Posts Tagged ‘Smokies’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Scenic Sunday: Cades Cove

December 18, 2011

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. December 11, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

One of the most popular sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is Cades Cove.  Cades Cove is a valley surrounded by mountains which contains white tail deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and black bears.  To travel the loop road through the cove is somewhat like traveling back in time.

Settlers first came to Cades Cove from Virginia in 1819.  By the 1850’s the population of Cades Cove was 685 people in 137 households, but by 1860 the population had dropped to 269 people.

Cades Cove is the largest open air museum in the entire Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The cove today looks much like it did in the 1800’s and has original pioneer homesteads, barns, businesses, pasture and farmland.

Cades Cove is interesting and beautiful any time of the year.  The picture above was taken on a visit we made last week.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 16 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Mountains and Clouds

November 18, 2011

The view from the Oconaluftee Valley overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

Betsy and I try to get to the Smokies several times a year to enjoy the mountains and the colors.  But the sky is almost always as beautiful as the mountains.  This was the case in mid-October.

We drove Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, into North Carolina.  Once we got into North Carolina we stopped at the Oconaluftee Valley overlook.  There were still clouds left over from the overcast morning,  There was still a smoky appearance to the mountains, but what would you expect when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The view from the Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

By the time we got to the Webb overlook, the sky was much bluer.  The mountains seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

Webb overlook, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. October 14, 2011.

The skies were definitely beautiful that day, but then too, so were the mountains.

********************

On a personal note, Betsy and I are taking a few of days off for some much-needed R&R.  We hope you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We’ll see you after Thanksgiving.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 29 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Road Prong Falls

November 16, 2011

Road Prong Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

One of the joys of collecting waterfalls is finding one that you did not know was there.  Last month Betsy and I went to the Smokies to view the autumn color.  As I showed in my previous post, we drove along Newfound Gap road and stopped at several pull-ins to view the West Prong of Little Pigeon River.

When we came to the parking area for the trail to Chimney Tops we stopped because I knew the trail would have to cross the river before heading up to the Chimney Tops.  I hiked along the trail and as I came to the footbridge over the West Prong of Little Pigeon River, I noticed the small waterfall pictured above.

The waterfall wasn’t listed in any of the books we had, but a little research showed that Road Prong is the tributary entering the river from the right, and Road Prong Falls is the little waterfall I spotted.  What a nice unexpected surprise.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

Our World: Water and Autumn Color

November 15, 2011

West Prong of the Little Pigeon River through the trees. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them.)

This is my post for the Our World meme.  This meme is a second generation of My World Tuesday created by Klaus Peter and is hosted by five wonderful ladies.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

When Betsy and I visited Smoky Mountains National Park in October, we drove up Newfound Gap Road from Gatlinburg into North Carolina.  In the area of Chimney Tops the road follows the West Prong of Little Pigeon River.  Since we were stopping to admire the autumn colors, we could also catch glimpses of the river through the trees.

Autumn Color along Little Pigeon River, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

The river is neither very deep nor very wide along this stretch of road, but it is pretty as it tumbles over and around the boulders in the stream.  This is especially true when the trees are beginning to turn.

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

At some places the trees were far enough apart that we could catch a good glimpse of the water as it rushed down the mountain.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Our World | 18 Comments »

Watery Wednesday: Walker Camp Cascade

October 19, 2011

Walker Camp Cascade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. May 10, 2009.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

There are many pretty little streams and cascades in the Smoky Mountains, and Betsy and I enjoy finding them whenever we can.  Walker Camp Cascade comes down the mountain beside Newfound Gap Road.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 19 Comments »

Scenic Sunday: Autumn in the Smokies

October 16, 2011

Sun breaking through the clouds above Gatlinburg, Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

(Note:  All pictures may be enlarged by clicking on them once or twice.)

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

Last Friday Betsy and I got up before dawn so we could visit the Smoky Mountains in search of some color.  Although we had had some rain and many clouds on Thursday, the weatherman said Friday would be beautiful with clearing skies.  So we took the chance and decided to make the drive.

I’m glad we did.  It was cloudy at daylight, but we were treated to the sight of the sun breaking through the clouds over Gatlinburg while at an overlook above the city.  What a great way to start the day!

The Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina side of the park along Newfound Gap Road. October 14, 2011.

We drove up the mountain to Newfound Gap on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, and then down the mountain into North Carolina.  A few miles past the Gap we stopped at an overlook to enjoy this fantastic view.

Autumn color and blue skies in the Smoky mountains in Tennessee. October 14, 2011.

When I lived in North Carolina we would say that God must have been a Tarheel because He made the sky Carolina Blue.  But Tennessee has some beautiful blue skies as well.  I captured this picture on the Tennessee side of Newfound Gap as we were heading back home.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Scenic Sunday | 23 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #149: Mill Creek Falls

July 20, 2011

Mill Creek Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. May 23, 2011.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

I’ve posted before that Betsy and I took a back-country road, Parson Branch Road, through the Smokies a couple of months ago.  We enjoy the scenery off the beaten path, and we enjoy the fact that we often come across some unexpected waterfalls.

We found the pretty little waterfall above shortly after leaving Cade Cove Loop Road.  I almost drove right past it, but I saw it out of the corner of my eye and backed up to a pull-over so we could get out and enjoy our discovery.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 17 Comments »

SkyWatch Friday: Cades Cove Sky

June 3, 2011

Cades Cove landscape, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. May 23, 2011.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

Whenever we go to Cades Cove in the Smokies, I have trouble deciding which is most impressive — the mountains or the skies.  When we were there last week I decided that both were magnificent.

Tags:, ,
Posted in SkyWatch Friday | 8 Comments »

Cades Cove: The Henry Whitehead Place

June 2, 2011

The Henry Whitehead Place in Cades Cove, Tennessee, showing the original cabin in the back. May 23, 2011.

A visit to Cades Cove can be scenic, interesting and educational all at the same time.  Getting off the beaten path can be fascinating.

Betsy and I came across the Henry Whitehead Place after leaving the Cade Cove Loop Road on our way to Parson Branch Road.  The Henry Whitehead Place is really two structures in one.  The original cabin (on the right in the picture above) was built by the brothers of Matilda Shields Gregory after her husband deserted her and her young son.  Because the brothers needed to get shelter for their sister in a hurry, the cabin they built is one of the roughest in Cades Cove.  The logs were rough-hewn with a felling axe and the stone chimney was made of rubble.

In 1898 Matilda married Henry Whitehead, a widower.  Henry built one of the nicest log homes in the cove.  The home had a brick chimney, which was unheard of at the time because bricks had to be made by hand.  The cabin itself was made of square-sawed logs finished inside to be smooth and attractive.  It was also warm by Cades Cove standards since the square log construction was naturally well insulated by walls approximately four inches thick with practically no space between the logs.

The interior of the Henry Whitehead Place, Cades Cove. May 23, 2011.

Betsy took this interior shot of the new cabin, showing the square-sawed logs forming the wall.

The Henry Whitehead Place, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. May 23, 2011.

The Henry and Matilda Whitehead place is the only square-sawed log home remaining in Cades Cove.  It is, in fact, the only one left in the entire Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Travels | 17 Comments »

Watery Wednesday #142: West Prong Falls

June 1, 2011

West Prong Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. May 23, 2011.

This is my post for Watery Wednesday.  To see more of our beautiful watery world, or to join and post your own pictures to share, click HERE.

West Prong Falls is a small (10 feet) waterfall on the West Prong of Little River in the Smokies.  It is right along the road on the way to Cades Cove, just past the Tremont turnoff.  Betsy and I stop there each time we pass to enjoy the water rushing over the bedrock.  The moss on some of the rocks gives the water a green sheen, and provides a very refreshing stop on a drive through the Smokies.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Watery Wednesday | 11 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »