Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, Tennessee

I always try to take advantage of a road trip to visit a historic location. We have loved visiting forts on the coast and when I looked up the town where we were headed for a wedding, I looked up points of interest in the area. I came across Fort Watauga at the Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area. The visitor center hosts a gift shop, a museum and the fort is built by the Watauga River. It is a reconstruction of the original one. There is a one mile loop trail that follows the river as well as an arboretum, a butterfly garden and an amphitheater where they would usually hold a drama in July.

The Fort

The park is located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Settlers started leasing land from the Cherokee in 1772. The Transylvannia Purchase then happened in 1775 )which was a really large land purchase) and divided the Cherokee with the decision. During the American Revolution, the British started providing guns and ammunition the Cherokee which led the settlers to believe that peace would not last.

An attack took place at Fort Watauga.and people from the surrounding area took shelter in the fort. It is a very small fort and it became very crowded. The fort was successfully defended.

In 1780 another battle took place in the area this time with the settlers defending themselves against the British army.

A young lady was there sharing information about the clothing worn at that time but since we were on a time schedule, we only asked a couple questions before moving on,

I love seeing how things were built in those days. The cabins always remind me of children’s lincoln logs.

The River

The walk along the river was a lot of fun as the water was really clear and the weather chilly but sunny. My husband of course had to try to walk on some downed trees and be a little bit of a dare devil.

We enjoyed the running water and there were a few spots with little white rapids. This park would be wonderful when it is warmer as you could get your feet wet.

There is something peaceful about water whether it be a river, stream, lake or ocean.

The Museum

The museum was very well done with wax figures depicting the different parts of the battle with the Cherokee as well as a 15 min movie which kept the boys attention as it was a reinactment of the events.

This section depicts the women throwing boiling water down to prevent the Cherokee from burning up the fort.

I am always saddened about how our country started. I shared our visit to the town of Cherokee last July and the museum there which was very informative. Greed really is the root of so much evil and death! It sure seems that every century has its dose of wars, conflicts and disease and I sure wonder how much could be prevented if we weren’t so greedy!

Hope you enjoyed this little visit to Tennessee! Anything that takes us outdoors and teaches us a little is a win in my book!

A bientôt!

Please take a minute to subscribe to the blog to receive an email letting you know when a new post goes live. I usually post Monday, Wednesday and Friday but sometimes have a bonus post during the week. You can also follow me on instagram @chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

I link up with these fabulous blog link ups!