Arianna woke up exclaiming, "I love the Smoky Mountains!" She knew we were headed that way and was excited for it. Our original intention was to wake early and swim in the lake before heading out. Everyone got suited up and we rushed to the water in order to beat the incoming storm. Just as we got to the beach, BAM! Thunder. Swimming was out.
I told the girls they could instead play on the playground until I saw lightening or it began to rain. That lasted less than 5 minutes. All of a sudden, lightening, thunder and immediate downpour. The girls were disappointed I wouldn't allow them to weather the storm in a playground tunnel. Instead we took showers, it's just not the same.
We stopped at a McDonald's to orient ourselve, gel plans and hook onto the free wi-fi for directions. We returned the rental car -and the much-used GPS- and we were on our way to the Great Smoky Mountains! The roads from Nashville to the Smokies just got more beautiful. Everything is green and lush. It's hard to describe the humbling yet majestic sense one gets from mountain country. There is a blue mist everywhere, hence the name Smoky Mountains. There are cabins seemingly clinging to steep inclines and vegetation growing out of pure rock. How awesome it is to be in the mountains.
Here in the mountains, bodies of water freely flow in just about every valley. The rivers race over rocks and green grows everywhere. As we came into the park, I started to get motion sickness from all the winding roads. There were sharp, hairpin curves overlooking straight drops. No guard rail needed. If you're gonna fall, you're gonna fall. No need wasting precious guard rails on your outta control self.
I wasn't sure about the bus at times. When old Bluie had to climb steep roads, she coughed and sputtered. Dave pulled over at times to allow people to pass because Bluie accelerated so slowly.
There was a huge elephant in the bus that David and I decided not to bring up for fear of jinxing ourselves. The roads were unmarked. His odometer is non-functioning; so, we were not exactly sure how far we'd driven and our scheduled turns were basically guesswork. By some act of God, we made it to the campground without missing a single turn. I still cannot believe it!
On the way, we rode alongside Litte River. There were people in bathing suits playing on the rocks, water rushing around them. When Aurora and Athena saw that, they just had to try it. Boy, were they in luck! A thinner, shallower, less active version of that river, more like a creek, ran right through the back yard of our campsite. It was absolutely picturesque, better than any postcard! We have got to come back!
All 3 kids immediately got in, splashing and playing until we finally made them put on jammies. We ate watermelon and s'mores, set up camp and just enjoyed each other's company. David rinsed out some clothes in the stream and hung them out to dry. I doubt they'll dry because the air is so heavy with humidity, you can see the mist in the air.
As we wound down for bed, a storm was abrewin' in the distance. Arianna & Athena were scared of the thunder but not too scared to sleep in the tent. They played themselves to sleep while David poked around the fire outside the tent til long after everyone had fallen asleep.
The plan is to explore the area tomorrow. I want to go on a family bike ride but we'll see how it goes. Happy Father's Day!
What I Learned: Nashville airport doesn't make people continually circle the terminal when picking up arriving flights passengers. They have a parking area set up for people waiting for passengers to arrive and you can temporarily park there as long as your trunk's open. That's so much less annoying than driving around in circles. Thanks Nashville! When FDR signed papers for the Smoky Mountains to become a national park, there was not much wildlife left in the area due completely to hunting, trapping and logging. When mountain people say "hollow" they pronounce it "holler".If an area is called Hickory Hollow, they say, "Hick'ry Holler". Funny thing too cuz there are lots o' hollers round here.
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