Today for my final day in Great Smokey Mountains National Park I went searching for waterfalls. I found a couple. There were more in the area of the Juney Whank falls but after hiking a quarter mile up hill and then back down I was hot and tired of carrying all my camera gear so decided to let the others go.
Base of Juney Whank Falls
Juney Whank Falls
But after a rest I headed up to Mingo Falls which is technically outside the park and on Cherokee lands but still beautiful in spite of a very long steep set of stairs to get there. I only wish some people would teach their children to be quiet and listen to the beautiful sounds of nature. Mingo Falls is said to be one of the highest in Southern Appalachia.
Mingo Falls
After a final stop at the Oconaluftee visitor’s center to pick up some music to put into a slide show I went back to my room for a little rest. Then I headed to the Qualla Arts Center to view some Native American crafts. I liked the baskets but they were too big to take home. I had to skip the Cherokee museum this time as I have been told it takes all day to do it justice and I didn’t want to pay $12.00 to just breeze through.
After consulting Trip Advisor I had concluded that the only good restaurants in this area were in the casino so I decided to head over there and check it out. Oh, my, this place makes Seven Feathers look like amateur hour. I sat down thinking to make a donation to the tribe and immediately won $75.00. I yo-yoed for a while but ended the day with $40 more in my pocket than I started with and a nice meal to boot.
Just to round out my trip I decided to go back up to Mingus Mill this evening and try to get the picture I had to give up on when we were there the other day. Not only did I have the place to myself, I had the added bonus of better light on the mill and a slow enough shutter speed to get some nice flow in the flume.
Mingus Mill
And that, my friends, is the end of my Great Smokey Mountains Adventure. I saw most of the park accessible by road and got to know much of it’s history. I thought this might be enough to scratch my itch to see the Smokies but I don’t know, I may have to come back again to see it in the fall.
Check back around the end of August when I will be reporting my next adventure which will be in France.
s which were the only thing available at the hotel.
ast 50 miles of the Parkway. Even before reaching the Parkway the scenery became amazing and I encountered my first waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest. Looking Glass Falls can be accessed from a stairway by the side of the road. I made the mistake of not taking my super wide-angle lens down to the base of the falls. So, while I got the shot, I would have liked a little more of the surrounding rocks and forests. I would have gone back but there were a LOT of stairs and my heart was already thanking me for the workout.
The views along the Parkway were nothing short of breathtaking. Even on a cloudy day. Some azaleas and rhododendrons were in bloom along with numerous other wild flowers. Toward the higher elevations I encountered some fog which was enchanting until it turned to pea soup. But it didn’t last too long. There were plenty of long vistas to be had.
I had been worried that the 120 or so mile drive would get me into Gatlinburg before I could check in to my condo for the next three nights but there was nothing to worry about as there were plenty of things to stop and photograph and I didn’t even make it to my planned lunch stop before my stomach insisted on a detour. I found a little place called Country Vittles in Maggie Valley. A real family run business, Grandma showed me to my table, Mom brought out my food and took my money and granddaughter Pearl was the waitress and bus girl. The daily special was Chicken and dumplings and the vegetable of the day was pickled beets. To which I added fried okra for my second side, a delicacy I have not tasted since my last visit to North Carolina. Of course, a biscuit and cornbread were served with the meal though I had to shy away from a commodity labeled “whipped spread” which purported to be 48% vegetable oil but was vague on the other 52%.
Arriving at the Park after another half hour’s drive I stopped off at the Oconaluftee Visitor center and toured the life-sized farm museum on the grounds. I especially liked the Irises planted next to the log cabin. By this time, I was beginning to zone out and even had to take a short nap in a roadside pull off. Then I proceeded to Gatlinburg (can you say tourist trap extraordinaire?). The condo took some finding and the time share people had to give me a sales pitch before letting me go to my room. Next time Holiday Inn Express, I think.
my digs (no more driving today, yay). I should have known when I walked in and saw no other diners that it was not going to go well. I almost walked out when the guy handed me a styrofoam cup for my iced tea (No, Jeanne, we are not in Oregon anymore). But I was tired and hungry so I went ahead with the most mediocre BBQ I’ve ever eaten (How do you ruin barbeque?). Oh, well, I still have that coupon for Bubba Gump Shrimp that the time share sales lady gave me for tomorrow night. I still haven’t figured out where it is though I should have walked right by it on the way to Bones BBQ. My recollection of my one and only previous Bubba Gump Shrimp experience was underwhelmed and overpriced. But hey, I’m here for the scenery.
Founded in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants, New Bern was named for Bern Switzerland. Since Bern means bear in German the town has embraced the bear as its symbol. Bear flags, banners and statues decorated in all manner of costume can be found throughout the downtown area.
by costumed docents.
si Cola. A small museum and gift shop
I decided to give the barrier island beaches one more chance and headed out early after a quick (and awful) breakfast at the hotel. I arrived at Wrightsville Beach around 9am and found it pretty crowded already. And though I found the town a little more appealing than some I have driven through, I finall
y had to throw up my hands and say “OK, I’ll pay to park.” Only to get to the pay station and find a sign that said “Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay until March 1.” So, finally I got another walk on the beach.. Most of the shells
Oh my, the surfers. I got pretty frustrated trying to photograph them from the beach as the sun was in my eyes and I could not see a thing on the camera’s screen
. Then I finally got the bright idea of going up on the pier to shoot. I gladly paid my $2.00 and had a great time and a great view of the surfers. I just wish more of them had been better surfers as the ratio of standing to sitting out behind the surf was pretty low.
Eventually I did have to push on to New Bern but I finally felt satisfied that I had had a positive beach experience to add to my outstanding time at Bald Head Island.