The Amish Hippie

During one of our exploration days while camped in Manchester, Tennessee, we drove to Monteagle, a very small rural town located on the southern Cumberland Plateau. Like everywhere else in Tennessee, Monteagle was green and lush, and, we later found out, also famous for a treacherous stretch of Interstate 24 that passes through the town. The interstate regularly shuts down in bad weather and in the Jerry Reed Song “The Legend” (the opening track in the film Smokey and the Bandit), Reed tells the story of the Bandit miraculously surviving brake failure on the Monteagle Grade. There is also a song called “Monteagle Grade” by Johnny Cash on the album Boom Chicka Boom.

All claims to fame aside, I found myself laughing out loud when we drove by a shop called “The Amish Hippie”. People who know me know that I’ve always been drawn to all things Hippie, and to all things Amish. But I never, in my wildest imagination, thought there would be one shop that encompassed both concepts under one roof. Of course we had to stop. Of course we had to go in. And of course we took pictures. Spread across three or four separate rooms, this funky, eclectic, quirky shop did indeed carry both Amish related merchandise (homemade jams, woven baskets, soaps, candles), and all things Hippie related (clothes, posters, incense, bags, t-shirts, beads, paraphernalia).

We spent about half an hour taking it all in, bought an Amish Hippie T-shirt as a memento, and tucked this experience into our virtual “unexpected delights found while traveling” file. 

The Great Stone Door

We wrapped up our hiking in the Manchester, Tennessee area in October 2018 at The Great Stone Door, located in the Savage Gulf State Natural area of South Cumberland State Park. This natural area includes 55 miles of trails that wind around intricate rock formations, lead to multiple waterfalls, and present spectacular views of Laurel Creek Gorge. The State of Tennessee purchased this land in 1973 in an effort to protect one of the last known stands of virgin timber in the Eastern United States.

The Great Stone Door is a 10-foot-wide crack in a 100 foot bluff that provided Native Americans and animals a natural passageway from the valley below to the highlands of the Cumberland Plateau. While no longer necessary for migratory reasons, this natural opening in the sandstone rock is a popular hiking area, and it was fun walking down the narrow passageway with rocks looming 100 feet up from the ground.

Many portions of the Savage Gulf State Natural area are perfect for rock climbing as well, from beginners to experts, and we happened upon a group of scouts who were practicing their skills on the day we were there.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of our hikes and explorations in the many beautiful parks and natural areas in Tennessee. I was sorry to see our time here come to an end, but I thought The Great Stone Door was a great place to wrap things up. 

Manchester, Tennessee (Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park & Rutledge Falls)

I find Tennessee to be one of the prettiest states in the country. It is so green, with so many trees, and so many waterfalls. It seems there is a waterfall just about everywhere you look, and we took advantage of them whenever we could while we were in Manchester in September and October of 2018. Below are pictures and descriptions of two more places we explored during our weeklong stay.

Located just 6-miles from our RV Park was the Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park, a prehistoric Native American structure most likely built between 80 and 550 AD. It is the most complex hilltop enclosure found in the South and was likely used for ceremonial purposes rather than defense. The main hiking trail around the wall of the fort threads through dramatic scenery where you can see the original entrance to the fort, designed to face the exact spot on the horizon where the sun rises during the summer solstice. There are twelve interpretive panels and graceful waterfalls along the trail as well.

Rutledge Falls, which drops 40 feet off Crumpton Creek is located on private property, but visitors are welcome, with the owners asking only that you respect the area and stay on the trail. From the parking area, it is a very short walk to the falls, and as you make your way there, you come upon a statue of a woman who seems to be gazing at the water. She has been dubbed “The Lady of the Falls”, and is a lovely addition to the serene setting. We felt like we were on a treasure hunt as we followed seemingly cryptic directions on how to find the exact location (“across the road from Rutledge Falls Baptist church, near the red barn, and the driveway with the millstone in the middle”). I’m sure to the locals, this all makes perfect sense. It was fun to look for, and find Rutledge Falls, and we enjoyed it very much.