Friendly counter service and I got cute Love stamps. Has ramp for wheelchair access. Easy in and…read moreout.

Super friendly post office…read more Love the staff and the help they provided us. Cheerful and kind! A huge plus for any post office.

Worth the drive to see and walk through the tunnel…read more Read the history, it's really a sad story. They call it the stolen highway

If you didn't know the history of this spot, you might not think it's a big deal but if you do know…read morethe history, it becomes more relevant. Yes, it literally is a road that ends in a very long, dark and wet tunnel. There are also several walking trails nearby. We drove back on the road a little bit and did one of the shorter hikes that leads to a section of the lake. There are other trails that are more strenuous. This is more of an oddity than anything else, but still an interesting place to visit.

Small set of offices for Tribal Government with some awesome public servants inside.read more

This historical marker is located at the intersection of US Highway 19 at the Blue Ridge Parkway…read morenear Soco Gap. The sign is next to a concrete marker that clearly marks the spot of this "Boundary." The marker reads, "Qualla Boundary. Soco Gap, initial point of U.S. survey, 1876, of Cherokee Reservation, created through earlier efforts of W. H. Thomas, white Cherokee chief." The online essay has a lot more information. "The Qualla Boundary, the official name for the Cherokee Indian Reservation in western North Carolina, was officially surveyed and its present boundaries were established in 1876. The tract owed its creation to the alliance and efforts of the Cherokee people and to William Holland Thomas, the white Cherokee chief. Thomas pruchased lands for the Cherokee people under his name in the 1840s and 1850s, and in 1866 the United States recognized the right of the Cherokee to own and control the lands. Ten years later, the land was surveyed and demarcated as Cherokee land, outside of federal and state government jurisdiction. "Between October 1838 and March 1839 the federal government forcibly removed the Cherokee people from their lands in western North Carolina. About 11,000 Cherokee Indians were relocated in what became known as the Trail of Tears. Some Cherokee remained in North Carolina, however, including many who hid in the Great Smoky Mountains. In addition to those who eluded internment and forced migration, some Cherokee were free to stay because of earlier treaties, including the Oconaluftee Cherokee under Yonaguska. These individuals recruited Thomas to purchase land on their behalf, which he began doing in 1840. "William Holland Thomas owned three stores in Qualla Town and the surrounding areas by the late 1820s. Having worked and lived amongst the Cherokee people from earlier in his life, Thomas had a significant knowledge of the their language, and was a close friend of Yonaguska. He was well respected and trusted by the Cherokee people, eventually serving as their only white chief. After the Trail of Tears, Thomas acted on behalf of the Cherokee and acquired lands focused around the Oconaluftee River and Soco Creek. A large tract of land, consisting of around 50,000 acres, was eventually collected around Oconaluftee Creek, and this constitutes the majority of the Qualla Boundary today. "Thomas also struggled gain official permission for the Oconaluftee Cherokee to remain in North Carolina. In 1866, the Eastern Band of Cherokee were formally granted freedom to live in North Carolina, and were recognized as a separate entity from the Cherokee living in Oklahoma in 1868. In 1874, a board of arbitrators appointed by the federal courts found that Thomas's land purchases had been on behalf of the Cherokee people, and the lands were placed in a trust for the Cherokee tribe. "Because the boundaries of the land were still vague, in 1876 a survey was completed by M. S. Temple, deputy U. S. Surveyor, and the boundaries of the Qualla Boundary were established. The surveying began in Soco Gap, an area that was the most important passageway through the Balsam Mountains for the Cherokee before the arrival of the white man." The intersection is here. There is space to pull over to read the sign and see the marker. It was an interesting experience and of course, it's a reminder of how poorly the American government treated the Native Americans who were here. [Review 1166 of 2024 - 3656 in North Carolina - 22189 overall]

I previously reviewed this department of Haywood County under my "Town of Waynesville" review…read more Several years ago, we contacted this department with questions about a tree near our property or possibly on our property. There were at least two phone conversations about that. They never returned a call after those two calls. I again contacted this department a few years after that to ask them about whether or not they had cut down a wild rosebush that was growing on my side of the fence, but had most of its roots on the outside of my fence. They talked to me, and seemed helpful, although now I trust no one that works for this county. So, I called this department a couple months ago, to again ask if a tree is on our property or not. The woman that I spoke with was nice, but was adamant that the tree was ours. That statement was strange to me, as I would think that one would have to look at maps with property lines and the like. (This woman did give me the number for land records. Land Records sorta cared and directed me towards their website, but I would go to their office in person to get more info. When property lines are defined by pipes sticking out of the ground, especially when several are present, I get nervous.) But what really creeped me out is that the woman I was speaking with at F&M knew where I lived. She described my house to me! Like I said, she was sweet, but I would not want to anger her. I never could tell if the tree was indeed ours, and the problem was solved, anyway. Look for my series of reviews on Haywood County agencies in the future. In the recent past, I have been deeply disappointed by many of them. I am writing these reviews so that no one has to go through pain in order to get simple answers and standard courtesy.

I am adding one star back to the health department…read more When we went to get my kids' flu shots at an evening flu clinic, the Public Health Director, Patrick Johnson, was there to make sure that people felt welcome. He had good reason to. As I approached the building, three cheerful women asked me if I was going to get a flu shot. I heartily answered,"Yes!" while taking a flyer from one. I figured it was part of the protocol. As I walked further, I noticed that the flyer had too much print and too much of it was in red. My first hard copy of anti-vaccine propaganda! I did speak my mind. It was only one sentence and one body lingual gesture that ended in basic origami, but they got me. I was not rude. I was not extra erudite. It felt good to defy their ignorance. My kids got their shots by Mr. Johnson's posse, and, as usual, everyone was super sweet. In fact, my younger brat always states that the shots there are given in the gentlest manner possible. She loves getting shots there. The staff is efficient, and you are in and out in no time. We came late, and they did not hassle us. How the anti-vaxxers convinced a seven-year-old that night that a vaccination can give you cancer is beyond me. An article in our local paper stated that the chid started crying and stated that she did not want to get cancer. How long was the conversation? Where was her mother? Because it seems like they got to the mom, too. Hopefully, the mom and child left because the child was in such a state, and planned to go back another day. Because if my kid was crying, I would let her know that I am her boss, and that the three strangers on the sidewalk are not. One of the anti-vaccination protesters that night was a woman who has a child with autism. My child has autism as well. She has not become progressively autistic because she gets yearly shots. In fact, she could run the lab at the health department. She could change the world by inventing a vaccine that prevents strep throat. Maybe when an anti-vaxxer sees her child with a severe illness, maybe then she would alter her stance. The state of intense illness is not a time to discuss immunity as the science lesson for that day. It is the everyday become bare night. Mr. Johnson is endorsing vaccines and educating people about vaccines. That is admirable. He even appeared at an anti-vaxxer forum last summer. That takes courage and dedication. Sense and scientific intelligence are not dead. Yeah, so, if you want great health care, go to the health department. They even have an evening clinic one Thursday a month, but call first to set up an appointment. Klaatu barada nikto.

Every time I come here (which is often, I'm in nursing school and need lots of physicals and…read morevaccinations), I am met with friendly front desk ladies, the nurses are wonderful, and of course the lab tech/phlebotomist Cheryl is always so helpful and sweet. I never hesitate to refer someone here. I know they all have tough jobs, and I leave impressed every time.

Located along US-23/US-441, this marker points out the Colonial expedition against the local Native…read moreAmericans. The marker reads, "The expedition led by Gen. Griffith Rutherford against the Cherokee, Sept., 1776, passed nearby along Savannah Creek." Online, there is more information. " By 1770 North Carolina's settlements were encroaching on previously designated Indian tribal lands. The Indians in the North Carolina mountains were primarily farmers who raised some livestock, hunted for game, and traded with white men for the most other supplies. Therefore the Native Americans were both threatened by the white men, but dependent on them, as well." "In May 1776 the Cherokee demanded the withdrawal of settlers from the western settlements within twenty days. Knowing that the demand would not be met, the Indians made plans for an attack. By late July the Cherokee had attacked various settlements along the North Carolina frontier, killing thirty-seven inhabitants. Citizens of the backcountry were alarmed." "Griffith Rutherford, brigadier general of the Salisbury District militia, called for volunteers to conduct an expedition against the Cherokee. With militia reporting from several western counties, Rutherford gathered about 2,500 men and enough supplies for forty days afield. From Davidson's Fort (Old Fort) Rutherford and his men set out on September 1, 1776. They headed through the Swanannoa Gap, towards the Cherokee Valley Towns. The Indians, having gotten word of the expedition, abandoned many of their settlements. Rutherford's men burned whatever was left behind." [Review 21134 overall - 3514 in North Carolina - 97 of 2024.]

This marker sits just off US-19, right across the river from Bryson City, with a handy parking lot…read moreadjacent that makes it an easy pull-off. It highlights Horace Kephart, the writer, naturalist and librarian whose book "Out Southern Highlands" became one of the defining works about life in the Appalachian Mountains. The marker also notes that a nearby peak, Mount Kephart, was named in his honor. If you're passing through, it's a quick and worthwhile stop. The setting is quiet, the river is right there and the marker gives you a snapshot of a man who helped shape both the literature and the preservation of the Smokies. It is marker number Q-41 and it was erected in 1951 by the Archives Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 521 of 2026 - 4616 in North Carolina - 25703 overall]