Smoky Mountains (11-02-2008)

Day 5 in the Smokies... heading home.

We were able to sleep in a little longer today thanks to the Daylight Savings time change. After breakfast we headed for Laurel Falls for a hike but decided to head down the road for Cades Cove to leave the park via a one-way gravel road through the mountains. It was a good decision -- we saw our bears.

There was a sow and cub up on a wooded hillside. We didn't have much time with them before they wandered over the ridge, and the woods were dense, so these were the best shots that Sharon and I could get.

Below are the mountains surrounding Cade's Cove.

We drove into Cades Cove then exited the park via Parsons Branch Road. We entered Hwy 129 on a section known as the "Dragon's Tail" in North Carolina and manuevered Blood Mountain curves in Georgia on the way home and survived.

It's back to work tomorrow, but the last 5 days have been an incredible time. We love the Smokies in Autumn.