Last week Carrie and I took a much needed couple of days off and headed down to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for a 3 night camping trip. This trip is something that I had been planning for quite some time and had really been looking forward to. I have driven through the park on several occasions and visiting there has always been a "bucket list" kind of goal. The area really appeals to me for it's ruggedness and temperate, old growth forests. The drive is relatively long from Indiana at just under 8 hours and Carrie insisted that she drive so I got to enjoy the scenery. (Actually my wife claims that I do more "gawking" than driving and was afraid I'd drive us off the side of a mountain.)
We arrived at Abrams Creek Campground safely and without incident. Since we came in on a Thursday, we had our pick of several picturesque campsites along the creek. This campground really is a hidden gem, however if you intend to stay here, get in early because with only 17 campsites it will still fill up quickly during peak season.
Abrams Creek flows along the western side of the campground and amenities are limited to a restroom and water hydrant. We spent a good portion of our time relaxing around the campfire and exploring the areas in and around the park. We did set off to see Abrams Creek Falls, however the trail had been destroyed by one of the many tornadoes that had wrecked havoc across the South on Wednesday night and the trail was impassable. Nonetheless we put in a nice 6 mile hike.
Probably one of my favorite parts of the whole trip was our trip into Cades Cove on Saturday evening. The cove is rich with American history and much of the view is nothing short of stunning. Wildlife was present everywhere you looked and we had the opportunity to see turkey, deer, and several bears. All in all it was a great trip and and much needed chance to just relax and hang out with my wife. Hopefully it won't be long before we can return for another visit.
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