Making Memories

Is it me or Summer seems to past by in a blink of an eye?! Our school district is back to school, so the Fall semester has just begun. Because of the global heat wave, summer seems to be here to stay. Who would have thought Fall is just around the corner?

Autumn is truly my most favorite season of the year. Even though there are no distinct four seasons in the South, I enjoy the cooler weather along with the chance for me to play with Fall fashion where I can do pairings and layering. For hopeless romantics like myself, warm hues of yellow and red bring such a cozy and passionate feeling. So I travel North to where I can witness the change of the season and to admire the beauty of Mother Nature as she manifests the art of letting-go. What is your plan for Fall travels? If you have not planned anything, then let me give you a few ideas. So be ready to pack your bag and travel with me to the Great Smoky Mountains!

Note that I typically don’t include any historical facts in my blog posts since search engines are accessible to everyone these days. However, I find the name quite interesting and thought I should mention in case anyone is curious. I mean, don’t all high mountains look like they’re above the clouds; hence, they seem smoky?! The name originated from the Cherokee people who referred the mountains as “Shaconage“, which is translated to “place of the blue smoke”. The blue smoke referred here is the dense fog/mist that hover the peaks and valleys, creating a blueish haze, often can be seen in the early mornings. For short, the Smoky Mountains are often called The Smokies.

The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border. The national park covers 520,000 acres and is the most popular national park in the country and hosts about ten-million visitors each year. It is a beautiful national park that can be visited any time of the year. Being so large, even spending a week or 2 wouldn’t be enough. However, with school-age kids, we could only spend a long weekend here. Having a short trip has its advantages since it gives you the yearning to return, which is already in my plan!

How to get there?

Since the mountain range spans across two states, there are several airports into which you can fly. From the Tennessee side, the nearest airport would be in Knoxville (McGhee Tyson Airport/TYS). From the North Carolina side, the nearest airport is in Asheville (Asheville Regional Airport/AVL). In this article, I will share my experience from the Tennessee side. The nearest towns to the Smokies are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. These towns are quite busy, but that means they are convenient and not remote. We stayed in Gatlinburg. From the TYS airport, the drive to Gatlinburg is a little bit over an hour.

When to visit?

As I noted that you can visit the Smokies any time of the year. However, according to many sources, the best times to visit would be the during the Summer and the Fall. With many streams and creeks, I imagine it would be an ideal place for photography in the Spring as well. I have personally only visited the Smokies in the Fall. It varies by year, but the peak of Fall colors on higher elevations usually begin in early October; and mid to lower elevations begin in mid-October and early November.

Must-see’s and must-do’s

From the Tennessee side of the Smokies, these are the activities that should not be missed:

Cades Cove Loop consists of 11 miles of winding road through the most scenic regions of the Smokies in which you can see from the comfort of you car. There are lots of places along the loop with nice foliage over a creek or stream that are just picture-perfect!

Clingmans Dome provides 360-degree panoramic views of the Smokies at the peak height of 6643 feet. From the parking lot, it is only a short walk to the dome, which sits at the summit of the mountain.

Grotto Falls Trail is an easy 1.4 mile-trail. The waterfall is small. But the hike is easy enough for kids to do, and the hike itself is pretty.

Newfound Gap Road is another scenic drive not to be missed.

Ben Morton Overlook has some of the most beautiful views of the Smokies. More importantly, it is very accessible from the Newfound Gap Road at the elevation of 4,826 feet.

Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail is another option to explore the park by car. Besides the forests and streams along the way, you’ll most likely to see wildlife on this trail. Others have reported to have seen bears, but we only got to see deer. It’s best to drive through the trail earlier in the day; the later it is in the day, the more traffic you’ll like to experience (we didn’t know this so we were stuck in traffic up until sunset. And since you’re surrounded by mountains, it got dark very quickly after the sun goes down).

Rainbow Falls Trail is almost 6 miles long and extremely rocky. It is a very popular trail so it is very crowded. Since we had kids with us and not experienced hikers ourselves, we skipped this trail. Forget looking pretty, it is very important that you have proper hiking footwear for this hike. The hike is said to be strenuous, so if you don’t feel safe during the hike, use your best judgement whether to continue or turn back. Making it there for an Instaworthy photo while risking being injured is not worth it!

Alum Cave Trail to Mount Le Conte – the hike to the summit of Mt. Le Conte is almost 7 miles, so needless to say, we didn’t do this hike due to having a toddler with us. The Alum Cave trail is said to be challenging, but the impressive views at the summit is totally worth the hike if you’re physically up for it.

With the exception of the Alum Cave trail and Rainbow Falls Trail, we were able to do all of the activities listed above in our long-weekend trip to the Smokies, and we’re a very laid-back family during vacations.

What to wear?

Unless you’re a landscape photographer who visits just for photos for the sceneries, I’m sure you’ll want some photos of yourself against the beautiful backdrop! With such a colorful backdrop of warm hues, what to wear so that you won’t be drown out or blended in among the foliage colors? You’ll need to dress in vibrant colors to contrast the background such as cobalt blue, or bright colors that compliment the fall colors such as scarlet red. Also, a hiking trip does not mean you’ll have to dress in sweats and sneakers. You can dress a little more polished, yet still comfortable and safe for the hike. It’s important to invest in a comfortable and non-slip pair of shoes or boots. When we were there, in the early morning, the temperature was in the upper 30°F, about upper 50°F in the afternoon and around upper 40°F in the evening. So it is advised to dress in layers so you can remove or add on layers as the temperature changes throughout the day.

There are many Fall destinations, especially in the northeast part of the country. You will see people rush over to Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Islands… and for good reasons because they have some of the best foliage in the country. However, there’s a reason the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains one of the most visited national park in the country, especially during the Fall season: you get to see the beautiful foliage against the majestic mountains; especially in the early morning when the famous blue mist is most visible, creating a mysterious masterpiece of Mother Nature.

As Summer morphs into Fall, the colorful leaves emphasize the unknowns. There’s sadness in that beautiful foliage, but there’s also beauty in that sad feeling as an ending draws near. Take a stroll along the tree-lined road and let the crisp air and the wonders of nature take over you. Sit by the warm fire at the end of the day and let you mind ponder… that an ending also means there’s hope for a new beginning. Each season has its own charms, and I welcome Autumn with an open heart.