Great Smoky Mountains
Day 1:
Today we left at 5:45 AM. When we were in Pennsylvania we saw some Amish people in a horse and buggy. We arrived at a KOA at 4:00 PM. After we got unpacked Katie and Allison went in the pool. At the playground we went on the merry-go-round. There were rabbits everywhere. They were all different colors and some were mixed. Allison was able to get within less than a foot to one and feed it. After that we went to the waterfall. It wasn't too big but, it was still nice.
Day 2:
Today we have to leave f or Aunt Mary's house. While Mom and Dad were packing Allie, Katie, and David went to the playground. We spun on the merry-go-round and balanced on the see-saw for 10 minutes and 35 seconds. We left the KOA at 9:45 AM. We arrived at Aunt Mary's house at 10:30 PM. We set up the camper in her driveway and had dinner. After dinner we hung out and talked.
Day 3:
After we woke up we saw that the Easter Bunny had come and visited us. After we opened our candy we had some of Uncle Mickey's pancakes. We had some trouble getting the camper hitched because the hitch on the car was too high for the camper even after it was raised all the way. But, we managed to roll the camper on to some wood and were able to hitch it up. We finally left around 10:00 AM. We arrived at the campground at 3:30 PM. Our site, number 11, was really nice. It was big and it was right on Indian Creek. After we got unpacked we went to the little playground. After dinner we walked around the campground. We found the laundry room in a wooden shed. We roasted marshmallows over the fire, which was right next to the river. It was nice going to sleep listening to the sound of the river flowing down the mountain.
Day 4:
Today after breakfast we first went to Mingo Falls. The walk was .2 miles. Most of the way up was stairs. When we got to the top all we saw was a little waterfall over some rocks. But, after we got on the footbridge, right around the corner was Mingo Falls. The falls were beautiful. They're about 100 feet tall. There was a couple behind us and we could tell they were a little disappointed from what they saw at first. But, when they went around the corner, their eyes just bugged out. Our next stop was the visitor center. There was a small old village there and we walked around that fro a while. Then, we found out that Cades Cove was open so we decided to go there. On the way there we saw a view of the mountains. It looked like the mountains were really smoking. It took more than two hours to get there. Cades Cove is an auto tour village. We drove around to the different buildings of the village. We walked half a mile to a cabin named "John Oliver Place". It was open with nothing in it. We then saw some churches. We visited an old mill where we could see the gears inside and how the water turned everything. After seeing some of the other buildings and shops we went to Gatlinburg. We ate dinner at a Pizza Hut. The city is a huge tourist town. It has everything from a Ripley's Believe it or Not to a Space Needle. After our adventure there we drove back to the campground. On the way back we hit some really bad fog. We were right on top of the mountain when it got the worst. It was weird and scary as we were driving down a mountain road when we couldn't see two feet in front of us. W hen we finally got back we took it easy for the rest of the night.
Day 5:
Today after breakfast we headed into town and visited the Museum of the Cherokee Indians. At the beginning they showed us a short movie about the Cherokees. After that we walked through looking at the different exhibits on what they wore and one section was on the Trail of Tears which was very sad. After the museum we stopped for lunch at a KFC. Our next stop was Deep Creek. We walked to the first waterfall which was Tom Branch Falls. It was small and nice. Further down the path was Indian Creek Falls. It was 25 feet tall and beautiful. When we got back to the parking lot Mom, Allison, and David started on the short .8 mile hike to the 90 foot high Juney Whank Falls. The trail is a loop and the best way to start is to go on the trail to the right. The path was rocky and slippery. We were almost crawling on our hand s and knees at some points. When we finally got to the top the view of the falls was beautiful. To get a better look and continue on the loop we crossed a foot bridge made from a log placed across the falls. From the middle we had the best view of the main part of the falls as the water passes under our feet. After we got back Mom and Dad switched places watching Katie and went up with Allison and David. After we picked up some food at the Bryson City IGA we hung out at the campground and played horseshoes. After dinner we tried to make coffee cake in the reflector oven but, it came out mushy.
Day 6:
The first place we went to today was Clingman's Dome. When we were driving there the sun was shining. But the further we got up the foggier it got. The half mile walk up was paved and very steep. The views from the walkway were spec tacular. When we finally made it to the observation tower the clouds were there. It was like a very thick fog. At the top of the tower we could not see a thing it was so foggy. The clouds were so thick we could barely see the ground. We didn't stay there for long. Next, we stopped at Newfound Gap. We took a look at the views and moved on to Chimney Tops Picnic Area for lunch. After our sandwiches we headed for the Alum Cave Bluffs Trail. The whole trail is about 11 miles round trip. So, we decided we try to go part way to the Arch Rock. The walk to Arch Rock followed a river. Three or four times we crossed the river on log bridges. The 1.5 mile walk to the arch was fairly easy. The arch was really neat. After we crossed a log bridge over the river to it, we walked through and up it. We thought that was as far as we were going to go but none of us were tired so we decided to push on. The next part of the trail was a bit more difficult. We walked through streams and climbed up some rocks. Towards the top there were metal ropes along the side of the cliff to hold onto as we walked single file along the mountain. At another point the side of the cliff had water dripping down the sides that we stuck our heads in to cool off. Further down we got our first look at the 100 foot tall Alum Cave Bluffs. Water was dripping down from the top of the cliffs. It looked so cool. I got all dizzy looking up and watching the water fall on my face. We stayed there and rested and looked at the view. This was the halfway point of the trail. It was another 2.8 miles to the top of the mountain where there's a lodge. We were all tired so we decided to head back down. It was fun hanging on to the wires along the cliffs. The views from some of the places on the trail were beautiful. By the time we got to the bottom we were all ready to collapse. The rest of the day we just rested for the trip home tomorrow.
Day 7:
Today we have to leave the Great Smoky Mountains. After we got packed and ready to go we left around 10:00 AM. The drive was boring and there were a lot of cows. We decided around 4:00 PM to stay at Claytor Lake State Park near Dublin, VA. The lake was bigger than we expected. We hung out at the camper the rest of the day. The park was mostly empty and we had to pay on out honor. There was a pipe in the front that we stuck our money in.
A view of the Great Smoky Mountains
Day 8:
Today as we were getting ready the camper wouldn't go down all the way. We kept on putting it up and down again. Then someone from West Virginia helped us put it down. We finally were on the road by a quarter to nine. There was a campground that sounded nice in Lickdale, PA. So, we decided to check it out. One look at it and we decided we would keep on moving. The sites were very small. A KOA was down the road in Jonestown. When we were taking showers there the water pressure was going on and off. It turned out the water was messed up throughout the whole campground.
Day 9:
We left for home today around 10:00 AM. Right after we got on the highway we hit this little bump on the road over a bridge and we heard a loud thud and we smelled smoke. Dad was driving and he pulled over and we all thought it was a flat tire. We found out the whole frame of the camper fell on to the wheels. A few minutes after we pulled over a state police man found us. A truck driver must have radioed him. He called for a flat-bed tow-truck for us. It was about an hour before the tow-truck came. They took us to Fink's garage in the middle of nowhere. He was really nice and sounded very German. We had to drive back home without the camper. Mom and Dad drove back to Pennsylvania the next weekend and picked up the camper. We didn't get home until after 5:00 PM that day.
More Information
Links:
NPS: The Great Smoky Mountains
GORP: The Great Smoky Mountains
Area Parks: The Great Smoky Mountains
Wikipedia: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
bravenet.com
Please leave us a comment!