Goodbye Nashville!
Jonathan took today off of work. And so, we woke up, finished packing everything, loaded the car, and started driving toward Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
We were anticipating a four hour drive to our destination, Clingmans dome. At 6,643 feet Clingmans dome is the highest point in GSMNP and also in Tennessee. So the views were said to be incredible, especially on a clear day. And since the forecast was projecting clear skies today and rain tomorrow, the natural choice was to do it today.
GSMNP Visitor’s Center
Unfortunately, Isaac started throwing up shortly after we entered GSMNP. Fortunately, I had purchased some barf bags. So, a large portion of the puke was contained. Also fortunately, the next turn off we came to was the main visitors’ center. So we pulled in and got Isaac (and his poor blankie) cleaned up as best we could.
And since we were already there, we opted to walk around the visitors center museum and shop for a bit and to get our souvenirs.
Driving through GSMNP
And then we took off for Clingmans dome. And man, what a beautiful drive. The leaves are really starting to come in and so it was just lovely. And there are rivers and streams and small waterfalls all over the place. Basically, heaven. We stopped briefly at a beautiful scenic overlook to enjoy the views and take some pictures.
Up to Clingmans Dome
Eventually we made it up to the trailhead and started on up the trail. It is a pretty short trail up to the overlook: about .6 miles. And it is paved the whole way, but it is a pretty steep climb.
We ended up carrying the twins part of the way.
The Top of the world
Once you get to the top of the mountain, you go up into an observation tower and from there you have an unimpeded 360 degree view of the surrounding area. It is gorgeous!
We stayed up in the tower for about 15 minutes and then headed back down.
Descent
By this point, the temperatures were definitely beginning to drop. So, Jonathan and I contributed our sweatshirts to certain members of the party who had refused jackets and who were getting rather whiny.
The timing of our little hike was amazing. This is, unsurprisingly, a very popular place in the park. But because we got there late in the afternoon, it was much less busy and the light was just buttery.
Gatlinburg
We loaded everyone up in the car and started making our way to Gatlinburg, where our hotel is located. We arrived at about 8 pm. So, Clara and I dropped everyone off and we ran to the grocery store to find some provisions. By the time we had eaten and gotten everyone settled, it was pretty late.
It was an awesome day.
