Our cabin was just great in Gatlinburg. We woke and had coffee on one of our many decks overlooking the mountains. I would make breakfast and pack a lunch and drinks for a lunch in the park.
Today we drove to the Newfound Gap (5046 feet) and hiked a very small portion of the Appalachian Trail there. The trail is on the state line of North Carolina and Tennessee. According to a sign the Cherokee gave these mountains the name, "shaconage" that means "blue, like smoke". The bluish haze is natural because of the vegetation in the mountains that gives a lot of moisture and organic compounds. Air pollution also now contributes a bit to the mist.
The views at Newfound Gap were just amazing. The ridges looked like they were on fire. They call these the Sugarland Mountains.
Here we started the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail. The Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking only path in the world ranging over 14 states and is 2,190 miles long. It starts in Georgia at Springer Mountain and ends in Mount Katahdin in Maine. A sign near-by stated that this area of the trail is some of the most rugged.
The girls had a great time hiking! Such a high-light of the trip. They climbed over boulders, rocks and many tree roots.
Stopping for a snack and a breather...Juliette pretending to be a bear.
We reached the point where we needed to turn back and Allie gave us a little show.
Straddling the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
We finished around 2:00 pm and had a nice lunch looking at the views of the Newfound Gap.
We drove back to Gatlinburg and decided to play miniature golf. This one was called "Hillbilly Golf" where you took a tram up the mountain and then golfed down. It was so much fun, even with a bit of frustration on Allie's part!
Relaxing back at the cabin with a different beverage in hand. We made dinner every night and enjoyed relaxing.
Sunset in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee.
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