Smoky Mountain National Park

We had to wait for a contractor to show up this morning to look at some work to be done at the house in the mountains where we are staying.   So we got a later start, 10am, to go to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.    Even though the location was not that far, because of the narrow, winding mountain road through the park it took us two and a half hours.  So we did not get to the Cove until around 1pm along with so many other people.   A line of cars to drive around the one way loop along the cove.   Which took us another couple of hours with stops along the way.  

Cades Cove is a valley that is actually in Tennessee.  It was a farming community way back in the early settlements.  There are many old buildings still standing, log cabins, churches, barns, a grist mill and wood homes.  The area has a waterfall that is a five mile hike but we knew we would not have time for that.  But we did do some shorter hikes as this photo shows.   This path is the view coming back out from one of the log cabin walks.    I wish the trees had been full of leaves.  
 

We kept going all day with only some snack food for lunch and water so we stopped in Cherokee on the way home for a really good hamburger.  And cake...homemade strawberry rhubarb cake and carrot cake.  It was too much cake for us so we have leftovers for another day.

In the extra is the cabin that the main photo trail leads to, a church from 1827,  and a blue ridge mountain photo.  

Perfect weather today!   Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer with lots of sunshine.    We might walk to a waterfall that is closer to the house instead of driving so much!

We will sleep well tonight!