An early wake-up and take-off made for a 2:00 arrival in Cades Cove Campground. We were surprised to find the campground mostly full on a Monday night -- a tribute to the leaf-peeping season. The only problem was that the leaves were not in prime color yet! We had a steak dinner and then decided on a twilight drive through the Cove on the 11-mile loop road. Twilight is a good time to see deer out grazing in the fields, but dusk quickly turned to dark, and we ended the last two miles with the headlights on.
Wednesday we fueled up with one of Tom's egg-sandwich breakfasts, before taking off for the far parts of the park.
There wasn't much happening in Cherokee -- the shops we went into were much more schlocky than 15 years ago, and there were not a lot of tourists --the shopping district was dead. When it came time for lunch, we could not find a restaurant downtown, and had to venture out towards . . . Harrah's Casino! That seems to be where all the people were -- the parking lots were full and the Casino was hoppin'! We passed on by, still looking for a restaurant, and found Granny's Kitchen, a nice buffet-only eatery. So much for Cherokee, NC -- one picture of a line of junk stores! We got back to our campsite in time for a brief rest before heading to Maryville for a dinner at Calhoon's with siblings. Thursday, our last day, we decided on a trip on the 11-mile loop road around the Cove in the daylight! I remembered the camera and got a few shots of the famous Cades Cove views and buildings.
A horse and buggy crossing the road indicated that we were at the end of the drive. It also signaled that we were at the end of our Tennessee trip, and it was time to head to the campsite and pack up all of our outdoor extras for the trip home on Friday.
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |