Out for a Sunday Drive

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September 29, 2008 Category: Albino Bowler No Comments »

For about a week or so now I’ve been hearing about the fact that the Chilhowee lake has been drawn down so that the dam can be repaired…. and apparently it’s a sight to behold. Holly and I (and the Albino Bowler of course)decided to venture out today for a little Sunday drive and check it out for ourselves. Turns out there was definitely a spectacle… oh, and the lake being down was interesting as well. I was not prepared for the hordes of curious onlookers… evidently we Blount Countians don’t have a lot to do in the time between the summer lake season and the fall colors. Literally every pull off was flooded with people taking in the sight of a missing lake.

One particular thing of interest is the old 129 road bed that is now visible. This stretch of roadway has actually been underwater for about 51 years, and if you’re so inclined, you can scamper down the rocks, brave the undoubtedly deep mud, and take a walk down memory lane. One word of advice though, you might wait a couple weeks… or a month… it really stinks right now. The lake is currently scheduled to remain in this state until early 2009, so if you’re not keen on the smell of the elephant cages at the zoo… I’d hold off for a bit until all that lake bottom mud dries out a bit.

When you do go though (and I’d say it’s worth the trip if you’re up for a little drive), be on the lookout for old cars that have found their way to the bottom… all by themselves I’m sure. I’m pretty confident someone handy with a metal detector might find some old relics worth rescuing as well. Just a thought.

Chilhowee Lake also happens to be at the end of what the locals call “Deal’s Gap”, “The Tail of the Dragon”, or just “The Dragon”… an 11 mile stretch of road jam-packed full of 318 curves, at the end of which is another place of interest in the area; Fontana Dam. Holly and I were enjoying our day out and about, so we continued on up the road. This drive isn’t for the faint of heart though… or more appropriately the faint of… umm err… stomach. This is the mother of all car sickness roads! Also, another word of advice, this road is a playground for motorcycles from all over the country, so don’t be surprised if look in your rearview mirror and see a herd of sport bikes wanting to get by… be nice and pull off when its safe for all parties involved.

One really nice thing about this drive is that there are quite a few mountain lakes up here. TVA has built a series of power-producing dams all along this route, which make for some nice pictures (of the lakes… not the dams. Well… them too). I recommend taking your time and checking out what the many overlooks have to offer.

If you’ve got a little more time, as we did, drive on out to Fontana Dam and have a look around. Fontana lake is absolutely beautiful, and the dam visitor center has a lot of dam information that’s pretty, umm… darn interesting (the jokes are free people)… if you’re into dams of course.