My Tennessee Story
There are so many great experiences to be had in Tennessee but you don’t take our word for it. Every day we feature a new story from someone who has enjoyed their time here.
Laura and Stewart .
wrote:
Our Tennessee story is an outdoor story. No matter if we are heading out on a beautiful Tennessee day for a short hike on Lookout Mountain, or whitewater rafting on the Ocoee, there is nothing like an outdoor adventure in Tennessee.
One weekend, a group of us from church decided to climb Mt. LeConte in the Smoky Mountains. We headed out about 7:00 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day and encountered a soft blue mist covering everything. Lucky for us, our guide was experienced and the trail well marked. The nice thing about hiking is there is something to see around every corner. We saw a beautiful waterfall, red robins, blue-tailed lizards, mountain laurel, tulip trees, and salamanders in slow-moving streams. There are five trails leading to the rustic Mt. LeConte Lodge, the only lodge in the park. At over 6000 feet we found the views fabulous and worth the four-hour trip on the popular Alum Cave Trail.
We then enjoyed a picnic lunch on a beautiful outcropping. There’s nothing quite like ham sandwiches with a view. We took plenty of bottled water and trail snacks, as there are no resources for day hikers on top of the mountain. We did not plan to spend the night at the lodge, so we ate, rested well, enjoyed the rocking chairs on the deck, and then headed back down. Wildflowers were everywhere and, while we did not see it ourselves, I am told snow can sometimes be found on the trail even in April.
We returned to our parked cars and headed for hot showers and dinner. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Gatlinburg. What a great weekend adventure, with mother nature, no kids, plenty of laughs, and good friends.
That is just one of our Tennessee outdoor adventures. We hope you will have one too.
Laura and Stewart
Chattanooga TN
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