http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Tennessee , Great Smoky Mountains Parkway en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:21:03 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:21:03 UTC First off it's been a long time since the last blog and it's not really Cody's fault but he's going to get blamed anyway. So be it I apologize. Second this will be the last blog since the trip is now over and has been for a month.We had a beautiful drive through Tennessee ending up in Pigeon Forge. We stayed at a hotel room SOOO nice and left early the next morning after our FREE panc http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-340126.html The smoky mountains are absolutely gorgeous and of course with it being Autumn all the leaves have started to change colour and are falling off the trees. I took some pics but they just didn't do the scenery justice so check out the video attached. I spent a day hiking through the National Park which was fantastic and free. I couldn't believe they didn't have park entrance fees. I saw Elk in their http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-339488.html Fredricksburg has become somewhat of a tourist attraction due to the number of Civil War battles fought both in the town and in the surrounding countryside. Over 100 000 Americans died in the immediate area surrounding Fredricksburg through the Civil War. As a bit of a Civil War nerd it was time to inflict some revenge on Fiona for all those pointless hours spent standing outside of a changing r http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-334006.html We wake up to find that we just happen to be a hopskip jump from the Great Smokey Mountains. So we go...... Trevor had heard about the bear attack here a month ago right before we left on our trip and he's not a big fan of heights so he wasn't thrilled. We came in through the Tenn side and had to pass all the tourist stuff. I've never been here before and was very suprised to find just how http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-326807.html Hi allJust thought I'd add an update with some pictures from a recent hike to Spence Field and Rocky Top. The weather here is finally getting a bit more liveable in the upper 70's to low 80's with humidity finally getting a bit lower. The hike was beautiful hope you like the pictures. Starla http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-325662.html Drove from Boone NC to the Great Smoky Mountains and stayed at Elkmont Campground. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-308652.html My wife and I walked up the Laurel FallsCove Mountain trail. This starts at the Fighting Creek Gap don't you just love these names parking lot goes a little more than a mile to Laurel Falls then 3 more miles up to the crest where the trail intersects the Cove Mountain Trail.The route is four miles up and four miles back. We covered it in four hours.The bottom section is like a shopping mall. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-306445.html Hello againAfter about 500 miles of driving mostly Jim driving and me sleeping and four states Maryland West Virginia Virginia and Tennessee we arrived in the beautiful Smoky Mountains for 3 nights and three whole days of hiking and camping bliss. Day One We arrived at Pigeon Forge a nightmare It's a gaudy city surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. It's a redneck wannabee Las Vegas http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-298538.html Tennessee is very green at this time of the year as opposed to the still leafless New Jersey and Virginia. Plus it's a beautiful long State to get throughIt was lovely to camp at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and wonder around cycling trying to spot bears not yet this time finding hidden gems in the woods such as flowers butterflies and a small waterfall...The van is coping well w http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-269403.html I had a few hours to kill after leaving the Biltmore so decided to drive to the Smoky Mountain National Park since it was so close and see a little of it. Did not have a lot of time so mainly stuck to the road. Stopped at the observations points along the way for some photos and headed back shortly after crossing the state line sign halfway through the Park. Unfortunately the Park wasn't as gr http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-268329.html I will be home tomorrow on Christmas eve which finally ends my road trip back to the east coast. I couldn't end the trip without driving past the Great Smoky Mountains and of course make a day visit to Dollywood. I heart Dolly Parton. When ever she speaks she warms my heart. Something about her voice and her laughing squeal makes me giddy. I only rode two of the rides because many of the ro http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-229790.html Day 115 Obfuscator writes We packed up our small camp in outside Chattanooga and started heading north. Incidentally as a note that probably only one person reading this might get we were actually camped by Hixon TN where I noticed that we passed a Zaxby's restaurant but as we had already eaten enough for the day we did not stop there. We were on our way north on 75 heading ultimately http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-229177.html Dear Mountain Lovers Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park is another true gem in our national park system. It is so lovely basked in layers of blue hues with trees everywhere which are barren of leaves. It is not crowded at this time of year and we drove all the way to the top of Clingmans Dome then hiked uphill .5 mile to the observation tower at 6643'. There you are rewarded with a 360 degree p http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-223868.html Dear Blog Dudes Dudettes Well we are on the move again and this time it is south. From Albany NY we headed into Eastern Pennsylvania to Lickdale...cheap food clean restrooms and Christmas lights decorations everywhere...and this was just in the campground...oh yes and rain. Off to the tip of Maryland and a midstate stop at Flatwood West Virginia. We stayed on scenic byways and vi http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-223607.html Aprs le dpart de la petite famille JeanPhilippe est rest quelques jours supplmentaires avec nous. Nous sommes partis en weekend dans les Smoky Mountains dans le Tennessee. Nous y avons fait de longues promenades parmi les couleurs d'automne avons vu des animaux pas d'ours pourtant ce n'est pas faute d'avoir cherch On a profit de l'excuse des promenades pour se farcir des petits dj http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-218749.html Our hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokey Mountains. 70 Miles from end to end we spent 6 days and 5 nights on the trail from October 23rd through October 28th 2007. After climbing to elevation on the first and second day about 500 ft to 4500 6000 ft most of the trip was spent above 5000 ft including Clingman's Dome highest peak on the AT and 3rd highest in the Appalac http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-215580.html Hey Everyone I hope all is well with everyone I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures from our recent trip down to Tennessee and North Carolina for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park On our way down we crossed the Mason Dixon line and entered into our first taste of southern living. It was quite the expereince to say the least. It almost left like we had entered into another c http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-215414.html Another early start to day two of my trip. I started out at 6am so that I could reach the mountains early it was another beautiful day temperatures in the 70's. I got some great shot's in and around the area. I passed through Georgia North Carolina Tennessee I'm in Virginia now. I'll see what I can see out here and show you what I find tomorrow.Remember you can click on the images to make th http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-203951.html 17th 18th August 2007 Karthik and I have been in Nashville since 2004 me from 2002 but this is the first time my aunt and her family from CA visited us. We were very excited and looked forward to this trip a lot. My aunt and uncle their kids and my maternal grandmother came on the 16th. Their trip is divided into three blogs local Nashville stops and the Smoky Mountains Rafting at Ocoee an http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-201669.html The smoky mountains offer so much in lodging from hotels motels BB cabin rentals chalets and great camping I perfer to see the smokies by camping and there are some truly great campgrounds avaliable that sit right along side the rushing streams This makes for great sleeping as the rushing waters help you drift queitly off to sleep . The water is crystal clear for most of the year http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-189528.html This photo was taken in June of 2007 and shows the rewards i recieved when i finally reached the end of a 2 12 mile hike up the mountain trail in Cades Cove . This is one of many great falls that can be seen in the smokies The trail is a moderate hike but not suitable for young children unless you are good at piggy backing lol The trail on the way up produced many deer crossings and black b http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-189495.html Camped in the Shennendoah National Park and had deer walking through our campsite. Tried camping in the Blue Ridge but it couldn't accomodate our Winnebago.Off to the Smokey Mountains. Cades Cove. Saw more black bears than deer. Beautiful country. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-95624.html