The John Messer Barn is a historic structure within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Located along the Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier valley, it was constructed in 1875 by Pinkney Whaley. The Whaleys later sold their farm to John H. Messer, who was married to Pinkney’s cousin, Lucy. In the 1930s, the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, which constructed the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Cabin nearby, leased the barn from the National Park Service. The barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and is the last surviving structure from the pre-park Greenbrier Cove community. This barn should not be confused with the Messer Barn in Cataloochee, which was built by John’s cousin, Will Messer.

The Messer Barn is a type of double-cantilever barn unique to East Tennessee, and rarely found outside Sevier, Blount, and Cocke counties. The barn is one story with a hayloft, and measures 25 feet (7.6 m) by 45 feet (14 m). The gabled roof, as with all double-cantilevers, has considerable overhang, allowing livestock shelter in inclement weather. Unlike the reconstructed double-cantilever barn at the Tipton Place in Cades Cove, the Messer Barn’s overhang is supported by poles along the outer edge.

The barn’s foundation is dry field stone, and is higher on one end to compensate for the hillslope. The barn interior consists of two pens, each divided into two stalls, with a “drive-through” in the middle. While the barn walls are built of wooden boards, the pens are built of hewn logs. The barn’s hayloft consists of poles set on two-foot centers.

Photo Gallery: Smoky Mountains

Along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail stands the Alfred Reagan Place and the Reagan Mill. The Reagan mill is a standard tub mill, with a flume redirecting water from Roaring Fork to power a tub-wheel turbine. The turbine turns a grindstone which breaks down corn and wheat into cornmeal and flour. Reagan’s mill was well-designed and well-positioned. It is said that when other mills lacked sufficient water power due to low water levels, Reagan’s mill would continue to operate.

Last week during our anniversary vacation, my wife and I decided to hike to Grotto Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Grotto Falls is on the Trillium Gap Trail off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It is the only waterfall in the park that a person can actually walk behind. The 25-foot high waterfall offers a cool, shady, moist retreat for summer hikers and provides an ideal habitat for salamanders as well.

Related link: Hiking in the Smokys – Grotto Falls

Today’s photo is of the Ballet Olympia Sculptures and fountain cascade at SunTrust Plaza on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA.

A pair of bronze naked dancers carefree tossing ribbons as they look skywards up to the SunTrust building. Conceived and designed by John Portman, this group, Ballet Olympia was adapted from Paul Manship’s three foot bronze figure, Maenad (1953), as a tribute to this renowned American sculptor.

Today’s photo is of the CNN Center and downtown Atlanta from Centennial Olympic Park on a beautiful October afternoon.

Today’s photo is of the Coca-Cola “Magnificent 5″ display at the World of Coke in Atlanta, GA.  The shot reflects another display across the room from the M5 display.

In 2005, the best graphic artists from around the world were invited to express their vision of Coca-Cola as part of the “M5″ project.

Leading design firms from five continents created a unique graphic look to represent the positive, optimistic spirit of the brand. Using an innovative new aluminum Coke bottle as a canvas, the exuberant designs have ultraviolet inks that glow in the dark – a prefect feature for the trendy clubs where these sleek bottles are served.

Here are a couple of new, interesting web sites I found over the weekend.

My Personal Health Record
http://www.myphr.com/
Keeping your own personal health record (PHR) allows you to provide doctors with valuable information that can help improve the quality of care you receive. A PHR can help reduce or eliminate duplicate tests and allow you to receive faster, safer treatment and care in an emergency. In short, a PHR helps you play a more active role in yours and your loved ones’ healthcare.

See Your Hotel
http://www.seeyourhotel.com/
SeeYourHotel.com is a new website designed to let you make your accommodations with ease, whether you are traveling for business or pleasure. Using the power and ease of Google Maps technology, you can now find a hotel, then view actual pictures of the rooms and facilities, compare with other hotels nearby and then make your reservations all from one convenient site. SeeYourHotel.com eliminates all of these problems and hassles by letting you see EXACTLY where your hotel is located on a map in relation to major attractions, business centers and other locations in your travel city. Pick the neighborhood and location that makes your travel the most comfortable and the easiest!

Almost two centuries ago, the Mill began serving the communities of Sevier County, Tennessee from the banks of The Little Pigeon River, providing much needed meal and flour to the early settlers there. It still does. Originally, Pigeon Forge was named for the passenger pigeons that frequented the area when it was settled in the late 1790’s.

In 1820, Isaac Love established an iron forge as the community’s first business. The name Pigeon Forge is a combination of the iron forge and the Little Pigeon River. In 1830, Isaac’s son William, dammed up the Little Pigeon and began construction of the first building of what has become the Old Mill. He used 40-ft long, “14×14″ Yellow Poplar logs which are still clearly visible today.

Huge river rocks have served to support the Old Mill during all these years. In the early days the mill was the heart of the community and served as a gathering spot for the villagers. It is still such an attraction today, not only for Pigeon Forge, but also for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park area itself.

Today, The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and just as in the 19th century, it’s still one of the most popular places in the Smokies and one of the most photographed mills in the country.

Source: Old Mill Square History

This Friday’s photo is of Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Laurel Branch and the 80-foot high Laurel Falls are named for mountain laurel, an evergreen shrub which blooms along the trail and near the falls in May.

The Carmichael Inn Cafe and Hunter’s Bakery & Cafe are two great local cafes in Loudon and Sweetwater, respectively.  My wife and have eaten at both on several occasions and love the local diner atmosphere.  If you are ever in the Loudon or Monroe County area and want something other than a chain restaurant meal, I highly recommend either of these cafes.

The Carmichael Inn Cafe is located in the historic, restored Carmichael Inn.  Restaurant Chef Gregory Gross has developed an amazing menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and now offers burgers, pasta, and plenty of daily specials.  The Carmichael Inn is a two-story log structure, circa 1810, that was once a stopping place for stagecoaches en route from Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga.  Built by John Hudson Carmichael (1780–1840) as his family residence, the home also was a welcome stop for many travelers who stayed as boarders.  The Carmichaels ran a ferry and stagecoach operation, and travelers were ferried across the nearby river to spend the night at the Carmichael home and then to continue their journey by the next stagecoach.

Jack and Maria Cox opened the doors of Hunter’s in October 2002 after renovating the Scruggs Building in the heart of Sweetwater’s Antiques District.  The building was built in 1914 and played host to many businesses over the years.  After about six months of renovations, which included removing partitions and a dropped ceiling, the couple chose a classic forest green and maroon pain scheme to compliment the hunting themed decor.  Hunter’s Cafe offers both lunch and dinner menus consisting of steak, seafood, soup and salads, along with a delicious menu of baked goods, including cakes and pies, rolls and croissants, Danishes and breads, wedding and party cakes, pastries, cookies and more.  They even have low fat and diet items.