Great Smoky Mountains, Pt. 2

With that up-close bear sighting checked off our list on the first leg of our Smoky Mountains trip, we were off to see more scenic views of the mountains.  But first, we had to make a stop at the iconic Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign.  Somewhere in my archives, I have a picture of the 4 of us in front of this sign, only Emma was still in someone's arms. What a difference a few years can make!  OK, a decade - but who's counting?

As we began our ascent, it was neat to watch the sun peak out from behind the clouds.  Many years ago, on our trip to Hawaii, our family started using an app called the Gypsy Guide.  It's like having your own personal travel guide with you in your car!  It tells you fun history, as well as pull-off stops to make (and skip) so you can have the best experience in your travels.  The mountain formation above (something about a ladder) was a fun one to check out.  We also enjoyed checking out the Rockefeller Memorial and finding out the history of the Rockefeller's part in making the Smoky Mountains become a National Park.

Traveling to the Smoky Mountains was a different experience for me when I was younger.  As a kid, we mostly stuck to Pigeon Forge and went shopping and did lots of fun things kids enjoy.  And while we certainly made sure Emma got to drive go-karts, mine for jewels, and even try a private family escape room, that wasn't our only stop.  After spending extra time in the mountains, I see the Smoky Mountains through a different lens (pun intended).  I definitely now understand how those clouds are constantly lingering over the mountains like smoke, giving the mountains their namesake.

With my asthma and T1D, walks and hikes are definitely a slow and steady journey, just like at home.  We traveled our way up to Clingman's Dome and I'm so grateful for a crew that goes my speed and is patient with me, even though they would be up and back before I can make it to the top.  I did enjoy this adventure, being able to touch the clouds once we made it to the spiral.

 And Emma was definitely down for scaling the rocks at the bottom while I rested!

Our journey to the bottom gave a few more opportunities to pull off and enjoy the sights.  The top one was our view during our picnic lunch out of the Jeep.  Of course, it looks a little more glorious here without the drop off and parking curb to remind you that you're still on a mountainside, but it was glorious nonetheless.

Before we said goodbye to the Smokies, we took one last stop alongside the water's edge and I made sure to hop out and grab a final shot of one of the tunnels carved into the side of the mountain - which is always a sight to be hold.  I hope you enjoyed seeing our travels as much as we did taking them!!!

Until next time,

Great Smoky Mountains, Pt 1

In the summer of 2024, our family decided last-minute to head towards Hilton Head, SC, for our last hurrah of the summer.  But wait - you say - didn't that title just say The Great Smoky Mountains?  Yep, just stick with me.

Like many of our family vacations, there weren't any solid plans set for the trip until a few days prior.  Unfortunately, the biggest part of that trip - the weather - was the one thing we didn't bother to learn much about, and the thing that mattered the most.  So, after a very full day of driving, what was clearly a serious storm met us on our last leg into town.  It was only then that we realized Hurricane Debbie was being forecasted to hit the exact area where we were staying.  We watched the local news casts, which seemed uncertain of the outcome, and decided the next morning that we would head to the beach and reevaluate after lunch.  When we returned & showered after the beach, our rental had a terrible water leak from the bathroom to the lower level, and the weather updates became clearer that staying would certainly put us at risk of being flooded where we were staying.  So we let our rental company know of the leak and our leaving, and in less than an hour, we packed everything back into bags, packed up the car, and headed west - destination unknown.

As we drove, we decided that since Emma was very young the last time we went to the Smoky Mountains, we would journey there.  What a trip!!  After two straight days of driving (the first to South Carolina and the next day to Tennessee), we were exhausted!  We took our first day just to relax a little and explore different parts of the area before we decided to try the Sky View for the late afternoon and evening.

Even though my childhood vacations were spent in the Smoky Mountains and Gatlinburg, and my family had visited the Smoky Mountains the summer after Emma was born, we had never been on the SkyView over Gatlinburg.  Attractions like this are perfect for us; we can be outdoors and not be surrounded by tons of people, while simultaneously enjoying a beautiful view of the area!   My photographer's heart was so full!

While there, we spent some sweet time wandering and exploring different spaces.  Jason and Emma headed across the walking bridge with a large glass section in the middle, while I got my fill by going just halfway and back.  We also got to enjoy some amazing views of the Smoky Mountains - fully understanding the smokiness that surrounded all those mountains - as well as walking through the paths and climbing the big person tree house!

We polished the evening off with some good old-fashioned ice cream, with plans to drive the actual mountains the next couple of days.

One of my favorite things about being in the woods is seeing the way the sun's rays stream through the leaves - it's so beautiful and reminds me of how amazing all of God's creation is.  It was neat getting to make stops at places like this little historic church and cemetery, too.  It gave us some perspective into the people who once lived on and owned the land that is now a protected National Park.

As we drove on the road, the traffic came to a stop, and people were clearly getting out to take pictures.  Jason suggested I hop out, not knowing what I was getting myself into.  I then found myself on the receiving end of a stern talking to from a park ranger.  I was guided back to a safe space to observe with a group of people watching a large black bear!  I was grateful to have grabbed my long lens on my camera and have the chance to actually take pictures of the bear (and her hidden cub) that were very high in a tree.

If you've never witnessed a wild black bear in action, I'll just share that while it is much larger and faster than I imagined, the one that I saw was also pretty low-key.  With nearly 50 onlookers about 50 yards away, the bear had zero interest in any of us and meandered its way through the grass and up the next tree to forage on leaves and berries.  That space it is wandering in in these photos was the hillside I had just previously tried to hop out of our car and walk up.  😨   I understood the urgency in that ranger's voice.

It was a bit shocking to me to see how fast and high the bears could climb.   In total, during this trip, we saw eight different bears, this being one of the largest and highest up (and the only one I had my camera at the ready and felt safe enough to take pictures of).  We saw two different mamas with babies - this set and one smaller one - as well as 2 individual bears in the alleys of Gatlinburg.  It was a bit surreal to experience them each time, but it was clear that the locals know how to both respect them and protect themselves from harm.

It was a bit surreal to have this experience on the first part of our trip, but it was clear that it would likely become the highlight, at least for some of us - Emma wasn't a fan.  We still had more mountain views to take in, so Part Two will give you the chance to share those with us!

Until next time,