Have you ever felt like “You’ve been there and done that” regarding Corvette road trips?
Are you looking to explore the natural beauty around you? Perhaps stretch your legs a wee bit to take in a stunning mountain vista?
If so, we’ve got you four off-the-beaten-track adventures provided by Jeremy Whitehead. As luck would have it, Jeremy is an avid North Georgia explorer and a 460 hp small block seventh-generation Corvette owner.
Over the years, he has successfully led numerous cruises for the Classic Glass Corvette Club of Marietta. We asked him to share four out of his countless adventurers with us.
Bell Mountain
Jeremy Whitehead – Explorer – Bell Mountain was once a hard-core off-road, off-road-only trail for many years. 4×4 Jeeps and trucks had to EARN their way to the top, and not all made it.
It used to be some of the toughest, muddiest, and rocky bits of trail in Georgia, but you were rewarded for your effort by spectacular views at the top. I once led a late-night rescue mission up there for a Jeeper who’d gotten stuck on the mountain and broken off three lug studs.
It took a while, but we finally got him off the mountain thanks to a lot of teamwork and some winching. I can remember a 6-foot-deep slot trench that WAS the main road in and out. While Jeepers will lament the paving of the road, it now allows everyone else to make the journey.
Nowadays – the road is smooth but incredibly steep. They paved the entire road to the top. The climb is well worth it for the views and the scenery. It’s well known for the spray-painted rocks (and parking lot). Today, it’s completely accessible by any vehicle.
Bell Mountain – https://maps.app.goo.gl/LLjE1ZXmByVCRar4A
Little River Canyon
Jeremy Whitehead – Little River Canyon in North Eastern Alabama is a natural wonder that is unique to this part of the country. A visitors center tells the story of the area, a scenic waterfall, and a road that snakes beside the canyon.
Maps and information are available at the visitor’s center. I recently drove the road, and it’s entirely passable by Corvettes, although there are some patches of gravel and bumpy spots.
One of the features on the road is “Mushroom Rock,” which stands between the lanes of traffic and towers over cars that pause alongside it. If you’re looking for lunch, venture a bit North into Fort Payne, AL, for numerous great choices.
Little River Canyon – https://maps.app.goo.gl/FWodVQ3T7yLHMEd76
Berry College
Jeremy Whitehead – Most people would not consider a college campus a sightseeing destination.
However, we are fortunate to have the picturesque 27,000-acre Berry College in NW Georgia. Nestled at the foot of a mountain, this college began as a boys industrial school in the early 1900s.
Later, Berry added a school for girls, which eventually grew into what we now know as Berry College.
Benefactors included Henry Ford, of Ford Motor Company fame. Martha Berry and Henry & Clara Ford were introduced in 1916 by mutual friends, the Edison’s.
Ford took an interest in what Berry was doing at the college and began with gifts of tractors and a truck. Ford provided more and more funding for Berry to expand and build a reservoir and an incredibly picturesque overshot water wheel mill.
He also built a brick plant where the students made over 10 million bricks for use in campus buildings.
Over the years, the college expanded and grew into two separate but connected campuses. The main campus is what you see from US27, as you might drive by.
The main campus showcases beautiful architecture and picturesque spots. You’ll likely find herds of deer grazing peacefully around the campus.
The Ford Administration building, in particular, is astounding in beauty and design. If you drive to the NW corner of the main campus, you’ll find the 3-mile road to the “Mountain Campus” partially funded by the Cathy’s of Chick-fil-A fame.
A more beautiful place in Georgia, you’ll be hard-pressed to find. This college is a photographer’s paradise.
On the weekends, the gate is often left open with nobody in the gatehouse. However, this is an active college campus, and the public’s admission is contingent on our good behavior.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vaRMKqYNMhwqB7LY6
Elkmont Ghost Town
Jeremy Whitehead – Nestled on the North side of Smokey Mountain National Park is a little-known historic town hidden by a modern-day campground. Roughly 8 miles from Gatlinburg lies the Elkmont Historic District.
Elkmont began in 1908 as a timber camp for the men and families working in the lumber trade. Eventually, as the lumber companies moved out, several families built vacation houses near the old railway.
Eventually, in 1926, President Coolidge signed the bill that would create what we know today as Smokey Mountain National Park. To get around individuals owning private residences inside the park, the government granted “lifetime leases” to former owners.
As the last of those owners died off in 1992, their property ownership reverted to the National Park Service (NPS), which set out to demolish the structures.
However, during that time, someone got a good chunk of the town of Elkmont placed on the National Historic Register.
The NPS had no use for this now-protected historic district and, eventually, got permission to demolish about 80% of the structures.
The remaining handful of homes, all in a cluster along the only road, were given essential stabilization maintenance and kept in stasis. One structure, the Appalachian Club, is a community building that once held dances, weddings, and other such events.
Today, the area is being visited more and more by people who have heard the story on the Internet and want to see what remains.
The NPS built a modern-day campground in front of the historic district but strangely posted very little signage or information about the town.
Campers often will spend their entire time there and never find the ghost town, a mere 1/4 of a mile beyond the campground.
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/x5HY8QKC4yTbxvv47
A Beautiful World
There are a handful of perennial favorites that you’ll find on the cruise calendar of most local Corvette clubs. Usually, the list rotates the same options every other year or so.
There is nothing wrong with that; they are usually great locations to visit. But there is a beautiful world out there to explore if you seek something more.
Plenty of options exist if the need for new and beautiful trumps your often-visited haunts. These were just four options; trust us, Jeremy has dozens more.
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