Cades Cove I spent the first part of today once again in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Cades Cove is a small valley surrounded by mountains. Before the park was established, it was the site of a small farming community. It is often called the prettiest part of any park east of the Mississippi River, which is high praise indeed. Visitors now see it on a looping road, which is nearly as popular as the one over Newman Gap. Before seeing the cove, one must reach it. These days, that requires following a narrow road along a stream. The stream is very pretty, shaded by pines and covered in moss. The road is pretty slow. This is just the appetizer for what lies ahead. The road leaves the stream and climbs a rise, and a
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