Need some more info about the area around the Alvin York park area.

[Inspector Vol]

Anyone know about this Buck's Garden and Grotto overnight lodging place near there. Owner also recommended Bacara's as a good restaurant to visit. Thanks for any info you all might have.

http://www.buckslodging.com/contact.htm

[101stDad]

Sorry I can't answer your questions, but you will really enjoy seeing the York historical sites.  Be sure you go to the general store first and see the video.  It will help with your understanding of what you see when you go in to the house. 

It's neat that SGT York's son is the park ranger and his office is located inside the home.  He will give you a lot of info that you don't normally get when visiting historical sites - first hand information that others just wouldn't know. 

Also be sure to check out the burial site.  You can see a lot of the area from the cemetery, including the "yeller doors" that are prominent in the movie. 

And that's another thing - be sure to watch the movie again, even if you have seen it 100 times, shortly before going.  It will bring things to your mind when you actually see them in person. 

[Creek Walker]

I'll second what 101stDad said. Touring Pall Mall is a lot of fun if you're into WWI history, and be sure to watch the movie beforehand.

I don't know anything about Buck's lodging. If you're looking at that area, though, you might want to check out Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat (www.laurelfork.com) adjacent to the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The cabins are very nice and the owners of the resort are great people. Laurel Fork is about a 30-minute drive east of York's home place, but it puts you halfway between the two biggest towns in the area (Jamestown and Oneida) and on the edge of the Big South Fork. It's about 5-10 minutes east of Bacara's Restaurant (which is a good place to eat, btw). I know you said that you and your wife aren't big into hiking and stuff like that, which pretty much rules out what the BSF national park has to offer (it's geared much more towards adventure tourists than the Smokies) but there are still some nice sight-seeing opportunities in the BSF and some local historic features that are neat. If you're going to be spending several days in the area, that might be a bit more of an option. Or, the Grey Gables Bed & Breakfast at Historic Rugby (http://www.rugbytn.com/). Good people and a nice place to stay. If you've never been to Rugby, it's a historic Victorian village adjacent to the BSF and about 30 minutes from Pall Mall.

[101stDad]

I'll second what 101stDad said. Touring Pall Mall is a lot of fun if you're into WWI history, and be sure to watch the movie beforehand.

I don't know anything about Buck's lodging. If you're looking at that area, though, you might want to check out Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat (www.laurelfork.com) adjacent to the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The cabins are very nice and the owners of the resort are great people. Laurel Fork is about a 30-minute drive east of York's home place, but it puts you halfway between the two biggest towns in the area (Jamestown and Oneida) and on the edge of the Big South Fork. It's about 5-10 minutes east of Bacara's Restaurant (which is a good place to eat, btw). I know you said that you and your wife aren't big into hiking and stuff like that, which pretty much rules out what the BSF national park has to offer (it's geared much more towards adventure tourists than the Smokies) but there are still some nice sight-seeing opportunities in the BSF and some local historic features that are neat. If you're going to be spending several days in the area, that might be a bit more of an option. Or, the Grey Gables Bed & Breakfast at Historic Rugby (http://www.rugbytn.com/). Good people and a nice place to stay. If you've never been to Rugby, it's a historic Victorian village adjacent to the BSF and about 30 minutes from Pall Mall.

My son and one of his West Point buddies are going wild boar hunting in that area next weekend at a place called Bridgecreek in Clarkrange.  One of their 101st Airborne superior officers recommended the place to them. 

It's going to be interesting.  Although both of them are West Point grads and Captains in the Army and have both done two tours in Afghanistan, neither of them has ever been hunting before.  I wish I were an owl or something sitting in a tree watching them.  I'm just glad they have an experienced guide to lead them.  My son's wife has already told him that he isn't putting a while boar head in the living room.  My son says otherwise.   

[Creek Walker]

My son and one of his West Point buddies are going wild boar hunting in that area next weekend at a place called Bridgecreek in Clarkrange.  One of their 101st Airborne superior officers recommended the place to them. 

It's going to be interesting.  Although both of them are West Point grads and Captains in the Army and have both done two tours in Afghanistan, neither of them has ever been hunting before.  I wish I were an owl or something sitting in a tree watching them.  I'm just glad they have an experienced guide to lead them.  My son's wife has already told him that he isn't putting a while boar head in the living room.  My son says otherwise.   

  I love to hunt wild boar, but a wild boar head is a pretty ugly piece of taxidermy. He needs to get him a big whitetail buck or a ringtail pheasant or something for the living room.

I wasn't aware any of those hunting lodges were still around. There used to be two there between Clarkrange and Monterey (neither were named Bridgecreek; I'm assuming it's one of the two that has changed names), as well as one in Allardt and one in Jamestown. All catered to wild hog hunters, while a couple also offered red stag and stuff like that.

There's a wingshooting preserve in the area, too (between Oneida and Allardt) called Sawbriar at the Big South Fork. Pheasant, quail, etc. Real first class operation.

[101stDad]

I love to hunt wild boar, but a wild boar head is a pretty ugly piece of taxidermy. He needs to get him a big whitetail buck or a ringtail pheasant or something for the living room.

I wasn't aware any of those hunting lodges were still around. There used to be two there between Clarkrange and Monterey (neither were named Bridgecreek; I'm assuming it's one of the two that has changed names), as well as one in Allardt and one in Jamestown. All catered to wild hog hunters, while a couple also offered red stag and stuff like that.

There's a wingshooting preserve in the area, too (between Oneida and Allardt) called Sawbriar at the Big South Fork. Pheasant, quail, etc. Real first class operation.

This is their website: 

http://www.bridgecreektrophyhunts.com/index.html

[EmerilVOL]

Sorry I can't answer your questions, but you will really enjoy seeing the York historical sites.  Be sure you go to the general store first and see the video.  It will help with your understanding of what you see when you go in to the house. 

It's neat that SGT York's son is the park ranger and his office is located inside the home.  He will give you a lot of info that you don't normally get when visiting historical sites - first hand information that others just wouldn't know. 

Also be sure to check out the burial site.  You can see a lot of the area from the cemetery, including the "yeller doors" that are prominent in the movie. 

And that's another thing - be sure to watch the movie again, even if you have seen it 100 times, shortly before going.  It will bring things to your mind when you actually see them in person. 

What is funny in the movie is some of the inaccuracies in the locales that the details of would only be known to someone that has been there.  The Train Station in Crossville is actually at 1950 feet rather than 1150.  (Just off by 800 feet) 

[Creek Walker]

What is funny in the movie is some of the inaccuracies in the locales that the details of would only be known to someone that has been there.  The Train Station in Crossville is actually at 1950 feet rather than 1150.  (Just off by 800 feet) 

It's a very accurate movie overall, though. I've always been impressed by just how accurate the actors were with the local dialect.

[EmerilVOL]

It's a very accurate movie overall, though. I've always been impressed by just how accurate the actors were with the local dialect.

Overall the movie was very well done, it was just funny to me that the movie company would miss that so glaringly when the sign right outside the train station on Crossville says 1950 FT.  I always laugh when I see that.  Overall the storry is very accurate from all the history bookos I have read concerning Alvin York (I am an amateur history buff)

[midtnvol]

My grandfather on my mothers side was in the same Batallion (I think that's the large group) as Sgt. York during the Battle of the Argonne Forest. He didn't know him until after their return to the states. Pete (my granddad), Mamma (my grandmother) and my Aunt Carol went to Jamestown and had dinner with him and his wife. I wish I had talked to him about that before he passed away. This story was related to me by my aunt just a few months ago.

[murfvol]

Good stuff about York. Despite seeing the movie upteen times and hunting and backpacking in BSF I've never been to Pall Mall. Also, please let me know how the boar hunt goes.

They till up that area something awful, but the most I've ever seen were about 1/2 mile from Charit Creek Lodge on the way to Jake's Place (a serious rattlesnake hotel). We rounded a corner in the trail and bam, the hill was covered with sows and piglets. Fortunately they just grunted and trotted up the hill.

I REALLY want one on the wall to go next to the nice 10-point I got off Divide Road, but my wife thinks that's a horrible idea. BTW, why did the deer population explode everywhere else, but take what seems to be a big hit up there?

[Creek Walker]

Good stuff about York. Despite seeing the movie upteen times and hunting and backpacking in BSF I've never been to Pall Mall. Also, please let me know how the boar hunt goes.

They till up that area something awful, but the most I've ever seen were about 1/2 mile from Charit Creek Lodge on the way to Jake's Place (a serious rattlesnake hotel). We rounded a corner in the trail and bam, the hill was covered with sows and piglets. Fortunately they just grunted and trotted up the hill.

I REALLY want one on the wall to go next to the nice 10-point I got off Divide Road, but my wife thinks that's a horrible idea. BTW, why did the deer population explode everywhere else, but take what seems to be a big hit up there?

The terrain/vegetation here just doesn't support deer numbers like you see in Middle/West TN and the East TN valley. With the exception of the mountains of East TN, the northern Cumberland Plateau is probably the poorest deer area in the state. But the deer numbers do seem to have declined in the BSF, and no one really has a good answer as to why. Some of it again is terrain/vegetation, which is poorer (for deer) in and around the gorge than in other areas of the plateau. But there just aren't as many deer there now as there used to be.

There aren't nearly as many wild boar, either, but we know why that was...the NPS contracted trappers and shooters to take them out. There are very few hogs in the park now.

[Tnphil]

The terrain/vegetation here just doesn't support deer numbers like you see in Middle/West TN and the East TN valley. With the exception of the mountains of East TN, the northern Cumberland Plateau is probably the poorest deer area in the state. But the deer numbers do seem to have declined in the BSF, and no one really has a good answer as to why. Some of it again is terrain/vegetation, which is poorer (for deer) in and around the gorge than in other areas of the plateau. But there just aren't as many deer there now as there used to be.

There aren't nearly as many wild boar, either, but we know why that was...the NPS contracted trappers and shooters to take them out. There are very few hogs in the park now.

I've seen more deer here in my area of W. Tn in the last 6 months than I can remember in a long time. They just opened this week a new 2 mile connecter road they build through the woods....really nice 2 mile drive with hills creeks etc...I drove it this morning for the first time and saw no less than 15 deer in that 2 miles....Had to slow down at one point to almost a stop to let 5 cross the road 75 feet in front of me.

I can go within 10 blocks of my house in any direction and see 10-30 every afternoon. Cotton, wheat and corn fields all around me and they come out between 4-6 to feed.

This area I live has all been developed in the last 10-20 years....I had a deer hunter friend of mine tell me that at one time this area I live in had more deer per square mile than any place in Tn. West of the Tennessee river.