Our VRBO was in a small community called Wears Valley in the Smokey Mountains.
I was up early enough the morning of Saturday October 4th to watch the sunrise.
Haze over the valley (view from the porch of the VRBO)
The sun peeking over the mountain.
Later we venture to the Smokey Mountains State Park.
I'm not sure what it is about seeing a road like this but I find it intriguing. Of course there are lots of curves on these mountain roads!
We stop at one of the pull off places to look at the view. We meet these young ladies. Jan engaged them in conversation. We learned this is a "show dog". He is called a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I never heard of such. I looked it up!
Wildflowers along the road.
The leaves are beginning to change but we were about 2 - 3 weeks too early for fall color. We knew that. We have another trip scheduled the first week of November and we really didn't want the two trips to be close together. Our man focus was to spend time with our friends.
We go to Kuwohi (formerly called Clingman's Dome). There is a half mile hike to the observation tower which is at the highest point in the Smokey Mountains where you can see over 100 miles in a panoramic view of 7 steps. Doyle bailed. I thought I was up for it so I go on. This was the longest half mile I ever walked! It was up hill all the way! I stop several times to catch my breath! Around each corner I kept thinking I would be there. There were beautiful views all during the climb.
I get to what I think is the top when I see that I haven't reached my destination just yet! I still have to go up the tower!
There were lots of people up there!
Almost there!
Click here to watch a little over a minute video of the panoramic view from the observation point.
At 34 seconds is a black couple I met walking up the trail. They had been married 30 years. Every 2 years they come here to hike up to observation point. We cheered each other on to make it to the top! What I didn't know was their daughters were at the top ahead of them. One of their daughters took this photo of me.
West view
South view
It was breathtaking!
It was also easier going down than it was goin up!
That evening we grilled dinner on the deck of the VRBO and watched the moon rise.
We did not see a bear. I had hoped to. Bears had been sighted previously at this VRBO but it didn't when when we were there.
On Sunday we head back to the Denharders.
Have a good one!
At 34 seconds is a black couple I met walking up the trail. They had been married 30 years. Every 2 years they come here to hike up to observation point. We cheered each other on to make it to the top! What I didn't know was their daughters were at the top ahead of them. One of their daughters took this photo of me.
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