Both of us woke up well rested at our Hyatt Regency Suites and after our own prepared breakfast, we went on our way...
It would be a one hour 20 minute drive to our destination.
The weather was foggy and very cloudy with some drizzle...
By 14:15 we arrived at our destination of BLUE RIDGE SCENIC RAILWAY
I'd ordered our tickets on line and we had to present proof of purchase at the ticket office...
Ticket office right around the corner.
A very small mountain village and our biggest challenge was for finding a parking space.
Luckily it was on a Sunday, so we could park behind a medical office where parking was prohibited from Monday thru Friday...
It was a little walking distance and going back, uphill it was more of a challenge for Pieter.
The 1 hour 21 minutes were correct and I was glad I selected the Interstate, not all the way but biggest part of this 129 kilometer stretch or 80 mile.
Here I stand in front of the very long BLUE RIDGE SCENIC RAILWAY
We had to walk to wagon 549... A 2 hour express train ride without a layover in Copperhill, Tennessee, due to COVID
There was no class difference in this train and for boarding we had to walk quite a stretch!
Somewhere in the middle of that stretch, they had a concession stand.
Pieter was a happy man here at 15:08 with his hot coffee!
Most Railways follow a river...
Fall colors were just starting out.
The river is again visible below.
It was a very rural area!
Crossing the river...
Across from the river we stopped in Copperhill, Tennessee but no layover due to COVID.
So sad for restaurants and shops that depend on the influx of tourists!
Yes, in times past copper was the main reason for this railway.
We started out in Blue Ridge on 241 Depot Street in the state of Georgia.
Across the river we arrived in Copperhill, Tennessee.
While using the app Relive and having my portable battery, I noticed that at times there was no signal.
But the way over was not the same route as the way back, there are different rails.
One such things that indicate that there was no signal is this weird sharp V-shape that we did not ride!
Guess due to the absence of any signal, the dots got connected a few seconds later but erroneously.
Our Relive video
The total was not more than 39.8 km or 24.7 mi and the average speed was 16.8 km/h or 10.4 mi/h.
Just outside of Copperhill, Tennesse and back on Georgia territory we passed through an extreme poor area. We got told by the guide that was in each wagon (talking loudly about what we were passing etc.) that there was a kind of a community vegetable garden.
Volunteers worked it and the actual crop would be divided among the poor families...
As from my childhood, we do recall that often a railway will pass by the back of homes and their tiny gardens or whatever. Often a lot of rubbish was visible too. The front from the street might have looked better... but not the back of those homes!
It was an okay railway experience but fell short in comparison with the previous one we took in Bryson City, North Carolina.
There is no service on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and you get seated without any seat assignment.
Loud due to children and kind of noisy was one of the biggest differences we noticed.
But still we feel bad for that region and they MUST draw tourists for pouring in some more cash before any update or improvement can be made.
Just an oversight for Blue Ridge Scenic Railway tarifs
Before dark, we safely got back to our cozy Hyatt Regency Suites Atlanta Northwest for our supper and a good night rest. It was well chosen, for this Blue Ridge Scenic Railway adventure.
Related link:
It's good you were able to do something a little different, have a little getaway. And nice to see the scenery while someone else is driving. :) A shame though that you weren't able to hope off in any little towns. Those already suffering are the ones affected the most in the current climate of covid. Sure hope everyone will see brighter days as we draw ever closer to the end of 2020.
ReplyDeleteDearest Tammy,
DeleteYes, it is so heartbreaking to see such a village of Copperhill in Tennessee being deprived from ANY tourism income... So cruel to humanity and hard to face the affects from it, already for so many.
Praying that the world will soon come to its senses.
Hugs,
Mariette
It looks like it was an enjoyable jaunt, even if not your best rail journey. I'm surprised anything was running at all this year, during COVID, but it's good that not everything was shut down. It's going to take a long time for many people to recover, financially, and of course those at the poorest end of the spectrum are the most impacted--and with the least care and attention from the rest of the world, usually. Money talks, and if you don't have it you tend not to have a voice, IMO. Anyway, I didn't mean to head down that path! Thanks for sharing; take care and have a great week. :-)
ReplyDeleteDearest Kim,
DeleteYou are absolutely right about that.
Both of us with hundreds others that filled the train that day, at least supported some workers. Sad was the cancelled stop over as those poor mountain people have to actually make a living off tourism! Money talks indeed, look at the huge profits for e.g. Walmart, which has NEVER been closed all this time...
Hugs,
Mariette
Sounds wonderful Mariette.. it's been a while since we've taken along train trip, might have to amend next year ✨
ReplyDeleteDearest Grace,
DeleteThis was certainly not a ong train trip but a great education and it opened our eyes to one of the poorest area of our state...
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, I wonder if the copper workers originally riding this train ever marveled at the local beauty. Sometimes when I take trains (or other transportation) that pass through slummy areas, I still find it interesting to see the old houses and other buildings and the sense of history in these old areas.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteGuess they were so used to their surroundings that it did not stand out...
Slummy areas usually have very little history as none of their dwellings will survive long, due to the very minimal structures. Sad to observe though. Our worst experience has been the Mumbai slum, one of the world's biggest. It makes you shut up forever about complaining about food, hotel or whatever!
Trains do give you a very good reality as we pass by the backside of most properties, not just front door matter...
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello again, I admit I was thinking of U.S. slums, which were often nicer but now deteriorated areas of cities, such as parts of Victorian Oakland, California or New York City.
DeleteSpeaking of trains passing the backs of buildings, did you see the movie Lady on a Train in which Deanna Durbin looks into the building windows from her passing train and sees a murder!?
Dearest Jim,
DeleteSure the US would make a difference in slum areas, compared to Asia.
Both of us have never watched movies; lack of time, always writing training manuals in several languages and no time left. We would look quite illiterate in that area...
Hugs,
Mariette
You had an interesting train ride ;-)) We watch the mountain men series on TV. There are some people in that series which live in Blue Ridge mountain;-))
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteIt was interesting and also a must for fully understanding the vast differences within our own state. We have coastal areas, flat land and also mountains.
People living in the mountains are usually poor as no industry is present there and the infrastructure often is lacking.
North Georgia is just the beginning of the Blue Ridge Mountains as it stretches further into the north east.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Dearest Victor,
DeleteIt sure was a perfect short get-away!
Hugs,
Mariette
I love trains, just saying
ReplyDeleteYour holidays sounds like it was great
Dearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteSo do we and we did enjoy it!
Hugs,
Mariette
I love the ticket office. It looks more like a little house :-) Too bad you could not stop at Copperhill due to pandemic. It seems to be a nice town to stroll around. But the sceneries are very lovely. Despite the nose, it must have been a wonderful ride :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day, Mariette xo
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteYes, the ticket office might have been a little house, who knows?
Sad for Copperhill for missing out on any tourism profit for them...
It was a wonderful ride and the noise we could endure for the duration of the ride.
Hugs,
Mariette
A todos nos ha cambiado la vida. hay muchos negocios que se están cerrando, por falta de clientela. Yo no salgo desde mi localidad, desde una semana antes de que se declarara la pandemia.
ReplyDeleteBesos
Querida Antónia,
Delete¿Seguro que ha paralizado la economía mundial y para qué? Supongo que están abusando de la libertad de la humanidad. Cada año, muchas personas mueren de gripe, especialmente de ancianos. Pero nos obligan a creer que esto es diferente...
Abrazos,
Mariette
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDearest Regine,
DeleteThank you it was a special memory!
Hugs,
Mariette
I’m glad you enjoyed my area. I just wanted to point out that Copperhill is part of the Ocoee District. The Ocoee River is known for its whitewater and brings in a lot of money and tourism to the area. During Covid it broke record numbers. I take offense to what you perceived as “poor” when in reality frugal is closer to how people live. Unfortunately the migration has occurred with people buying up the land and building homes that isn’t in line with our culture. I hope this makes you go hmmmmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteDearest anonymous,
DeleteOf course we both did study the area very well before we went—as we always do.
That label 'poor' is not our invention but we got told so by the guide on the train that it was an extreme poor area.
When doing your homework on datausa.io about Blue Ridge it reads:
Poverty & Diversity
Gender, Race & Ethnicity
26.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Blue Ridge, GA (274 out of 1.04k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%.
For Copperhill, TN it reads:
Poverty & Diversity
Gender, Race & Ethnicity
22.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Copperhill, TN (116 out of 510 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%.
Sure frugality is only natural with such percentages of poverty.
Hugs,
Mariette