Our Gatlinburg Adventure (COMPLETE!) *** Conclusion added 10-07-06 *** About This Page:

[lauren-roxy]

Sounds like a really fun evening, once you left the restaurant!! What great deals you got too!! Can't wait for more!!

[luvnwdwgal]

Sounds like you all had an enjoyable evening even though the restaurant wasn't up to par. Keep it coming! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[christiejay]

Day 4 - Monday, July 3

Just like yesterday, we moved a little slowly in the morning, as you can see from this picture:



But we soon had our breakfast, got our things ready, and were leaving the resort. For the second day in a row, we left about 20 minutes later than I had originally planned, but I was hoping that we'd get just as much done today as we did yesterday. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] Jay had decided before we left home that today we would drive out to Cades Cove first thing and walk the Abrams Falls Trail. It's a pretty demanding trail for a preschooler - 2 ½ miles one way, with a few hills thrown in too. But we had never been, and really wanted to check it out. We figured that since this was the only trail planned for today that we could manage it.

The traffic was not bad at all on the way out to Cades Cove. We stopped at the Cades Cove campground and picnic area so I could use the restroom - you never know how long it will take you to drive around the loop road to the next one. And, as usual, once we were on that 11-mile, one-lane, one-way loop road, traffic came to a few standstills as people spotted either a bear or some deer. I had thought that we might make fairly good time since we weren't stopping at any of the churches along the loop road, but it was not to be. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] Obviously a lot of people had got here early for the specific purpose of looking for animals. Toward the back of the loop there was a tremendous traffic jam because people had parked on both sides of the road to watch the deer eating in the fields. Several people were even going up to the deer. We stopped long enough to get a good picture of the deer, then kept driving.

Coming up on the back of the loop road, I did want to make one stop before we went on our trail. On both of our previous trips we have stopped at all the churches and homesites in Cades Cove except one - the Elijah Oliver homeplace. It is set off the road maybe a quarter-mile or maybe a little further, I can't remember. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] By the time we would make it to this point in the loop we were always in such a hurry to get to the restroom up ahead that we didn't want to take the time for this walk. So today I suggested that we go. Of course, now that we were ready to do so, the trail was closed. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] There was a sign nailed up on the fence saying it was closed due to unsafe conditions. Even the parking area had been blocked off. I was wondering what could have closed the trail - the sign looked like it had been there for quite some time. Well, it would just have to wait until our next trip. We kept going to the Abrams Falls parking lot as planned. Except that, when we arrived at the turn for the parking lot, it was closed too! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] They had it blocked with traffic barrels and orange tape. Well, isn't this a great start to our morning! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

So, two stops planned, two trail closures. Not sounding good. Well, that left us with some options of course, that's why I put so much stuff on our itineraries for each day. First we stopped at the Cades Cove Visitor Center. I looked around in the gift shop and found a few things to buy: A Clingman's Dome trail patch for Joshua, a First Day of Issue National Park stamp issued at St. Louis on Feb. 24, 2006, a book called The Cades Cove Story, and a booklet for the Tremont Logging auto tour. While checking out, I asked if they knew anything about when the Abrams Falls Trail might reopen. They said they thought they were getting ready to open it pretty soon. I asked if it's normally closed in the mornings, and they said no. We were planning on coming back this way later in the week, so I decided maybe we could just do the trail on another day.

We headed out of the parking lot to continue our loop, and Jay was wondering what we would do. I told him not to worry, I had other plans! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Just a short drive from the Visitor Center was the Cades Cove Nature Trail, another one of those 3/4-mile loops that are fairly easy. First we had a snack in the truck, then Jay took our picture by the trail sign:



This trail was fairly easy, although there was a little bit of a hill it seemed to be a gradual ascent. This trail has a brochure that asks you to pretend you are a homesteader just arriving in the Cove. You must go into the woods to find the things that your family will need for survival. So all along the trail you stop at different trees and learn (by reading the brochure) what their wood can be used for. It was very interesting. We were almost back to the parking lot when we saw a doe and fawn go across the trail just down the hill from us. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] Jay was walking in front and he suddenly stopped and told us to be quiet, and all I could think was that he had spotted a bear! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] It was just a deer, and I was sorry that I didn't have my camera ready to get a picture, as we saw them for only a moment and then they were gone.

After the trail we continued driving out of Cades Cove, at a snail's pace. I don't know why some people want to drive so slow when they can see they are holding up traffic behind them, especially when there are plenty of places to pull over and let people pass you. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] Anyway, we spotted a few more deer on our drive out and felt much better when we were able to get back on the main road. During this time we had pretty much decided not to come back for the Abrams Falls Trail later in the week. What if we drove all this way and it was closed again? So while in this section of the park, I suggested that we go ahead and stop at Tremont. Unfortunately we missed the turn and had to turn around at the exit to Tremont. That road was jam-packed with people tubing the river - wow! at the crowd. Reading my Park Road Guide book, I let Jay know that we had about a 2-mile drive to the Institute Building. This is an area where groups can come for studies - kind of like a camp to learn about the park and take part in experiments and fun activities. Soon we arrived and went inside to use the restroom and look at the small gift shop.



I didn't see anything I really wanted to buy in the gift shop, but I had another purpose in coming in here. I had looked through my Mom's Smoky Mountains Waterfalls book before we left home, and I knew that there was a trail here that led to a waterfall, and that they had rated the trail as moderate. And outside the door there was a sign that showed how to get to the trail from this building. However, it did not mention the length of the trail, so I asked the cashier. She told me that it was 2 miles roundtrip, and we decided that we should have time to get there and back before lunch. We looked at the sign once more to make sure of which direction to take, and started out on a true adventure. I guess I should note that I didn't have any information about this trail in my trail book, as for some reason it isn't an "official" trail. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] I guess it is just maintained by Institute staff, or perhaps even Institute participants. Anyway, we needn't have worried about finding the right trail because we passed several signs at the beginning of the trail that pointed the way to the waterfall.

Up next: How much further to the waterfall?

[DrDolphin]

Great update!!

[Meggera]

Being a homesteader sounds like fun! More please...

[lauren-roxy]

Another wonderful update Christie!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update! Sorry some of the trails were closed [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[christiejay]

This trail (to Spruce Flats Falls) was a little steep in the beginning, and pretty rough throughout. Every once in a while you would have a fairly level part, but most of it was:



Additionally, you had to watch your step where the trail had eroded and logs had been placed on the edge of the trail, but they weren't much of a boundary:



I would guess about halfway through the trail you find yourself rounding a bend and you are on the sunny side of the mountain:



After some looking at a good map later, we realized that the water we kept hearing that we thought was the waterfall was actually just the river roaring over the rocks below us. We kept hearing the water and thought that we must be getting close, but then we would have to walk some more. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] There was one place where we had to cross a small stream on some pretty slippery rocks. And we walked and walked some more. I was worried about Joshua losing his footing every time we had some rocks to climb over, but he did great. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] Every once in a while Jay or I had to pick him up to help him get past a rough spot (literally rough), but for the most part he did it all under his own power. At one point he asked me if he could get a trail patch once we finished, and I had to sadly explain to him that this trail didn't have a patch. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] He had been so excited about seeing the other patches, he was really getting into it.

Finally we approached the waterfall, with one more set of rocks to climb down:



And I must say at least it was very worth the walk to get here:


Spruce Flats Falls


Joshua and I sat down and rested on one of the large rocks by the water


Jay felt like he could climb a bit more and took this one of us from above


The upper part of the falls


A close-up shot of the water


Jay went up beside the falls for this picture


A smaller section of the falls off to the side


The base of the falls

We spent a good while here resting and watching other people wade in the water, even climb on the rocks, which you're not supposed to do because it's not safe. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] But at least nobody fell and got hurt. After Jay took pictures for a while we headed back on the trail. Right after starting back, Jay discovered this gecko on a log:



The walk back seemed a little easier, I think it's always that way. We were almost back and Joshua wanted to show me something on a tree beside the trail, when suddenly he slipped and fell. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] At least it was on leaves and he just got a little scrape on his arm. I had been watching him so close the whole trail, and this portion didn't appear to be that dangerous, but I guess he just lost his balance. As I mentioned, we were almost at the end of trail so it was alright. I don't think I could or would have continued if that had happened at the beginning of the hike. Coming back into the camp area we missed the switchback that we came in on and consequently ended up behind a different building with a little bit longer walk back to the truck, but we soon realized our mistake and could clearly tell where we were, so it all worked out okay.

Arriving back at the visitor center, I cleaned Joshua with a wet paper towel in the restroom and we drove on up the road. Past the Institute building the road becomes gravel, and this is where you begin the auto tour that I had bought the Tremont Logging History booklet for, back at Cades Cove. This road is 3 miles long and as you drive you read about (what else) the history of logging here at Tremont, before the establishment of the National Park. The booklet is nice because it has drawings in it to help you understand all the machinery they are talking about. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] We noticed all along the road which followed the river that people had pulled over to fish and picnic. Jay asked if we could just eat along the river like they were doing, but I suggested that we drive on to the end of the road first.

Once at the end of the road, you are in a parking area which serves as trailhead parking. We found a spot for the truck, and I walked toward the river to see if there was a good spot to picnic. I quickly found a good spot and went back to tell Jay. We had brought our camp chairs so we grabbed them, along with our food, and walked over. Oh, I forgot to mention that Joshua had fallen asleep during the short drive, so I had to wake him up first. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] Jay and I sat in the camp chairs, and Jay spread out the chair carrying bag on a boulder for Joshua to sit on. It was very peaceful, as we were far enough from the parking lot to not be disturbed by people coming and going. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] I'm sorry to report that Jay didn't take any pictures during our picnic, and I'm not able to scan mine - you'll just have to take my word for it that this area was very picturesque. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img]

We picked up everything from our picnic and put our chairs and cooler back in the truck, then walked over to the trail area. This is the townsite of Tremont, circa 1927. The very back of the Logging booklet has a rough map of what the town looked like.


The Middle Prong of Little River which went right through the town and also provided power for a school, machine shop, store, hotel, doctor's office, and several homes.


Me and Joshua crossing the bridge

Here there are two trails to hike, but we just looked around, trying to imagine what all the buildings looked like. The booklet has a drawing of the hotel, and it looked very impressive for that time. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] The booklet asked if you could spot evidence of the coal storage area, but I looked and couldn't find anything. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] After looking around a bit longer we headed back to the truck and drove back to the main road.

Next up: Finally, Dinosaurs!

[Colexis Mom]

What great pictures of the waterfall Christie [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] Sorry Joshua slipped [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Thank goodness he wasn't injured too bad!

More please [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Christie!! Sorry about Joshua's fall, he is such a little trooper!!! Beautiful pictures of the waterfall!! Can't wait for more!!

[GoofyMom]

That is such a pretty waterfall! I'm glad you made the effort to get to it!

[Meggera]

That waterfall was definitely worth the hike. The pictures are beautiful!

[christiejay]

We had decided to be different and drive back through Townsend instead of Gatlinburg, so we turned that direction and there were still lots of people tubing the river! We made our way through town, coming into Pigeon Forge at Light #3. We decided since Joshua had already gotten a (very) short nap, to go ahead and visit the Dinosaur Walk Museum this afternoon. We arrived there shortly and presented our discount vouchers at the counter. Both of the clerks were busy putting out new stock in the gift shop and it took a while for either of them to help us [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] , but we were soon inside. I was disappointed in the setup - it was all in just one big room, I guess I was expecting several rooms to walk through. But on the plus side, the exhibits were first-class. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] There were lots of dinosaurs to see, plus a few interactive features such as computers and videos. However, we probably wouldn't spend the money to visit here again, and definitely not if we had to pay full price for admission.


Joshua at the base of the T-Rex (notice how appropriately he dressed himself today [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] )


Scaphognathus


Velociraptor


Another view of the T-Rex


Another display (can't remember the name)


The fossil dig - Joshua enjoyed this!


Display showing a life-size T-Rex head

We browsed through the gift shop after looking at the exhibits, and Joshua found a dinosaur that he wanted - I knew he would! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] It was about maybe a foot tall or a little less, but they wanted $25 for it! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] I told him that was too much and he would need to pick a smaller one. So after a few minutes he found a Styracosaurus that was only about 3 inches high, maybe 5 inches long. The price? $8!!! But that was better than $25, and he hadn't had a souvenir yet, so it was alright.

We had planned to visit the aquarium tonight, but what would today be without another change of plans? [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] We were going to cook out tomorrow for the 4th, but when Jay found that there was only one grill for the whole building to share, he decided that it might be better to cook out tonight instead. Problem? He forgot to bring charcoal and lighter fluid! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] So while we were on this end of Pigeon Forge, we drove into Sevierville to make a stop at Wal-Mart. This is something that shouldn't be done unless it's absolutely necessary, as this place was packed! Joshua and I stayed in the truck while Jay went in to get what he needed. Oh, and I also suggested that he get us another bag of trail mix. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/facelick.gif[/img] We both liked it so much I knew the one bag I had brought wouldn't last long. We waited quite a while for him to make it back to the truck, then an even longer while to get out of the parking lot. When we came in at the traffic light, we saw that the traffic coming out of the parking lot was very congested, so we thought it would be easier to get back on the road from the other end of the parking lot. It would have been easier, if there hadn't been a 3-way stop sign for the store across from us. So it took another while, but finally we got back on the road.

Coming back into Pigeon Forge, I asked Jay if he wanted to try a different route through town that I had noticed on the map. He agreed, and we turned left at Light #2, which is Teaster Lane. This road curves around and runs parallel to the Parkway, but with nowhere near the amount of traffic. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] We did fine until we came up on Dollywood Lane, and ran into traffic from people exiting Dollywood and getting on this road. Added to that was the fact that the road was curving and heading back to the Parkway (Light #8), but you had to be in the left lane to turn left, which we needed to do. We found that out too late so it took a while for us to get over. So next time we take this shortcut, we'll head back to the Parkway a little sooner, probably at Light #7, by the Old Mill area.

We made it back to the resort, and Jay got the meat ready and went to put the charcoal on the grill to heat up. Another problem presented itself: what would we light the charcoal with? There were no matches in our unit. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Think for a minute ... Boy Scouts to the rescue! In the truck was a box of emergency-type stuff for the road, including Jay's old Boy Scout first aid kit, which contained a small waterproof packet of matches. What's the Boy Scout motto? All together now, "Be Prepared!" [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Once he went to cook the meat, I started getting the beans and potatoes ready. Just canned beans that I added brown sugar and BBQ sauce to, nothing fancy. And not baked potatoes, but boxed instant potatoes - the Wal-Mart brand of these is surprisingly tasty, and also reheats nicely. Soon Jay came back with the meat and we fixed our burgers and had a nice meal.


Joshua in front of the fireplace in the living room


A close-up of the sunset from our patio


Flowers near our patio

We decided not to get back out tonight, although Jay was considering going to the July 4th parade tonight. Gatlinburg has its parade at 12:01 am on the 4th (that's midnight) for two reasons: first of all, the streets are way too congested to have a parade in the daytime, and secondly they have the distinction of having the first July 4th parade in the country each year! The front desk had left a message on our phone to tell everyone that the park-and-ride lot for the trolley would be closed tonight as that's where the parade floats were gathering, so we couldn't have made it into town tonight anyway. Plus, I'm sure all the parking lots in town were full. Jay was considering catching the trolley from the front of the resort and taping the parade for us to watch, as I told him there was no way I wanted to stay out that late. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img] But as the night wore on, he changed his mind and decided not to go after all. So Joshua was able to get his bath early tonight. The fireworks were at 10:30, so we went out on the patio to look for them. Alas, because we had been moved to the first floor, we were unable to see them because of the trees across from our building. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] If we had been left in our original location on the fourth floor I'm sure we would have had a great view. I asked Jay if we could go up the elevator and see them better. But since he had gone up there to take pictures our first night, he knew that there was nowhere up there that was open that faced toward town. So we just went inside and went to bed!

Next up: Day 5 - A HOT Independence Day

[lauren-roxy]

Great update Christie!!! The dinosaurs look very cool!! Sorry you weren't able to see the fireworks. Can't wait to read about your Fourth!!

[Colexis Mom]

What cool dinosaurs [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] Great pictures too! More please [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]