This blog entry has been a long time in coming... it's a couple months overdue. However, I'm determined to share my first 2009 national park adventure with you. I feel a certain sense of accomplishment having started on my goal to visit 5 National Parks this year. Especially since it is now July and New Years Resolutions seem like forever ago.
Easter weekend of this year I went on a group adventure to the Great Smoky Mountains. The excitement started as soon as I and a couple friends stepped out the door. The rain drops coming down were large and fast, so that even with running we all were soaked by the time we got in the car. I drove north to meet a couple more friends who were going to follow me east to our destination. The rain turned to hail, and it was so loud on the car I couldn't hear my phone ring four times. Apparently there was a tornado warning and some of my friends got worried when I didn't answer my phone. We waited out the warning at Sunny B's house (she is a friend I met through Micah and Miss Grey) and then completed our journey to the cabin, without further complications.
Our cabin was in Pigeon Forge, and we arrived in town after dark. The whole strip was lit up, like what I imagine Las Vegas looks like. Go karts here! Boat rides there! Carnival rides and upside-down buildings and multiple 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!' sponsored attractions. Once we turned off the main road it looked more like a normail town and it was pretty peaceful at our rental cabin. The hot tub at the cabin was a favorite feature with our group and Sunny B was especially enamored with it. :)
Saturday was our main time to see the sights and some of us had differing interests. One part of the group joined me for a drive on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (in the national park) that morning. Another part of the group went to the outlet mall. The third part stayed at the cabin for some quiet time and to finish homework. About mid-day we all met up in Gatlinburg for lunch, and then ventured up into the foggy mountains of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I led the way in my car, Micah followed me and then Siah brought up the rear. Some people (not naming any names!) in Micah's car were nervous about how thick the fog was, but we pressed on and came out of the fog on the other side of the mountains. We even saw some elk on the other side! The main road through the park, that we were on, comes out on the other side in Cherokee, North Carolina. I wanted to go the whole distance so I could finally say I've been to North Carolina. We refilled on gas there and bought some ice cream and went back through the park to go back to the cabin.
I am really glad we decided to make it a group trip. We had such a fun time! It also was really reasonable for each person since we split cabin costs between 10 people. part of the reason I had such a good time was due to the act my oldest brother had flown out from WA state to visit for the weekend. We had a good visit, and he got to see a part of the country he has never seen before. I highly recommend that you all visit the Great Smoky Mountains whenever you get a chance... It is really pretty out there!
Here are some of the pics from my trip:
Here are some of the pics from my trip:
