Cades Cove, waterfalls - Great Smoky Mountain National Park - Sunday, February 20, 2011

Travel Bug Susan in her element!

  
 This is the view from our room at the Mountain Loft Resort. Another gorgeous day!

We started our day (just like the last two days) with buckwheat pancakes and fried eggs in our room. 

After breakfast we went back to the Sugarlands Visitors Center, watched the video about the park, hiked the trail to Cascade Falls and then the Fighting Creek Trail (about 1-1/2 to 2 miles total).

Doe

Buck

On the way back from a historic dwelling on the Fighting Creek Trail, a doe was on the trail ahead of us. We walked a little closer and I talked sweet to her. She came closer and closer, turned and looked back up the trail a couple of times. Then she turned off the trail and walked down the hill. I got some great close up photos of her.

As we turned the corner on the trail, there about 30 feet away, was a buck. (We don't know how to count points on a deer, but he had four points on each side of his rack. So, is that four points or eight points?) Anyway, he posed for the camera too before he joined his doe down the hillside from us. Great nature moment!


 

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we drove toward Cades Cove, stopping at The Sinks, a picturesque, but small, waterfall by the side of the road.

The Sinks

John Oliver Place - Cades Cove

At Cades Cove we walked to a historic cabin (John Oliver Place), then went to the Cable Mill area. 











Cable Mill is a complex that showcases what life was like from 1820 to 1900. We saw a blacksmith shop, cantilever barn, millrace and dam, mill, smokehouse, Gregg-Cable house, corn crib, barn and sorghum mill. We saw a number of deer while touring Cades Cove.

On the way back to Gatlinburg, we stopped at Meigs Falls to stretch our legs and look at the falls across the river.

We returned to our room and Bob went running.

I relaxed and read magazines. At night, we watched our favorite TV show, "The Amazing Race."