Gatlinburg ... a Practically Unplanned Adventure! June 27 - July 5, 2009 About This Page:

[rhinohunter]

Nice pix. Glad to see you back in TR mode.

[chezp]

Great to see you writing again - wonderful photos.

[guitardiva]

Great report . Loving the pictures.

[pamcarey]

Great pictures! Glad to see you updating again. Sorry that you missed out on the bear picture, but I can't wait to hear about your future "encounter".

[PrincessSharon]

Glad to see you writing again, Christie! What gorgeous scenery. I hate seeing that graffiti on the sign. You'd think people visiting a national park would have more respect. So cool you saw a bear by the side of the road (but for a city girl like me, also a little scary ). Can't wait to hear about the other encounter.

[christiejay]

Thanks all! It's good to be back updating. When I saw the bear walking toward the road, it actually took me a minute to realize it was a bear. I'm not sure what I thought it was! The graffiti makes me mad too! What is the point anyway? You knew you were there, nobody else is going to recognize your name or initials, etc....... Just take a picture people! I'm going to work on the next update tonight, will get it posted soon!

[GoofEme]

[christiejay]

Continuing with Day 6 - Thursday, July 2

So after just missing getting a picture of the bear, we made our way the rest of the way down the mountainside and into the parking lot of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, on the border of the park. When we arrived we saw that they were working on expanding the parking lot, part of a major project where they are also going to build a new visitor center building. More on that later.










For now our purpose in stopping here was to use the restroom before beginning the next portion of our drive. We also stopped in the gift shop because I was hoping to pick up a copy of the trail guide for a nature trail we've never done, but hoped to do today. They have those self-service map boxes at the trailheads but it's usually easier to buy them at the shops. They didn't have any in stock, but I did pick up a book for my parents, a Cades Cove hiking stick medallion for Joshua, and a couple of replicas of "scrip" coins that the logging companies here used to pay their employees with to use as currency in the company store.

Next comes something new for us - the beginning of a not-so-long-in-distance, but super-long-in-time driving loop. We began by driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has its southern terminus right here at the entrance to the Smoky Mountain National Park.


the view leaving the Oconaluftee Visitor Center

We stopped at quite a few of the "overlook" points along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I put overlooks in quotes because for the most part the brush and trees have grown up so much that you don't really overlook anything. Of course as you gain elevation you can see more. But the signs at the stops would tell you that you could view certain things below you, and you almost never could. I know I drove Jay nuts by wanting to stop so often, but we seemed to be right on track with our timing, and I wanted to take advantage of our being here. Most times we don't venture out onto the Blue Ridge, and I doubt we do on our next trip, so I made him pull over for just about every one. But, we were gaining elevation fast and it was neat to see how much higher up we'd be at the next stop. The pictures should be able to tell most of the story here. I think I was able to take a picture of the sign at each stop, so I'd remember where I was. All of these pictures were taken in only 11 miles of road.






I think it's neat how the mountain in the foreground is in a shadow while the one behind it is in sunlight.




I loved this tree


trying to get a picture of the rocks along the bank




Joshua started wanting to get in all the pictures, so for a lot of these I have one of just the sign for documentation purposes, and another identical picture with him in it! I'm so weird!
















another picture of what the road looked like - it was so pretty driving through the trees




I think this is the scar area the sign references, although I'm not positive.












I loved these tunnels ... they are constructed exactly the same as the ones in the National Park. Which of course makes sense, since the Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Park area, too.


My Road Guide book didn't detail the portion of this driving loop that followed the Blue Ridge Parkway, but they did suggest you stop at a few of the sites - this was the first one they mentioned.









Jay didn't get out here, but he did take a few pictures.





I don't know why he took two pictures of the same sign. It does show the new type of sign they were in the process of putting up, though. They had taken down most of the wooden signs and replaced them with these, which were some type of heavy-duty plastic or PVC or fiberglass, or something like that. It looked like they might be able to stand up quite a bit better to would-be vandals who like to carve into them.


Obviously this is an extreme close-up that Jay took with his camera, which zooms a lot further than mine does. I think it's taken at the same location as the pictures above. Look on the left of the first picture after the signpost for this stop. Don't you think it's the same peak?

Up Next: The second half of our drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures Christie! More please!

[rhinohunter]

Great pix. I have enjoyed riding along with you.

[chezp]

Great photos from all your stops.

[pamcarey]

Great photos... those tunnels look really cool! And I just saw your countdown... congrats on your upcoming trip to WDW!

[christiejay]

Hi everyone, remember me? Over the past few months I have tried various ways of reworking my daily routine to keep PassPorter on my list of regular activities, but I just can't seem to make it happen ... However I am committed to finishing this trip report. I believe that I can make this my Sunday afternoon project and get this accomplished. Some Sundays may see multiple updates, but if I'm out of town I might miss a week. Please bear with me! Thank you to those of you who are still with me.

[GoofEme]

I'm still here ChristieJay We miss you, but family and obligations come first. We're glad to see you whenever you can stop by

[christiejay]

Continuing with Day 6 - Thursday, July 2, 2009

We continue our short drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway, still making stops very often. The next stop was called Big Witch Overlook - named not for a witch, but for a Cherokee eagle hunter. This is the second of three stops that my road guide book suggested stopping at.















It still baffles me how those trees can find enough soil to be able to grow on top of the tunnel like that, and yet the roots don't break through the concrete into the tunnel ...

Jenkins Ridge Overlook:











I can't remember if I was trying to take a picture of something through the branches, or just going for a cool tree picture.

I think all these next pictures were taken while driving, although the first couple might have been at the previous stop:












Bunches Bald Overlook:









What a pose ...





















A couple more taken while driving:




Lickstone Ridge Overlook


Which was also the Qualla Indian Reservation stop, the third and final stop suggested in my book.


















On the road, as you can see my reflection:


Plott Balsam:
















This stop was actually just past our turnoff, but I didn't realize it at the time. I saw the sign where we should have turned, and Jay asked me if that was it, but I guess I was expecting it to be called something else, so we kept driving. But right past this overlook, we came up to the intersection of a highway so I knew we had gone too far, and we turned around and went back.

Up Next: Heintooga Ridge Road