The Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains NP is a pretty park, but it does have some historical references.  One of the Cherokee's Trail of Tears began in the region, although some were able to stay based on treaties they had signed in 1819.  Many of the buildings that were on park ground were preserved, mostly farm-related.  And it is a pretty park...

Can't say for certain there was a still near this particular house, but I'd bet so ...

Since they receive an average of 85" of rain a year, there's plenty of vegetation and moisture which creates the blue smoke (or fog) that fills the valleys.

The kitsch and vendors and gift shops that bordered the park on either side were just too much for us and we beat a hasty retreat southwest.  Obviously there must be folks that love this sort of stuff or they wouldn't still be in business, but the contrast of national park beauty to yucky commercialization is stark and abrupt.  Plus, we like to support the actual parks, so all of our souvenir purchases are at visitors' centers - and I'd encourage all to do the same.

We crossed into Georgia and stopped at the Chickamauga Battlefield NM.  Chattanooga was a crucial river and rail crossroads for the CSA, so it was a primary Union target.  Despite strong defensive positions, Bragg's forces in Chattanooga were outflanked by Union maneuvers, so the actual battle occurred at Chickamauga Creek.  Another case of gruesome slaughter - attacks, repulsions, counterattacks.  Ultimately, a breakdown in communication created a huge gap in Union lines that split their forces and rolled them back towards Chattanooga.  Of note at this battle was the importance of repeating arms - one group of Union troops armed with Spencer seven-shot rifles were able to hold off repeated Confederate assaults while the rest of the troops made good their retreat.
Like so many other Civil War battles, there were numerous tales of heroism and courage, terrible loss of life, and military prowess and failure.  While the Federal troops were driven from the field, they still held Chattanooga.  As the city lay under CSA siege, Grant and Sherman arrived and would ultimately push their way out up Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, and on to Atlanta.
One CSA soldier writing home described their failure to hold Chattanooga as the "death knell for the Confederacy."

The Fuller Gun Collection housed at the Chickamauga Visitor Center is as impressive for its story as its size.  Claud Fuller started collecting guns in 1886 while he worked in the brick industry.  Even with a 7th grade education, his passion for how things worked (guns and brick making machinery) made him a successful engineer and collector.  He was so busy with work, his wife would haunt auctions and pawn shops, buying quilts and knick-knacks to conceal her pursuit of the arms.  They donated the collection on July 4, 1954 and it merits a visit if you are in the Chattanooga area.