NP#45 - Great Smoky Mountain

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Our 45th Park visit - Great Smoky Mtns.                         (1)

 Panoramic view from Newfound Gap Road                          (2)

Same shot the next morning                                                   (3)

Hiking the Appalachian Trail!                                               (4)

Mingus Mill                                                                           (5)

Spooky trees from atop Clingmans Dome                             (6)

Cool Creek along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail             (7)

Classic Cabins near cool Creek!                                            (8)

Trekking to Elijah Oliver Place in Cades Cove                      (9)

Elijah's Place                                                                        (10)

Cable Grist Mill - Cades Cove                                              (11)

Sunset over Great Smoky Mountains                                   (12)

Sept 8, 2014 - We begin our 45th park visit with a flight from Phoenix to Charlotte, NC via the "new" American Airlines - formerly US Airways - formerly America West Airlines! Terry has us booked "standby, " which those of you who know me, know this is my least favorite way to fly! At least within the continental US. International flights, first class - no problem!

From Charlotte, we'll jump on a commuter jet to Knoxville, TN and then drive about an hour to the Doubletree Hotel in Gatlinburg, TN. The Dbltree will serve as base camp for the three days we'll be visiting. 

Sept 9th - My birthday! I've been fortunate to have a loving wife who will allow me to trek to a park over my birthday! Last year, Charlie, Terry and I were in Glacier National Park. The year before that…I believe we were in Crater Lake! Nevertheless, I am up early to attempt to get the classic sunrise shot from Newfound Gap. The one with the mountains all filled with "smoke," the sky filled with the burnt orange, red and pink hues the clouds get when the sun peaks over the horizon and the hills all neatly aligned in alternating fashion. 

Alas, the cloud cover was thick this morning (picture #3 above) and so I would come away from my pre-dawn photo op somewhat empty handed. Back to the hotel to see if the bride has risen yet! Nope! Still sleeping! 

The itinerary for the day is to travel from Gatlinburg, TN through the park up and over the mountain ridges to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the route we would stop by the many overlooks to gawk at the Smokies. We'd pay a visit to Mingus Mill, an old time grist Mill located near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway we traveled is the southernmost section of the 469 mile road that winds its way north through the Appalachian Mountains. Nice…however, the fall color had not yet taken shape along one of America's most traveled roads so all vista's were pretty much the same - very green!

After getting our fill of the Parkway, we headed back up Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome. The tower atop the Dome is the highest point in the park (6643 feet) and is said to provide its visitors with a 360 degree view of the Smokies. That might be true; however, during our brief visit, the cloud cover was pea soup thick (see picture #6). 

After departing the Dome, we took the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This is a must do if you visit this park! Just outside Gatlinburg, this single lane, one way road winds you up and through a dense forest filled with old homestead houses, babbling brooks flowing over moss covered boulders and trails leading to gorgeous waterfalls. (pix 7 and 8)

When we completed the Nature Trail, we ventured into the tourist section of Gatlinburg to see what may be available for dinner. What we found is a plethora of pancake houses. We counted 8 Pancake restaurants all within a 2 mile radius! When we asked a local what the deal was with all the pancake restaurants, she replied, "oh, us southerners just love our pancakes!" Go figure! (We counted another 10 pancake houses along the main drag of  Pigeon Forge! 

And there were three times as many Mini golf courses, and amusement parks along the Hwy 441 between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. By the way, Pigeon Forge is home of Dollywood - Dolly Pardon's theme park! Here you've got this amazing national park just minutes from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, yet the majority of the visitors were hanging out in town! 

Which brings me to a question about how the Park Service can state that this park is the most highly visited one in the system. Statistics say that Great Smoky gets over 9 million visitors annually. Yet, unlike many of the National Parks there are no entry stations to collect entry fees or to count visitors. 

Could it be that half of those 9 million "visitors" were actually just passing through the Park on their way to get at some of those Pancakes before hanging out at Dollywood? 

Sept 10th - Today we ventured down to Cades Cove - a relatively flat valley tucked between mountain ridges. The 11 mile loop road takes you through the valley with stops at several of the historic old buildings found along the drive. Elijah Oliver Place and the Grist Mill (pix 10 and 11) were a couple of the highlights during our visit. 

After dinner, we made our way back up Newfound Gap Road in hopes of catching a photo op of a decent sunset. Much to our delight, we were treated to the last bit of golden light cast upon the clouds by the stetting sun. 

NP#44 - Acadia National Park

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NP #43 - Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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    Everett Street Covered Bridge (click on Pix to enlarge)

After spending four days in mid June showing our board game at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH (Trekking the National Parks - www.trektheparks.com), Terry and I trekked 2 hours north of Columbus and made our way to pay a visit to our 43rd National Park - Cuyahoga Valley NP.

The 33,000 acres that make up CVNP are nestled between Cleveland and Akron, OH. This surprisingly beautiful "urban" park is comprised of 33,000 acres of diverse wetlands, forests and fields that are in various stages of successon. The thing that stuck me odd about this park were the two major freeways that divide it into two sections - north and south - and the three other freeways that are in close proximity to the park! None of the other 42 parks we've previously visited had been so surrounded with major thoroughfares!

For that reason, it felt odd that Cuyahoga would be selected as one of the country's major National Parks.  As I dug deeper into the history of Cuyahoga Valley, I can tell you there was a "dramatic series of events and a great deal of politics" involved in getting this park approved!

    Brandywine Falls

Located just a short distance from the the hustle bustle cluster of commuters along Interstate 271 lies the serene setting of Brandywine Falls. One of the park's most popular attractions, the 65 foot waterfall has been carved by Brandywine Creek. The mood of the Falls changes with the weather. When we first viewed the falls, there was but a slight trickle flowing over the Berea Sandstone. That evening and early the next morning, a thunderstorm had moistened the area and the Falls became much more robust!

     Looking down from atop Brandywine Falls

     Inn at Brandywine Falls

We didn't have our camping gear for this park visit. Instead, Terry made me  "rough it" at this marvelous Inn. The main building (pictured above)  and "barn" are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

For the past 26 years, George and Katie Hoy have served as the Innkeepers of this quaint Band B which was originally built in 1848 and refurbished by the two of them in 1986. Both are excellent cooks and provide their guests with a fabulous breakfast while George tells stories and reads his poetry. You'd never guess that the two of them are well into their 80's! They are both as alive as the delighful Inn they've created! 

     Inside the Granary

The main building has 6 suites. Behind the main building is a refurbished carriage barn that now accommodates two guest rooms - the Granary and the Loft. We had the good fortune of staying in the Granary. Rustic elegance defines this incredibly charming cottage with its wood planked floors and hand-hewn beams.    

     The Granary Living Room

Some of the most fascinating features of this Bed and Breakfast, and in particular inside The Granary, are George's hand painted window shades! You'll find the flag shown above covering the upstairs window in the Granary's loft!

   Stairway to The Ledges

There are over 125 miles of hiking trails throughout the park. The Ledges Trail is a rather easy 2.2 mile loop that takes you past mossy sandstone cliffs that were carved out of the Sharon Conglomerate Rock formation millions of years ago. Once descending down the stairway to the trail adjacent to the Ledges, the temperature and humidity seemed to immediately drop.   

   The Ledges

Wandering about the Ledges reminded me of a scene out of Jurassic Park. I kept expecting a Velociraptor to spring out from one of the green crags looking for something to eat! Sadly, the Ice Box Cave, a 50-foot cavern with temperatures to match its name was closed due to an attempt to protect the resident bats. 

    Towpath Trail

The Towpath Trail is one of the Park's key features. Originally used by mules to pull canal boats along the 309 miles of the Ohio and Erie Canal, today the Towpath Trail offers 84 miles of the biking, hiking, jogging and in some areas, horseback riding. Within the park, the Towpath Trail runs north-south for about 20 miles. It is wide, hard-packed and virtually flat accommodating wheelchairs and strollers. 

     Blue Hen Falls

A favorite for visitors, Blue Hen Falls is one of Cuyahoga Valley's most photographic water features. The trail leading down to the falls is steep but very short. Parking at the trailhead is limited; however, an overflow lot has been added on the north side of Boston Mills Road.  

For the next couple of months, we'll be working on producing our Board Game - Trekking the National Parks. We'll be posting the game on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter in mid July and hope to go into full production by August 1st. If you'd like to learn more about this unique board game, please visit our website at www.trektheparks.com.

We'll be heading out to our next set of parks in August. Until then…happy trails to you!

Trekking the National Parks Board Game

  www.trektheparks.com

Why is it that people do some of their best thinking in the shower? Several months after completing our 42nd National Park visit, an idea surfaced.  Why not combine the artistic talents of our son Charlie with the passion for the Parks that Terry and I share? Let's create an educational board game that will allow families and friends to "trek around the country" in a fun and competitive manner!

Over the past five years, we've trekked deep into the Grand Canyon and high up into the Rocky Mountains. We've explored the depths of Carlsbad Caverns and marveled at the heights of mighty Sequoias. We've wandered through fields of wildflowers and felt the cool mist of mighty waterfalls. All outdoor experiences that have given us incredible joy and priceless memories.

I knew Charlie appreciated our quest to visit the Parks and he has enjoyed the Parks himself. What I didn't know was how Charlie would take to the idea of working with me developing a Game!  He has been involved in the past designing and developing board games with another colleague. But what about working with dear ol' Dad? When I approached him with the idea...he loved it!

For the past year, we've been working on publishing our Board Game - Trekking the National Parks. We've been play testing it for the past 6 months - tweaking it - getting feedback from friends - perfecting the mechanics of the game. In March, we will be attending GAMA - the Game industry's major Trade show where we hope to find domestic manufacturers who will assist us in producing our game!  We will be posting the game on Kickstarter some time early this summer if you'd like to get a copy of the 1st edition!

If you'd like to learn more about the game, Charlie has created a website for Trekking the National Parks. The web address is: www.trektheparks.com.  Until we meet again....Happy Trails!