With fall break quickly approaching, I can’t help but be reminded of the trip I took last year to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was an experience of many firsts for me: my first time renting a car without my parents, my first fall break trip and my first time seeing a national park in the fall. Come along on the journey with me as I reminisce on the spectacular sights I captured through the lens of my camera in the Smokies.
The Island in Pigeon Forge
Our hotel was conveniently located right across from The Island in Pigeon Forge, a hubbub of activity filled with both artisan and commercial shops, amusement park rides and a wide selection of restaurants. On the first night of our trip, a friend and I braved the traffic going into The Island and browsed the souvenir stores beneath the colorful lights lining the streets.
Foothills Parkway
For me, one of the must-do things in every national park is to drive its respective scenic route. In the Smokies, this was Foothills Parkway: a 33-mile stretch of road lining the northern edge of the park. We couldn’t resist pulling off at every lookout point (even if it had only been a mile since the previous one) to take in the harvest-colored hues.
Look Rock Tower
One wayside in particular was especially memorable: Look Rock Tower. About a one-mile hike from the road, the metal observation tower was the perfect vantage point. We even ran into some other tourists — both human and animal — reading the graffitied messages on the tower urging their readers to seek adventure.
Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains
On our way to the Foothills Parkway, we passed a sign reading “Goats on the Roof.” We thought for sure it was just the creative name of a quirky souvenir shop, but we soon realized that the attraction’s name was to be taken literally. The concept of having goats live on a roof started as a family tradition in one Wisconsin household, and I’d venture to guess that the many families at the Pigeon Forge attraction are elated that the idea spread to Tennessee.
Clingmans Dome
The highlight of the trip was Clingmans Dome, a 7,000-foot summit with an observation tower just off the Tennessee-North Carolina border from which you can see seven different states on a clear day. We made the mistake of going in the middle of the day, so we ended up being stuck on the mountain in traffic for over three hours waiting for parking spaces to open up (and eventually parallel parking precariously on the edge of a cliff in a tight spot). However, the experience was well worth the wait: the stunning perspective of the park took my breath away and made me forget, even if just for a moment, that our visit to Clingmans Dome was the final item on the agenda for our last full day in the Smokies.
