Cataloochee Valley Tours-Heading to Elk Country!

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

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!

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

WILMINGTON DELAWARE – A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT

Our destination hotel was as comfy as any we've ever stayed in. — Our destination hotel was as comfy as any we’ve ever stayed in.

WWW.AMERICANPRESSTRAVELNEWS.COM – August 2016, Wilmington, Delaware–Bob and Barb “On the Road Again.” There is so many wonderful things to do in Wilmington Delaware. After checking in to the Double Tree by Hilton, and only having two days, it was hard to pick the best most enjoyable things to do in such a short time. The first thing that we did was take a tour of the hotel. After looking at the beautiful swimming pool, we decided that no matter how

**Summer or winter this pool is kept just at the right temperature!**

busy we will be in the next couple of days, we must try out the pool. Of course they had an exercise room with upscale machines. Our room was clean and comfortable. In the mornings we enjoyed the breakfast buffet that had little omelets and very good coffee, the coffee makes a place.

The location was very easy to get to with ample parking. We immediately scheduled a time to shop next door at the mall to take advantage of the shopping without paying any sales tax. Please take a look at our next post that tells of the museums, the lucious and spectacular of Longwood Gardens ,Andrew Wyeth, The Brandywine River Museum and bunch more amazing places we were able to take in, in DE.

For more information go: delart.org, brandywine.org, and visitwilmingtonde.com

Easy breezy check-in and the front desk was very accomodating. — **Easy breezy check-in and the front desk was very accommodating.**

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!

P1020878 — 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