Fun in the Smokies

Jun 23 2009

Things To Do, Attractions, Nature and Outdoors

Growing up in Northern Alabama, my daddy taught us the importance and beauty of the outdoors. We would take that long road trip through Tennessee in an old Volkswagon station wagon to stay in the Smokies. We didn’t have a lot of spending money so we just enjoyed the park but that was enough. The mist in the valley blanketing the Mountain Laurel., the bears sneaking through the campsite at night and the road to Fontana Dam. My brothers and I still talk about our trips and memories to this day.

Now I am older and don’t live in Tennessee but I have brought my 3 kids there twice. I have a little more spending cash than my dad did, so we do a little more than go to the park. Sure, we took them to Clingman’s Dome and Cades Cove and my husband even took my son fishing. But we have also been to a Pow Wow at Cherokee where we saw Native tribes from as far away as Mexico. My youngest even decided to get on the stage to dance with one of the tribes. We did a day trip to go gem mining and got a sapphire - good thing there was an expert on hand because I thought it was just another rock. We had an awesome day at Dollywood with my mother, who hates to go on rides. She even had fun. And we had another fab day at Splash Country. We had heard it was one of the top 10 water parks in the United States and man, I can believe it. And oh my, everyone was so friendly.

Now I have lived lots of places but I can honestly say there is no place like the Smokies. If someone shows me a photo taken in the Smokies I can tell immediately that is where it is, because there is no place that looks like it. And when you travel around town and do activities, the people who live there are so helpful and nice, there is no other place where the people are like that. I have a 10 hour drive to get to Smokies and I don’t consider it a sacrifice to make that drive. And although going to the beach is nice there is something so cozy about staying in a log cabin and sitting back on your back porch to a view that can’t be found anywhere in the world.

— Cathy Brookes

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