Cruisin With The Cuddies: Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountains

We were fortunate to spend some of September and most of October in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. Our first stop was in Pigeon Forge, where we stayed at a charming campground called Up the Creek on a babbling brook. We arrived around Labor Day, and the effects of Covid were very evident. I am sure that Labor Day is normally a very busy time in Pigeon Forge. We did not walk around the town, but we drove thru the town many times. Many places were closed, and the businesses that were open were pretty empty. It was sad to see. Not being crowded is a plus for us, but not under these circumstances. I would say that the Smoky Mountains did not lose crowds because of Covid however, the hotels looked empty, but the campgrounds were full. The scenery is beautiful. We truly enjoyed walking the many trails, looking for wild life. The waterfalls and vistas were amazing.

We especially enjoyed the elks that gathered near the Cherokee entrance to Smokies National Park. It was a wonderful experience, we spent many twilight hours visiting with the Elks.

Next, we stayed in the campground in Cherokee for the month of October. It was a small campground, just one row in and out. There was a railroad bordering the campground, which occasionally gave us some entertainment when a historic train took a trip past the campground. It was fun to watch. I took these 4 photos from around the same spot during our trip. The bottom right was the first photo, the bottom left the last. We came to watch the leaves change, and we weren't disappointed.

Biltmore Estate in Ashville

You are able to get a beautiful view from Clingmans Dome. I have to admit, the walk up the hill, and than up the ramp were very challenging, but we persevered, and it was worth the effort.

If you look really close, you can see the elk on the other side of the river. they were very active during this visit. Very fun to watch, just don't get too close. They chased after a couple of people. They didn't hurt them, but I'll bet they scared them. After all, wild animals are unpredictable, and these animals antlers could do some damage.

Some of the many moose at their favorite gathering spot near Cherokee NC. They gather at dusk. There were dozens of them. Very interesting to watch.

We also spent a day at Grandfather Mountain. This is a beautiful park. Wonderful views. We even got this cute shot of Dave standing on the sign where Tom Hanks filmed one of his running sequences in Forrest Gump.

We did bravely walk across the mile high bridge at Grandfather Mountain. I will say it was a little scary, but after the Grand Canyon, it was nothing to be concerned about, at least it has hand rails.