Great Smoky Mountains

This morning after breakfast we were treated to another visit by the local elk herd, who were nibbling on the grass in front of our motel, The Great Smokies Inn.

The motel is on tribal land owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee, descendants of those who avoided being forcibly removed from their homes during that sad chapter in American history, the Trail of Tears. 

There is a 1.5-mile trail from the town along the beautiful Oconaluftee River to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s southern visitor’s center. We took a chilly walk along the trail to the visitor center and Mountain Farm Museum, a recreated 19th century homestead. We learned a lot about the Appalachian way of life, including its challenges, and saw several more elk on the hike back to Cherokee.

After lunch, we drove to a couple other sections in the park, including Newfound Gap, where we hiked on the Appalachian Trail, which straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee border and reaches its highest elevation at nearby Clingman’s Dome.