Despite not being classified as an abandoned location, something about this area just felt downright hollow, a void known only to the derelict and worn down houses I have encountered in my journeys across these ancient mountains in my native southeastern corner of Tennessee. Something was missing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was very, very cold up on the mountain that day, yet the frigid air could not snuff out the new lives being born as spring rolled around the corner. The sound of a distant bird's song carried in the chilly wind across what little remains of this once rolling plain that people would flock to long before my time. I envy those who have the recollection of how it used to be. As time passes, the needs of man grow to suit those changes. Sometimes, change can be good. Change can be beneficial to others if it could accomplish the task of making life easier.
And thus, the Cherohala Skyway was born. The Cherohala Skyway connects Tellico Plains(Tennessee) to Robbinsville(North Carolina) and spans some 43 miles through the Unicoi Mountains. Planning and construction began around 1958 and ended in October of 1996. Unfortunately, part of Stratton Meadows was taken out in order to make way for the bridge.
