Ho Hum, Just Another Day in the Smokies

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Today I “sneaked” into the Smokies from the Townsend (“the peaceful side of the Smokies”) entrance. That was ideal, given that I haven’t been to Cades Cove (one of the destination spots in the Smokies) in a while, and the Townsend entrance is close (about eight miles away). I didn’t drive the loop; however, that hardly mattered. By the time I reached the Smokies the sprinkles had turned into a steady rain. You won’t hear me complain, given how dry it’s been in the entire region. In fact, the “swimming hole” near the Townsend entrance is lower than I’ve ever seen it. I was amazed how low the water level was! The rain was needed and welcomed. In fact, the overcast skies seemed to make the yellows and oranges on the trees even brighter. My chin was on the floor in amazement most of the day, including the three hours or so I spent in the Smokies. The photo above is at the Sinks, one of my favorite stops. It’s sort of a waterfall, but not really: an old railroad track collapsed at the site, creating the “waterfall” that’s located under a bridge. The river calms in a rather deep pool, and it’s a favorite spot for cliff jumping. (Today was one of the few times I’ve not seen anyone jumping off the cliff into the water. You can “blame” that on the low water level, the rain, the cool temperature [about 58 degrees], or a combination.) Multiply this by thirty miles, and you can get an idea of how my time in the national park was. Just another ho-hum day filled with beauty.