We headed north from Hainesville toward Savannah, Georgia. At Fort Stewart, we tried to get in and see a colony of Red-cockades Woodpeckers. Unfortunately, you need a pass to visit this military installations and passes were not being issued on Tuesdays. We stopped for the day at the KOA in Richmond Hills.
March 5
In the cold grey dawn of a drizzly morning, I woke up to see a White-breasted Nuthatch climbing up a tree beside our RV.
We drove to Fort Pulaski National Monument. During the American Civil War, this large brick fort guarded the water entrance to Savannah. In short order, sections of the large brick wall were reduced to rubble by the new rifled cannons used by the Union Army. This event had a world wide impact and marked the end of brick walls as effective defensive barriers.
Fort Pulaski
In the 1930s, the US Government created civic improvement projects to employ some of the multitude of indigent Americans affected by the great depression. Restoring Fort Pulaski was one of those projects.
As we headed up the river toward Savannah,White-tailed Deer were casually browsing on the meadows that surrounded Fort Pulaski
Savannah River
Savannah
Parking a RV in a city is always a challenge and doubly so in the narrow streets of old Savannah. After driving around for half an hour we found a spot.
The cobbled street and historic waterfront buildings were worth the effort and, despite the rain, we enjoyed our perambulation around the town. We had dinner at the Shrimp Company Restaurant overlooking the Savannah River. I had shrimp and grits while Emma had a marguerita and bouilabaisse. Good times.
River Boat on the Savannah
Stuffed and happy we piled into the RV and headed to South Carolina. We drove north on I95 then west on I26 before stopping for the night at an Orangeburg Walmart.
March 6
It was a truly miserable day with cold steady rain and a strong wind. We drove through the grey skies to Congaree National Park.
Congaree National Park use to be Congaree Swamp National Monument but the swamp part was dropped to improve its attractiveness to tourists. Technically, its not a swamp because there is no standing water year round, just most of the time.
The grey rainy day actually worked well with the ambiance of the park. We enjoyed an extended walk along the boardwalk and through the sombre winter forest.
There were no worries about crowds as we had the park to ourselves on this day. The quiet grey forest was beautiful in its misty serenity. Walking through the forest in our raincoats Emma and I looked like a couple of grey ghosts floating by.
The elevated boardwalk was an essential part of the experience otherwise it would have been a wet and muddy excursion.
Emma Beside the Congaree River
We drove to a Walmart in Columbia for the night.
March 7
I had booked a quick visit to the Columbia Discount Tire store. The Jacksonville outlet had contacted them to check and fix any problems that arose from our earlier tire purchase. The staff was very helpful and fixed a minor valve problem.
The weather continued cold and rainy as we drove along I26 toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When we reached the North Carolina Border the weather made a favourable transition into a warm sunny afternoon. The North Carolina visitor centre was closed but there were a few state maps left out to help us on our way.
At dusk, we stopped in Hendersonville at the Lazy Boy Campground. The owner was the sweetest senior southern belle and she made us feel right at home.
March 8
At last, a beautiful morning with birds singing under a warm, blue, windless sky. Life was grand as we drove up I26 then south down I40. Magellan tried to put us on the Blue Ridge Parkway but that section of the parkway was closed for the winter. Instead we drove through the Cherokee Indian reservation and entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Oconahuftee Visitor Centre.
As we drove up the pass to New Found Gap the mountainsides were bathed in white from the bark of the bare poplar trees
West Prong of the Little Pigeon River
Emma beside the Little Pigeon River
Jim beside the Little Pigeon River
On occasion, my Muse Strikes Her Favourite Pose.
The top of the pass at New Found Gap has amazing views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Appalachian Trail crossed the road at the summit of New Found Gap so we hiked along it for a few miles.
The Appalachian trail rose steadily and when we hit the snow line the trail became wet and slippery. Rather than press our luck we retraced our path back to the RV.
We were now in Tennnessee as we descended the western slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains.
We exited the western entrance to the National Park and found ourselves in Gatlinburg.
How do you describe Gatlinburg? It was a traffic-jammed hodgepodge of carnival rides, food stands and tacky souvenir shops. It was jungle free enterprise run amuck. In jaw-dropping shock, we squeezed through this tacky, glitzy, tourist trap at a snails' pace.
We carried on to the Riveredge RV Park at Pigeon Forge Tennessee. This early in the season there were lots of spaces but the campground host assured us it is full from April through September.
March 9
It was another beautiful day as we traveled along Highway 321 and re-entered Great Smoky Mountains National Park on route to Cades Cove. Following Laurel Creek we ascended the western slopes of the mountains then descended into the beautiful isolated mountain valley called Cades Cove.
This verdant valley was a favoured hunting ground of the Cherokee and later a secluded farming community in the 1800s.
We made several stops to enjoy the tranquil scenery.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
White-tailed Deer
Abrams Creek
At the far end of the Cades Cove Loop, we stopped to hike the five mile Abrams Falls trail
On this sunny afternoon, it was a very pleasant and easy hike. I was surprised to learn that this trail is considered to be one of the ten most dangerous trails in the US. This rating is due to the number of water accidents that have occurred over the years. Not to worry, we did not go swimming at the falls.
Abrams Falls is far from the largest falls we have seen but it was quite picturesque.
Cades Cove is a magical place and we had a wonderful time exploring it on this beautiful day.
It is hard to capture the special scenic beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains in photographs. Like the Grand Canyon it has a special beauty that you need to experience to fully grasp.
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