Smokies Spring 2019 Part 3

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 3 starts out VERY early.  We decided to head to Foothills Parkway to shoot the sunrise.  The drive from the cabin was a little nerve wracking for me, it was dark and foggy but we made it without any problems. 

There were cool clouds in the valley below the parkway so it made for some very cool shots.  I shot with both my camera and my GoPro.  The drive down the parkway to get breakfast got a little delayed due to one lane closure. It looked like the workers were clearing out trees. The guy that was directing traffic at the closure was not helpful at all. He never said a word to us. We were waiting for what seemed like forever when I finally got out of the car and asked how much longer it was going to be.  Patience is not my strong suit.

We stopped by Hillbillys Restaurant again for breakfast.

Clingman’s Dome

We decided that today would be the day to climb Clingman’s Dome again (Tim’s idea) so we headed to Newfound Gap.  We did stop by Sugarlands Visitor Center to ask about best places to see wildflowers.  We got some ideas but never did head to any of them.

The ride up to Clingman’s Dome was an experince.  Tim got behind a driver going well under the speed limit and who practically crawled when going along any kind of curve.  It was quite annoying.  The driver FINALLY pulled over so we could pass him.  I thought Tim might turn into a homicidal maniac at one point.  Not that I can talk, I"m not patient at all and this driver was REALLY bad.

The hike up to Clingman’s Dome was as bad as I remembered it. It is not very long but very hard on the calves and I’m not in the greatest shape.  Ended up shooting several video’s with the GoPro because I wanted a panoramic and people kept getting in my way. Stopped by the store and picked up a few items.

The trip continued down Newfound Gap to Cherokee though we did stop by Oconaluftee Visitors Center where we picked up a few more souvenirs.  We ate lunch at Hardees in Cherokee, NC.  

We decided to head back to Cades Cove.  Did see a bear run across the road on our way.  It was moving too fast and since we were in the car, we didn’t have any chances to get any photos.  Unfortunately we got behind another extremely slow driver.  Apparently this was the day for them.  Not surprisingly, we did a little shopping in Cades Cove. 

Back to the cabin for dinner.  

Part two of the trip can be found at Smokies Spring 2019 Part 2.