No matter how many times we have gone, one of our favorite places we continue to return to has always been the Smokies. It just holds a special place for both of us. It's also somewhat convenient since it's not a terrible drive, and includes some of our favorite activities - camping and hiking! Not to mention all the other wonderful things this area has to offer. We knew we hadn't had a chance to go yet this year, so we both agreed it was where we needed to go on our last camping trip for the year.
We left early on a Sunday - around 5 am - so that Griff could sleep most of the beginning of the drive and we could get some distance on the road. He was really well behaved but he must have been excited too...because he woke up when I got him settled in the car and then didn't go back to sleep. However, we did make it a solid 3 hours before we had to stop so we called it a win! We stopped to get Griff dressed and use the restroom (Can we talk about how wonderful it is to be able to do both these things in the camper versus having to go in a gas station right now in the time of COVID?! Such a blessing). After that, we were back on the road and managed to make it all the way to the Tennessee Welcome Center. We stopped here to have lunch and stretch our legs a bit (there's a nice short hiking path nearby, plus restrooms, coffee (Starbucks!) vending machines, picnic tables, etc.After having lunch, we got back on the road to finish the drive. Griff took a nap the last hour or two of the drive and we were able to make it to the campground!
Our first stop of the week was at Elkmont Campground. It is in the national park, located near the Sugarlands Visitor Center (about 20 minutes from Gatlinburg). It is a "primitive" campground - no showers, electricity, or cell reception. However, we had the battery and a generator and this camper has a nice shower in it so we were fairly comfortable still. We were surprised at how much traffic we passed as we went into the park - it was more traffic than we'd ever seen in the parks (and we've been a LOT!). We spent the evening getting settled in the campground - setting up, having dinner, and generally exploring the campground). We went up to the "Ghost Town" at Elkmont as well and Griff loved walking through the houses - although we could only walk through park of them as some were being renovated.
The next day we got up and headed toward the Scenic Motor Trail outside downtown Gatlinburg. We were able to see a couple bears (from a distance, not the greatest view) as they climbed up a hill beside the road. We also were able to hike Grotto Falls. Griff hung in the carrier on the way up and hiked back down holding our hands - and still taking quite a few tumbles. He got lots of compliments from passerby hikers on how well he did coming down the mountain! After hiking Grotto Falls, we drove into town to get cell reception for a bit and then headed to Cades Cove. Cades Cove was really crowded and as such the traffic moved very slow through it, however, we let Griff hang with mama in the truck bed and read books and he was pretty content to enjoy the scenery this way - as was his mama. He also loved going in the old houses and churches - just like his mama. We enjoyed dinner back at the campground and a campfire then cozied in for the night.
The next morning we got up earlier than usual and were anticipating trying to run into town to get breakfast, but it was more crowded than we would've liked even though it was early so we decided to grab coffee and move on...to Clingman's Dome! We were glad to get there early and get a hike in before it got crowded (since it's a popular stop). Griff alternated between walking with me and having mama carry him up, but overall did a good job hiking most of it (with lots of stops to pick up sticks of course). After hiking Clingman's Dome, we stopped at a few other overlooks on the way back down the mountains and then stopped at the Chimney Tops Picnic Area for lunch. Griff LOVED climbing on all the rocks in this area with his dada. After the Chimney Tops, we headed back to the campground to let dada get in some trout fishing. Griff took a short nap on the way back and then he and I hung around the campground - going on walks, etc. We spent the rest of the evening hanging around the campground - taking walks, having a campfire, etc.
The next morning we decided to take one last visit to Little River and the Elkmont Ghost Town before heading out. We walked through the houses and hiked along Little River. After that, we went back to pack up and have lunch before heading out. We spent the afternoon driving to our next stop - Deep Creek Campground. We got settled in at Deep Creek and spent the evening exploring the area.
The next day we decided to start our day off by driving to Fontana Dam. We both hadn't been before but had heard good things. While it isn't the Hoover Dam, we both were really impressed at its size. We were also really impressed by the view of the mountains as a backdrop against the water/dam. We spent some time driving around the area near the bottom of the dam as well and stopped along here to have lunch. Then, we drove back toward Cherokee and that side of the Smokies National Park. We went into the park to see Mingus Mill and the Ocanaluftee Visitor Center. We also got to see a large herd of elk in one field and a small herd outside the visitor center in a creek along the path (so close!). We went back through Cherokee and stopped to walk along the water a bit. We drove back toward the campground after this to have dinner and then drove into Bryson City to let Griffin see the Smoky Mountain National Railway come back into its station (he has been obsessed with trains even more so since this!).
The next day we started our day off driving to Asheville, NC. Tim had visited here for work a lot before and wanted to show us around. We had lunch at an awesome taco place with outdoor seating and walked around the city a bit. We then drove back to Bryson City and walked Griff around to let him see some of the holiday decor (pumpkin "people") and the train again. Last, we ate dinner and took a short hike to Juney B Whank Falls (this hike is right by the campground!) to end the night.
On our last morning, we finished the rest of the Deep Creek Trail to see two more waterfalls. Griff did awesome and hiked almost the whole thing on his own! It was a bit misty and chilly but a really nice hike to start the day off before we spent the rest of the day in the car. After that, we packed up and headed back home. We were initially thinking we'd stop at Mammoth Cave on our way back, but the weather had turned chilly and we were running low on propane so we were nervous we wouldn't have enough heat to make it through the night.
All in all it was a great week! We both commented that it was the most crowded we'd ever seen the Smokies (on the way back we sat in traffic an extra 1.5-2.5 hours we estimated!)...so COVID might be drawing in more crowds to our favorite getaway. However, no matter the crowds the Smokies is a great place to escape! And we still were able to find our own spots away from the crowds and enjoy some much needed time to rest, explore, and recharge together. Now we're already counting down the days until we get to return (and camp!) again.
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