the path being blazed by Boone and Thomas Luttrell, a half brother of John Luttrell.

The second connection: Following the Revolution we find our direct ancestor, Rhodham Luttrell, and several extended family members, living along the Wilderness Road in counties on the Virginia side of the Cumberland Gap. Years later we find Rhodham and several cousins and a brother have crossed the gap into Kentucky, traveling the Wilderness Road north before heading west into southcentral Kentucky.

For more on Rhodham, Thomas and John Luttrell click here.

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Day 10: Mt. Mitchell, NC

After discovering the actual highest peak east of the Mississippi River was Mount Mitchell, NC., and not Clingsman Dome, TN., plans for the next day (Day 10) changed. Mount Mitchell was a little over a hundred miles from Clingsman Dome, but my basecamp was still in Kingston, TN., which was another hundred miles in the opposite direction. Meaning that the next days agenda would start off with about a 200 mile drive from Kingston, TN., to Mount Mitchell, NC.

The next morning I broke camp and left for Mount Mitchell. The plan was to drive from Kingston, back through the Smoky Mountains National Park and on to make the visit to Mount Mitchell and then drive north and get as close as possible to the Watauga settlements (Sycamore Shoals) and the Cumberland Gap. Those had been the original destinations planned for Day 10.

The drive was all up and down and around and thru the mountains and along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the NC Scenic Byway.

I intend to return and drive the entire Blue Ridge Parkway in the future. Its scenic, beautiful and has something you never find in the Midwest… tunnels!!!!

At the end of the day I had reached Johnson City, TN., just a little short of my destination. After covering over 300 miles it was to late to obtains and make camp so I treated myself to a hotel room in Johnson City.

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Day 6: The Natchez Trace Parkway Arches

At the 438 mile marker the Natchez Trace crosses Birdsong Hollow 155 feet above the valley on the 1,648 foot Highway 96 double Arch Bridge; also known as the Natchez Trace Parkway Arches.

While not as high as some bridges that cross waterways, such as the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, Florida, there is an impressive since of grandeur about the expanse over a picturesque valley. While the Natchez bridge is not as high as the Tampa Bay Bridge (at 430 feet) it is 400 feet longer. In addition it is permissible to park and walk across the beautiful bridge for an impressive view of the valley. On one side of the bridge is a hidden treasure that can be found by venturing under the span for an additional view near the overlook.

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Coast to coast by Train:

In updating my Bucket List I noticed that one of my original 5 Bucket list items was: Travel coast to coast by train.

In retrospect I have completed that item in its most basic form if not in its ideological form.

Ideally the plan was to make the trip from coast to coast only with interruptions for stops and detours along the way as part of the journey. For example depart from the train, spend the night in that town or travel to a nearby location, such as the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore, and then return to the train for the next leg. Completing the journey without departing from the trip entirely.

With that as the ideal journey I am not giving up on doing it that way, but economics and other events may not make that possible.

So for now I am going to keep a long range goal for this one , but count the original goal as completed.

Traveling from Coast to coast by Train:

Round Trip to Philly from Indy:

In August of 2006 I departed Indianapolis, by Amtrak, for Philadelphia to attend my Unions 2006 National Convention. The train traveled east, OH, WV, VA, to Washington DC, then turned north and traveled to Philly. While in Philly some Union brothers and I drove further north to Atlanta City, New Jersey. Visit “Kelly & Glenn’s Excellent Adventures” for information and pictures from Philly.

The trip to Philly was beautiful as we followed river beds and mountain ridges through West Virginia and Ohio. Unfortunately, the pictures along the ride did not turn out as well as expected and the trip back took us through the most picturesque portions at night. The trip one-way took 24 hours.

Round Trip to LA from Indy: 

In August of 2012 I departed Indianapolis, by Amtrak, for Los Angeles, CA. to attend my Unions 2012 National Convention. The train traveled from Indianapolis to Chicago where I had to transfer to the Southwest Chief. It traveled south and west through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arizona, and arrived in California. It was a three day trip, I didn’t get a sleeping car, which was complicated by my back erupting into constant pain for the next two years. Though the agony I managed to enjoy the trip, and the week long visit in Los Angeles. Visit “Kelly & Glenn’s Excellent Adventures” for information and pictures from the trip.

This was my second time to visit LA for a convention. The first visit was by plain (4 hours). Even with the back pain I would still recommend the train. I have learned to hate air travel even though at one time I loved it.

I can’t say I’m fond of LA either. The downtown is as dead as Naptown in the 70s. If you like beggars dressed better than you every half-block and $8 hamburgers you might like it. Visit “Kelly & Glenn’s Excellent Adventures” for sightseeing pictures from LA..

Effectively Coast to Coast, both ways.