Q. I love the television show Christy that aired on Thursdays, and am now reading the book. The story takes place in Cutter Gap, Tenn. I would love to go and visit. Could you please give me some information about this area? – Allison B., Delray Beach

A. Would you rather see the place where “Christy” really lived, or the place where the nostalgic television series is being filmed? Maybe you’d like to see a musical version of Christy in an outdoor theater.

All these are available in the same section of eastern Tennessee.

What’s left of the real mission where young Christy came to teach school in the early 1900s is near Del Rio, more of a postal ZIP code than a town, located in Cocke County, near the North Carolina border between Asheville, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn.

“Find Newport, Tenn., on the map and then look southeast along the old Asheville road (Route 25/70), and there’s Del Rio,” said Camille Carter, who has lived in the area for 20 years but still calls herself “an appreciative newcomer.”

To make it easier to find, Anna Wild at the Newport/Cocke County Chamber of Commerce will mail a detailed county map; send $1 to the chamber at 433B Prospect Ave., Newport, Tenn. 37821, 1-615-623-7201.

“Del Rio was the place where Christy got off the train from Asheville,” Carter said. “The boarding house where she stayed before she went out to the mission is now the home of the postmaster.”

There’s not much left of the town, Carter said. Signs are being readied, pointing the way to Christy sites, including the mission, about four miles from the post office. In this area, once called Cutter’s Gap, several original buildings remain, and some cabins are occupied. Mr. and Mrs. Larry Myers own three acres of the mission property and often greet visitors seeking Christy.

CBS site seekers went a couple of counties southwest and chose a private farm in Blount County near Townsend, on the Foothills Parkway that runs along the western edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“It’s pretty there,” said Agnes Gorham, director of the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council, whose territory includes both counties.

“But somehow [CBS cameramen) have made it look even more beautiful.”

Debbie Batson of the Smoky Mountains Visitors Bureau in Townsend said the chosen site “is in a valley, and looks like the place described by Catherine Marshall (author of Christy).

“Marshall’s book is a biographical novel about the early life of her mother, Lenora Woods. Woods came to the mission to teach in 1912, where she met and married a Presbyterian pastor.

“The CBS production team liked the looks of the place and its accessibility,” Batson said. The film crew is in and out, filming several episodes for the 1994-95 season at a time. “There will be a two-hour movie on CBS at Thanksgiving,” she said, and “they were to film a total of 13 episodes this time. Of course, we all hope these 13 create a demand for more.”

The set is not open to the public, she said, but it’s hoped that visits will be possible between filming later on.

Meanwhile, Townsend’s amphitheater, former site of a Passion Play, is offering Christy, The Musical as an outdoor production through Oct. 29, Mondays through Saturdays. For reservations and information, call the box office at 1-615-448-0215.

For information about the area, contact the Smoky Mountains Visitors Bureau at 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Townsend, Tenn. 37882.

This is beautiful country, and visitors shouldn’t miss exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, next door to Townsend. The site of the original mission near Del Rio is near enough so both could easily be included in one trip. Also in the area are the busy resort towns at the north end of the national park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.

Throughout October Dollywood, the theme park in Pigeon Forge co-owned by Dolly Parton, has a craft fair that attracts top artisans from throughout the mountain area.

And if you go in October, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the Tennessee Fall Homecoming Oct. 6 through 9 at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, 10 miles north of Knoxville. This wonderful re-creation of a pioneer mountain community is open all year, but homecoming is special, with dozens of musicians and writers converging to entertain and discuss their works, and down-home food prepared and sold. For details, write to John Rice Irwin, founder and director, Museum of Appalachia, P.O. Box 0318, Norris, Tenn. 37828.

Q. I recently had a wonderful experience renting an RV for a long weekend with my 5-year-old. It was a great way to travel with a child.

I am planning a three-week trip to the Four Corners region of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The problem is that I would like to fly out west and then rent an RV, but I can’t imagine how I’d manage to bring along all the equipment to outfit the RV.

Do you know of any companies that rent RVs fully outfitted with dishes, pots and pans, TV, linens etc.? Also, is there any directory of campgrounds that are connected to car rental agencies? I would like occasionally to have the flexibility to rent a car for local excursions from the campground after we are hooked up. – Jane K., Boca Raton

A. I found two rental companies with locations nationwide, including the area you want to visit, that will sell you linens, dishes, pots and pans, packaged in kits; neither rent these items. To talk it over with reservationists, call Go Vacations America, 1-800-929-0432, or Cruise America Motorhome Rental and Sales, 1-800-327-7799. Go Vacations quoted about $50 to buy a kitchen kit, and around $20 for a linen “bundle,” including towels and sheets for one bed.

Sounds to me as you’d be better off cramming a couple of old sheets and towels into your luggage, picking up a few plates, silverware and pans at a thrift shop once you get there, and trying life without television.

Rand McNally and AAA, among others, have good campground directories. I’d advise you to buy one or borrow one from a camper friend, pick the campgrounds that look best for the Four Corners area, then phone them to see if car rental agencies are available nearby.

Jean Allen welcomes questions about travel. Send them to Advice and Dissent, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301-2293. Personal replies are not possible.