I arrived to Elkmont Campground on the Tennessee side of Great Smokey Mountain National Park to a strict warning from the front office, there had been bear activity in the campground that week and all food, cooking equipment, and scented items had to be kept in the car at all times or I would face an $80 fine. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t jump at every little noise for the two nights I stayed at the campground, even though I was spooning my bear spray and literally kept everything else inside my car. I survived without a bear injury, but didn’t get much sleep! The Smokies, on the other hand, were absolutely fantastic. My first hike was up to a waterfall, so awesome, and on the way back down, I actually encountered a bear! I was turning a corner on the trail when I saw the bear scurry up the mountain about 10 feet from me. The woman coming from the other direction said she saw the bear actually cross the trail path and run up; had I been 15 seconds earlier, I may have gotten a real bear hug of the unwanted variety. I have to say, it was pretty awesome, terrifying, and a great reminder that we are just visitors in these parks and the wildlife are really running the show. Another hike took me to the very top of the Smokies, which also happens to be the highest point on the Appalachian Trail. The views were outstanding, I was indeed standing in the clouds, the reason the park got its name. It really was breathtaking, literally the hike was really steep and I was totally out of breath at the top. But also, a magnificent landscape in all directions. And now I can say I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail and feel no need to hike the entire thing. At least not in one shot.

Elkmont was located right outside of Gatlinburg, a kitschy town with moonshine distilleries, Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not museums, and every type of weird putt-putt one could imagine. A little strange, but totally ‘Merican. I took the Newfound Gap drive and Blue Ridge Parkway drive to Asheville for my last night in the Smokies. The drives in the Smokies are really magnificent. Because the mountains are covered in forestation, the winding roads feel like a magical woodland jungle. Asheville itself was awesome, I only had one night there and will definitely be going back. Upon advice from my great friend Mo, I “snuck in” to the Grove Park Inn, a super fancy hotel on the side of a mountain overlooking all of Asheville and the Smokies. I hung out there for bit and enjoyed the views before leaving the fancy life and heading back to the great outdoors.