Julie's Journal : What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Those of you who know Jason and I, know that we rarely venture too far from home.  Most of the time we both enjoy spending our breaks around the house and working on improving our home.  Occasionally, we will take a short trip that usually includes taking in a Texas Ranger's baseball game, but that's about as exciting as we get.  This year, though, we both wanted to do something different - something that would get us out of our routine.

Early last Thursday morning we started driving north and east and by the end of the day (actually late that night), and after driving curving mountain roads in a thunderstorm after dark, we were in Gatlinburg, TN.  Friday, we spent the whole day exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  It was spectacular!

It was also wonderfully cool.  Our truck thermometer read 66 degrees and there was a very pleasant cool breeze blowing!  We did not miss the Texas heat!

We stopped at Newfound Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and ventured a very short way down the Appalachian Trail.

Now, during those ice-breaker, get-to-know-you type games, I can say that I have hiked the Appalachian Trail!

Coming down the other side into North Carolina, we stopped at Mingus Mill.  Mingus Mill is an 1886 grist mill powered by a flue that diverts water from a mountain stream.  We found the design to be ingenious, and a friendly park ranger demonstrated the mill in action.  Cornmeal was a main staple for most households and families from miles around would bring their corn and wheat to be ground at the mill.

 After lunch, we drove through Cade's Cove and enjoyed a different view of the mountains.  I felt small and insignificant standing surrounded by the mountains.  The pictures really do not do justice to how magnificent the scenery was.

Cade's Cove is also home to several historic cabins, churches, and cemeteries.  One gravestone was inscribed "murdered by rebels", which we found interesting.

Jason did not want to go back to Gatlinburg, so we took a different exit from Cade's Cove and found ourselves on a 12-mile 1-way "unimproved" road out of the mountains (Rich Mountain Road).  It was a narrow gravel road with no guard rails, and for the entire 12 mile trip, we saw only one other person, a man on a motorcycle.  Jason says that this was his favorite drive of the trip, but I was pretty  nervous and only took one picture.  The picture doesn't show it, but some parts of the road had steep drop offs on one side or the other.  It was crazy!

The next day we ventured into Georgia, to Atlanta, to visit the Georgia Aquarium.  It was interesting, but very crowded.  Our favorite part of the trip by far was the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  We look forward to a return visit, as there are several things we didn't have time to see!