I Love the Smokies!

No matter how many times I visit what some call the tourist trap of the Smokies, I never grow tired of seeing the gorgeous views and simply being in the mountains. We finally took a weekend trip to Gatlinburg this past weekend once I finally felt better after battling a nasty cold for a couple of weeks.

Before we left, Dolly had to check her e-mail on my computer. She's already thinking about this year's holiday letter!



We stayed at the Hampton Inn, which has fireplaces in some of the rooms. It was a warm weekend with highs in the low 70s, but we turned on the fireplace anyway. There's an AC unit next to it, so we can balance out the temp and burn extra energy. I know my "green" readers aren't happy about that, but it was only for a couple of hours.




Here's the view from our hotel balcony.



The Little Pigeon River was flowing fairly fast thanks to the melting snow and ice in the higher elevations.





On Sunday, we drove up to Newfoundland Gap, and while it was in the upper 60s in Gatlinburg, we still saw quite a few patches of snow and ice from the car. It had snowed about a week earlier, but so many of the spots are in the shade, and it takes a while for the ice and snow to melt away.





Here are a few shots David snapped of the beautiful Smoky Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate 75 years this year! Happy Anniversary!