Luke Caverns

Oh, you got to go there tomorrow. Where's that? It's in western North Carolina in Appalachia. I grew up going to Nantahala every year. My parents live in Nantahala now. And it's a beautiful, completely magical place. And it was part of what inspired this like explorer, you know, kind of thing in me. When you're there, even as a kid, I knew that this was an ancient place.

It turns out, as an adult, when I start researching it, it's this pocket of green, I mean solid, dark green rainforest. In the U.S., we have three rainforests. We have Hawaii, we have Oregon, and we have the Nantahala rainforest that most people don't know about. It's this pocket in the middle of these mountains that has looked exactly the same since before the Ice Age.

It turns out, as an adult, when I start researching it, it's this pocket of green, I mean solid, dark green rainforest. In the U.S., we have three rainforests. We have Hawaii, we have Oregon, and we have the Nantahala rainforest that most people don't know about. It's this pocket in the middle of these mountains that has looked exactly the same since before the Ice Age.

It turns out, as an adult, when I start researching it, it's this pocket of green, I mean solid, dark green rainforest. In the U.S., we have three rainforests. We have Hawaii, we have Oregon, and we have the Nantahala rainforest that most people don't know about. It's this pocket in the middle of these mountains that has looked exactly the same since before the Ice Age.

It's one of the oldest places in North America. Wow. And it's just an incredibly magical, old, ancient place. And I'm just, like, drawn back there. But anyways, yeah, you should go check that out.

It's one of the oldest places in North America. Wow. And it's just an incredibly magical, old, ancient place. And I'm just, like, drawn back there. But anyways, yeah, you should go check that out.

It's one of the oldest places in North America. Wow. And it's just an incredibly magical, old, ancient place. And I'm just, like, drawn back there. But anyways, yeah, you should go check that out.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Well, so my wife is, so she's like from South Carolina and she came to Texas when she was younger and then we met in college. And my family, when we first moved to the States, like my family moved to North Carolina in like 1694 or something crazy like that. And so we have some roots up there. Have you ever been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee? No.

Yeah, yeah. Well, so my wife is, so she's like from South Carolina and she came to Texas when she was younger and then we met in college. And my family, when we first moved to the States, like my family moved to North Carolina in like 1694 or something crazy like that. And so we have some roots up there. Have you ever been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee? No.

Yeah, yeah. Well, so my wife is, so she's like from South Carolina and she came to Texas when she was younger and then we met in college. And my family, when we first moved to the States, like my family moved to North Carolina in like 1694 or something crazy like that. And so we have some roots up there. Have you ever been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee? No.

So the first name of Gatlinburg was Reagan Town. And so that was where my family were one of the founders of that town. There's an old hotel there called Reagan Motel. So my family's originally from there. And then they moved down to Texas and started cattle rustling in the late 1890s. Um, but I don't know, just drawn back up there. I always love vacationing there.

So the first name of Gatlinburg was Reagan Town. And so that was where my family were one of the founders of that town. There's an old hotel there called Reagan Motel. So my family's originally from there. And then they moved down to Texas and started cattle rustling in the late 1890s. Um, but I don't know, just drawn back up there. I always love vacationing there.

So the first name of Gatlinburg was Reagan Town. And so that was where my family were one of the founders of that town. There's an old hotel there called Reagan Motel. So my family's originally from there. And then they moved down to Texas and started cattle rustling in the late 1890s. Um, but I don't know, just drawn back up there. I always love vacationing there.

And so my wife and I are like in the middle of moving right now. And so, uh, two days ago we packed up these two U-Hauls, drove them to East Texas to my in-laws. And then we drove to Austin last night, got a hotel doing this. Tonight we drive back to East Texas and then tomorrow we drive to North Carolina. Wow. Yeah. So what is the history in terms of like human occupation in that area? Yeah.

And so my wife and I are like in the middle of moving right now. And so, uh, two days ago we packed up these two U-Hauls, drove them to East Texas to my in-laws. And then we drove to Austin last night, got a hotel doing this. Tonight we drive back to East Texas and then tomorrow we drive to North Carolina. Wow. Yeah. So what is the history in terms of like human occupation in that area? Yeah.

And so my wife and I are like in the middle of moving right now. And so, uh, two days ago we packed up these two U-Hauls, drove them to East Texas to my in-laws. And then we drove to Austin last night, got a hotel doing this. Tonight we drive back to East Texas and then tomorrow we drive to North Carolina. Wow. Yeah. So what is the history in terms of like human occupation in that area? Yeah.

Man, the people sprouted out of the ground. Yeah, it's that old, man. That's something I'm really looking forward to getting into. And I'm kind of excited in a way to get out of Texas because it's hard to study Native American history in Texas because you've got to travel so far and everything's so arid.