Road Trip Treasures

by | Apr 17, 2019 | Christian authors, Cynthia Roemer, Cynthia Roemer's Prairie Sky Series, Encouragement, Godly living, Historical romance novels, History, Inspirational novels, Inspirational writers, Inspirational writing, My Books, Research | 6 comments

As a historical author, it’s always fun to keep an eye out for hidden treasure. Of course, I’m talking about uncovering bits of history, not real treasure. LOL!

While on a recent road trip with my husband to the Smoky Mountains, we enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation and a bit of history as well. As we gazed at the misty mountaintops, Psalm 121 came to mind.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

The majestic Smoky Mountains. What a glorious sight!
We never tired of staring out over the beautiful landscape.
We hiked along the Little River, following it for hours, listening to the roar and just enjoying the sights. Swift flowing rivers were everywhere throughout the Smoky Mountain region–some 24,000 miles of them according to the brochure!
As I raised my camera to take this picture, an eagle soared into view and landed in one of the pine trees. I had just mentioned earlier to my husband, all that was missing was an eagle flying overhead. How cool is that! It was as if the Lord were sending me a small gift!

But the historical writer in me couldn’t go without seeking out a few bits of history along the way. While meandering through Cade’s Cove, we stopped off at several historic cabins and churches.

Settler’s cabin at Cade’s Cove dating back to the early 1800’s
Outside one of the old churches, we visited the grave sites of some of the first settlers to inhabit the Smoky Mountains. Look at those dates!
At a visitor center we learned that in order to preserve the Smoky Mountains, many settlers had to be bought out. Their cabins were abandoned and never occupied again.
All good things must come to an end. While traveling home through Kentucky, we spied an Amish man plowing a field. Notice he’s standing atop the plow rather than walking behind it. Smart fellow!
We also caught a glimpse of the Jefferson Davis Memorial standing tall above the treetops. Though we didn’t take time to stop to view it, it was quite a sight to see even at a distance.

Shards of history are all around us if we take the time to look for them. From the beauty of God’s creation to the treasures of the past, I hope you’ve enjoyed this detour from my regular posts to share what I’ve been up to when I’m not writing. If you’d like to hear more about my writing journey, I invite you to sign up to recent my monthly Author Newsletter.

What fascinating bits of history have you discovered while on a road trip? I’d love to hear about them.

Read how God works in the lives of Cynthia Roemer’s characters in her Inspirational, Historical Romance (Prairie Sky) Series.
UNDER THIS SAME SKY ~ BOOK ONE
UNDER PRAIRIE SKIES ~ BOOK TWO
~Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
**Connect with Cynthia Roemer on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter.

6 Comments

  1. Linda Palmer
    Linda Palmer on April 17, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    I didn’t know there was a Jefferson Davis memorial. How nice! Will have to research that!

    Reply
    • Cynthia Roemer
      Cynthia Roemer on April 17, 2019 at 9:27 pm

      I didn’t know it either, just happened to be traveling by it. Wish we would have had time to stop by. Thanks for visiting my blog, Linda. Blessings!

      Reply
  2. ann doohan
    ann doohan on April 18, 2019 at 11:35 am

    Looks lovely Cynthia, where are the Smoky Mountains? I am interested in your history, did the settlers get moved because of the Gold? Glad you saw the Eagle, we have much in common, blessings.

    Reply
    • Cynthia Roemer
      Cynthia Roemer on April 18, 2019 at 7:47 pm

      Hi Ann! The Smoky Mountains are in eastern Tennessee. So beautiful! In the early 1900’s, loggers were destroying the trees and laying the mountains bare. So to preserve it, the government bought out the landowners and made it a national park area. The gold rush happened earlier out in California. Hope that answers your questions. Thanks for stopping by, and for your interest. Blessings!

      Reply
  3. Trisha Robertson
    Trisha Robertson on April 18, 2019 at 8:50 pm

    I grew up just over the TN border in Western NC in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We visited the Smokey Mountains often. I just love The Blue Ridge and the Smokey Mountains! I’m glad you got to visit and explore!!

    Reply
    • Cynthia Roemer
      Cynthia Roemer on April 18, 2019 at 11:43 pm

      Thanks, Trisha! What a blessing to get to grow up in that beautiful area! So glad you stopped by to share.

      Reply

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