The next stop on our trip was an Airbnb house on the outskirts of Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. We spent our time here visiting Cades Cove, a valley containing the remnants of a 19th century settlement. It’s a fascinating place to poke around old churches and farmhouses on hiking trails. It’s part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (America’s most visited national park), which was established in 1934. The park is free, due to a proviso written in its original charter.
For a recount of what happened here, I’m going to include a guest post from my husband, Murray (previously published on his Facebook page):
From the historical significance of Gettysburg and Washington to the hysterical significance of bear spotting in the Appalachian and Great Smoky Mountains. These great mountain hiking wildernesses of the US offer the unique opportunity to trade the perils of Lyme disease for those of black bears, and still get to keep the exotic novelty of the rattlesnakes.
My wife and youngest daughter were praying that we would come across black bears on our hiking trips. I, on the other hand was praying we wouldn’t see a bear at all, this placed us in a familial theological bind. This is because I knew that the US “Bear Advisory” says that should you come across one, you are advised against running away from the bear, instead you should stand and face the bear, wave your arms in the air, make loud noises . . . and in turn be summarily eaten. It sounded to me like the “Bears Advisory” was written by the bears. On into Cade’s Cove where the animals are “seen in abundance”, just not by us. We circled the 11 mile loop road one and a half times seeing not so much as a chipmunk before retiring in disappointment to the Visitors Centre. Slumped in the disappointment of not seeing any bears we decided to slink into the Visitors Centre and order ice creams that only came in a size as big as your head.
I managed to assuage my guilt that I hadn’t divulged that I hadn’t actually got around to praying to see no bears (on account that the Bears Advisory only mentions prayer when cornered by a bear in a tent and the fact we all like ice-cream). While standing outside the Visitors Centre in the humidity and rain, I should see four or so black bear cubs sauntering across the car park of all places. My wife and youngest daughter, ignoring all advice from the “Bear Advisory” and US Federal laws to keep 50ft distance, chased off after the bears to get a photo. I was left holding the ice-creams.
The next morning as I was sitting down to a bowl of Captain Crunch with the fam, I had just finished explaining to my youngest daughter that it was prudent to keep the waist high gate shut on our enclosed verandah to keep the bears (nobody sees) out. Just as I was making up this addition to my own “Bear Advisory” nek minute a black bear moved silently past the window, walking with ease along the railings nonchalant to the fact we were some 30ft above the ground. It became a race between me and the bear to get to the open flywire kitchen door first. Having closed it I was then able to count the kids to make sure I hadn’t locked one outside still sitting in the outdoor hot tub on the verandah.
After climbing down to the decking and examining the kid’s wet bathers he disappeared by descending a tree that was adjacent to the verandah railing.
What excitement and what an answer to prayer! We continued the high with another “high” generated by the sugar and artificial flavourings available in an assortment of breakfast cereals. These were number one on the kid’s list to try!
More excitement to come – next stop – Disney World!