In fact, when we reached Gatlinburg before 9.00am the town was also very quiet. All the tourists were still busy inside their hotels. It could have been a perfect time to visit the park.

When you enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, you have to head west and drive along the Little River Road and the Laurel Creek Road. The valley is actually located in the upper western part of the National Park and solely in the state of Tennessee.

The Laurel Creek Road took us right to the beginning of the Cades Cove Valley. An 11-mile (18km) one-way loop road goes all around the valley. In good weather the road is open the entire year from sunrise until sunset. In the summer months (around May to September) you can even walk and cycle along this road on Wednesday/Saturday mornings until 10:00am (car free until that time).

As you drive along the paved loop road, you are really being taken back in time. You can visit various historical houses including three churches along the road. Additionally the car ride was so slow that a horse carriage from back then probably would have been quicker. There was hardly any space to overtake the other cars and every now and then cars just stopped to take photos. We felt quite lucky that the main vacation season in the US had not yet started because this car journey could have been a nightmare. Apparently the standard time to complete the loop road without stopping anywhere is about two to three hours.

With all these people and cars to watch out for, one can almost oversee the scenery. The historic buildings, views over the mountains, the smell of hay from the hayfields, the scents of the wildflowers and the hope to see real live black bears and a variety of other wild animals make the Cades Cove the most visited area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Cades Cove was not only home to early settlers but also a hunting ground for the Cherokee Indians.

Half-way through the drive along the loop road you can see the famous Cable Mill area and visit the Cades Cove Visitor Center. The valley also has several hiking trails and even a camping ground that is open the entire year (Note: camping permits are required for the area).

When we finally reached the half-way point, we just wanted to get away from people and decided to drive through the quieter Parson Branch Road. This was the other road the guide from the Sugarlands Visitor Center was telling us about. It starts just after the Visitor Center and ends at the famous highway US 129. The beginning of the road was a two-way road but later on you could only go one-way. A few cars were already struggling with the initial part of this unpaved road. As we had successfully managed to drive through the unpaved road from Cataloochee to Big Creek the day before, we did not fear the road at all. Plus the park rangers opened it for traffic. What was there to fear?

At the beginning everything seemed like the day before. It was a drivable forest road with a few rough bits along the way. We could finally take a deep breath and felt free after being stuck behind all those cars.

Slowly the excitement about seeing a black bear around a corner started to set in. There was no one else around and so our chances of seeing a real wild black bear were very high.

This feeling was topped with a sudden adrenaline rush once we had driven through the first waterfalls.

This road is only suitable for SUV’s or 4×4’s. It was not suitable for normal cars like the one we had. At the beginning I didn’t speak much, my heart was pounding. The car journey seemed endless. One rough bit after another and these waterfalls just got bigger and bigger. With this road surface and wild animals around, you also cannot drive too fast.

There was no possibility of turning around because this part of the road was only a one-way bit. One-way right until the very end of it.

These moments in life, make you really feel alive.

Motorcycle at Highway US 129

The road finally got a little bit better and we soon saw a normal paved road. Some motorcycles just drove around a corner along this road. We and the car safely made it until the end. There was the famous highway US 129. Paul took a deep breath. You could see the sweat running down his head. Perhaps this was an even bigger nightmare?!

I felt a sudden lightness and we simply enjoyed the ride up the tail of the dragon which is another saying for the US 129. The road has this name because it consists of 318 curves along an 11-mile (18km) stretch. The curves make it very popular for motorcyclists. Along the road are several private photographers who take pictures of you and then post them on the internet for purchase.

We stopped at the next overlook. At the overlook you can have an amazing view over the area and the Calderwood Dam. A perfect end to an adrenalin spiced day.

Official website of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Overlook at US 129 – Calderwood Dam

Clingmans Dome

The drive along the country roads from Knoxville to Pigeon Forge took less than an hour. We arrived there in the late afternoon and checked into the hotel. As we just had a busy morning in Knoxville, we decided to take it easy and recharge our energy for the next day when we planned to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We got up early the next day and headed to the Sugarlands Visitor Center located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a very rainy day and the Smoky Mountains seemed more likely to be Rainy Mountains.

As we drove along the road from Pigeon Forge to the center we suddenly saw a sign about a by-pass. We just missed it and therefore had to drive through Gatlinburg. Compared to Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg was very pedestrian friendly. We normally love places which are pedestrian friendly but this time this was not in our favour as we were driving and the main road with a single lane in each direction was peppered with pedestrian crossings. As we drove along the road, we saw many pedestrians wandering about. At first glance we found Gatlinburg to be quite a characterful place with several picturesque shops. It seems a good town to visit when you are in the area but you really want to avoid driving through Gatlinburg. Our visit was just before the main vacation season in the US and it was already packed with people. Someone local told us that cars can hardly move during the high season.

Smoky Mountains

When we managed to exit Gatlinburg, the drive to the visitor center did not take very long. We picked up a free map in the visitor center and spoke to the first available guide. He showed us a few standard points to visit and then referred us to another corner where you can actually buy special starter kits with maps and information of special trails to take. We also enquired about less busy roads and then he showed us two roads. The first road was the unpaved road from Cataloochee to Big Creek and the second road was the Parson Branch Road. The Parson Branch Road just reopened and as we found out the next day, for people like us without a 4×4 or SUV it should have stayed closed! After we had a look at the very good nature museum, we tried to speak to another guide to get a bit more information. The second guide was much older, he had grey hair and wore a beard. The hope for a wiser person giving us more information was not really fulfilled. He repeated the same points and advised us not to go to Clingman’s Dome because it was very cloudy. Unfortunately, they were just too busy to give any more information. With nearly ten million visitors each year, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the USA.

The National Park is also free to enter. No entrance fees are being charged. Some old law is preventing this. Perhaps the number of visitors and the fact that it is free to enter, were the reasons why the guides referred us to the corner with the paid tourist packages. Understandably, they have to make some money to keep up the park.

From the visitor center we drove South along the Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441) and as there were a few tiny spots of light breaking through the thick clouds we decided to ignore the advice from the elderly guide and headed to the Clingman’s Dome.

On our way the smoke of the Smokys finally revealed itself. There was a little mist left on the leaves of all those green trees. It felt as we were driving into an enchanted forest.

Shortly after we had passed the sign for the Chimney Tops, which were closed that day, we stopped at the Newfound Gap at an elevation of 5046 feet (about 1,538 metres) to take a few pictures. When we walked around the parking area, we were quite surprised by the Tennessee and North Carolina State Line.

If someone would have asked us in what state the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in, we would have answered Tennessee.

We didn’t know that the National Park was not just in Tennessee but also located in North Carolina.

After our short stop at the Newfound Gap, we drove up the Clingman’s Dome Road for 7 miles until we reached the Forney Ridge Parking Area. The parking area also contained restrooms and trash bins.

The clouds in the sky at the parking area started to clear bit by bit and we soon felt very lucky that our risk was worth it.

Sign at Clingmans Dome Trail

We took our gear and started the walk/climb up to the Clingman’s Dome which is with 6,643 feet (2,025metres), the highest mountain in the Smoky Mountains.

At the beginning of the path were some information signs, a view point and some huge stones. I (Kristin) immediately climbed up the stones. Once I managed to climb back down, Paul put on his head camera and our proper 0.5 mile (800m) walk up the very steep trail began.

The trail was paved and along the trail were several benches for people who needed a little rest. After a while our legs seriously felt exercised. When we reached the Observation Tower the hard work was well worth it.  The tower is built at the top of the mountain and is about 54 feet (about 16.45 metres) high.

Markus at Clingmans Dome

When we reached the top of the tower we had an excellent view over several states. On clear and pollution free days, it is the perfect spot to have a 360° view over the area. When you are up there, you are actually higher than the highest mountain in the National Park.

The Clingman’s Dome is a MUST SEE when you are in the National Park. Unlike the main roads of the National Park, the Clingman’s Dome Road is not open during the winter months. You can also find more information about the opening hours of some of the roads from the website of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Click here to see the video of our walk up to Clingman’s Dome

Our second choice New York City and surprisingly our third choice would now be Tennessee.

We flew from the airport Dallas, Fort Worth into Nashville.  As the country music awards were held there a hotel stay would have been just too pricey for us so we picked up a car and drove to Knoxville.

On our way to Knoxville we grabbed a bite to eat in a small town. While we were waiting for our food, a sweet dear old man listened to our conversation. You simply cannot hide from your accent.

The man was wearing a typical country styled shirt and his jeans were a little bit dusty.  He approached Paul and looked up to him through his glasses which were as thick as a double glazed window. He asked Paul “Where are you two coming from?”  Paul told him where we are from and the man smiled and said in his fine Southern accent “Glad to have you!”

This side of America is what made us fall in love with the USA. It is hard to find in the big cities like Dallas or New York.  You really have to get out into the country to experience that.

Photo shows the Burwell Building (building with Tennessee sign), the Mechanics Bank & Trust Company Building (with red entrance canopy) and next to it is the Knoxville Journal Arcade Building

When we arrived in Knoxville, we immediately were reminded of another city we had visited before. Knoxville felt similar to Savannah in Georgia. A city with a small town charm filled with a lot of history. Knoxville had the added advantage, to us, of being a lot less touristy.

Dog at Market Square

Whilst the Country Music Awards were held in Nashville, other types of awards were given in Knoxville. As we walked through the market square we saw a winner proudly bearing the “Bark In The Park” badge. The centre of Knoxville was packed with dogs. Seeing all these dogs walking about and running through special set up dog baths was super sweet and sadly it reminded us of the one downside of our nomadic lifestyle which is that we cannot have a dog. Knoxville hosts many festivals throughout the year and it is also a very dog friendly city.

After a little wander around the town, we went to the Downtown Grill & Brewery on 424 South Gay Street. Inside the Brewery was bustling and we developed an instant thirst. We did not reserve a table so we enjoyed our first taste of their beer while we were waiting at the large bar area. With the wooden bar and the hardwood floors, Paul immediately felt at home. It was like an English pub combined with a brewery that is still making its own beer. The food was good and affordable and the best thing about it was that the prices of beer seemed too good to be true. We paid something like 3 USD for a pint*. Perfect for a night out in Knoxville.

Website of Downtown Grill & Brewery

Unlike a lot of other US cities, Knoxville’s downtown area was not only good to visit in the day time but also on a weekend evening. It felt as if you were taken to a 1950’s movie with the old cinema, people dining outside bars and restaurants on the sidewalk, one-off stores and live music joints.

Daylight Building

The next morning, we got up early to continue our exploration of downtown Knoxville. The dogs had gone but the town was still filled with life.

We started out at market square and walked through some of the streets until we reached the Daylight Building located on 501-517 Union Avenue. The Daylight Building was built in 1927 by Benjamin H. Sprankle and it is used today by stores and apparently there are also people living there. Imagine living in it and having those big windows providing magical light.

We walked until Main Street and before the end of our exploration of Knoxville we headed back to our favourite street the main thoroughfare named Gay Street. The street contains a cinema, restaurants, cafés, bars and most of the historic buildings in Knoxville. The street is simply a must see whenever one comes to Knoxville. Hopefully we will come back one day.

*Good To Know: 1 pint in the US is approximately 0.473 litres and 1 pint in the UK is approximately 0.568 litres.

Website of Visit Knoxville

– Click on the picture to see the entire picture –

Gay Street in Knoxville

Holston National Bank
– 531 South Gay Street-
Built in 1913 when it was only 12 stories tall. Two additional stories were added to the building in 1928.

Knoxville Court House