When the Department of the Interior was putting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park together in the 1930s and 40s, it acquired vast tracts of land from Swain County, North Carolina. Part of this tract of land included Highway 288, which connected Bryson City with Deals Gap. The players in this drama are The Aluminum Company of America, who had been building dams in the area to provide power to their plants nearby in Tennessee the Tennessee Valley Authority, who was concerned about the effects of flooding along the Little Tennessee River and the United States Department of the Interior, the Big Daddy of the Park Service. So, why is there this random road that literally goes nowhere? The answer lies some 50 years ago in the mountains. If you go to Bryson City and follow Everett Street out of town, it will dead end eight miles out in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. My reward was a day trip into North Carolina the following day. This time around, Mom wanted to go to a quilt show and did not want to go alone. Will I walk around a quilt show with my beloved mother for a nearly-free-for-me trip to Tennessee? Absolutely! I’m visiting Gatlinburg for the second time this year – already more than I’ve been in the last few years. And remember that gentle breeze? Its turned into a downright cold wind. Devoid of sunlight, the center of the tunnel swallows any light – including the flashlight on my iPhone that seems so bright when I’m looking for a dropped earring. I didn’t think there was much to the tunnel, until I was in its belly. A short walk up a slight incline will take you to the deceptively-long tunnel. A gentle breeze tickles your arms and makes you grateful for the sun’s warm rays beaming on your scalp. Not many birds are out yet, so the only sounds you hear are leaves underfoot and, of course, my breathing. Its late March, around 60 degrees and sunny. Scene: Another tranquil place in the Smokies. Not that I seek out controversy for the sake of it but it does make for a more interesting plot. I don’t remember ever actually running around the newsroom screaming, “If it BLEEDS, it LEADS!!!” but knowing me, its entirely within the realm of possibility. Or maybe it isn’t really a coincidence, its just a throw back to my days of being a newsie. In a complete coincidence, I’m bringing you another tale of controversy in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s history. Residents of the state fought with the Federal Government until 2010 to receive compensation for the unfinished road. Popularly called “The Road to Nowhere,” North Carolina Highway 228 construction was halted in the 1970s due to environmental concerns.