Gatlinburg Trip

For pictures, click here.

8/21/22
We left home at 7:45 and got to Treetops Resort around 11am. We took Exit 447 (Big Creek Rd.) off of I-40 to Lindsey Gap Rd to Groundhog Rd. This was a lot shorter than the route we usually take.  I read the reservation wrong and thought check-in was at 2 but it wasn’t until 5. Since our condo wasn’t ready, we went exploring. We went out the back road which was supposed to be a 2 lane road but it felt more like a winding one-lane road with steep drop-offs. My heart was in my throat the whole time and I was so afraid we might encounter another car wanting to go the other way! As soon as possible we got off that road and went hiking. We went to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and wore our masks inside (they required masks but didn’t seem to enforce them). Then we hiked to Cataract Falls and then did the Fighting Creek Nature Trail. After that, we hiked the Sugarlands Valley Trail which was exciting because we saw our first bear of the trip. He was busy looking for food and wasn’t interested in us. Next, we decided to do the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and stopped at Jim Bale’s cabin. Near the corn crib, we saw a snake (I think it was a water snake). After that, we continued our drive and saw another bear. We finally checked in our condo at 4 pm. Next, we went to Food City and bought some groceries. Dinner was peanut butter and jelly or honey sandwiches.

8/22/22

After breakfast, we got back on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and went to the Rainbow Falls trailhead. We got on the trail at 8:45 and made it to the falls at 11:30. It was a long tough climb! Along the way, we saw another bear crossing the trail. In fact, there were tons of bears on this trail and a mother and cub were above the trail in the trees. We had lunch there and returned to the car by 2 pm. When we got back to our room, we cleaned up and I paid for the cruise we booked. As we were leaving to go find some dinner, we found a raccoon outside our room going through the trash from a nearby trash can. We decided to go out for dinner at the “Best Italian Café and Pizzeria in Elks Plaza.” We really like this place. Don had manicotti and I had spaghetti with meat sauce. Both came with 3 garlic rolls (full of garlic and parmesan cheese!). As we were leaving, some ladies ran inside from the patio screaming. A bear came on the patio and wanted their garlic rolls. The waiters ran out and scared him off. The smart bear went around the building and decided he wanted to come in the front door. Again, the waiters ran him off. They say they have to do this 2 or 3 times a day. It was a wonderful day!

8/23/22
We got to the Grotto Falls trailhead at 9 am and it was full. All along the roadside cars were also parked so we decided to go do another hike. We went to Greenbrier to hike along the river but the area was closed because of heavy flood damage that happened in July. So, we headed to Pigeon Forge and walked around the outlet stores and Walmart. It might have been good to take the morning off since we were both a little sore and stiff from yesterday’s hike. After lunch at Olive Garden, we headed to the Sugarlands Visitor Center where we began the Gatlinburg Trail. It was an easy 4-mile hike and good to stretch our muscles. Then we went back to our condo and had Red Hot sausages and sauerkraut for dinner.

8/24/22

We left at around 7 am to go to Grotto Falls. The sun was just coming up and the scenery was beautiful. When we got there, there were still a lot of cars already parked and the llama trailer and truck were there also. The llamas bring supplies up to Mt. LeConte once a week. We got on the trail at 7:30 am and got to the falls around 8:22 am. It was uphill most of the way but much easier than Rainbow Falls. The falls were beautiful and we were able to walk under them. We were back in our car by 9:45. After stopping by our condo for a little while, we went to the grocery store to pick up some more sauerkraut for dinner. We went to the Little House of Pancakes and had their lunch special (Baked Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast, and a drink for $9.95) which was really good. After lunch, we went by Laurel Falls but there was no parking so we went on to Elkmont. We parked near the cabins by Jakes Creek Trail and explored the cabins that are being restored. Then we hiked a couple of miles on the Jakes Creek Trail. On the way back to the condo, we stopped at the Spinnery so I could talk to them about my spinning wheel. It has been a great day!

8/25/22

We were at the Alum Cave Bluff Trailhead by 7 am so we could get a parking place. There were only a few left but many of the cars belonged to those staying up at Mt. Le Conte. We also met the 28 Thursday Hikers from Knoxville. It took us 45 minutes to get to Arch Rock and then another 45 minutes to Alum Cave Bluff. We took our time, taking pictures and enjoying the views. We talked to a lot of people so the entire hike took us 4 hours round trip. The weather was beautiful! Since we left so early, the sun was just rising and it was a little overcast. This made it nice and cool for the hike up the mountain. The sun was out and shining later but we were on the way down the mountain. We stopped at the Little House of Pancakes for lunch. Don had a veggie plate for $6.49 and I had the lunch special for $9.95 (French dip, fries, and a drink). When we got back to the condo, we went to the pool for a little while. It was another fantastic day!

8/26/22

We started the Laurel Falls trail at 7:45 am. It was a beautiful 2.6-mile hike and paved most of the way except where the pavement was washed out. We were finished by 9:15 am. I carried my hiking sticks but never did need them. We left there and went to Elkmont and walked about 3 miles on the Little River Trail. It was a beautiful day for hiking. We went back to the Little House of Pancakes for lunch. Don got the special for $9.95 (Catfish, fries, slaw, hushpuppies, and a drink) and I got a grilled cheese sandwich and fries for $5.95. When we got back we relaxed and then went to the pool and hot tub.

8/27/22
I thought we were going to do an easy nature hike today but ended up going up to Chimney Tops at 8:40 am. Then I thought we would do a side trail to 2 waterfalls but when we got to the junction we met two guys who came from that direction. They said the trail was slick and involved some boulder hopping so we ended up going straight up to Chimney Tops instead. We haven’t done this trail in 20 years and I have no idea why we decided to do this today! It went straight up for 2 miles with almost 1400 ft.

elevation gain. There were many times when I wanted to give up but after a lot of short breaks, I continued upward. We made it to the platform which had a beautiful view of the Chimney Tops. A little further and the trail was barricaded but many people go under the barricade and continue to the rock outcropping. We met three young people and one of them (Shannon) graduated from Furman in 2021. We watched a couple go all the way up to the top of Chimney Tops and Shannon and her friends made it halfway. We got back to our car in time to head to the Little House of Pancakes for the lunch special (Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, bread, and a drink for $9.95). We spent the afternoon at the pool and hot tub.

8/28/22

We left the resort at 7am and headed home. We went past Cosby Campground and turned left on Groundhog Rd. and right on Lindsey Gap Rd. to get to I-40. This was a great shortcut and got us home by 10am.