Weekend in the Smokies

Ryan just head off to basic training and the beginning of a 3 year commitment to the US Army this past weekend. He'll be missing our family vacation in July and we were looking to spend some time as a family before he left, so we decided to go on a mini vacation before he ships out. Ryan was tasked with picking a location - the only requirement was it needed to be in driving distance. He found a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains in Western NC, complete with 'yurts' for lodging :)

Day 1:

Ryan and I started our trip down South after work on a Thursday (the rest of the family would be joining us a few days later). Since we left so late, the drive was pretty brutal, but we arrived at our hotel in Bristol, VA safely. The plan Day 1 was to visit a natural waterslide and then check out Asheville for a little bit before heading to our second hotel in Cherokee, NC. Well, we didn’t do too great of a job researching and the day involved a lot of wandering. But it wasn't so bad, because we had the amazing Smoky Mountains in the backdrop the whole time.

We had a super healthy breakfast of biscuits with country ham at a local fast food joint called Pals and then wandered around Bristol a little, and took a detour to see the motor speedway. Then we set off to the natural waterslide. I put the name in my GPS and followed it 40 minutes off our course to… someone's driveway. We had no idea where the correct location was and gave up on that excursion. Seems to be a theme, doesn't it? We headed on route to Asheville, where we walked around a little bit and grabbed lunch (steak and a bison burger) at a microbrewery called Jack in the Green. Ryan wasn't too impressed with Asheville - he said the people watching was similar to going to the zoo. It's definitely a different kind of place.

We got back on the road and head to an Indian Reservation in Cherokee, NC - closer to the resort everyone (except me) would be staying in for the remainder of the trip. It is a very touristy, but fun, town - lots of small attractions, amazing scenery, and a huge Harrah's casino. We ordered some pizza, explored a tourist strip mall, and then set off in search of grazing elk that a store keep tipped us off to. We ended up in the wrong place at first (again!), but eventually found our way. And spotted and elk from the road! No pictures but it was a good end to a long day of driving

Day 2:

Ryan and I woke up bright and early for a quick jog around town. Then we visited Minco Falls, a waterfall on the reservation. It was a quick hike from the parking lot to the base of the falls, but then we (mostly Ryan - I reluctantly followed) decided to climb up a steep slope to the top. We weren't able to make it all the way, but we did get some awesome views. The pictures don't do it justice..

From there, we went to go tubing near Bryson City. The river was pretty but the people watching might have been the highlight of the day. We definitely met some characters on this short trip :) We floated down the river a few times, and managed not to flip while going over the rapids. After a quick lunch in Bryson City, we went back to Cherokee for some fishing before the rest of the family came. Once they arrived, we stopped by a free Cherokee bonfire and to look for more elk (not so successful on the second try) before heading to bed.

Day 3:

This was my last day in NC - and the day everyone else was checking into the yurts. Since it was Father's Day, we brought dad a (hotel provided) breakfast in bed and gave him our gifts and then drove back to Bryson city to go zip lining. It was a lot of fun - the views of the Smokies were amazing and the platforms weren't as high (and were a little sturdier) than the last time we went in Costa Rica, so I could focus more on the thrill and less on the thought of plummeting to my death.

We had a quick lunch in Bryson City and then it was time for me to head off on my 8 hour plus drive home alone. I was sad to leave, but ready to gear up for my trip to Utah in a few days! I'm glad Ryan found this place - it's a chunk of the East Coast I've never really had a chance to explore, and a great place to keep in mind for a relaxing outdoor vacation.