Rocky Top

Every year on the weekend after Christmas, Lisa and I go to Tennessee to hike and geocache around the Great Smokies. We always try to make a side trip out to Newport Tenn. and Cocke County in general, to go out to my father's birth site Rocky Top Mountain.
Rocky Top Mtn. is located in Cocke Co. between Newport and Del Rio Tennessee. The Mountain is located within the Cherokee National Forest. I could write at length about the life my father's family had on this mountain, and about the relatives that still live at the foot of this mountain. Yes, Appalachia is still alive, it is tucked away about eight miles into the Mountain Range off of the two-lane "main hwy #25".

This is one of the few areas around that has not yet been touched by the hand of a developer or Northerner's' that sell off their property to relocate in the south and live the "simple country life". Most would not know the country life if it bit them in the ass.
Cocke County has received a lot of National attention for the corruption within its law enforcement, and about the moonshine trade among other "things." You can check out this link to read more about  it.
Also, you can read the most recent logs for a geocache in place on Rocky Top. It is the truth. (I have a photo of a burned truck from 2003.) That belonged to a fellow that had bought land on Rocky Top.
Cocke Co. is also home to the famous Christy Mission.

Anyway, moonshiners, regulators, aside. This is one beautiful area. The folks that live here are real, with no pretentions.

I am proud of my family's mountain heritage.


Here are a few of my favorite photos from this weekend.

This is a "bar" out on the main highway.



This is a, well I'm not really sure what this is. Also on the main highway.

Old Del Rio Post Office.


Old mercantile in Del-Rio


This shot was taken on the way up the mountain. Note the Gambrel hanging in front of the bear and skunk hides.

One of many roadside waterfalls up Rocky Top rd.

These last two shots are my favorite. We were driving back down the mountain and saw what we thought was a large hawk land beside the dirt road just down the rd in front of us. When we got closer, it flew and landed in a tree beside us. We then realized it was a Barred Owl. We were so excited to have the chance to photograph this bird. As we got closer, it just sat there and allowed us to get about six shots of it. The first shot is a great one Lisa took. The next is mine.