A Day full of Jerks in Tennessee

April 25, 2011 Red Hunt 1 Comment

As I emerged from the forest I was greeted by bright lights and dazzling signs. An onslaught for the senses! Coming from North Carolina I had just enjoyed a great sunset while taking a leisurely drive and some short hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

But almost like the flip of a switch, my senses were jerked awake as the forest trees gave way to crowded streets and bright lights. I was almost blinded by signs for casinos, race tracks, aquariums, comedy shows, steak houses, Dollywood, shopping malls, mini-putt courses, theatres, museums and pretty much every other form of family entertainment or amusement that you can imagine. I had made it to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

To me, it only comes second to the Strip in Las Vegas for optical sensory overload. But, perhaps because I simply wasn’t ready for it, I wasn’t impressed. It had been a long day and all I wanted was to get to my hotel and have a nice sleep. Of course my hotel was at the other end of all of these attractions.

I cruised down the street which was streaming with over-stimulated people, including some jerks running in front of the car and drunken looking guys sitting in lawn chairs at random points along the road. Seemed part frat house, part family fun house. Admittedly the tiredness was quickly fading away as signs for places like the NASCAR Speedpark and Salt and Pepper Museum (with 20,000+ shakers on display!) distracted me.

Beef Jerky, Tennessee Style! — Beef Jerky and other Tasty Animals

But I resisted and cruised on past Fannie Farkle’s and the World of Illusions, to where the lights dimmed – beyond the reach of the jerks – or so I thought.

Falling asleep as soon as I got to my room, I woke up late and had no time for breakfast the next morning. It was time to move on…I would have to save the bright lights and excitement of Gatlinburg for another day. Then, staring out my hotel room window I spotted the Jerks. It was a bona fide jerk heaven just across the road from where I was staying. Nothing like I’d ever imagined. Before I knew it I was checked out and headed straight for what must be the jerkiest place in Tennessee.

Hello to The Beef Jerky Outlet and hello to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

An entire outlet store dedicated to the craft of jerking meat. Imagine that? I was greeted by a friendly lady sporting a PETA shirt. You know – People Eating Tasty Animals – so I knew this was my kind of store.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Buffalo Bob’s display of dried meats. The wild boar and buffalo looked ok, but I went for some more unusual choices – ostrich, alligator, antelope and kangaroo. Mmmm, tasty animals!

Sweet Cherry Beef Jerky from Tennessee — Sweet Cherry Moonshine Beef Jerky

Then I perused the wall of jerk. Rows and rows of different beef jerky. Some spicy and hot, some sweet and tangy. After a few free samples from PETA shirt lady I chose some of the bootlegger series. Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine Jerky! Yep, beef jerky made with real moonshine. I also picked up some hot hunter sausages and smoked elk, buffalo and venison.

What a great find. The selection here was overwhelming. They even had a nice selection of hot sauces and complementary items to go with your jerks. With only six locations in the US so far, here is to hoping that this little company continues to grow beyond the bright lights of the Gatlinburg area.

The jerks kept me company all day as I continued my road trip north towards Pittsburgh. As for the bright lights and big shows in Gatlinburg? I’ll be back for them, especially Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse.

Hope you have a jerk-filled day!

Travel Photos

National Park Week: Yellowstone

April 24, 2011 Red Hunt Leave a comment

This colourful image is from the Painted Pot Nature Trail in Yellowstone National Park. The colours are bacteria in the water run off from Silex Spring that can be seen in the back left of the image. Some bacteria and thermophile microorganisms can survive in hot springs at temperatures greater than 70 C or 160F! The different colours are from different bacteria.

Colourful Bacteria near Silex Spring, Yellowstone — Silex Spring with Bacteria Overflow in Yellowstone National Park

Travel Articles, Wildlife and Nature

Everglades Series: The Anhinga Trail

April 23, 2011 Red Hunt 3 Comments

This is the second post in a three-part Everglades series during National Parks Week in the US. The first post was on Shark Valley.

Wildlife galore! The Anhinga Trail in the Everglades National Park was so nice I went there twice – in the same day.

Only 4 miles form the park entrance at Homestead, the Anhinga Trail is a short, flat trail that is partly along a paved route and partly along an over-water boardwalk. At less than 1 mile in length it had a surprisingly large number of creatures to keep me busy. I knew this trail would be a treat right away as pesky vultures and other big birds were hovering around the parking lot when I arrived.

The trail namesake – the Anhinga – is a bird that can be seen fishing and sunning itself in the trees beside the trail. Now, usually I am nto a bird-person, and I don’t quite get ‘birders’, but I’m open to any wildlife experience. With that said – I think I was extra lucky to find an Anhinga family perched in a nest near the trail, posing perfectly for photos. Not only did I get to see fluffy baby Anhinga birds, but I saw their parents fishing in the nearby waters and actually feeding the youngsters. Man those birds were hungry!

Alligator on the Move — Walking Alligator near the Anhinga Trail

I also saw my first ‘mobile’ Alligator here. Over at Shark Valley I had only seen them swimming or lounging around on land. So I couldn’t really appreciate the size and shape of these prehistoric creatures. But, lucky again, I saw one walking along the sandy beach between two waterways. I had expected it to more or less slide along and drag it’s tail around, like a snake, but it actually picked up it’s entire body as it walked along, before vanishing back into the water. Pretty cool.

After these right place at the right time moments I ventured along the entire trail boardwalk for about half an hour, watching Alligators swim all around. It was a perfectly sunny day, so after the Anhinga Trail I drove on through the Everglades to hike a couple of smaller trails in the hot afternoon. But on the way home, at sunset, I had to stop by the Anhinga Trail again and get more photos during the golden hour of light.

Anhinga Trail Boardwalk — Wildlife watching in the Everglades at Anhinga Trail

With the hot sun fading, the Alligators weren’t as plentiful – they seemed to retreat back away from the trail boardwalk at this time of day.

The Anhinga birds were no longer feeding their young either, but there were all sorts of herons, including the Great Blue Heron, and other birds flying around or stealthily stalking their dinner. Overall, the Anhinga trail provided a very impressive wildlife show for such an accessible destination, and I’d have to give it a very slight edge over Shark Valley for my favourite trail and wildlife experience in the Everglades.

More bird photos from the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park: