My parents were recently transferred from the northeastern most part of their mission to the southwestern most part of their mission. They are now in a town called Murphy, which is located in the Smoky Mountains near the Tennessee and Georgia state lines. It is about four hours from us.
On the way there, I drove north to Asheville on I-26 and then south to Murphy. On the way home we took back roads, driving through the Chattahoochee and Sumter Forests and crossing Georgia. I have to confess, I took some photos while driving. It was so incredibly beautiful.
When we first got to Murphy, my parents were working at a food bank at a local Methodist Church. We met them there because the kids couldn't wait to see their grandparents.
Murphy is strikingly different from Caswell County. Caswell was more wide-open farm country with historical sites in abundance. Murphy is in the Smoky Mountains - part of the Appalachians (pronounced apple-atch-ans) - near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The actual town of Murphy is larger and more progressive than Yanceyville where my parents were before.
One of the most surprising things to me was the lack of diversity in Murphy. It's the first place I've been since moving to the southeast where there were no brown faces. Apparently communities are segregated, not by law, but by tradition and history. The Ku Klux Klan is still very strong in the region. You may have read about the Klans efforts to adopt a highway in Georgia. That area is just south of where my parents currently live.
We were lucky enough to visit while the fall leaves were still on display. Everywhere we looked, it was breathtaking.
It is also a land of many rivers. There were lots of white water rafting spots. We stopped and let the kids dip their feet.
Jalen LOVES his Granddad. When Granddad is around, he doesn't want anything to do with me. He wants Granddad to do everything with and for him. I love it.
Baylie and my mom have always had a close relationship. I'm so grateful for that.
There was an awesome swinging bridge over the river, so of course we had to stop and cross it. Baylie is fearless and wanted to jump and make it swing. Jalen wanted to get off it as quickly as possible.
We stopped at the top of the mountain to eat a picnic lunch.
We also took advantage of some more great photo ops.
We drove through the Cherokee Reservation. When so many of the Cherokees were driven to Oklahoma, many of them hid out in the hills and were able to hold their ground, later reestablishing themselves as the Eastern Cherokee.
The street signs are in English and Cherokee and this one is named after one of the seven clans.
We were able to see some native dancers.
Apparently there are some people that still live up in the tops of the mountains, running moonshine, without education and protecting their property with shotguns. It's amazing to think that people still live that way.
Southern justice is also a little different here. In a nearby community, a man was recently indicted for killing another man who had an affair with the accused man's wife. The grand jury refused to send the accused to trial because the victim was "a man that needed killing." Wow!
One other interesting thing are all the bikers. I have never seen so many bikers and biker bars - mostly Harleys. Nearby is a stretch of road called "Tail of the Dragon," which is known for being incredibly winding and is a rite of passage for bikers.
We went to church on Sunday and Baylie was able to take part in the local branch's Primary program. I was really glad my parents got to see that. The branch was very friendly and welcoming. The missionary work is extensive and my parents have been very busy. (I have to confess that I missed the Caswell Ward because there is nothing quite like it.)
Why they're called the Smokies.
I'm really happy to see my parents settled in Murphy. They are very happy there and, most importantly, they are super busy. We are going back to see them at Thanksgiving. We can't wait!
And in closing, just because every time my mom sees this picture she laughs until she cries, I'll post the below embarrassing shot. For the first time in my life, I got so car sick, I threw up. I didn't notice the sign nearby that prompted my mom to take the photo.
Thanks, mom.
