Days 45 & 46, March 11 & 12, Cumberland Gap National Historic Site

 Slightly disappointed that Cumberland Gap National Historic Site is not currently conducting tours to either it's on-site cave system or to the remote Hensley Settlement, I was loath to stop at this small site.  But as it was almost directly on the way to my daughter Kate's house, and since we had an hour to spare, we made the jaunt through the mountains.  And it turned out such a cool place, how I wish I had budgeted much more time and at least one night here.  Cumberland Gap is the only place within 100 miles in either direction along this part of the Appalachian Mountains where people can easily pass from east to west.  And pass through this gap they did by the hundreds of thousands as our country moved westward through the last couple of centuries.  We learned all about Daniel Boone, who was one of the first to chop out a human trail along the existing buffalo trail, and we made the short hike to the actual gap.  But with much road still before us, we moved on to Kate's house outside Winston-Salem North Carolina.  I have four lovely grandchildren here as well!  We find refuge here and will wait out this dreadful cold front.






                                              Kate's parents joined us for an afternoon of fun.

         





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