Casey's Patch Collection

Hiking Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains

Today, I am sharing my Great Smoky Mountains National Park hiking trail patches. Actually, I have more than the ones shown in this photo. A few years ago, the park updated their hiking trail patches, and now they are larger with even more embroidery detail. I'll post those individually at a later date. And beyond the trail patches, I have 18 more patches acquired in or near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have never been to any other place in the U.S. so many patches available to add to the collection! (Second is Washington, D.C., and third would actually be Plymouth, Massachusetts).

Since before I was born, my family on my father's side has taken an annual trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. I'm proud to say that out of my 25 years here on Earth, I've only missed three or four years. My grandparents bought a time-share condo in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the early 1980s, and since then my parents, my Uncle Bowie, and Uncle Milan each bought one in the same resort --Treetops. And no, it never gets old.

Much of our vacation to the mountains is spent in the national park. We go on picnics at Chimney's camp ground, go swimming in the freezing cold mountain stream, and bicycle the 11-mile Cades Cove loop. And my personal favorite activity is to go on hikes (only partly because of there's often a patch to collect at the end!). Every year, I try to go on at least one hike and am usually accompanied by my sister Carly, my cousins Joseph and Zachary, my Uncle Bowie, and more recently my brother-in-law Hunter. The patches you see below represent hikes ranging from easy to strenuous, paved to bare rock climbing, and waterfalls to amazing scenic views. And if I had the time, I could tell you a story about every single hiking experience; a few even include an interaction with a black bear!

...Ok, I talked myself into it. I'll be brief about each hike, I promise! Starting from the top left to right and working my way down: Park Ranger guided near the entrance to the park; lost my shoes and dad had to carry me; Carly whined the whole time; pretty green path with nice bridges; a really cool cave!; short and easy; fun trip with Carly and Joseph; everybody went to Rainbow!; my Uncle Bowie and I hiked Charlie's Bunion together; dad was almost bitten by a snake; old log homes; very low shoulder on the cliff's edge; CHIMNEY TOPS - the last 1/10 of a mile is straight up a bare rock and so scary! (I've hiked this one four times); my favorite waterfall; great swim hole; I was stung by bees; the easiest hike with a great fall; 11-mile bike ride through the Mountains. Whew!

There are many more hike patches left to acquire, and I hope to eventually have them all! My next goal is to hike the tallest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains -- Mount LeConte. Carly, Hunter, Joseph, Zachary, Uncle Bowie -- any takers?

Dartmouth College (and pit-stop at Robert Frost's Farm)

Last Sunday I ventured into New Hampshire to meet up with my mentor/professor/former supervisor/colleague, whom I first and foremost call my friend. We met in Hanover for a lovely visit and walked around the campus of Dartmouth College.

Before she arrived, I found the nearest university memorabilia store to pick up this patch. It was the only one they had, and to be honest, I had no idea what "Tuck" meant or the significance of 1900. This would typically go against my collection development policy -- the acquisition of a patch that may not be relevant to my experience in a city; however, in this case I argued that my visit with my friend gave the patch symbolic value (Who is James O'Toole?)**, and that superceded its lack of evidential or informational value (Who is T.R. Schellenberg?)**. I later discovered that Tuck is the name of Dartmouth's School of Business, founded in 1900. I'm sure my dad (also a patch collector extraordinaire) is shaking his head right now. 

After my friend and I strolled through campus and toured the marvelous Baker-Berry Library, we had lunch at the Pine Restaurant at Hanover Inn. I had such a wonderful visit with her, and I am so glad that we have continued to stay in each other's lives since I finished school. 

After we parted ways, I began the 2 1/2 hour trip back to Boston. Part of the drive is through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and includes one amazing scenic overlook. Once I got back onto I-93, it was still only 2:30 in the afternoon, so I had a lot more time in the day before I needed to get home. I kept my eyes peeled for brown signs along the highway. New England is so full of history that if you travel more than 20 miles on a highway, you're bound to come upon a historic site. And you know what that means -- PATCHES. 

I was almost to Derry, New Hampshire when I came upon a brown sign that said "Robert Frost Farm." I took the exit. I arrived at the farm and was greeted by a very friendly staff person who told me the last tour of the day had just begun, so I paid my $4 and joined the group. Frost lived at the farm in Derry from 1900-1911, and many of his later poems are attributed to his years spent there. Unfortunately, they didn't have any patches at the farm's gift shop, but I suggested it as an addition to their merchandise. Perhaps when I take my pops there next time, we'll have a patch to collect. 

**For those who do not understand, this is archives speak, specifically archival appraisal theory (although I'm actually partial to archival access theory). To learn more about the SLanguage, read my post about LSU or SListers Geaux toux Chicageaux.

Vulcan Park and Museum

In March, I made a rare trip home to the South, and who would have thought I'd find a patch anywhere inside a 4 hour radius of where I grew up that I did not already have? I actually picked up not one, but two patches in just a matter of a few hours! Pretty awesome if you ask me. I guess I'll give some of the credit to my sister Carly, who now lives in Birmingham, Alabama. On the day we flew in, I had the opportunity to see her new home for the first time, and then she made sure to take me to some of the most significant sites in the city.

Our first stop was Vulcan Park and Museum. Did you know that Birmingham boasts the largest cast-iron statue in the world? Sculpted by Guiseppe Moretti, Vulcan was commissioned by the city of Birmingham to represent the city at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Why a huge cast-iron sculpture of a Roman God, you ask? By the beginning of the 20th century, Birmingham came to be known as the "Magic City," attracting a large number of migrant workers to harness its rich natural resources: iron, coal and limestone. Named for the Roman god of fire and forge, Vulcan signifies the history of Birmingham's iron and coal industry.

Vulcan stands at 56 feet tall on a 124 foot pedestal and weighs 101,200 pounds. You can take an elevator to the top of the pedestal or climb the stairs to get a great view of the city of Birmingham. If you ever visit the park, don't miss the museum center, which has some great exhibits and a very friendly staff. 

Thanks, Carly, for taking me to see this great monument to American industry! (Now that I've given you a shout-out on my blog, maybe you'll start following me?) ;-)

The Liberty Bell

First off, I'd like to thank my mother for finding this patch (and several others) in the back of a closet at her home in Monticello, Mississippi and for her understanding of how much my patch collection means to me -- so much that she would ship them to me in Boston. Thanks, mom!

Several years ago, while still a young student in high school, I took a summer trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with some friends in my hometown church group. We departed the Hattiesburg, Mississippi AmTrak station on July 2 on what turned out to be a 38 hour train ride to the City of Brotherly Love (the train broke down in the middle of the night). One of our first stops was Philadelphia Museum of Art, and although at the time I had never seen the movie Rocky, I made sure to run up the steps -- arms high above my head -- just as he did in the film. Now that I'm older and more wise, I'm glad that my naive younger self took part in such a sacred cultural tradition. ;-)

On Independence Day, I visited none other than Independence National Historical Park -- Independence Hall -- where in 1776, 56 delegates from the colonies declared our independence from Great Britain. I got to see the Liberty Bell, the national symbol which has only recently become so historically extraordinary to me, particularly its significance to the abolitionist movement.

Originally hung in 1751 on the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania's first constitution, the Liberty Bell became a symbol of the abolitionist movement in 1837. It wasn't even called the "Liberty Bell" until William Lloyd Garrison published an anti-slavery poem in his newspaper The Liberator, in which the poem's author referred to the Pennsylvania State House bell as the Liberty Bell. Eventually, its inscription "Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" became a symbol for the abolitionists' goal to free all Americans from enslavement.

In 1839, the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society began publishing an annual gift book titled The Liberty Bell, containing anti-slavery poems, short stories and songs written by abolitionists including Lydia Maria Child, Lucretia Mott, William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Russell Lowell. While working as an intern at the State Library of Massachusetts, I had the opportunity to see and read many of these for myself. Here's a link to my State Library blog post about The Liberty Bell gift book: http://mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2012/07/liberty-bell.html.

I hope to visit Philly again soon and visit all of these significant historical sites again. I'll definitely appreciate them more the second time around.