A funny thing happened on the way to Atlanta – we kept going and ended up in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We needed to go to Atlanta to sign our contract for storing the RV while we are home and to get a few items repaired while they are still under warranty.  This happened quicker than we expected, so we decided that with the few extra days we had left before returning home, we would make a bonus trip to the Smokies.

In four hours we were there; we rejected the first campground we saw as being too far away from where we wanted to be.  The next campground was near one of the entrances to the park, on a river.  We arranged our spot which is right next to the river and continued one mile to the national park, parked the car, and went hiking.  In our walk we came across three waterfalls.

Day 2:  A half hour away from where we camped is the southern entrance to the national park which is located near the Cherokee Indian Reservation.  We followed Newfound Gap Road, Highway 441, which is a high mountain road that cuts across the ridge near the center of the park and goes from Gatlinburg, Tennessee to Cherokee, North Carolina.  (The park is in both states.)  It provided outstanding scenic views all the way to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Smokies, 6,643 feet in elevation.  Once we got to the Clingman’s Dome parking lot there was still a ½ mile walk, almost straight up, to the observation tower that has a view above the trees.  Unfortunately, the tower was in the clouds and we saw very little.  We did have the feeling of success, however, at doing the climb.

As we drove down from Clingman’s Dome, after coming out of the clouds, we stopped at many spectacular turnoffs; we even saw a bear cub climbing a tree along the road.  We didn’t want to get out of the car for pictures because the mother was sure to be close by.

Also on the way out of the park we visited the Mingus Mill, a water-powered turbine, and still working, mill ­built in 1886 for the grinding of both corn (for cornmeal) and wheat, as well as for sifting the wheat.

Day 3:  Shabbat was exactly as we had expected and hoped for with lots of time to daven, talk, eat, and quiet contemplation.

Day 4:  We spent the morning and early afternoon exploring the Cherokee Reservation located just before the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We began at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.  A word about the Cherokee Indians:  They were one of the five peaceful tribes who traded with the pioneers and fought side by side with both the British and later the Americans.  They assimilated with the Europeans in both clothing and speech and many converted to their religion.  The Cherokee were an important part of Andrew Jackson’s army, to the point that one saved his life in battle; more loyal allies could not be found.

However:  In 1838, President Andrew Jackson forced the 13,000 peaceful Cherokee Indians to march from their native homeland in North Carolina to Oklahoma in what has become known as the “Trail of Tears.”  This was so white farmers and gold seekers could settle on their land.  About 1/3 of the tribe died along the way due to starvation and disease.

Supreme Court Justice John Marshall ruled that it was unconstitutional to forcibly evict the Cherokee from their homeland, but President Jackson refused to follow his ruling.  A handful of tribesmen disobeyed the government order and hid out near Clingman’s Dome and Mount Guyot in what is now the national park.  Their descendants, and those who returned on their own, are the tribesmen who live on the reservation today.  They are called the Eastern Band of the Cherokee; those who live in Oklahoma are called the Western Band.

We then traveled further into the reservation to view both the Mingo and Soco waterfalls, sites worth viewing, and a good ending to our explorations.

We are now at the campground, cleaning and preparing the RV for storage, and packing for our trip home.  Tomorrow we will return to Atlanta, spend the night in the storage facility’s parking lot (along with other “campers”), the next night in a hotel close to the airport, and then fly home.

It’s been an amazing trip; we have seen the quiet beauty of the land and experienced the pull of history, and are returning home with priceless memories, as you our readers know.  At some point, after we have returned home, we will write the last post, a summary of our travels and feelings.

This is not the end, it is only the first chapter to be continued with our next trip.

Thank you all for following the adventure and for your encouragement and support.

Bill and Sima