Smokies Days 4-5

 I meant to outsource the blog to Eleanor last night and completely forgot. So I will write about both days now. Yesterday can be summed up pretty quickly with 3 words: lots of driving!

To elaborate a bit, we started the day off heading to the Gatlinburg trail, which is just inside the park right by downtown Gatlinburg. It literally goes right from tourist trap to the park. We avoided downtown Gatlinburg on the way in by taking the bypass. We wanted to hit the Gatlinburg trail because we brought the dog with us, and that is one of two trails she is allowed on. The other is too far. 

I have to say Mione LOVED hiking this trail with us. All her walks up here are just on asphalt, up up up and mountain, and then down. We let her out on the deck (we put up a baricade at the stairs that would likely be useless if any wildlife came near), but otherwise she's on a leash outside always and hasn't really been able to run around much. Anyway, she was loving the trail, seeing people, and other dogs. It's an easy, flat trail and basically goes along a river or creek to the Sugarlands visitor's center and then back out again. I believe it's about 4 miles total. We took our time and let Mione splash around in the water often, grabbing drinks too. She was VERY good, never once barking and holding court every time anyone wanted to pet her or compliment her. It was a really pretty hike, and I'm glad Mione got to experience some of the Smokies with us. 

From there, we had no choice but to head into downtown Gatlinburg because we had not packed a lunch and needed some fuel. Downtown Gatlinburg is, frankly, a bit ridiculous. It's so built up and crowded. Pigeon Forge is similar, but I guess the advantage of Gatlinburg is that it's more walkable. 

We got out as quickly as possible, in search of a recycling center we found online. We almost missed it but asked in a community center and was able to find it. Will had filled the car with all our recycling in hopes to find a place to take it. After we dropped it off, we found a small roadside bbq place with picnic tables outside to eat. Will got bbq chicken, Ethan got pork, I got brisket, and Eleanor got sides of mac 'n cheese and corn in the cob from our meals. Everyone was happy. 

After lunch, we decided to take this longer road along a river (Little Fork, maybe), hoping to find a fun place to get out and swim. In the beginning, we saw a couple of turn offs, but they had cars on them and we kept thinking we would find another. But then we didn't. There were a lot of great spots to go down into the water, but they were all next to someone's cabin/home and seemingly private property. We kept gong and going and going, and then eventually met up with the other highway to take home. By then, we had probably driven an hour. 

A bit deflated, we set our sights on home, thought it seemed a bit early to be in for the day. Will spotted a DQ and pulled in since the kids had gift cards with them. A blizzard is a good cure for a long car ride. While we were in the restaurant, Will found a big lake he wanted to try to go to. It is called Danbridge Lake, and it's ginormous. It has an insane shape with many big and small areas jutting out. Will said he saw it on a map before we left and wondered about it, so we set off.

We tried to stop on at what was deemed a "community park" on the southern end of the lake so as not to drive too much further (about 25 more minutes), but it ended up being a bust where the place you could go in the water was full of trash. (In other news...I really hate people sometimes.) Will wanted to go even further north to this municipal park, so we got back in the car and drove another half hour at least. 

We found the spot, and it was a bit nicer. All around the road that goes along the lake are huge properties with beautiful homes. It is a nice area. The bank of the lake, we discovered, was all orange clay. The water was quite warm, but with the clay as the bottom, walking on it brought it up, so the water wasn't clear. I think we were all a bit anxious about swimming, wondering if there were snakes and other things you wouldn't find back home. I Googled it, though, and found that we didn't have to worry about anything poisonous there. We all swam a bit, including the dog. (Eleanor had to swim in her clothes because she had forgotten to pack her suit like we told her to.) We had Mione on her long tie up leash, and she was going as far out as possible before coming back. Of course, when she came back on the bank, she was sure to step right into the orange clay and then right over our towns. Sigh.

We stayed maybe 30 minutes and then set out for the cabin, which was now at least an hour away. We had driven at least 2 for 30 minutes of swimming and now had an hour drive home. Double sigh. 

Back home meant laundry (see "orange clay") and yummy pasta dinner. Seriously, having my mom here is spoiling me. By 9 am yesterday morning, she had marinara sauce made  and burger patties ready for today. Ethan and I challenged Grandma and Grandpa to yet another game of pool and lost yet again. We watched Loki (season finale) and then went to bed.

Today (Thursday), we got up around 7:30, had a yummy breakfast of cheesy eggs and sausage (via Grandma), and hit the road around 9:30. We left the dog as we were headed for another trail she couldn't go on. We knew she'd be plenty tired today anyway and likely happy to be alone. 

Our destination was Jake's Creek Trail, which the guidebook said had a waterfall less than two miles in that had a good swimming hole. We were able to find the road for our shortcut today, thankfully, and so we entered the park at the less crowded Wears Valley entrance. Once in the park, it was about 20 minutes of driving to the Elkhorn campground area. We found easy parking and walked up the road a bit to the trailhead. The trail itself started on what seemed to be an old road. It was partially paved. And all along the sides were remnants of old log cabins, usually just a chimney. 

Shortly into the trail, it started ascending, and was probably a 30 degree grade. We hiked for a long time without seeing anyone, but then ran into a nice family, who told us the falls were about a half a mile up. We kept hearing rushing water but not seeing where the falls were. At a certain point, there was  clear little side trail down to the water sound, though, so we took that and ended up at the falls and swimming hole. 

It was a really neat area with about a five foot waterfall cascading into a small deeper pool of water. On the side we came down on, there was a big rock jutting out, and a couple big rocks across the way, too, creating a cave or sorts underneath them. I was fairly sure this had to be what the guidebook talked about, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was terrified to go into the water where it was deeper. You simply couldn't see what was below and that unknown is scary. 

I had chosen this hike via the guidebook, though, precisely because of this swimming hole, so I decided to be brave. I stripped down into the suit I had on under my clothes and got in the water next to "the hole." After some meditation and prayer, I plunged in. It was cold! And still terrifying! I sort of treaded water on the surface and then came back to where I could stand again. Will was not really keen on coming in, nor was Eleanor, but Ethan said he would if I did it again, so of course I had to. We were in the water maybe a total of 10 seconds. But, we conquered our fears and made a fun memory. 

We continued up the trail about another half mile or so, just to see a bit more, before descending, which was downhill and faster. At the end of the trail, where was this neat little village of old cabins from the early 20th century. They belonged to wealthy city folk who wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle. Some were surrounded with caution tape and deemed "unstable structures" but many you could go inside. I'm a total sucker for touring old places, so I loved it. None were furnished, but it was neat to see the wood floors, built in cabinets, 1920s bathrooms/kitchens and such. A volunteer told me they were mostly built between 1910-20, and they are being restored because of their historical status. I liked to imagine these wealthy city dwellers sipping martinis on the porch. :)

After a van picnic lunch, we went back the way we came but stopped just before leaving the park and discovered a great river spot all along a picnic area. Ethan and I were still a bit chilled from our swimming hole swim, and I know my suit still wasn't dry. I didn't really intend to go in much past my knees. But, as I waded in, I came across a big rock, and when I stepped down, I was up to my waist.  Oops. It felt good, though, and eventually all of us were in. On the other side, it was over waist high, and had a decent current. He grabbled his goggles and attempted to swim upstream but basically just stayed in one place. He saw some big fish underwater. I found a great rock to sit on and kind of sunned in the middle of the lake, facing some rocky rapids with the mountains beyond. It was one of my summer moments in which I take a mental snapshot, willing myself to remember this feeling when it's below zero and miserable in Chicago. In a word, it was glorious! 

All good things must come to an end, though, and we left to rescue Mione from her lonely day in the cabin. We stopped at a Kroger on the way home, where I mistakenly went in with Will, who took forever. I hadn't changed out of my suit and was still wet, so the air conditioning combined with being in a wet suit was a terrible combo. Needless to say, I went right to the hot tub when we got home. 

Now I am showered and about to grill some burgers, hoping a bear doesn't come down for dinner. We just purchased Disney + Premier Access so we can watch Black Widow tonight, so that's the plan. Last day tomorrow. We hope to hike Abrham's Falls, which is open on Fridays, and go back to the rope swing place in Townsend because Ethan has been asking to go back every day since that first one.