Day 4 - Smoky Mountains Trip - part I

We woke up to...RAIN. 

We're so used to it that we hardly notice. We spend each morning on our balcony drinking coffee and solving our daily puzzles while listening to the faint traffic sounds and bird calls. I usually do some research, and we plan our day while we wait for the teenager to awaken.

When that never happens, we wake her and crack the whip to get moving. 

Today's plan includes driving through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have found several scenic driving routes with pull-outs for parking. My intel assures me we will see endless views of ridges, valleys, mountain streams, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife such as elk, deer, turkeys, wild hogs, and bears. 

Oh, my!

Before we headed out, Steph mentioned that she had some worm-like creatures in her shower. We all went to look. It was like looking at pieces of mulch. That's what I thought I was seeing, and I jabbed at several with my fingers, smashing them in the process. These things were teeny tiny. Irritated at the whole Wyndham shitty unit, I wasn't in the mood for more bad news and snapped. I didn't know what she wanted me to do, which, in hindsight, was ridiculous. 

But Steph took it all in stride, shrugging and saying she thought it was gross. Not that she and Maggie weren't showering. They would wipe them up, shower, and back these things would appear. We sort of left it there and headed out.

Cades Cove, which my research showed had some of the best and easiest hiking trails, was closed on Wednesdays for bikes only. Which would have been a fun excursion if it wasn't raining. Someday, I might (and I say that with trepidation) might wander back through this national park to do and see the things I didn't get to on this trip. 

Steph drove. I navigated, meaning I read signs and offered encouragement. We pretty much just drove, ending up on the Upper Tremont scenic drive that wound through tree-shaded areas with incredible mountain views. Or we think they were majestic. It was hard to tell through the thick fog. The rain came and went as it had all week, but we hopped out every time Steph pulled over, rain be damned.

I took tons of pictures of the green foliage because I COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE GREEN! 

Maggie was in charge of the music, and her soundtracks were spot-on each day, befitting the weather and the scenery. As we climbed, the weather cooled. When it wasn't raining, I opened my window to smell the fresh earth and listen to nature's sounds. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest protected land east of the Rocky Mountains and is the most visited American national park. Straddling the ridgeline of the Smoky Mountains and parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are 5000,000 acres of wilderness with 95% of it forest. The Appalachian Trail runs through its center. 

It is the most biologically diverse park in the entire National Park system, with 19,000 species of plants and animals and another 100,000 yet to be identified. A quarter of the forest comprises old growth with hundreds of year-old trees, including beech, birch, and maple, and there are 78 historic structures.

I did not quiz these guys after giving them this information. Hmm...my kids will be disappointed with that.

We got out multiple times. The signs said we needed a park pass, but Steph wasn't concerned.

Steph: "Have you seen any rangers?"

Once, we walked into the forest, following a trail we came upon, and then we turned around and went back. I took a lot of photos. 

We also happened upon this information.

Steph: "Fifty yards?"

Me: "Still want to see a bear?"

Steph: "I do!"

We drove on, winding over the mountain roads, pulling over when we saw stuff we wanted to see up close, or pulling over to let others pass us. The only wildlife we saw were turkeys. A lot of turkeys.

At some point, I decided we had left Tennessee behind, and when I casually mentioned this, Steph thought I was crazy. I told her to keep driving and if we ended up in North Carolina, we could just get on the interstate and drive back.

Steph: "Is there an interstate?"

Me: "There is always an interstate."

We eventually came upon the Oconaluftee Visitors Center, and we pulled over to use the restrooms. When we came out, we walked to a large map where a man stood.

Me: "Hi. Do you know where we are?"

Him: "The Smoky Mountains."

Me: (refraining from calling him a smartass) "No, I mean, what state are we in?"

Him: "Oh, North Carolina."

Okay, well, that wasn't the plan, but we went with it, driving into Cherokee. It was much smaller than I remember from my 2004 trip to Fontana Lake, and we hung out only briefly, stopping at a tourist trap. It didn't take long to discover the fastest route back was the way we came, and Steph, with some mild grumbling about my lack of navigating skills, turned the car around, and we got to view the park from the other side.

Out of the park and back on the strip, the rain picked up. Steph stopped at a massive blue building called KnifeWorks that billed itself as the largest knife store ever. She was thinking kitchen ware. We got more hunting ware. 

The 108,000 square foot, three-story showroom was crazy full of weapons--knives, guns, tasers, and swords. I won't lie--my skin crawled the entire time we were in there. I was as alert to the surroundings and the people in it as the handful of gun-toting security guards in each room. 

But that wasn't all they sold. They also had clothing, shoes, hats, tools, sporting goods, gemstones, jewelry, and every touristy crap piece you could ever want. I inquired where we could find kitchen knives and was directed downstairs to the kitchen section. That included dishes, pots and pans, utensils, spices, drinks, and food. In one corner, there was seating around a small stage where three automated animals played instruments and sang. Kim and I were highly entertained there while Maggie shopped. I even made Kim get up and square dance, and we drew a small crowd who clapped for us.

The highlight of visiting this store was we saw a couple of bears. My kind of bears.

Oh, and Dolly Parton.

Exhausted, we headed back to the resort to relax before going to the Wyndham Mystery Night at the clubhouse that I insisted we attend.

Don’t you love foreshadowing?