REVISITING SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

COUNTRY ROADS TAKE ME HOME

Recently Team VFH thumbed our masked noses at the COVID pandemic and vacationed in Tennessee. Don’t worry we were smart and wore masks whenever we were in public and spent every day hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Last year the park had 12.5 million visitors, making it the most popular destination in the National Parks system. This year the numbers seem to be as steady despite the pandemic, but despite this pandemic, not a lot of people were wearing masks or practicing “social distancing.” We stayed away from the crowds. There were no rousing foot stomping bluegrass shows in a crowded bar for us on this trip.

CABIN FEVER CURE ALL 

We made the best of it though. We rented a car and drove the 600 plus miles from our house to Sevierville, Tennessee, just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, taking two days each way. The hiking was great, if crowded in spots, and the sunsets while soaking in the hot tub were spectacular. It was a relaxing trip as we substituted the cabin fever we had at home with a cabin on a mountainside.

MAIN BUILDING AT
BIG MEADOWS

On the way down to Tennessee we stayed overnight with a friend in Harrisonburg, Virginia. We mostly drove on the speedy Route 81, anxious to get to our destination. We took a somewhat slower route home, getting off Route 81 to enter Shenandoah National Park at Swift Run, the second of four entrances to this beautiful park in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We drove along Skyline drive, a two-lane road that mostly skirts the tops of the mountains that runs the entire 105-mile length of Shenandoah National Park. Along this picturesque stretch of road there are several overlooks offering stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Piedmont to the east. The Appalachian Trail, which starts in Georgia and ends in Maine also goes along the crests of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the length of SNP.

VIEW OF THE PIEDMONT

The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains and are so named from the bluish hue when seen from a distance. The fertile rolling hills of the Piedmont are to the east and stretch all the way to the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

We stayed overnight in Shenandoah National Park at Big Meadows, a privately run lodge inside the park. At Big Meadows there is a restaurant, bar, gift shop and rustic cabins for rent. Because of the COVID pandemic the lodge opened late in the season. When we stayed there in late June, it was the first day it had reopened.

BBQ AND SERENDIPITY

We had done this very stop once before, in 2007. We had gone on a meandering road trip after a week’s stay in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We attempted to eat our way along the North Carolina Historical Barbeque Trail, that runs from Ayden to Murphy. We lasted two days, and couldn’t eat anymore. So, we headed north and picked up the Blue Ridge Highway and then the Skyline Drive and stayed at Big Meadows. The funny thing was this route was not planned and Janet had always envisioned the Blue Ridge mountains as some unattainable distant destination. It turns out the northern end of the Shenandoah National Park at Front Royal, Virginia is just 75 miles from Washington, D.C. Big Meadows is just 250 miles from our middle-class garret in Collegeville PA.

NORTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL BBQ TRAIL

So, knowing how enjoyable and beautiful the ride was we decided to drive it again, although in deference to the much greater distance from Sevierville, Tennessee to Big Meadows we drove a lot of it on the speedy Route 81. Going north the inviting beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is to the right.

YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE

The Blue Ridge Mountains actually start in the Great Smoky Mountains and it is possible, although not feasible (because we HAD to get somewhere), to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic two-lane highway that runs 485 miles from the border of the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, to the southern end of Shenandoah National Park at Waynesboro.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Cherokee is the capital of the Eastern Band of the sovereign Cherokee nation and was just 20 miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which was near to where we were staying. Though I gave Janet the pleading big eyes she demanded we drive as much as possible along the very speedy Route 81 and enter Shenandoah National Park as near to Big Meadows as possible.

On another road trip I should like to visit Cherokee. The sad ending to Werner Herzog’s 1977 tragic-comedy Stroszek was filmed there.

CHEROKEE NATION

The Blue Ridge Parkway ends at Waynesboro where the Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive begins and stretches all the way to Front Royal. There is an entrance fee to enter the park. $30 for a 7-day pass for unlimited entry into Shenandoah, but we bought a lifetime Senior Citizens discount that affords us unlimited entry to all United States parks for $80. The cabin we rented at Big Meadows was $112 plus taxes and fees. Everyone at Big Meadows wore masks. There was a massive wait for seating at the restaurant so we opted to sit outside for beers and bar pies for dinner.

OUR CABIN AT BIG MEADOWS

When we exited Shenandoah there was a very long line of traffic trying to enter the park. For the 100 miles plus in the park it is very rural, but animals are used to people.  Black bears are around, there was one rummaging in the woods along the entrance road to the lodge and a brazen deer tried to photo bomb us as we tried to capture the vista as we lingered over beers. When we were having our morning coffee at Big Meadows, we were watched by a majestic Barred Owl, who didn’t flinch no matter how closely we approached. Yet, as soon as we left Shenandoah National Park we were in the town of Front Royal.

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

BARRED OWL AT SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2020 by GREG DUNAJ

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TRAVELS WITH JANET SINCE 2006

SUMMER NIRVANA

Janet and I have been a couple since 2006 and because of our job limitations the only time we had to travel early in our lives together was during the month of July, which is standard for many of us working stiffs. Janet has retired and my workload has slowed dramatically which allows us the freedom of going when we want and not limited to the calendar.

Now, we are limited in traveling by this COVID pandemic and July 2020 will be the “slowest” travel month for us of the fourteen years of traveling. This week we were supposed to be in a rental house at the New Jersey shore that was large enough for all of our families, but we cancelled it because of the pandemic and because family from England were unable to travel to the U.S. 

Vacations From Home started in 2009, but Janet and I already had a rich tradition of traveling before this blog was started. So, because we ain’t traveling at all, here is a quick list of the places we have been over the years in just the month of July.

2006

Windjammer Cruise – St. Lucia, the Grenadines, Grenada, Bequia and Carriacou  

It had been a bucket list item for me to travel on a sailing ship in the Caribbean and I had gotten two berths for a good price. My son didn't want to go and so on our second date I asked Janet to come along. Thankfully she said "yes."

ST LUCIA SUNSET

The ship sailed out and back from St. Lucia. We anchored off islands I had never heard of before, like Bequia where whaling is still allowed and Carriacou. The displays of love for America were everywhere in Grenada when we anchored there overnight, decades after the U.S. “saved” the island from a Communist takeover. It was in the idyllic waters of the Grenadines that I went scuba diving for the first time.

2007

North Carolina Outer Banks - Rodanthe Outer Banks, NC Historical BBQ Trail, Shenandoah National Park

We rented a house for a week in Rodanthe on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Then we attempted to eat as much Barbeque as humanly possible while following the North Carolina Historical BBQ Trail. Yes… there is such a thing. Eastern North Carolina BBQ is vinegar based and in the west it’s red. The trail goes from Ayden to Murphy. We only lasted 2 days and never made it to the red sauces. 

I have it on good authority that too much BBQ will stress your plumbing. 

NORTH CAROLINA HISTORIC BBQ TRAIL INTERACTIVE MAP

We headed north and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway and entered Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive and stayed overnight at Big Meadows, one of three lodges in Shenandoah. We recently traveled to Shenandoah again when we drove home from Tennessee and stayed at the same lodge..

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

2008

New Orleans and Southwest Louisiana road trip - Grand Isle, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Thibodaux 

Somehow, I convinced Janet to leave the food of New Orleans and go on a nearly three-week road trip through southwest Louisiana. After eating our way through New Orleans at places like Galatoire’s, Bon Ton Café and Acme Oyster Bar we headed south for Grand Isle following the remnants of Bayou Lafourche. A frequent guest of Grand Isle was the pirate Jean Lafitte. We stayed at Rick's Motel. Be sure to call ahead for reservations or you'll sleep in the parking lot like we saw a family doing.

TIGER BAYOU, LA

We drove along the southern coast of the state stopping briefly at the Cajun Riviera, Holly Beach, which was devastated by Hurricane Rita not long after Hurricane Katrina, and briefly into Texas before turning for Lake Charles, Lafayette, Thibodaux and visiting areas like the Tiger Bayou and the Atchafalaya Water Basin. This trip was my first foray into blogging and it’s still online at: CAJUN COUNTRY TRAVELS:

CAJUN RIVIERA

GALATOIRE'S - NEW ORLEANS

RICKETT'S GLEN STATE PARK

2009

Rickett’s Glen, Pennsylvania - camping 

The summer that inspired me to begin Vacations From Home was financially lean for me, so we kept our vacationing close to home and camped at Rickett’s Glen State Park in Pennsylvania. I have a nice tent from Eastern Mountain Sports and Janet had us all set up with a blow-up mattress and sheets and all so it was it was nice. Rickett’s Glen has the Falls Trail System that features 21 waterfalls from 11 feet to the 94-foot cascade of Ganoga Falls. I enjoyed hiking the trail so much I took my son up there the next week to hike

RICKETT'S GLEN STATE PARK, PA                                                                                                               

OMMEGANG BREWERY

            

2010

Cooperstown, NY – camping

Still in the throes of our economic downturn we camped next in Cooperstown, NY. Went to the MLB Hall of Fame and watched a lot of World Cup matches at a local bar where they served Ommegang beer on tap. Also traveled to the brewery for one of the best brewery tours ever.

OMMEGANG BREWERY

We also went to a Yankees game and house sat for friends in the Milford Delaware area. 

DRINKING IN BRUGES

2011

Nantwich and Liverpool, England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Bruges and Brussels, Belgium

Janet’s daughter had her English wedding celebration at the centuries old Crown Hotel in Nantwich, Chesire. After having a proper 4th of July celebration at the Rifleman Pub, we then took the train to Edinburgh just to drink some scotch whisky at the Bow Bar, a proper whisky bar.
THE BOW BAR, EDINBURGH

We then flew to Belgium to drink beer in Bruges, a UNESCO heritage city, and then Brussels where we were drinking Lambic beers before traveling to Liverpool to tour that city.

We took a Duck boat tour of Liverpool and the harbor. . 

This year was an exceptional travel year. We had visited my daughter who had moved to New Orleans (she must have read my blog) in the spring and celebrated Christmas in Denver with our families.  

FALLING WATER

2012

Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania – camping

We were back to camping this year, but with a full itinerary of planned activities which included white water rafting on the Ohiopyle River, bicycling on the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail that travels 150 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, where it’s possible to pick up the C&O Canal Towpath all the way to Washington, D.C. We also visited the famous Frank Lloyd Wright home, Falling Water and watched fireworks at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.

HILTON HEAD, SC

2013

South Carolina – Myrtle Beach, Beaufort, Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah, GA

We were in FULL MOOCH form when we asked friends on Facebook to help us plan a trip this year. We ended up graciously accepting a week with friends at their place in Hilton Head. We drove down, and before we reached that beautiful Low Country island we stayed in Myrtle Beach, Charleston; where we watched the Single A Charleston River Dogs play a game and toured Ft. Sumter; and made stops at Pawley Island, Edisto Island and Beaufort, and also visited Savannah, Georgia for the day. The barrier islands of the Low Country are very beautiful, and there’s some great eating.

Waikiki

2014

Hawaii – Oahu, Maui, Big Island

This was my 7^th time visiting these islands and Janet’s first. Over the years I had worked Sinatra shows on Oahu and vacationed there and the Big Island. This was my first time to Maui.

 

CHINAMAN'S HAT OAHU

We flew into Honolulu and it was our first stay with an AirBnB sponsored place. Janet wanted to stay in Waikiki but I pushed for the North Shore and Wailua, just outside of Haleiwa where it was a quick drive out to Kaena Point. It's quieter and a better Hawaiian experience.

We mooched a time-share off her step-mother and father at Ka'anapali on Maui, and watched the sunrise at Mt. Haleakala and rode bikes down it and did the infamous "Road to Hana." On the Big Island we rented a house for $35 a night. The house was a short drive from Volcano National Park and Uncle Robert’s Farmers Market in Pahoa where the Wednesday night party very popular with locals and tourists is not to be missed.

MARCO ISLAND, FL

2015

Marco Island, Florida

Courtesy of Janet’s cousin her entire family vacationed at a timeshare on this south Florida barrier island. Janet’s college friend lives on the island and we met up with them as well. We bought dinners in gratitude.

Also in July we attended the BLOB FEST in Phoenixville, PA, where much of that film was shot. Part of the festivities is the recreation of the famous run-out scene when the Blob oozes through the projection room. Tickets for that are hard to come by.  

YORK, ENGLAND

2016

Nantwich & York, England

Had to see Janet’s in-laws and grandson in Nantwich again, but this time we also planned a side trip to York, a walled city founded by the Romans in AD 71. York is very popular tourist destination for foreigners and the English. We rented an AirBnB just outside the city walls.

Earlier that year we traveled to Austin and San Antonio, Texas to visit Janet’s other daughter and Washington, D.C. to visit my daughter. Another highlight of that year was visiting the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. ESP was the first style of prison that pushed inmates into a “penance” approach to rehabilitation.   

2017

Nashville, Tennessee

My daughter was on the move again and we visited her in Nashville. Lot’s of partying along Broadway at all the Honky Tonk bars. Great food like Nashville Hot Chicken at Hattie B's!! It was worth the long wait in the heat of the afternoon. Somehow we got a reservation at another great restaurant, Husk, where I was introduced to Tennessee whisky and bourbon. We also went on a requisite tour of the  Grand Ol’ Opry.

Janet retired that year and took a whitewater rafting trip through the Grand Canyon a bucket list item for her. I was not interested and she was okay traveling alone.

Yes, we also went to England again for Christmas.

KINZUA SKY WALK, PA 

2018

Coudersport and Cherry Springs, The Grand Canyon of PA, Wellsboro

We traveled to northern Pennsylvania with the idea of visiting the only Dark Sky Park east of the Mississippi in Cherry Springs. I had never seen the Milky Way and there was a good chance I would finally be lucky to espy this celestial display, but alas it poured for all the time we were there. We even missed the 1^st Annual Elliott Ness Fest. Ness had moved to Coudersport after his crime fighting days and we stayed in his old room at the Critterdon Hotel. The Ness Fest ended the day before we arrived.

HOTEL CRITTENDEN, COUDERSPORT, PA

We did visit the Kinzua Sky Walk Park. The span was an engineering marvel in its day and called the 8th Wonder of the World. The Kinzua was built to save miles of track work hauling coal and timber by traversing a steep ravine. Strong cross winds forever cursed the span and eventually tornado-force winds toppled much of the span. Today the remnants has been turned into a sky walk.

KINZUA STATE PARK

Later that week we drove to Wellsboro and rented bikes to tour the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. We stayed at the very posh La Belle Auberge B&B where we had our breakfasts on the porch overlooking their beautiful gardens.   

LA BELLE AUBERGE BED AND BREAKFAST, WELLSBORO PA

In September we had a destination wedding on Marco Island, Florida and honeymooned at the Sandals in Antiqua. I started the certification training for scuba diving with the instructors at Sandals.

2019

Croatia

In July we traveled to Croatia for three weeks, although this beautiful trip was certainly not the only destination for us last year. In February we drove the length of the Florida Keys eventually spending a week in Key West. In May we traveled to England with a side trip to Lancaster and a day trip to the Lake District where we enjoyed spectacular sunny weather while boating on Lake Windermere. From what I understand sunny skies are a rarity in the Lake District. In September just after Labor Day we stayed at an AirBnB in Wildwood, New Jersey. Janet used to spend her summers as a child at this Jersey shore town. It was my first time. Later, in December we stayed at another Sandals in The Bahamas where I completed my Open Water certification with PADI.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Back to Croatia… We were able to get free airline miles signing up for a credit card and flew in and out of Dubrovnik, a walled city on the Adriatic. After running around that very beautiful city we boarded the MV Infinity sailing with Unforgettable Croatia. We hopped around to islands like Mjet, Korcula, Hvar and Brac for a week. We stayed in Split for a day then drove up to Plitvice Lakes a very popular destination for hiking. After fighting the hordes at the park, we spent another day in Split before taking a bus to see old dear friends in Trpanj on the Peljesac Peninsula. I met them during the Sarajevo Winter Olympics and they insisted we stay with them at their summer home.

There’s very good wine found throughout Croatia. Each island has it's own distinctive wine. On Peljesac Dingac and Postup grapes are grown

A GOOD RUN

Janet and I have had a great run of traveling over the years. July 2020 has been ruined, but at least we can sit and admire the memories of the places we’ve traveled in the years past. Hopefully all of these troubles will pass and soon we won't torture you with any more "Best Of" compilations.  .

At Beach Divna, Trpanj, Croatia

Thanks for reading.

Remember to visit the OFFICIAL VACATIONS FROM HOME store.

Love Janet and greg

VACATIONS FROM HOME OFFICIAL STORE

© 2020 by GREG DUNAJ

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HIKING IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT…                             

There are 800 miles of hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the most visited National Park in the United States. Straddling the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, it is estimated 12.5 million people visited GSMNP in 2019. In June we rented an isolated cabin in Seviersville, Tennessee, adjacent to the park and the frenetic tourism of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.

The view from our cabin

Whatever idea we had about going out to a bar and hearing some bluegrass or country music was squashed when we got into the slow busy traffic of Pigeon Forge and the even slower busy traffic on the roads and sidewalks of Gatlinburg. People were not wearing masks and were elbow-to-elbow. Given this pandemic and the uncertainty of how it spreads, we saw no one keeping socially distant or wearing a mask. So, we decided to hike each day instead and return for happy hours in our hot tub at the cabin. Thankfully, there are plenty of trails to choose from in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS

Janet found two great sources for finding different hikes in this unfamiliar place. Both are good for a smart phone, although you can look up information about any trail in the United States on your computer with Alltrails.com. Just type in the city or area you want to hike and it comes up with a list of trails in the area. The website features maps of the trails, reviews, photos and details like the degree of difficulty, length and elevations. There is a free version and a “pro” version. You don’t think we got the pro version, do you?

Janet preferred the National Parks app available free through Apple. Only for use with an iPhone or iPad. Search for National Parks Trail Guide. Specific to the U.S. National Parks system the app gives similar information as AllTrails, but with much more details like best hikes, family friendly hikes AND driving directions to the trailhead. The app opens with pictures of all the national parks and you click and search.

ALL TRAIL

This is a screen shot for the iPhone or iPad APP:  

We hiked every day we were not traveling in Tennessee. 

Here’s a quick list of our hikes in the order we took them.

Cataract Falls and the Fighting Creek Trails

Have I failed to mention it’s busy here in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park? To reach our first hike we drove along the length of the Parkway through Pigeon Forge gaping at all the family attractions and inched along in traffic through Gatlinburg. It was shocking, because our cabin is so isolated, yet just a few miles away from all this commotion. Traffic did not abate when we reached the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The parking lot was crowded, entrance to the visitor center was staggered and masks were requested by the rangers. There are nature exhibits at the visitor center, but the movie was shuttered because of the pandemic. There’s a gift shop.

SUGARLANDS VISITOR CENTER, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NP 

The hike begins just past the visitor center pavilion and is flat, easy and very heavily trafficked and eventually leads to a moderate waterfall that would be pleasant to look at it there weren’t so many people clamoring on it. There was a lady smoking a cigarette. We wore masks every time we neared another party.

AT CATARACT FALLS

Make sure you follow signs to the Fighting Creek Trail on your return. Few people did and for about a mile loop we had the trail to ourselves. We saw three large woodpeckers and an historic cabin.

It was a good quick hike despite the crowds. It was a Saturday. Afterwards we bought some local bourbon, Old Forge and Kings. Old Forge is in the midst of the hordes on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, and Kings was a short drive out of town.

OLD FORGE DISTILLERY

KINGS DISTILLERY

Metcalf Bottoms and Little Brier Gap Trails

We took this hike on Sunday, Father’s Day and the area of Metcalf Bottoms Trail Head was packed with picnickers settled in for the day with BBQs and tents and families were flouncing in the Little River. We turned onto Lyons Springs Road off of Wears Valley Road and soon we were passing ominous signs alerting RVs and trucks to turn back and NOT follow the GPS. To reach the parking area we had to drive along a hilly, tightly curved road and eventually cross a narrow wooden bridge single file. Larger vehicles would not be able to take this route. We drove around the grounds marveling at the amount of people all gathered here with NO social distancing at all. Eventually we found a parking spot and headed for the trailhead by crossing back over the narrow bridge. Cars passed us dangerously close.

 

Can't get there from here

It’s an out and back hike and it starts off with a steep uphill and crosses some streams and ends up at the historic Little Green Brier school house and a cemetery dating from the mid-1800’s. Janet lapsed into teacher world immediately and gave a lesson at the blackboard. We continued another mile to another historic building called the Walker Sisters House. In the cemetery we noticed the graves of several Walkers.

Despite the crowded conditions at Metcalf Bottoms there really were not that many people on the trail, and even less on the second half towards the Walker Sisters house.

It was a good hike, moderate in difficulty. We saw a deer in the woods across a small creek oblivious to us.

 

Don't "F" with the teacher

On our return we took the Little River Gorge Road towards the Sugarlands Visitors Center. It’s a beautiful winding road passing different views of the river. Despite the rural setting, it’s an integral roadway and busy with cars driving quickly in either direction. There was no chance to enjoy the views and the traffic only slowed near the trailhead for Laurel Falls. This is a heavily trafficked, easy, family friendly hike that was very popular and extremely busy. Cars were parked on the shoulders for a good half mile away from the starting point. We thought we would never hike the Laurel Falls trails because it was so very busy.

CHIMNEY TOPS

Chimney Tops

There are strolls and there are hikes. Chimney Tops is a great hike for the adventurous and the hardy and we were left with a sense of accomplishment completing it. Just under four miles in this out and back trail, there is an almost 1,000-foot gain in elevation in the second mile. Very steep! There was a seemingly unending series of rock and roughly hewn wooden steps for a tortuous stretch. We were panting throughout and sweating profusely, but reaching the vista and viewing the Chimney Top was worth it. It rises like a spire out of the mountain range. A spectacular view.  

The trail ends at the vista point, a seemingly improbable trail to the actual summit of Chimney Top was damaged in bad weather and is now closed. This was my favorite trail for the week.

To reach the trailhead we drove past Metcalf Bottoms, Laurel Falls and Sugarlands Visitor Center. Today, Monday, Metcalf Bottoms was empty and serene with few cars in the parking lot. Along the beautiful Little River Gorge Road though traffic still chortled frenetically. The parking area at the trail head for Chimney Tops was packed and we had to park on the shoulder hundred yards away. Despite the crowded parking there were relatively few people on the trail and there were a lot of people in the stream at the start of the hike.

Laurel Falls

A severe weather pattern almost washed out our plans to hike today, but when the rain let up in the afternoon, we decided it was the perfect day to make this very popular hike, thinking that less people would be on it. We were lucky to find a parking spot, but the trail was crowded. It’s paved and a gradual climb and along its entire length we never were alone. There were always other hikers, some pushing strollers, in sight.

LAUREL FALLS

The trail ends at a pretty waterfall that had two cascades. The first one is where the trail ends and plenty of people stood here to pose for pictures. The water flows beneath the wooden bridge at the end of the trail and cascades a second time.   

People had climbed down the rocks to get close to the waterfall. Janet wanted to climb down, but we decided against it.

Rainbow Falls

This hike was Janet’s favorite. It’s busy and parking is scarce, but it’s a long moderate climb of just over 5 miles out and back, and the payoff is the longest single cascade in the Smoky Mountains. On sunny days rainbows form in its mist. Very dramatic falls with people clamoring on the large boulders. The hike rises in elevation more than the steep Chimney Tops hike, but there are several switchbacks in the steeper sections making it comparatively easier.   

 

RAINBOW FALLS

Driving home we decided to stop somewhere for some beer and wings. We took the Gatlinburg bypass and entered Pigeon Forge with the intent of stopping by the Yee-Haw Brewing Company, but their facility here was located on “The Island”, a massive, crowded area of bars, restaurants, shops and attractions. 

We drove by the very crowded entrance. No one was wearing a mask. So, we decided to visit the Smoky Mountains Brewing, a little further down the road. We were hoping for outdoor seating, but had to settle for a table in the bar area, set away from others. We walked in wearing masks, the wait staff wore masks, but no one else in the joint wore masks, elbow-to-elbow at the bar.

 

On the way to RAINBOW FALLS

Didn’t like their IPA or their wings at Smoky Mountains Brewing, and under different circumstances would opt for Yee-Haw. I had bought a six-pack of Yee-Haw Eighty, a Scottish Ale at the grocery store for the week and liked that better.

YEE-HAW BREWING

SMOKY MOUNTAINS BREWERY

                                                         RAINBOW FALLS

Hen Wallows Falls

We decided to drive a bit further to reach our last hike for the week to get a more remote feel to hike rather than the racetracks we had run along on some of the hikes. To reach the trailhead we had to drive about 17 miles beyond Gatlinburg. The trail was especially alluring to Janet because black bears are regularly sighted in the area, but she only told me this AFTER we headed out. At the Cosby Picnic Area where the trailhead is located, we saw some serious back country hikers with full packs and full beards. I hope they read the NP guide to dealing with black bears.

IN CASE OF BEAR 

HEN WALLOWS FALLS

Despite the more remote location there was still a far amount of people on the moderately challenging 4.5-mile hike to the falls and the constant chatter coming from some of the other hikers ensured we would not unexpectedly happen upon any bears. Plenty of switchbacks made the 800-ft elevation manageable. The 90-foot Hen Wallows Falls starts out narrow at the top, just two feet wide, but then spreads out in dramatic fashion to 20 feet. The surrounding boulders are covered with moss and are slippery and hikers are cautioned not to climb on them. We posed for pictures and headed home, not bothering to search the pools for salamanders that are apparently abundant.

Finally! Some social distancing

The Wild Bear Tavern was a joy to find. It’s at 4236 Parkway in Pigeon Forge and it’s part of a massive motel complex of the same name. They serve plenty of German food and German style beer from the Schultz Brau Brewing Company of Knoxville. They offered four styles of beer: Hefeweizen, Schwarzbier, Dunkel and Pilsner with plenty of bratwursts on the menu. But, most importantly, there was only outdoor seating at the Wild Bear Tavern. Half the tables on the outdoor deck were closed off. Before we were seated a guard checked our temperature with one of those scanners, and wiped down the table and chairs. It was the only place we had come across in our Tennessee travels. It was refreshing and appreciated, plus the food and beer were very good. We had worked up a good appetite with a week of hearty and hale hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains.

SCHULZ BRAU BREWING 

Thanks for reading. Please stay healthy... and feel free to visit the store.

                                                    HEN WALLOWS FALLS

Love Janet and greg

© 2020 by GREG DUNAJ