Great Smoky Mountains in Autumn

We were able to get away to visit the Great Smoky Mountains this past week and meet up with some old friends.  The cabin we rented had an unbelievable view but the park itself was well worth the trip.  I haven’t visited it for years.  Of course, the towns outside the park had grown a bit (A LOT!) but the natural beauty of the park is still impressive. 

As the most visited National Park in the country, it’s amazing how well-maintained it is.  We took a ride through two parts of the park during the week and were able to get out to enjoy the views and visit some historical buildings. I would have loved to just park and paint the scenery but I’m sure our friends wouldn’t appreciate watching me paint for a couple of hours.  Well, maybe next time.

We took the Newfound Gap Road tour first and had a picnic lunch by the river.  Since we had plenty of time, we then drove down to Cades Cove.  That was an adventure.  Although we avoided the weekend crowd of leaf-lookers, we got stuck in a miles-long traffic jam of cars inching forward.  The road is one lane and one way.  There was no indication of what was causing the delay.  People were getting out of their cars and walking past us.  We came to find out that there were supposedly some bears in a tree up ahead.  Although we didn’t see any of those bears, we did see a mama and cub run across the road in front of us before we got to the traffic jam.  There was also a plein air painting event going on, too.  Added to the people who were trying to spot the bears in the tree, it was a little chaotic. 

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a drive and a picnic. 

Although not the oldest national park, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, admission is free and there are plenty of activities for people of all ages.  But I wouldn’t recommend approaching any wild bears.  They’re not pets and they can move very quickly.  As my granddaughter remarked when we told her about the crowds of bear watchers, are you kidding me?!