A trip to the deep south

I have recently returned from a trip to the fine state of Tennessee.

 We drove one end to the other of this beautiful state, soaking up the local flavors and talking with the people. It's a state rich in history and endless beauty of mountain ranges and foliage. Deep forests surround much of its interstate and of course, it is the home of country music, honky tonks and lively Appalachian tunes.

Mr. Man, who envisions us as avid outdoorsmen, began planning this trip months ago, accumulating survival gear, hiking equipment and weaponry. When the thermal blankets, ponchos and missile guidance system arrived, I began to panic. His dream to hike part of the Appalachian trail would not be thwarted, despite, rain, snow, rampant wildlife, or mud slide.

Yes, we have hiked before in some remote areas. Yes, we survived. Yes, I did it with a jacked up knee but now it is jacked up even more so I had some trepidation about an extensive hike throughout the Smokey Mountains.

We began our trip in Nashville, did all the touristy things, visited countless local hangouts, and did our best to see all that we could. As we bid good-bye to the Grand Ole Opry (an absolutely MUST do on any visit to Nashville), we began our real trip for the mountainous hiking. Our gear filled 2 giant suitcases, and we were determined to use it. (note here that my hiking boots took up almost half of the space in one).

Cool weather had been predicted, but to our surprise and that of the state, it was HOT and humid! Drat ! I have a much better winter wardrobe that I brought to finally use.

What we were not expecting was the number of people who had the exact same purpose as ours and found ourselves in many , many traffic jams in the towns and parks. As we entered the Smokey Mountains National Forest, we encountered a one way, one lane road, bumper to bumper, making arriving at our hikes trail head nearly impossible, along with finding a parking spot.

It was gratifying that the Fall leaves were turning just as we arrived and continued to do so majestically during our stay. If anyone is interested in seeing a few hundred photos of a red tree, an orange one and occasional yellow clusters, come on over!

It was also wonderful that this national park is one of the most visited and sought out, which was apparent by the thousands of people there. It was also very accessible, and no charges for anything in the park.

We creeped at 5 miles an hour on a scenic loop of Cades Cove. Luckily, we were able to see much of what we wanted and secure a parking place when needed, even if it was a little wonky and straddling a ditch. As we drove by large open meadows, we saw deer and Antelope feeding on the dewy grasses. Signage is posted on the posts of barbed wire barriers along the road that 50 yards must be maintained between the human and wildlife, and that the antelope and many park black bears are not as sweet and friendly as you might think and may charge and kill you.

I missed the photo op of the father standing under one of these signs, spreading open the barbed wire fence and pushing his two little children into the meadow to get a closer look at the deer bucks.

(insert here cartoon of man casting fishing pole with infant on hook as bait).

We turned off the road at one overlook and behind us a family with several children emptied out, commenting that they saw a bear run up a small hill. Mr. Man and I were hoping to spot a bear, but not encounter one. We were up on the opposite side of aforementioned hill and didn't see the bear and glad of it. As we walked down the hill, the mother is sending her two youngest up the hill past us to look for the bear. The children were exchanging plans on what they would do if they got eaten by a bear. Little sister tells brother that he should go first because she's not ready to "get dead".

Their mother stood at the bottom of the hill to await the screams of her offspring being mauled.
We shook our heads at her stupidity and wondered if these two sets of parents just didn't want their kids any more.

As we drove on through the park, heading for the trail head, a bear galloped by our car. I was shocked to see it so close but mesmerized by its majesty and size. That was the thrill of my day.

We reached our hike start, got Mr. Man loaded up and I bid him adieu as he prepared to hike his trail with all his gear. Should you hike alone??? NEVER! No fear, as he was being joined by a hundred other hikers in similar gear, ready to forge their way into the wilderness. I told Mr. Man I would wait for him and save my knees for the next hike. He returned 3 hours later, triumphant that he had hiked a portion of the Appalachian trail, had reached his waterfall,  and had only 1,301 miles more to go before he reached the state of Main. 

It was an awesome trip. The landscape is so different than anywhere I have visited. We felt fulfilled that the forest color changes were done for our benefit, we hiked, we toured, we explored, and met the wild life.

A trip to Tennessee is recommended to "all y'all".  Don't forget to eat some grits,  hot chicken , and wash it down with some moonshine while you're there too!