Our day started with Dortha and I attending the local Weight Watchers meeting. I'm off to a good start, showing a modest loss for the week. While we were at the meeting, Jim and Mark headed to the local pancake restaurant to take advantage of the absence of the WW ladies!
We packed up our point-friendly WW lunch in the cooler and piled into Mark & Dortha's jeep for the day trip to Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains. The weather was perfect, and the traffic wasn't too awful, even though we're in this area at peak season.
Cades Cove is an 11 mile loop through an area of the Smokeys that provides visitors with a glimpse of how life was for settlers in the early 1800's. There are several churches, homesteads and the mill area that have been preserved for us to see.
At one point on our journey, we got stuck behind a line of cars. At first we thought a car might have gone off the side of the road, but as we inched our way forward, we caught a glimpse of the hold-up - a black bear several yards off the road in the forest. Some people had stopped, gotten out of their car, and were trying to get pictures!
The trees are just beginning to try on their fall colors of red, orange and yellow:
The stream is peaceful and cool:
Pretty clear for the Smokies:
The mill is actually working:
The cantilever barn:
We went to the picnic area after our Cades Cove tour and had a delicious lunch before heading through Gatlinburg on our way back to the rv park.
After a short break at home to walk and feed the dogs and relax a few minutes, we decided to go to Applebees for dinner. Mark needed to find a new coffee pot, since his bit the dust. After dinner, we headed to an outlet mall and found a kitchen shop where he got his new coffee maker. Jim spied a Ben & Jerry's ice cream store, so dessert was frozen yogurt.
An incredible, beautiful day! During the night, the wind started up, and by this morning we started getting rain showers. The forecast calls for steady rain this afternoon, so we'll be doing inside activities today.
6 comments:
You got to see Cades Cove. It is a beautiful place, including the bears. I enjoyed getting to see it again through your eyes. Nice!!
Love you, Karon
You are close to some of my old stomping grounds. I use to build houses in that part of the country. The East coast was my territory and I spent a lot of time on the road up in the Smokeys. This time of year it is beautiful. How I wish I could be there with you to enjoy some of that scenery. Thanks for taking Sherri and I along on this trip. We have enjoyed it so much and can't wait for our next adventure with you two.
Joe and Sherri
The Cable mill was owned by my ancstors...my Cables were the first settlers in Cades Cove. I hope you got to see the little church and the cemetery.
Jeny
You're SOOOO close to us, yet so far away. We're still not getting gas down this way and scared to travel far. You're about 4 -4 1/2 hrs away. Thanks for the info about what to see the next time we're in the area.
I have been following your blog for a while now and I have enjoyed seeing and reading about parts of the country that I haven't been to before. I am glad to see you headed to my part of the world (North Carolina). It is really a pretty time of year in the mountains. My husband and I hope to become full timers one day. I have taken many RV family vacations with my parents all over the country and loved every minute. Anyway, hope you enjoy the your visit to the area.
So glad you went to Cades Cove - we thoroughly enjoyed our visit there last October. It's a great time of year to be in TN. Safe travels!
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