Smokies Spring 2022 Trip,Part 1

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Smokies Spring 2022 Trip, Part 1

The trip started rough with the normally 6 hour drive taking me 7.5 hours mainly because of three major traffic back ups. It was great to be back in my happy place. And it was the tail end of the car show. We stayed at the Wild Bear Inn which is on the main road through Pigeon Forge so it was a loud night due to the supped up mufflers on many trucks. It was quite annoying.

On our first full day in the Smokies we had originally planned to go to the Apple Barn but found out it did not open until 8am so we ended up going to Denny’s. We did go to a few different gift shops and spent money on souvenirs. Shocking I know.

One of the places we shot was Little River off the main road on the way to Cades Cove. Due to the amount of rain, it was a rough climb down but we got some great shots. There was a traffic back up in Cades Cove due to Bear sighting which would become a theme during our visit all week.

Our first bear sighting of the week was on Rich Mountain Road of a sow and 3 cubs. We ended up shooting her and the cubs a couple different times. At one point, she did stomp her front paws and huff at me. It was quite surprising because I was no where near her cubs, she was probably just sick of me taking photos of her.

We decided to have dinner at the Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge. The highlight of our afternoon was a woman driving down the road with a red bra hanging from her side mirror. You can’t make this stuff up.

Arizona Trip Part 4

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Arizona Trip Part 4

SquirrelArizona Trip Part 4 is my last full day in Arizona and takes place at the Grand Canyon. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the park.  Unfortunately my sleeping issues continued to plaque me and I woke up at 3am.  I was not able to get back to sleep so I ended up editing a few photos from the previous couple of days.  I posted one of the Winslow photos on facebook.

Tim and I headed back to Northern Pines Restaurant for breakfast. 

We took the scenic route to the Grand Canyon.  We stopped on the way to get some photos of the San Francisco Mountains.  This is where my camera issues started. All of a sudden I got the ERR on the screen.  I got it working again but it plaqued me for a good portion of the day.

South Rim

The first thing we did when we arrived was head to the store to get stamps for our passports. Of course we couldn’t leave without doing a little shopping.  We started taking photos around the south rim. A inquisitive squirrel kept making an appearance. He first appeared while were sitting near a ledge shooting the canyon. I’m not sure its the same squirrel but he kept going up to tourists on one of the overlooks.  I followed him for almost 15 minutes trying to get a shot. Since my camera wasn’t working at this point, I took photos with both the GoPro and my phone. I got a great shot of him looking into the phone. 

Some German tourists asked us to take their photo. They got a little too close to the rim for my liking. We ate lunch at the Bike Rental Cafe.  Soon it was back shooting the rim. I was finally able to get my camera working again. I actually got gutsy and shot closer to the edge than I usually feel comfortable with.  Tim made me very nervous when he leaned over the canyon to take a shot.  

We took a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. I sat  in the back seat next to Tim who had the window.  It was a very windy day and was turbulent so it wasn’t much fun for me.  Thankfully I had taken dramamine so I didn’t get sick.  

We had dinner at Outback before heading back to the hotel.  

You can read the first three parts: Arizona Trip Part 1,  Arizona Trip Part 2 and Arizona Trip Part 3

Arizona Trip Part 3

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Arizona Trip Part 3

Arizona Trip Part 3 takes place on Monday, April 29th.  Tim picked me up at my hotel and we headed to breakfast at Country Host Restaurant.  The food wasn’t bad but the waitress was a little too chatty and not the most attentive for my taste. 

We decided to head to Jerome, an old mining town.  The museum was cool but it wasn’t what we expected.  We were expecting a ghost town. It wasn’t.  We did do a littel shopping in the gift shop and the view of Sedona from the parking lot was beautiful.  I did not use my Nikon but I did take quite a few photos with my GoPro.  

We then headed for Sedona where we did a little more shopping.  Unfortunately it started to rain so we didn’t get any photos.  We stopped at Alamo Grille for lunch. We then headed back to Flagstaff to stop at our hotels and for Tim to stop at Sportsmans  Warehouse so he could buy a more comfortable, breathing pair of hiking shoes.  He also bought a sweatshirt because the tempersature had dropped quite a bit. It was 80s on Sunday but just barely hit 60 on Monday.  I was wearing my Carolina sweatshirt. We both picked up ‘I survived the wind’ tee shirts along with a few magnets.

Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona

We were finally on our way to Winslow.  This part of the trip was for me. Tim hadn’t wanted to drive out to Winslow UNTIL he realized that the Meteor Crater was on the way.  That perked him right up.  It was VERY windy at the crater.  The crater is approximately 50,000 years old and is really just a very large hole in the ground.  It was cool. Took a lot of photos with both the Nikon and the GoPro.

We arrived in Winslow and headed to the corner made famous from the Eagle‘s song "Take It Easy" I wanted to stand on the corner and try not to sound like a prostitute.  I was surprised we were the only ones there for a few minutes.  One of the stores nearby was playing the song.  The locals must be so sick of that song. I was surprised that it wasn’t a building at all but just a wall.  There was even an eagle (the bird) in one of the fake windows and an old red flatbead Ford truck parked on the street. Historic Route 66 runs right through the town and right in front of Standin On The Corner Park. I had Tim take a photo of me standing on the Corner.  I took MANY photos at many different angles. We did a little shopping at the ‘Standin in the Corner’ shop across the street.

We ate dinner at diner down the street called Relic Road.  The burger was quite good.  We were treated to quite the lightning show on the drive back to the hotel.  It was hailing when Tim dropped me off.  I posted one of the photos that Tim took of me standing on the corner before I went to bed.

You can read the first two parts: Arizona Trip Part 1 and Arizona Trip Part 2

 

 

Arizona Trip Part 2

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Arizona Trip Part 2

Arizona Trip Part 2 continues where Arizona Trip Part 1 left. off.  Tim and I did a little shopping and then headed to Cowboy Club to grab lunch until it was time for our second Pink Jeep Tour of the day.  

Our second tour was the Broken Arrow Tour which their website describes as "our most extreeme off-road adventure.  It features giant red-rock spires and the area’s most iconic rock formations."  It is their most popular tour.  Broken Arrow trail is where famous westerns were filmed including 1950s Broken Arrow starring Jimmy Stewart and Jay Silverheels (bestl known for playing Tonto in the Lone Ranger TV  show). Our tour guide was David and he was very talkative and knowledgable about the plant life.  I volunteered to sit up front so I could shoot video with my GoPro. 

Submarine Rock

Our first stop was Submarine Rock which offers panoramic views of the famous red rocks. It was here that I realized that my ISO on my camera was still at 4000 due to the coyote photo taken in Cades Cove.  Oops. I quickly changed it back to 200.  Unfortunately this meant that quite a few of my photos taken on the first jeep tour were overexposed.  I was able to salvage a few.  I broke off from the group and wandered to the other side to grab some photos.  Unfortunately we did not stay long enough to climb up on the highest point.  

Chicken Point

On the way to Chicken Point there was a bit of a traffic issue.  Our group heading up to Chicken Point came head to head with Pink Jeep coming down from it.  The other Jeep backed up so we could pass.  It was quite windy when we arrived.  According to azcentral.com, Chicken Point is "Sedona’s patio, an open expanse of slickrock surrounded by abrupt colorful cliffs and views spilling across the valley." It was quite picturesque.  It was where I took the photo of the two Pink Jeeps in front of the red rock formations you see on the right. 

There were quite a few heartstopping adventures on 4×4 trail including the devil’s staircase which is not for the faint of heart.  I got some great videos during the tour.  

We went to Oak Creek Brewery and Grille for dinner.  Since we had had such a late lunch, I opted for the appetizer beer battered pretzels for dinner. They were quite good.  

This ends Arizona Trip Part 2.

 

Arizona Trip Part 1

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Arizona Trip Part 1

Diamondback GulchArizona Trip Part 1 starts on Sunday, April 28th, 2019 which was our first full day in Arizona. Since I was still on East Coast time, I woke up at 3:45am. The only problem I had with the hotel is some Asian tourists in the room next to me usually getting up at talking loud at 5am.  

Tim picked me up and we had breakfast at Northern Pines Restaurant. I had a GIANT cinnamon roll.

Our plan for the day was spending the day in Sedona and doing two Pink Jeep Tours.  The drive through the mountains to Sedona was breathtaking.  However, we stupidly didn’t stop to get photos. 

Diamondback Gulch and Ancient Ruins Jeep Tour

sinaguaDiamondback Gulch and Ancient Ruins Pink Jeep Tour was our first Jeep tour. The Pink Jeeps are custom-built, open-air Jeep Wranglers with kevlar tires.  I sat in the front seat for two reasons, one because of my motion sickness issue and also because I had brought my GoPro and planned to shoot video of almost the enitre tour.  

Our tour guide, Sebastian, even though he had only been living in Sedona for a year, he was very knowledgable about the local trails.  He apparently had already done about 150 hikes in the short time he lived there.  From their website " To start the tour, your local guide will take you past Sedona’s most iconic red-rock formations.  After arriving in the Coconino National Forest, head down the remote Greasy Spoon trail.  This section of an original wagon route between Sedona and Prescott dates back to a time before Arizona was a state.  Continue on to Sidewinder Trail and see how the rocky terrain falls into Diamondback Gulch – a deep ravine that slices through the land.  Hold on while your guide expertly navigates the steep descent and climbs out again." It wasn’t too bad in the passenger seat but Tim and 3 other people had some trouble staying in their seats.  It was quite fun and very bumpy.  I kept changing arms to hold my GoPro filming the trip.  We stopped at one point to take photos and Sebastian took multiple photos of Tim and I with a beautiful backdrop.  

Ancient Ruins

The second part of the tour was the Ancient Ruins of the Sinagua people.They worked from 600AD to the 1400s. We explored the Honanki Heritage site, a 700 year old cliff dwelling with petroglyps and pictographs.  It was quite something.  The drive back to Sedona was quite picturesque.

This ends Arizona Trip Part 1.  I will continue Sunday in Arizona Trip Part 2 which will include the 2nd Pink Jeep Tour.

Tim got his entire Arizona trip in one blog post.  You can find that here. He did a great job.  I, on the other hand, am much more longwinded and I have to break the blog posts down into multiple parts.  Otherwise it would be like 1500 words.  

 

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 5

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Smokies Spring 2019 Part 5

GreenbrierSmokies Spring 2019 Part 5 is the final chapter of the Smokies Spring 2019 trip. The other parts can be found:  Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.  We started the day having breakfast at Elvira Cafe in Sevierville.  Due to the rain, we decided to head to Pigeon Forge to do a little shopping (or more shopping) and for Tim to get his hard cider growlers refilled at Mill Bridge Winery.  Our first stop was Pigeon River Pottery because the winery wasn’t open yet.  Tim bought me two refrigerator magnets and a cute bear ceramic figurine.  

Next stop was the Winery that even though it was only 10am, apparently never too early to try different types of wine.  Who knew.  Tim picked up a few bottles of wine to go with his hard cider refills.  Needless to say, our first stop after was taking them back to the car so he didn’t have to carry them around Pigeon Forge.  

Next place was Iron Mountain Metal Craft. Tim picked up a couple of tee shirts because you can never have enough tee shirts and a very nice knife.  No idea what kind since I know nothing about knifes.  

Our adventure continued at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center right outside the park because we haven’t bought enough souvenirs. Mainly because we had never been there.  Yes there was a gift shop near Great Smoky National Park that I had not shopped out.  Shocking I know. Picked up another stuffed bear but this one is special. It has the markings of a bear named Wishbone who had a white mark in the shape of a wishbone on his chest.  He had been killed after getting hit by a car on Newfound Gap.  This would not be our only stop at the store today.  

Greenbrier Road

CoyoteThe rain had stopped so we headed to Greenbrier Road to shoot the river.  We took a break and headed to Hungry Bear BBQ for lunch and then went back onto Greenbrier.  This time we stopped near the turn off to Ramsey’s Cascades and climbed down the bank to the water’s edge and took many photos.  At one point, I was stepping from rock to rock, my foot slipped and went into the water.  That river is cold in early April.

We stopped back by the Gatlinburg Welcome Center to pick up maps of the Park. We originally planned to mark the maps on the hikes we have completed. The maps are so nice, we decided against it and will just frame them to hang them on the wall.

As is our custom, we went to BIg Daddy’s Pizzeria for dinner.   We usually go to the one in Sevierville but due to a car show in Pigeon Forge, we decided to eat at the one in downtown Gatlinburg instead.  

Our last excursion for the day was heading back to Cades Cove near sunset hoping to see a bear or ten. Unfortunately we didn’t see any but we did see a coyote on the side of the road who stood there for a while so Tim and I could get photos from the safety of the car.  

Another great day in the Smokies and unfortunately our last.  

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 4

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Smokies Spring 2019 Part 4

the sinksSmokies Spring 2019 Part 4 begins heading from the cabin to the Sinks.  The only instead of turning left in the park, I turned right and headed toward Cades Cove.  We were almost to Cades Cove when we realized we had gone the wrong direction.  I quickly turned around and headed the right direction. Luckily there was only one car in the parking lot when we arrived. The mountains were still blocking the sun so the light was perfect. We took many photos at multiple angles of the Sinks. 

Quite a few people had appeared by the time we finished shooting the falls.    We headed across the street to get some photos of the river when I looked down to see the camera remote batteries on the ground and the battery cover missing.  I went back to where we were shooting the Sinks.  Luckily, one of the other photographers had found it.  Crisis averted.   I then went back to shooting the river.  

GatlinburgWe had a late brunch at Flapjacks in Gatlinburg.  We then headed back to the cabin to change into shorts, it was in the low 80s.  Weather was amazing. 

Next stop was Tremont Road and took some photos of the river that runs along the road.  We then hiked to Lower and Middle Lynn Camp Prong.  Neither of us took photos of Lower Camp Prong.  I don’t think I have ever been to these falls when it was not basked in harsh sunlight.  This time wasn’t any different.  Luckily Middle Lynn Camp Prog had quite a bit of shade so we were able to get some great shots. Just like the other days, I made full use of my GoPro and took videos and time-lapse videos. 

We ate dinner at Bones BBQ in downtown Gatlinburg.  We had eaten there in April of 2018 were due to a fire in the kitchen, had not been able to during our Thanksgiving trip.   After dinner, we walked around Gatlinburg.  Not surprisingly, we bought more souvenirs. 

Our last stop of the day was on of the overlooks on the Gatlinburg Overpass so we could take some photos of Gatlinburg at night. On our way to shoot Gatlinburg, we noticed a bunch of cars on the side of the road. Most of the time it means there was a bear nearby and this time that is exactly what it meant.  I quickly parked the car. Tim stayed with the car but I went into the woods.  The bear was a good distance away, it was almost sunset and there were many trees which did not make for great photos. We then headed up to the overpass.  Another great day in the Smokies.  

 Part 3 of the trip can be found at Smokies Spring 2019 Part 3

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 3

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Smokies Spring 2019 Part 3

Foothills ParkwaySmokies 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. 

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 2

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Smokies Spring 2019 Part 2

meigs fallsSmokies Spring 2019 Part 2 begins on Tuesday April 9th.  We thought Tuesday was going to be another washout because forecasters were calling for rain all day but Mother Nature proved how unpredictable she can be.  It rained in the morning but was sunny by lunch time. 

Our first stop was breakfast at Crocketts Breakfast Camp in downtown Gatlinburg.  Tim’s eyes about popped out of his head when they brought his breakfast out.  It was a huge skillet and another plate had a pancake which looked more like a cake, it had to have been two inches thick.  Not surprisingly, Tim was not able to eat everything but he made a valiant attempt.  After breakfast we stopped by the Pepper Palace so Tim could pick up some more seasonings. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Today was our first day actually venturing into the park which is rare for me. I usually go into the park the second I arrive but Tim and I met in Townsend at the cabin rental place on Sunday. Our first stop was Sugarlands Visitor Center where I did not actually buy anything.  Tim bought a few items. 

Our next destination was Cades Cove.  We stopped by both the Campground store and the store near the Cable Mill.  I did purchase items from both locations. Our lunch was hot dogs at the Campground store. 

On the way to Cades Cove I noticed a huge waterfall on the opposite side of the road so we made sure we stopped there to get photos on our way out of Cades Cove.  I would realize later that it was actually Meigs Falls.  We took MANY photos.    We also stopped by The Sinks but due to the location of the sun which was high in the sky, it was not a good time to get photos. Meig Falls was well shaded.

We then headed to Tremont.  We were just briefly going to stop at the roadside waterfall and head back to it when there was better lighting but the sun kept going behind clouds so we ended up staying there for about an hour shooting it from different angles.  This was the first day I really started using my GoPro as well.  I took both videos and time lapses with it.  Tim was told by another photographer that the falls is called Big Hollow Falls but that wasn’t confirmed with the park rangers. 

We went back to the cabin and had hamburgers for dinner.

Our last excursion for the day was to head to Morton Overlook on Newfound Gap and shoot the sunset.  It wasn’t the greatest sunset I’ve ever shot but it wasn’t the worst either.  

Part one of the trip can be found at Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1

Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1

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Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1

Monday, April 8th is where Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1 begins which is is our first full day in the Smokies.  We only were able to get a little bit of shooting done during the morning because it rained most of the day. I was also getting over a cold from the previous week and didn’t feel particularly well that morning.  I think I had a slight fever but didn’t have a thermometer with me to check.  Luckily I felt fine for the rest of the trip minus the coughing.

Our first stop was the Foothills Parkway.  It has great view of the mountains and the valleys.  It was the only place that where we took photos. We then headed to Hillbilly’s Restaurant in Wear Valley for breakfast.  I had French Toast.  

Our next stop was Moonshine Ridge where I picked up bear figurine (surprising I know) and some mint chocolate fudge.

Our next stop was GSM Outfitters where Tim was nice enough to buy me a raincoat which I would definitely make use of later in the day.  And when I say later in the day, I mean like within an hour.  We stopped at a Woodcraft shop after leaving Outfitters and it started raining while we were there.  

After a quick stop at the cabin, we headed back to Pigeon Forge.  We stopped by Mel’s Diner for lunch. I had French Dip. 

After lunch, our next stop was a post office so Tim could send a package. 

ALCATRAZ EAST CRIME MUSEUM

Our next stop was the best part of the day.  Since the rain was keeping us from shooting in the park, we headed to Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. The museum has Ted Bundy’s VW Beetle and for a limited time due to the 30th Anniversary of his electrocution, it also has some of his papers.  Bundy was put to death in the electric chair on January 24, 1989.  I remember the day well. We cheered in my AP Biology class when we heard the news.  The museum also had the famous White Bronco from the OJ Simpson slow speed chase, the car Bonnie and Clyde were killed in and John Dillingers car.  We did the VIP package which included an audio tour, Top Detective Challenge and the Heist. Tim and I learned that we do not have what it takes to be cat burglars.  We could not maneuver the lasers without setting off at least one of them. One of the things we picked up in the gift shop was ice cube trays in the shape of guns.  

We made a quick stop at Apple Barn so I could buy the matching kitchen towel and oven mit that I had bought during the trip last November. Before you ask, yes it is bear themed. 

We ate dinner at Bennett’s BBQ in Pigeon Forge and then went back to the cabin.  There were some cool clouds in Wear Valley but due to the on and off rain storms, I didn’t get any photos. 

This ends Smokies Spring 2019 Part 1

You can see photos from previous trips to the Park on my Great Smoky Mountains Gallery page.