After deciding all the reviews were correct about how comfortable the beds are, we made our way down for our included continental breakfast with just a little trepidation. We needn’t have worried too much.
There were only a few other people in the breakfast room, and we were at least 20 years younger than them. But even they were mere youngsters compared to the lady looking after the room who we decided was nearer 90 than 80. Nevertheless, she was keeping everywhere spick and span and the food constantly replenished. Karen admired how trendy she looked in her ¾ length Levi’s and Skechers trainers. We couldn’t decide if she was working for the money or the sheer pleasure she took in her job.
On the way back to the room we called into reception to tell them we would be leaving a day earlier than planned. They were very helpful and said they would look at making a refund to us.
Back in our room Karen prepared a picnic for the day which we then managed to leave in the room. We made the mistake of thinking each other picked the bag up.
Our plan for the day involved first driving to Gatlinburg about 4 miles away in the next valley. As we arrived it initially felt ‘classier’ than Pigeon Forge but so deteriorated to the same but more compact. In fact, so compact the only place to park was in rip off car parks at $20 per day. I had no option and gritted my teeth and paid.
I had purchased tickets for the Sky Park which had the longest suspension bridge in the USA. Karen was a bit nervous about it, and I haven’t even mentioned the glass section in the middle. She was much more nervous about the non-stop open chairlift ride to get up to it. She made it clear that despite having already paid for the ticket that there was a very good chance she would not physically get onto it.
The place was deserted, and we walked straight through the building and without Karen even have time to think about it we told to stand on our spots as the yellow chairlift came round. Less than 20 seconds from entering the building we were on the way up. Karen was nervous as we were taken up but was very brave and I am proud she managed it. The ride up to the top of Crockett Mountain was smooth and in perfect weather conditions.
We decided to walk the 700ft suspension bridge which was suspended 500 ft in the air before it got busy. There was a little sway as we walked across, and Karen was not impressed by the glass section and refused to look down. I reassured her that the glass was stronger than the cedar planks but was not sure that helped. There was an enormous USA flag hung below the glass section which as it blew in the wind hid most of the view through it.
Once safely across we took some of the free water on offer and sat on some very nice seats marvelling at the view of the Great Smokey Mountains. It was one of the pinch me moments of the trip. We already liked them more than the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were bigger and much better defined. We could have sat there all day but knew we had lots else we wanted to do today.
Karen decided to take the Sky Trail back rather than venture back across the bridge which did enable us to take pictures of each other taking the other route. She was not the only one to take that route and we saw many people did that both ways rather than cross the bridge.
We wandered around the shop before Karen braved the chairlift back down. We passed lots of people now going up and it was noticeable how many seemed nervous and, in some cases, quite stressed with being on the chairlift. It made Karen even more proud that she had conquered it.
Another thing Karen noticed was that 2 people going up were holding Starbucks cups and so when we got down, we asked directions to the nearest one which was only a minute’s walk away. By now it was very hot in the sun, and we found some shade to drink them in.
Then we headed back to the very expensive car park and drove up into the Great Smoky National Park and headed to the Sugarlands Visitors Centre.
This National Park receives 20 million visitors annually which is more than 4 times more than the next busiest park. Also, this one is ‘free’ to enter apart from the fact you must purchase a $5 per day parking tag. The problem though proved to be parking to purchase the parking tag at the visitors’ centre. We were here out mid-week out of season, and it was crazy busy. Eventually I found a space as did many other people in the oversized vehicle car park where all created our own lines.
The Visitors Centre itself was heaving inside. We had a look around the shop and exhibit area before asking a kindly park ranger advice on what we should see and do. We decided to follow her suggestions to the letter.
The first item was a 1.5 mile walk from the visitor centre to Cataract Falls. The only problem was that many other people were doing the same. It was still a very lovely ‘hike’ though.
We were struck by the number of Asian families on the walk and assumed correctly as it turned out that today marked one of their religious festivals/holidays.
The second thing that struck us was the number of people who ‘had all the gear – but no idea’ on this short walk. Many had walking sticks that were fresh out of the plastic and new walking boots and clearly thought that both were necessary for a short walk.
The waterfalls were pretty enough but were marred by the sheer number of kids and adults who were trying to climb them for no reason other than they could. The falls needed a fence around them to prevent this. We didn’t stay long and made our way back to the car.
The next plan involved a 13 mile to Newfound Gap through the mountains. The road was an almost nonstop incline with many switchbacks and hairpins apart from one section which was a constant spiral. It made for a challenging drive.
The view was Newfound Gap was good but not spectacular. The temperature was already noticeably cooler than down in Gatlinburg. It was more interesting for being on the border between 2 states.
Our final destination for the day was a further 7 miles drive to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains – Kuwohi. Now this had confused us as my book at home had referred to it as Clingmans Dome but recently it was explained to us it had had its named changed back to its original Cherokee one. Of course, as expected that prompted us to sing ‘3 wheels on my wagon’ for this last drive.
The temperature was dropping the higher we drove until it fell to 59f. We were now 6643ft up which is 50% higher than Ben Nevis.
The walk to the lookout point was a 1.3-mile round trip which we thought was achievable. What we didn’t realise was that it was all uphill on a 1:8 incline. It may have been our imagination, but the air felt thinner which didn’t help. We and almost everyone else around us had to have many stops on the many benches that lined the path. We kept catching up with the same people and ended up having several chats with them with Karen swapping back operation recovery stories with one lady from Missouri.
It was a tough walk, but we made it. There were some who didn’t. The outlook tower at the top was an ugly looking concrete construct. On a clear day you can see mountains 100 miles away from it but not today. We were almost in the clouds and the mountains had a proper smoky haze to them today.
The walk down was much easier although the slope was also not to Karen’s liking that much. We used the toilets which were of the type where there was no pipework, and I tried to count how long before my ‘tinkle’ hit the bottom of the long hole dug below.
Karen was by now very tired and so we decided to get a pizza takeaway for our meal. We were both by now very hungry having left our picnic behind and the National Parks not providing the opportunity to buy anything to replace it. We drove to the Pizza Hut which was very close to the hotel, and I placed an online order whilst we sat outside. We waited 12 minutes before collecting and took it back to our room to eat.
I found Shark Tank on the TV to watch whilst I caught up with the news online.
By 10.30pm I was sound asleep after having a very busy but very good day.
