Saturday, October 13, 2012

Smoky Mountains Scenic Drive–Fall 2012

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We were so excited to see some colorful foliage!  We followed Newfound Gap road all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina and stopped at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Then, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway to Heintooga River Road until it turns into Balsam Mountain Road (gravel road), which eventually loops through the mountains and goes back to Cherokee.  It was nice and scenic, but 28 miles is a looooong time on a winding gravel road! It was certainly beautiful, though!

Below is a view of the Chimneys from the road.  Hard to believe that we were on top of the peak yesterday afternoon:

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Road trip playlist: Avett Brothers, Civil Wars and Adele

It was such a good decision to do this scenic drive.  We were able to get away from the crowds and see so much scenery that I had never seen before.  Next stop: Clingman’s Dome for sunset!!

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