Our little grandson loves cozy things and one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind when saw the Smokies was that those are really cozy mountains; tree covered, lush and soft.
We biked the Cades Cove loop today, a Wednesday vehicle free day. The Cades Cove loop road is one of the most popular drives in the park as it has many opportunities for wildlife viewing, a number of historic buildings and, of course, the Smoky Mountain vistas. It’s 11 miles of rolling hills, some of which are steep but mercifully short. At least half of the bikers were on ebikes. The other half, me included, just walk up the really steep bits. There were also quite a few walkers.
“The Smokies got their name from the Cherokee people. They called it “Shaconage” (shah-con-ah-jey) which means “place of the blue smoke.” The name comes from the blue mist that floats above the peaks of the mountains.
By the 1850s more than 150 families lived in Cades Cove. When the park was created beginning in the 1920s many families sold their land and moved but some stayed on with lifetime leases and some fought in court. Today there are a smattering of original buildings including cabins, churches, and a grist mill.
We spent 4 hours on the loop and most of that was wildlife watching and sightseeing. Yes, there was wildlife!
Bear cubs are really cute when they run; especially if they’re not running towards you!
It was a wonderful way to spend the day!
