It was warm and sunny so the kiddo and I took a road trip to Cherokee.
The once bustling stretch of land between Maggie Valley to Cherokee is not very lively. When I was a kid, there was Frontier Land and Ghost Town to draw familes into the area, and once you were in the area, you were bound to eat, shop for souvenirs and so on, supporting many tourist-oriented businesses. Frontier Land closed in the mid 1980s. Ghost Town closed, reopened and closed again. Restaurants have closed, gift shoppes have closed, go kart tracks and arcades have closed. It’s sad.
I’ve fantasized many times about a lottery win so large that I could revitalize the area into a glorious, bustling family destination once more. Yeah, I know the casino is now the big draw in that area, but that’s not for the whole family. I’m talking about something for the whole family! Come back, Ghost Town and Frontier Land: we miss you.