Today Deb and I decided to have a day out that was part hiking, part shopping and all driving. We were orginially going to Hot Springs, NC but we changed our plans and headed for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). I have always wanted to do the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. The main event would be around a three-mile hike to Grotto Falls. But first up was the Noah "Bud" Ogle Place and nature trail. We toured the old home place and did the 3/4 mile nature trail. I got to see the first of many Rosebay Rhododendrons on the day. Once on the Roaring Forks, it is a one way like the Cades Cove Loop, it heads up hill before coming to a nice mountain vista. Once passing old chestnut logs we reached the Grotto Falls Parking Area. To get to Grotto Falls you head up the Trillium Gap Trail. On the way up Deb spotted a Bear in the trees, and I caught a glimpse of it too! Anyway, it had rained here early this morning, so the trail was rather sloppy, but the hike was well worth it. This waterfall is a 25-foot free falling cascade that you can walk behind. After we got back to the car we then visited two cabins the Home of Ephraim Bales and the Alfred Reagan Place, the second one also had an old grist mill. We finished the six-mile motorway at collection of small waterfalls called the Place of a Thousand Drips. After leaving the park we stopped at Ely's Mill, it was pretty cool. When we reached Gatlinburg we went to the Village and Deb finally got to go back to the Day Hiker (after not going at X-mas because of our flat tire). We then stopped by the Old Mill District in Pigeon Forge. On our way out we saw some rednecks flying "the flag," I know this made Pigeon Forge proud (sarcasm). Anyway that was our day in the Smokies and Gatlinburg. Oh, when we got back to St. Clair I built a fire...nice!
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