After having spent so much time in the Rockies and Sierras, the lush green rolling Smokies are a big change from what we’re used to. I didn’t realize there was a rainy season, but we must be in it! The afternoon showers are more reminiscent of Costa Rica, and the massive amounts of ivy crawling up the trees looks more like the Hoh Rain Forest than what I would expect from North Carolina. Color me educated now.
Smoky Mountain National Park is covered with trails, all with varying skill levels from “afternoon stroll” to “what the ?”. We enjoy the trails somewhere in the middle – difficult enough to deserve an extra beer in the evening, but not so tough that we’re crying for mommy on the way up.
Since I’m transitioning the site from blog to photoblog, I’m going to keep this one short and drop in photo highlights. I’m also going to skip looking up and dropping in links to the locations, you can look them up on Wikipedia if you want 🙂
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Road to Nowhere
A government promise of a road that was never completed
Clingman’s Dome
Sometimes you get a great view, sometimes you get clouded in like we did
Chimney Tops
Photoset
It’s a strenuous but short hike, with plenty of great views
Deep Creek
Tubing Central! Short, easy hikes with some so-so waterfalls.
Nantahala National Forest
Pickens Nose, Albert Mountain Fire Tower, Bartram Trail
