2015 TRAVELS : GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Santeetlah Lake and purple blossom tree they said was Cottonwood but not convinced

In Cherokee

in Cherokee

Sequoyah

in Cherokee

We travelled from South Carolina to North Carolina in a day and arrived at our pre-booked campsite near the Smoky Mountains for our stay over Easter. The weather settled again after a thunderstorm which dropped temperatures from 29oC to 11oC next morning (the first time I have worn a fleece jacket since we left Flagstaff in February!).
As we drove into North Carolina we saw hills, then bigger hills - after almost 10 weeks of being at sea level it was lovely to see the tree clad mountains. They looked stunning in their spring colours, greens of every hue, golds and yellows together with beautiful Dogwood blossoms.

We had a wonderful day driving into the Smoky Mountains, we passed through the Cherokee Indian reservation, where most of the tribal members are descendants of those not forcibly removed in the 1830's. We wandered around a Mountain Farm museum near the Visitors Center and Roy said that he had found his Shangri -la home, it seemed a bit far from M&S to me!
We drove as far as Clingmans Dome, highest point in the Smokies at 6643ft and walked the half mile steep trail to an observation tower giving a magnificent view of the North Carolina and Tennessee Smokies.
Next day we visited Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and did the 2 mile trail around a beautiful forest - one of the few remaining tracts of virgin hardwood in the Appalachians, many huge trees over 20 feet around the base and more than a hundred feet high with a rich variety of wildflowers. I cant say I'd heard of Joyce Kilmer but when I read the poem "Trees" written by him I knew it well. He died aged 32 in the First World War in France and the area was dedicated to his memory.

We moved north towards Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. We left the campsite and continued along the 129 - Roy said to me that the sign saying "prohibited for trailers over 30ft" didn't apply to us - we would be fine!
The road was narrow,slow, steep, pretty and very bendy! Only after driving into Tennessee and getting some information did we read we had just slayed the Dragon!

Drivers and bikers from across the US come to Tennessee to slay the Dragon, an 11 - mile section of mountain road with 318 curves and elevation changes from 1962 ft to 877 ft above sea level. Also known as the “Tail of the Dragon” it is considered America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road! It was also the location for scenes in movies such as “Thunder Road”, “Two-Lane Blacktop” and “The Fugitive”. Good job it was quiet! That man of mine does get me down some roads!