Ripplin Waters, Smoky Mtn, TN

I was not sure what to expect from Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area.  My last time in the Smoky Mountains was on the south side, just north of Cherokee NC, at Smokemont Campground.  We were meeting our friends, Kevin and Jill and Patrick and Nancy, so we were very much looking forward to that.

Kevin and Jill stayed at the same campground for 2 nights, in one of the cabins.  We met them for dinner and had a great time catching up later on their porch.  Next day we met up with Pat and Nancy at their cabin, which was pretty close to Dollywood.  Their cabin was lovely, high on a hillside though there were other cabins higher up the hill. Not easy to navigate in snow or ice.

Since the day was predicted to be rainy, we decided to go to Dollywood. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was actually lots of fun.  It is a family venue, no alcohol, no silly(offensive) slogans on t-shirts which creates very easy-going venue.  Even the rain did not deter us from having fun: train ride, rollercoasters and southern home cooking.

Next day we ventured into the park. We hiked Cucumber Gap loop, enjoying wonderful trail with wildflowers, rhododendrons, waterfalls and finally a walk along Little River.  Seem that that side of the mountains gets a lot of rains, we saw moss on the trees and the vegetation was diverse.

Once we finished the hike, we continued to Clingmans Dome.  The drive itself had spectacular views of the mountains.  The drop in temperature was noticeable as well as change in trees and plants.

Once there, we were in a cloud, it was drizzling but still climbed to the observation deck.  That climbed was steep 1/2 mile, not sure what was worse, going up or going down (down was worst).  According to NPS, visibility decreased to about 20 miles due to pollution and climate c.  There are other trails accessible from the parking lot, including the AT, and we did see couple of section and through hikers.

The rangers in the Sugarlands Visitor Center were very helpful in helping us select this hike.  If you are visiting the park, do ask them for options that would work best for your abilities.

Visiting Cades Cove the next day was interesting.  It’s a 11 mile one-way loop across a large valley with great scenery and historical buildings.  You can find the history of the area here.

Most memorable moments were Patrick, Nancy and Tom examining the old building, especially the barns and cabins, accessing the construction techniques.  We saw wild turkeys and black bear, but fair warning, it’s very slow going along that road. One day a week, the loop is closed to cars and allows bicycles only.

We had late lunch (or old people’s early dinner) in Gatlinburg both days, really fun time with everyone. Gatlinburg reminds me of New Hope a bit, with restaurants, stores, attractions packed into couple of narrow streets.  Driving through town is brutal but I would recommend it over Pigeon Forge, which feels like very spread out Seaside Boardwalk. I would like to return to the area, there’s so much more to explore.

I am glad that Patrick and Nancy and Kevin and Jill could join us and wish we had more time to spend together, but we will see everyone back in NJ in June.  Now, we are on the road again, Nashville - here we come!