August 27, 2020
After a great Bartos reunion in Tennessee (including our berries going horseback riding for the first time at Wildwood Stables), we visited our fifth national park, the Great Smoky Mountains.
We’ve driven through this park on the NC/TN border many times but never stopped to explore it. Greg chose a place called Chimneys, a scenic spot in Gatlinburg, to have lunch and splash around the Little Pigeon River.
Next, we stopped at Clingman’s Dome in Bryson City for a joint purpose – to get a passport stamp from the visitor center, and to climb the daunting observatory tower there. Our passport stamp was passed through a narrow open window by the cautious park staff (most visitor centers, unfortunately, are still closed due to COVID). Although I declined the chance to climb Clingman’s Dome at 35 weeks pregnant, Greg was determined to make it to the top of the tower. In his own words:
“I love a good challenge, so despite the observatory’s warning signs to take our time and drink plenty of water, we headed out with neither time nor water. The incline was so steep that if we stopped, we would start sliding backward. I quickly realized this was going to be a big challenge for all the children. Just when we were ready to give up and turn around, we turned a corner and saw the trail flattening out ahead at the base of the dome. I shouted to the children, “There it is!” With this extra motivation, we ascended the cement ramp. Huffing and puffing, we made it to the top, and the spectacular 360 degree view was worth every drop of sweat.
Next, the descent. We jogged slowly down, passing crowds headed to the top. By this point, everyone was tired, thirsty, and out of breath. I found myself needing to run with Eva in my arms and carry another child on my back. We sped down the trail, gravity pulling us downward. Even with 3 out of 4 children in tears at one point, we made it back to the car with a great story to tell. To this day, Clingman’s Dome is one of the most physically demanding hikes I’ve ever done in flip flops.”
We drove into Cherokee for a stop at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to pick up a commemorative park pin. We’ve started collecting these pins from each park for our national park map. The Oconaluftee stop turned out to be a great idea because we found ourselves driving through a herd of elk! It was amazing. They were huge, and very comfortable around cars. People were stopping to take pictures of elk all over the road.
Already planning a trip back to the Smokies. Until next time!
=)
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS PART II
August 17, 2025
It took five years, but we returned to the Great Smoky Mountains to celebrate Greg’s birthday in 2025. We hiked the Big Creek trail and finally made it out to Midnight Hole, “one of the most scenic and beautiful natural swimming holes in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” One of the best parts was sharing the views and the memories with our dear friends, the Rechkin family!
We hiked about 1.5 miles out to Midnight Hole (not as far as Mouse Creek Falls) for a swim. Greg and the bigger kids went cliff jumping while the little girls watched with me. The water was deliciously cold and crystal clear! We spent the entire afternoon at the creek and drove back through Asheville for tacos at Mountain Madre.
I still feel like we need more time in the Smokies. Maybe our next trip will involve camping, or biking Cades Cove. We’ll see!
=)