Day One: Cumberland Gap

As we were traveling from Kentucky to Tennessee, I saw the sign for Cumberland Gap and asked if he minded that we stop. I had never been there before and wanted to see the much-storied and historic area.

We got directions to the Scenic Overlook at the information center and headed up some 4 miles of snake-back twisty road to see what we could see. At the top, we walked into the cool forests and discovered that they also hide Fort Lyons, a tiny civil-war era outpost. Reading the signs on location, we learned it was almost impossible to resupply, as it was two miles of steep forested mountainside to walk up, carrying gear and... how many 16 pound cannonballs could you carry at once?  From the photo of the Cannon, it looks like the gun faces pointlessly out into the deep forest, but they cut the trees down for almost a mile, leaving them with a three-state view and a commanding upper elevation.

After out brief interlude with hiking, we continued on to meet up with my kids and their step-mother. I took my Redhead out to dinner, and we talked about school, her college plans, and I learned more about Batman and Robin in one evening than I thought possible. She is considering pursuing Acoustical Engineering to combine her love of music with a STEM career. I am very proud of her, and she is growing into a lovely young woman.

Today, we hunt waterfalls. I am given to understand being vewy, vewy quiet is uneccesary!

Fort Lyons cannon, Civil War era in the Cumberland Gap

A three-state view. We're actually standing in Virginia, looking at Kentucky and Tennessee.

You can see past the horizon up here.

The First Reader and I

Rock formation, with a wasp waist.

Doe grazing in the Gap park, we think she's ill.

The Redhead

My Redhead and I - She is getting tall.