The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-07-01
TRIP
Continued from Page One)

theatre and back. Some of the
harder and younger people walked
up and back, but we took the more
comfortable way.
All of the ushers were young
Indian girls and boys and as they
showed US to our seats they prof
fered thick newspapers for US to
sit on, as the seats were somewhat
damp. Just as it has happened so
many times to our Lost Colony"
the day was filled with intermit-
tent showers. Late in the after
noon the skies had cleared again,
and the show opened on time. Aft
er the show it rained again. Real
outdoor theatre weather! In Cat
linburg, just over the mountains,
it rained so hard that two bus
loads cancelled their reservations
In spite of the threatened rain
we saw, after the show, one char
tered bus after another loading
passengers for the return trip.
Some stayed in Cherokee. The ma
jority went back down the noun
tains. The theatre was not full, but
there must have been around 1000
people in the audience that night.
One thing that disturbed me,
though, was the applause after
each scene in the show. Somehow,
it broke into the continuity of
thought and was somewhat of a
shock after a particularly impress
sive and heart-rending scene, such
as the scene depicting the Trail of
Tears. Better to leave the applause
until the end of each act, no mat
ter how well done a scene may be.
Through the courtesy of John
Paris, public relations director for
the show, we were shown through
the Oconaluftee Indian village, by
well-trained Indian guides who ex-
planned each stop. We saw several
types of Cherokee dwellings,, as
evolved through the years; saw
Indian baskets in the making; and
many other interesting native Gus
toms. Mr.. Paris also secured a
room for US in a beautiful motor
court operated by the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians. 1t was
located on the mountain side, with
the cascading Oconaluftee River in
front.
By all means, if the opportuni-
ty offers, see Unto These Hills;
FIRST, of course, seeing "The Lost
Colony" But take plenty of wraps.
1t gets cold in the mountains, even
in summer.
The whole object of our trip
across the mountains was to visit
our oldest son, Roger, who is
lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force
Reserve, and is stationed at Nc
Ghee-Tyson airport near Knox
vile, Tenn. 1t was our first visit
to the Tennessee city and we were
most favorably impressed. 1t SEEM
ed to be highly prosperous sec
ton and filled with nice homes,
businesses and hotels. We had a
room on the 10th floor of hotel,
with a view of the Tennessee Riv-
er, and the mountains looming off
in the distance.
Roger showed us around the air.
port and flew me over the section
around Maryville and Alcoa, Tenn,
and gave me my first glimpse of
the mountains from the air. Incl
dentally, l prefer them from solid
ground. l am not air-minded as the
rest of my family (both sons are
pilots, and their father will fly
any time in preference to driving) !,
so after a short flight l turned
chicken" and asked him to take me
back down. The banking he did in
turning was the smoothest> and
easiest of any l have ever exper-
fenced. Perhaps he did it especially
easy because he knew / don't like
to fly, perhaps it was just because
he is a good pilot. He has been
flying since he was II, and has
taken his father many places. Ev-
eryone who has ever flown with
him had told me what good pilot
he is. Now l know for myself Il
had never flown with him before,
for reasons above stated).
Our son also accompanied US on
a trip to Oak Ridge, Tenn, and to
Norris Dam, a part of the huge
IVA system of dams and power
plants. 1t was a beautiful spot in
the hills, with many boats on the
water. Some of them were quite
large house boats, where apparent
ly people lived all the time. The far
bank was lined with boat houses,
so presumably there were many
small boats that we did not see,
out on the waters. At many places
in the mountains one can see a
warning sign Seattle Crossing;
but approaching Norris Dam the
signs said "Deer Crossing" Far
down in a valley we saw many of
the deer grazing, but none on the
road.