Blogs from Great Smoky Mountains Parkway, Tennessee, United States, North America - page 2

Andrew’s aunt and uncle are arriving later today. Paul drove their Tesla to Knoxville to power up at a super charger station there. Colleen opted to stay at the campsite to help set up for Gene and Carol’s arrival. So, it was just Andrew, the kids, and me. There was one tough trail I wanted to hike: Alum Cave Trail. I didn’t think Paul would be up for such a strenuous hike, so it seemed like the perfect morning for us to hike it. We filled our Cambelbaks and set out for the trailhead. We stopped at Sugarland Visitor’s Center along the way (which is super crowded, by the way! It’s difficult to get a parking spot). The Great Smoky Mountains is unique compared to other national parks that we’ve been to in that it’s free ... read more

Our campsite at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains is absolutely stunning. It sits right on Little River. We strung a hammock on the trees overlooking the river and have been enjoying relaxing to the sound of the little rapids below. The campsites don’t have electricity or running water, although there are bathrooms in each numbered loop that have running, potable water. We take a short hike there to fill up our water bottles and jugs, and it’s nice to be able to use real restrooms instead of an outhouse. Unfortunately, there are no heated showers. For Christmas, my siblings got me a solar shower I’d asked for. It seems to work well. There’s not a lot of direct sun at our campsite (something I’m grateful for), but our solar shower still reached 92 degrees after ... read more

October 1, 2014 (Wednesday) (Double click on a picture to enlarge it) I set my alarm for 6:30 this morning because I wanted to get an early start. I was headed to Cades Cove in the national park. I had been told if you went either early in the morning or late in the evening you would see more wildlife. The drive there is beautiful and there are a lot of places to stop. The road follows a creek just about the whole way. Cades Cove was an old settlement that existed before the national park was established. I toured some of the old buildings and churches that had been preserved. The Methodist and Baptist church had old cemeteries beside them. The families in the cemeteries were families that settled the area. There were old graves ... read more

Cades Cove An hour east of Knoxville, Tennessee on the quiet side of the Smoky Mountains, an 11 mile, one lane, one-way loop circles the valley of Cades Cove. All from the comfort of your vehicle, you can watch the valley spread out like an all you can eat buffet steaming across the hood of your car. You can absorb the tranquillity of the passing pine and oak trees with no worry of blisters or mosquito bites, your rear end cupped gently by the soft, plush, leather seats of the vehicle. The most beautiful part about experiencing nature in this way is that you can defy it. In the 90 degree heat accompanied by the 90% humidity in the dead of summer, you can bask in the cool whispering of the AC as it gently kisses ... read more

As Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, we get to sample a little of the park to get a glimpse into why its the most visited National Park in the States. We don't have our own transport, but our friends Jen and John have their car here and Tessa and I get to take a few trips into the park with John while Keith and Jen are at the conference. Its a beautiful area, but unfortunately some of the huge trees there, the Eastern hemlocks, are being attacked by a non-native insect called the woolly adelgid. In the grand views the dead trees stand out across the park. John is into photography too, so our walks with him are at photographers pace, allowing Tessa time to look around for wildlife and photo opportunities. ... read more