As much as I loved exploring St. Louis , and as much as I enjoy country music (in small amounts) and whiskey (in larger amounts), I was most looking forward to the Smoky Mountains.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spreads through North Carolina and Tennessee. We rented a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN. just a few minutes outside of the Sugarlands entrance to the Smokies. The price for renting a cabin for a week (practically the only option) was comparable to that of a hotel but you can't beat the convenience of having a fully furnished cabin! Not to mention the serenity of not being in the middle of a tourist populated town. We went through vrbo.com, but dealt directly with the owners and the experience was very easy and we were extremely happy with the cabin!
The drive through Pigeon Forge and into Gatlinburg was... Terrible. It was streets lined with tourist trap attractions such as Ripley's, mini golf upon go carts upon variety show theater upon seizure inducing lights adorning all these attractions. Not really my thing; Crunchy Momma was not pleased.
But then we made it to our cabin, and all was well. I heard crickets and frogs and leaves and babbling creeks. And no lights. Ah, vacation :)
We were in Gatlinburg for three days and two nights. We should have been there all week!
Day One:
We woke up in our adorable and very roomy cabin, made some pancakes and eggs for breakfast, packed some lunches, and headed into the park.
Our first stop was the Sugarlands Visitor Center, where Hamburger met a friend:
And we got ourselves a trail map.
We decided to start out with the Laurel Falls trail. The longest paved trail in the park (yet coming in at only 2.6 miles) it is stroller and wheelchair accessible (but barely!). We didn't know how Hamburger would do hiking, and my mom is not particularly keen on long straneous hikes, so this was a great start to feel out everyone's comfort level.
The round trip took about 3 hours. The average time is 2 hours, but we had some exploring to do along the way:
I had to climb up a large boulder; Hamburger couldn't let me have all the fun and decided to tag along.
Then there were the numerous mini waterfalls along the way we had to splash in! Good thing I brought his water shoes!
Splashing in Laurel Falls. It's cold and slippery!
We then took a break at one of the many picnic areas and headed up the mountain towards Clingmans Dome. At the summit of Clingmans Dome is an observation deck lookout. We didn't do the 7 mile trail but parked at the parking lot that leads to the summit. The parking lot itself has fantastic views and leads to a very well paved, but very steep, half mile trail to the observation deck. On a clear day you can get a 100 mile panoramic view. Usually you're lucky to get 20. We got 10? Still it was worth the climb. I attempted to do the walk with Hamburger in his stroller... Needless to say that idea didn't last long.
Partially because he wanted to ride like this but mostly because I was not thrilled to be pushing 50+ pounds up a steep ass hill.
And we made it to the top!
If you're here and you can, climb your way to the top. We mostly did this trail because I couldn't go home after only hiking one two mile trail in a day and it was a short one we could do relatively easily with a baby. It is a bit exhausting because the hill is quite steep. If you're not able to get to the observation deck, don't fret... The view from the parking lot is also spectacular.
*A note on strollers and such*: The Laurel Falls trail is "paved". By paved I mean at some point some attempt was made to put concrete down. It eroded quite quickly. The trail is not terribly steep but definitely has many hills and the pavement is broken up by tree roots and general erosion. I have a fantastic three wheel heavy duty off-roading jogging stroller that has made it through everything... And I had a tough time getting up the trail. The trail gets especially narrow, steep, winding and broken towards the top end. I saw several families with basic 4 wheel strollers along the path and every single one commented on how much they wish they had a jogging stroller instead. That being said, they did end up making it to the top with the whimpy strollers, albeit with a lot more effort.
SO: yes, we made it up with little problems with our jogging stroller. Yes, it is possible to make it up without one, although much more difficult. If you have a baby carrier and won't break your back using one, this is the way to go! As far as strollers and Clingmans Dome, well it's a hell of a workout! So either you're in great shape or you have someone to switch off pushing it... I got lucky and have an active kiddo who didn't mind walking part of it. The downhill is also pretty taxing on your arms trying to keep the stroller from getting away from ya!
***
With a decent fill of the Smokies for one day we headed back into town for some food and beer. It was nearing Hamburger's bedtime and he had skipped his nap for the day so we had quite the cranky baby on our hands during dinner. We had to eat pretty quickly to avoid a full melt down, but that's just the price you pay sometimes when having a jam-packed day. Not a big deal in exchange for getting to spend the whole day in the woods with the BurgarMan!
Day 2:
Hamburger did, as all babies on vacation do, wake up bright and early for day two of hiking. We headed back into the park and made our way to Grotto Falls.
Grotto Falls is a 2.8 mile hike to a 25 foot waterfall you can walk behind. The hike takes about 2-3 hours, or closer to 4 in baby time. Don't even think about taking your stroller. The path is covered with large rocks, tree roots, and small waterfalls and streams you have to rock hop to get over. It's a fantastic time for a toddler!
If you can't tell what this is, it's the trail. Anyone else see a weird face in the tree roots? It's in the upper right hand. Or am I just crazy?
Again, this hike took us about 4 hours going at Hamburger's pace. It is not a difficult hike but does make its way uphill over many obstacles. We weren't sure how long Hamburger would last hiking on his own, as he is too big for his baby carrier, but he loved it! He was about a month shy of 2 years old and hiked nearly the entire 2.8 miles on his own, save for a minute here and there of piggy back rides. I don't think this is normal, as everyone we came across was amazed and other people with toddlers older than him had their kids in super awesome carriers (although I still doubt I would be able to carry Burger's fat ass even in one of these heavy duty things!)
Hiking with the BurgerBuddy
If you play in the falls, an extra set of clothes is helpful, it gets very muddy!
After Grotto Falls we made our way back down the mountain, stopping occasionally for some pictures.
We decided to head back to town and stroll around the shops after tiring Hamburger out from a three mile hike. Gatlinburg is full of little wineries and distilleries... Mostly playing on the tourist crowd... But we couldn't help ourselves.
Ok, so the moonshine couldn't even be considered liquor and the whiskey was chocolate flavored (are you even allowed to call that whiskey?!) but I'll take some samples! And get suckered into buying a bottle or two...
And Hamburger had his first slice of pizza! DUN DUN DUN...
We had a blast exploring the Smoky Mountains and I can't wait to go back when Burger is a little older to do more hiking! Although this trip was extremely exhausting with so many stops (we're lucky Hamburger is so easy going, otherwise such a packed agenda would have been a nightmare) it was great to see so many different places!
And the total wildlife sighting count is...
1. This pink worm thing (don't Google pink worm BTW) 2. A BEAR!!! Actually, 3! 3. POOP. Someone told us it was bear poop, Hamburger said it was "blueberry poop," you decide 4. Lots of butterflies 5. Mushrooms, yes we're gonna count them, because, look at them! 6. Many salamanders (not pictured) they are quick little boogers!
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