An 11-mile, one-way loop road circles the Cades Cove, offering motorists the opportunity to sightsee at a leisurely pace. Allow at least two to four hours to tour Cades Cove, longer if you walk some of the area’s trails. Traffic is heavy during the tourist season in summer and fall and on weekends year-round. We joined driving in the caravan of cars. See Cades Cove – Wikipedia and Cades Cove – www.nps.gov
The Sinks: Just East of the Townsend GSM Entrance on Little River Rd. (pigeonforge.com) A lovely waterfall.
The Sinks is an unnatural waterfall on the Little River. It’s situated along Little River Road, which is a scenic drive in the park. The waterfall plunges into a deep gorge and then suddenly slows, forming large pools.
The Sinks was created when the Little River was used for logging access. At one point, logs jammed the river, leading to a dilemma for the loggers. Their solution? Dynamite! They blasted the bend, creating a new route of access and forming The Sinks.
Crystal-clear water, natural pools, and a waterfall make this spot picturesque. Visitors can see Mother Nature at her finest here. However, swimming and jumping are strongly discouraged due to the dangerous undertow and currents. At least 60 deaths have occurred here since the 1930s.
Ely’s Mill, Gatlinburg Tennessee (elysmill.com) one of the stops along the drive.
The Great Smokies are full of wildflowers in the Spring.
A list of 3 Historical Structures You’ll See Along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (smokymountainnationalpark.com). The Roaring Fork Auto Tour is so lovely we did it twice.
A charming little town in Virginia. Lots of History.
17 Fun Things to Do in Front Royal Virginia – Historic Virginia Travel
For Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2024/05/16/heinz-memorial-chapel/
We drove the Roaring Forks Motor Tour twice during our stay near Gatlinburg, Tennessee by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) part of the Blue Ridge Mountain system.
Here are a few images made of the water in the air and on the ground during the first tour.
Waterfalls – Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
An early morning drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. By the time we got to I-81 on the drive south to the Great Smokey Mountains the fog lifted.
We saw many deer and hundreds of squirrels. Marc had to keep braking for them. Squirrels often get scared then run in the wrong direction – towards the car.
