Cumberland Gal: Crossville

above: yellow fringed orchid at Catoosa

Catoosa Hiking and UT Plateau Discovery Gardens

Saturday August 2, 2025

Catoosa Photos HERE

Saturday our plans changed suddenly. Uncooperative weather and road closures had us looking into Plan B on Friday night. We got up Saturday to an overcast day with blessedly cool temperatures of seventy-one degrees. Instead of going to Alarka, NC we headed to my beautiful plateau and Crossville. I had wanted to visit Catoosa for wildflowers. I wanted to visit Plateau Discovery Gardens. No crazy road closures or crowds there. We ended up having a very nice day, and a relaxing one. We went out to Catoosa and just took my jeep since we weren't planning on the usual long day exploring there. We'd be hiking so we didn't need the side by side.

We did great navigating the maze of roads that leads to Catoosa WMA. Today we didn't take a single wrong turn! The drive out was pretty and quiet. We saw zero other hikers today. Not a soul swimming or boating on Daddy's Creek. The temperature was 69 degrees on the plateau when we first got there. The cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and almost no bugs was much appreciated.

We saw lots of yellow composites, some purple heal all, daisy fleabane, orange coneflowers, and pink rose gentians along the roadsides. Wildlife today was a few deer, a hawk, and a few butterflies and dragonflies. We've had an owl hooting in the trees in the wee hours of dawn right behind our house lately!

Below: Heal All blooms by the road

Below: a butterfly on some DYCs

Below: Joe Pye Weed is getting started in the roadsides and fields

Below: Otter Creek looking pretty today
Below: not much of a view out across the plateau on this overcast somewhat hazy day

Below: Narrowleaf Mountain Mint. It is a very unusual plant for the mint family!
Below: Rose Pinks... members of the gentian family.
Below: small headed blazing star
Below: main attraction of the day... hundreds of yellow fringed orchids
Below: close up of Platanthera ciliaris

We made our hikes at Catoosa and went further on some trails than we had previously. For all our extra effort we didn't see anything of interest on the new sections of trail. At least not this trip. We had a good time. Never saw a single snake thankfully, but we wore our gaiters and snake boots just the same. We did not tarry as long as usual in Catoosa since we had another destination or two in mind.

We hiked back to the jeep. Got out of that hot gear and headed down toward Daddy's Creek to eat lunch. The entire time we were there we saw exactly one other jeep. It had pulled down to the stream, but they didn't attempt to ford it for whatever reason. It was a tricked out jeep with knobby tires for four wheeling, but hey...

We sat there and enjoyed the view of the river along with the quiet. I usually see a few folks swimming here in Summer, but not today. I told Kenny after surveying it that I believed my stock jeep would ford Daddy's Creek today. The water levels were certainly low enough. He had his doubts. I said "We could go out this way and hit Hebbertsburg Road then get back on the interstate at Crab Orchard." He didn't want to do it. He was of the opinion we should head back out the way we'd come. In the end he couldn't resist trying it. I should have done it myself.

He didn't think to lock it in four wheel drive before starting into the stream. I have a skid plate under my jeep. Today I was especially grateful for that. I have a video included of the crossing and the convo that transpired. It isn't a great video, but its kinda funny. It also has the sound of boulders groaning and grinding as we ford the stream. It was like nails on a chalkboard. It set my teeth on edge. Once we made it across Kenny backed up like he was going to turn and go back through. I protested. I reminded him we made it through with a stock jeep. Good for us.

Past success doesn't guarantee future success. I did not want to tempt fate further and ruin our day. He saw sense and we proceed onward to Fairfield Glade somehow. It was a good decision.

If you skip ahead to 3:17 seconds on the video I know the grinding and groaning of the rocks is right there. Eerie sounding.

Plateau Discovery Gardens

Discovery Gardens Photos

Discovery Gardens Directions

Once in Crossville we stopped at Beall's for me to run in and buy a black blouse. We then got back out on Hwy 127 and headed toward Plateau Discovery Gardens. Kenny decided to try the directions Google Maps was suggesting. It routed us across Northside Drive which we had never attempted before. It cuts of a corner and avoids town. It also is very, very pretty out through there. You'd almost forget you were in Crossville city limits!

It took us round to US 70 N which is also a pretty drive. I love this area. It is so uncrowded by comparison to other places we visit. We finally came in sight of the Plateau Discovery Garden sign and turned in. It looks like you are turning into someone's driveway. It is a former residence that has been turned into UT property for horticulture experiments.

We parked and saw not one soul there the entire time. No staff. No other visitors. It turned out to be magnificent and bigger than we'd expected. I could not believe I'd waited so long to visit this place. It is a hidden gem. I guarantee you I'll be back again.

Below: the office where you first pull up and park.

Below: Swamp milkweed in the rain garden is one of the first things we saw!

Below: river oats... yes we have them in Tennessee. The first place I ever encountered these was Scotts Gulf along the Caney Fork River drainage in Summer. These are pretty from an ornamental stand point. They also have a dense, tough root system that helps control erosion. They are native so they don't take a lot of maintenance to help them survive.

Below: Swamp Rose mallow growing in the rain garden. beautiful and delicate! It is native to Tennessee. We have wetlands in Alcoa and Blount County where wild cotton blooms. It is also in the mallow family.

Below: observation platform with seating at the gardens. It is surrounded by lovely shrubs, trees and flowers.

Below: one of the planter boxes at the discovery gardens around the platform. I see dusty miller, purple queen, lantanas, angelonia, and celosia.

Below: Rose of sharon in bloom. This is a very old variety of flowering shrub.

Below: a look at one of the gardens. I think this one was the sensory garden. Tactile things. Visual things. Scented things. Tasty things! Many culinary herbs, lambs ear, grasses. I have found out that many culinary herbs are also mosquito repellant!

Below: purple coneflower, white coneflower, and black eye susies.

Below: this fascinated me. strawberries, marigolds, and herbs growing in and on haybales!

Below: Tall purple top verbena

Below: another childrens section of the gardens.

Below: lilies were still pretty, but way past peak.. The one shown below was my favorite.

Below: the rose garden was beautiful. The ones shown below are my favorites.

Below: hibiscus garden was an explosion of color!

Below: one last look around the scenery in general. Crape myrtles, hydrangeas, golden shrubs, elephant ears. Such a gorgeous place!

We concluded our walk around the gardens and headed back to the jeep. I had big ideas for the day about going to Meadow Lake park and Obed River Park today. Those had to be shelved. We were tired and had the drive home to face. Plus those spots deserve visits of their own and not a rush job because I'm tired. It might be possible to fit both into one day, but I have a feeling I'm going to need a weekend or two separate visits 1. because I am so nosey and 2. I will get to Meadow Lake Park and want to do erry single thing there. Kayak paddle, swim, hike, etc. and I'll lose track of time!

I highly recommend Plateau Discovery Gardens. They have something different at different times of year. Fall Gardeners Festival is coming up fast. Tuesday August 26, 2025 9 am to 3 pm Central Time.

Cumberland Homesteads Apple Festival 2019

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Saturday Sept. 21, 2019

Pictures are Here starting with frame #177

I posted the link to the information web page here with this blog entry.I realized in a year or less it will be irrelevant. The flyer pictured below gives a good idea what it was all about. It will give those interested a chance to decide for themselves if they want to attend. I love lots of information and photos myself. One photo.. one little photo on the interwebz resulted in a trip to go visit the Old Mail Road bridge and photograph it myself! You never know what will inspire someone.

Below is their neatly done poster from this past year's event.

I visited the Cumberland Homesteads for the first time in 2004. My recent visits of July 2019

were a lot more fun and informative. I was hooked. The history is interesting and relatable. The staff and docents are friendly. I have since met Charles Tyler of the historic society and he is a delight. He really knows a bunch and has some colorful stories. They all do.

I found out during that visit about the Apple Festival coming up in September. I made up my mind I was going. It coincided perfectly with the trip we already had to make over to the plateau for the weekend. Kenny and I both had a good time, and will come back again.

It was fun and very easy going. Lots of people, but the traffic wasn't bad. Finding parking was no problem. They had officers directing traffic and assisting folks to make it safely across Hwy 70 to the grounds. It was very well organized. I found it shadier and more comfortable than other events I have attended. Finding a seat to get some lunch was not difficult either.

The folks all around us were talkative and friendly.

I was able to purchase some goodies that I both needed and wanted. It was surprising how many different vendors there were. Lots of options for eats. We had barbecue and it was delicious. Nothing was too pricey either. These vendors are real people and they are fair.

I met a fellow who I hope to purchase elderberry shrub stock from next Spring. I can grow native shrubs in my yard and harvest berries that will help keep me healthy!

I also found a lady who made purses that I adored. I ended up getting one. I wish I'd gotten two! She is a very talented seamstress.

They had good music playing up on the band stand. I saw Kelly Cox pull up on a utility vehicle, but I didn't get to speak to her on Saturday. It is worth mentioning that while admission was only $5 per person.. the ladies selling tickets made sure to tell you if you kept your ticket stub you could come back on Sunday for free! That is a lot of fun for $5.

I hope to get back over there for the Christmas celebration this year. Its good for me.

I was so jealous of the kitchen in the Homestead's House museum I had to go out and do this.

Above: Antique hoosier cupboard freshly repainted by my sweet hubby.

I helped with the clean up and the greasing the works to make sure it is functional.

I also helped a tiny bit to take off and put back on handles.

Below is the one similar to mine that was in the house kitchen.

Above and below: I made myself some tea towels using vintage fabric for the top one, and a print that looks old fashioned from Wal-Mart for the other. In keeping with the vintage theme.

Big thanks to Kelly Cox and all the Homesteads personnel and volunteers who made the festival possible. It had to be a monumental task in my mind, but I appreciate being able to enjoy such things. Below I am going to post a few photos of the various vendors and such.

If you get the chance you should check out some of their events. It is really worthwhile, wholesome activities in a world that has gone mad. Crossville and the Homesteads and the plateau is a little island of sanity. A tiny taste of by gone days and a slower pace.

One for which I am very grateful.

Above : A vendor with lots of natural skin care products and goodies

Above: Compass Rose Creations is out of Johnson City area TN. They were my favorites.
I bought a large jar of elderberry syrup for $20. I also got some good information from this fellow and his missus. Honey. Natural goodies. A growing number of folks are coming over to the food as medicine camp! Natural is nearly always better than pharmaceutical.