Wildflowers, Waterfalls, and Wine

Planning a road trip from Texas to Maine and back in one summer might have been a little too ambitious. But when I learned about the Follow the Flower trail theme along 15 Spacious Skies campgrounds starting in Tennessee and ending in Maine, I knew this trip was just what I needed to kick-start a new hobby.

For the past 20 years, I have been a birder – a fabulous, serious hobby of learning about and watching birds. Spending much time looking up, I never really paid attention to the plants on the ground. Many bird-watchers are also native plant naturalists, and I have always admired their ability to name each flower we passed. During the past few years, my eyes have deteriorated, and I struggle to see and spot the birds I love. So, I decided that since wildflowers do not fly or hide behind tree limbs and are much easier to see, I would instead focus on flowers, in particular wildflowers.

 

The Spacious Skies campgrounds are located not only in iconic places to experience local beauty, but also perfectly situated to follow wildflowers as they bloom. This would allow me to see the best wildflowers of each state, some exceedingly rare and protected, by the time I reached Maine.

Planning started in November 2023 to investigate each campground’s area to determine how long I wanted to stay and what I wanted to see, especially unique off-the-beaten-path places. Once my four-page color-coordinated Excel worksheet was 90% full of itinerary must-see places and dates, I started reserving campgrounds.

By Christmas, my route and timeline were set, and I spent most of the next two months organizing my camper for a three-month trip – planning menus, ordering enough meds for Tipper to last through the trip, and checking and rechecking the mechanical condition of my car and camper.

The first campground was the Spacious Skies Belle Ridge, just a few miles from Monterey, Tennessee. On April 11, with my camper in tow and Tipper panting out the backseat window, we headed for the mountains of Tennessee.

The drive through the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee was abundant in spring wildflowers along the road. I didn’t have to go far to find some of the most beautiful – they were at the campground, within a short walk from my camper. My favorite spot was Rock Pond Beach, a natural underground-spring-fed pond surrounded by gigantic boulders, except for a small sandy beach. One day, I bought a Tennessee wildflower pamphlet, and my project every night while snuggled comfortably in our little camper was to match my photos to the flowers in the book and give them a name. Tipper and I strolled down to the pond almost every morning with my first cup of coffee and camera.

Located between Nashville and Knoxville on Interstate 40, Monterey is a charming mountain town with a strong Native American heritage and railroad history. The train was important for carrying tons of coal from the Tennessee mountains. Today, the train still passes through town, and the town continues to thrive. The historic downtown area is full of interesting stores. My favorite was Debbie’s Thrift & Boutique, which blended gently used items with quality handcrafted Tennessee merchandise. The railroad museum was well worth an hour of my time. It was early morning, so I missed trying one of the many eateries for lunch, instead opting for Ben Anna’s quaint coffee house for a delicious espresso and scone.

Monterey’s moniker is “Where the hilltops kiss the sky,” and this is so true, as every street extending from the main avenue was almost straight down! Later, I hiked to the top of Bee Rock Overlook just a few miles from downtown, and the views are stunning.

On my way back to the campground, I took a detour to check out a store that sold all-natural groceries, operated by residents of an Amish community about 10 miles from Monterey called Muddy Pond. The Country Porch general store was so fun, offering not only groceries but also an amazing deli full of meats from local farms, homemade soups, and bakery goods, plus a section of country-style home decoration items, including beautiful rocking chairs I considered tying to my kayak rack.

One day trip from Belle Ridge campground started at the Laurel Mountain Bakery in Monterey, famous for their sourdough bread and oatmeal cookies and recommended by Spacious Skies staff, and they were so right. The baked goods were delicious. Then I headed to Burgess Falls State Park for a nice, easy hike along the river that ended at a spectacular waterfall.

Very hungry by this time, I headed to the DelMonaco Winery & Vineyards in Baxter for a delicious lunch paired with a ridiculously small glass of Tennessee wine – I don’t like to drink when driving. So glad I brought a cooler stocked with ice that had just enough space left for a bottle of their Whistle Stop wine – but only after I was forced to eat the remaining cookies.

To commemorate my new wildflower hunting hobby, I received permission from Spacious Skies Belle Ridge staff to pinch a few flowers to press inside the Tennessee guidebook I brought (I have one for each state I will visit). These little dried wildflowers will take me back to Tennessee long after I leave this mountain paradise. And they’re much lighter to carry home than rocks or seashells!

Ann is a freelance writer drawing attention to the natural beauty of our planet, amazing historic sites and eco-tourism.  A forever explorer, Ann has traveled worldwide since 1974 for either business or personal reasons. Raised in small West Texas towns, Ann has moved to other places around the world during her lifetime but returned to Texas often. Spending ten years in Houston during the 1980’s, she earned an MBA in marketing from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Ann fulfilled a rewarding 30-year career giving her best to non-profit organizations such as Preserve South Dakota, Easter Seals, Mercy Ships and the Lighthouse for the Blind.  Soon after retirement, she found her best job ever, freelance writing.  Her specialty in marketing and public relations shaped her skills which led nicely into a writing business. Ann loves to tell her amazing stories of the places she saw and people she met along the way. As a member of SATW (Society of American Travel Writers), her suitcase is always packed ready to zoom to interesting places to do crazy things and tell her story – often taking her dog Tipper along for the ride.  She never misses an opportunity to hike a hill, watch a bird, dance with the locals, ride a motorcycle, photograph a sunset or kayak down a river.  Most of her articles can be found with the following publications: Family RVing (FMCA membership magazine); TravelAwaits.com; Inspired 55+ (Canada), EastWestNews Service; Lifestyles Magazine, InMagazine, The Tyler Loop, Texas Living, The City Paper Bogota and Bird Watcher’s Digest.  Articles are usually found in the travel, art, history or cultural sections. Ann posts her adventures on a Facebook group page titled Green Gypsy Travel.  Her website is under construction but in the meantime, she can be reached at [email protected].