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Category Archives: Natural and Wildlife History

Cataloochee Valley Tours-Heading to Elk Country!

Out the window photo of a young bull elk in the Cataloochie Valley!
Out the window photo of a young bull elk in the Cataloochie Valley!

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Out the window elk watching.
Out the window elk watching.
Elk calf at side of the road!
Elk calf at side of the road!
Side of the road in the Cataloochie Valley. Elk meander all around you!
Side of the road in the Cataloochie Valley. Elk meander all around you!

 

Bull Elk just after bugling setting up for mounting one of his cows!
Bull Elk just after bugling setting up for mounting one of his cows!

 

 

 

 

APtravelnews-September 10th, Maggie Valley, at Cataloochee Valley-We took part in visiting the Cataloochee Valley area full of transplanted elk. The bulls were bugling their dominance over their herd of cows-quite a display! The occasion for this trip was an Eco-Tour and Picnic lunch with Cataloochee Valley Tours, Inc. Esther, the owner and tour guide put us in touch with the history and actual animals (Elk) that had been reintroduced to the area known as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We took in the beauty and grandeur of a place in time and history that, although now having the protection of it being designated a National Park, put us in touch within a living history of the way this place once was, untold years in the past. The only obvious hint that this area has taken on the veil of modernity, was the 3-mile tar road area of the valley (most of the other roads are gravel) and the  (of a couple of hundred years of  human habitation now gone from the park except for a few buildings left as monuments of this habitation) signs of old foundations left after so many homes were burnt down, during the course of turning many private lands into a park designation, and takeover of the lands of the Cataloochee Valley by the US Government for future protection against the inroads of commercialization.

Viewing the elk and the big adult bulls, hearing their bugling gave me the feeling of a palpable tingling on the back of my neck, I realized that I was being witness to a tableau that has played itself out season after season for many, many millennium, and for a moment- a mere quadrillion of a second, on a million-year timeline, I was there touching the face of Gods handiwork “again!”

Esther, our Naturalist Guide was responsible for this opportunity! She is, and will be a teacher of visitors to this wild and natural area for a long time!

Esther Blakely – Certified Master Naturalist

(828) 450-7985 – cataloocheevalleytours.com

The Swag Resort and Inn-A Maggie Valley Jewel in a Golden Mountain Setting!

A common room at the Swag-ultra comfy and country gorgeous!
A common room at the Swag-ultra comfy and country gorgeous!
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Rough wood crafted gazebo fits the environs so nicely at the Swag Inn!

American Press Travel News, The Swag, 5000-feet up in Maggie Valley-makes a fine tale, if you will; “a tale of two mountains” would  be appropriate to call our experiences at both the Cataloochee Ranch perched high atop Fie Top Mountain in Maggie Valley, where we lived, enjoyed ranch style breakfasts and wonderful barbecue dinners for 4-days as we visited and experienced the pleasures of Maggie Valley. We visited and had a wonderful al fresco lunch at the Swag Resort, high atop another mountain ridge also called Cataloochee. The views were astounding, witnessed and making for indelible memories as we lunched near a beautifully crafted gazebo by an esteemed New York Architect,  who also did one in the most famous park in New York; Central Park.  Everyone in the “know” would like to have their wedding at and in the forever views of the Smokies.  We hear the regular sit down fare at the Swag is gourmet all the way,  we looked over one of the rooms with copper bathtub on the porch with a view that was purely astounding from the giant bed, or anywhere else in the suite!   We are looking forward to return and fully experience this special place in time and space, designed for hikers and trail blazers from around the world, as well as Americans.

Dan and Deena Mathews developed this property as a vacation home in 1971. They originally had no intentions of becoming owners of an Inn, but now and for the past several decades they have put together a treasured  (cool low 60’s even in August) environment where things are low key, but always very special for their guests, their employees and for themselves as well!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ON A SCALE OF 1-10 THE SWAG IS AN 11!  800-789-7672  E CONNECT IS  TheSwag.com

A crafted wood cut gazebo by the Architect who did the New York natural wood work in Central Park.
A crafted wood cut gazebo by the Architect who did the New York natural wood work in Central Park.
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So relaxing and beautiful a view from the gazebo at the Swag Inn!
Barb looks over a map of the Cataloochee Mountain Range of the Smokies!
Barb looks over a map of the Cataloochee Mountain Range of the Smokies!

Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends “Colorful Characters Who Built The Fishing and Hunting Industries”

P1070359AmericanPressTravelNews-August 12th,-Goose Holler’Farm, TN.-When my friend Doug Kelly sent me his new book; Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends, I had already known that he had spent some time in my favorite fishing and wildlife state, but did not know he was working on this neat, informative book. After reading most of it, I realized he had a lot of help from all manner of agencies and guides who wanted to assist Kelly in putting together the facts and the real story of so many of the rightfully called legends of Alaska’s great outdoors! You won’t find this information on any of the fine outdoor channels, however, I am able to tell you that the book is worth the price and the “read.” Digging into the lives of real outdoorsmen and women of Alaska from the 1870’s to modern times would take a ton of research and Kelly did this for you/us! Go for it! It was published by the University of Alaska Press in Fairbanks.P1070360

Bass Are Smarter Than the Average Weekend Warrior on the Water Really Know

Barb knows how to wrestle with big bass too! This fish was caught in Northern California!!
Barb knows how to wrestle with big bass too! But, today we fish in our pond without hooks to test lures such as Al’s Goldfish (lollipops to our fish) 

AmericanPressTravelNews.com–Goose Holler’ Farm, TN.–Barb and I have ‘stopped to smell the roses’-our roses!  This morning, while relaxing next to our pond in TN., sipping the best coffee in the world, I spotted 3-of the largest Largemouth bass in our acre pond, swimming within 5-feet of the shore, along the wild grass where the frogs, turtles and snakes like to hide. Suddenly, all three stopped. 2-fish spanned out leaving a triangle of fish one closer to the shore the other two about 8-feet out remained motionless. The bass in the middle as if on signal charged the shore with such fury that it launched itself out onto the wet grass directly within 6-feet of where I was sitting at my umbrella shaded picnic table. Fortunately, I had my polarized glasses on. Immediately, a second after the bass spun/slid around, the other two bass waked into the attack on the small sunfish that were chased out into the open. All three bass fed. Now, we have all seen the killer whales, dolphin (mammals) display somewhat of a similar behavior, but I never saw bass do a strategic take-down before. There are many behaviors of many species of fish I’ve observed all over the world having fished everywhere, possible except China. Wished I had my cell so I could have possibly gotten a video, but when incredible things happen, we are almost totally taken by surprise and don’t have set-up time to capture it!

So I can say, perhaps G-D offered me his Fathers Day Gift? I am taking it that way, and sharing it, in any event!

Happy Pop’s Day to all! Bob