Cades Cove Gatlinburg Tennessee

 https://youtu.be/cpNjcd2NnNE

The sun shone through the windshield that morning with a perfection that can only be seen through the eyes of someone desperately needing a break after a long work week. The moment my tires hit the pavement of the Smoky Mountain National Park was the moment I felt a ton of bricks lift off of me and I knew ADVENTURE was just around every corner. The first thing I noticed was how GREEN the trees were that day. There is little more soothing than the smell of the forest including the whiffs of lavender that are usually constant in the air. 

From the main entrance to the National Park in Gatlinburg, it took us a good 45 minutes to drive to Cades Cove- all the while we got to embellish in the scenery as well as my favorite downloaded song list- if you have never driven in the mountains to the perfect soundtrack, you are surely missing out! 

Once at the end of the drive we went straight to the registration office to sign in and off to the campsite we went! I have been dreaming a lot about pop-up campers lately and it was all my pleasure to be surrounded by them while camping. Our neighbors at the site next to us were very friendly and even gave us home grown tomatoes YUM! 

We hit the famous 11-mile loop- although safety is our number one priority always in the park, we felt a sense of freedom you can't get at home or in even a small-town driving with the windows down and the kids standing up in the van peeking out of the windows. The wide-open mountain range is very inviting, and I swear on the edge of the wind I can hear it call my name. Although you can't legally stay there forever - the time that is spent there, within the moment, is forever to me. 

While there we saw cabins, horses and black bears and by the time we got done with lunch and hiking it was 7:00 PM and time to wind it down. We all got cozy in the van and slept- and then went home the next morning, not that we wanted to.

Living so close to the mountains gives us almost a daily advantage of experiencing nature at its best. Everything we did in the park cost 24 dollars- that was 1 night camping fee. Everything else as far as food and Gas goes - we brough the food from home and Gas is a given regardless. 

Dreamy camping vacation 24 dollars.

Travel On The Cheap People! Keeping watching for more fun cheap adventures. 

THE PLACE WHERE MAGIC STILL LIVES

Santaland Video

Christmas in July. Ironic how our little trip worked out. We left on a rainy morning hoping we would reach our destination in sunny weather so the rides at Santas Land would be open and as luck would have it, that is exactly what happened. The adventure park was a lot of fun. The place was very clean and smelled great considering there was a petting zoo on site. A few times on the mini roller coaster and an awesome magic show that my 11-year-old was a guest host in, it proved to be a great little trip. The only downer was the 100.00 dollars spent on tickets and drinks. It was worth it. We camped out at the KOA Cherokee- It was HOT! The campground was ok, but I thought it was pricey for 67.00 dollars. There was an indoor pool, we did not use it. The showers could have been cleaned more and quicker. But nothing about our visit was negative and we slept well. We went to the Cherokee Indian Museum! 

Museum of the Cherokee Indian Video

Our heritage on my father's side of the family comes from Cherokee lineage so it is a thrill to have gone and experience how life may have been for My GREAT - GREAT Grandfather and beyond. 

The town wasn't to terribly busy, however it seemed the only happen people around were the tourists. There's a sadness here - which is understandable to me due to the way the Original Cherokee Tribe was ripped from the area and their families 300 years ago. I can only imagine how things were for the locals when COVID hit- being in a blue state North Carolina. I hope and pray for happiness for all. and i hope the political fraud and thievery there gets better, it truly is a gorgeous place to visit. Had circumstances with the leaders in that state be different I would live there.  

Cherokee NC Trip

 On the road again... 

Staying close to home so we can travel on the cheap. Cherokee NC - Our ancestors are from there and I love the vibe the area has. I love the Smoky Mountains and everything there is to do with it but this place is pretty special to me. Of course I will have awesome video footage of our trip and I will post them on Rumble and YouTube . Gas prices will not stop us from enjoying adventure. Everything there that I have chosen to do is reasonably priced. Santa Land, Cherokee Indian Museum, Movie Theater, Camping - as I write this I am so excited! Life is really about ADVENTURE. 

Time To Live

 It is about time that my travels resumed! I think I am going to take my kids to the NC area towards Cherokee. There are state parks that way that I have never visited and are great for camping. My 11-year-old was on vacation, but due to a hoverboard accident she is now home, and we have to get creative due to an arm cast. One thing I have learned is to never count on PLANS. You can spend weeks planning something and the universe will throw something at you. I am glad we are a family that has learned to be adaptable. 

Above is a picture of Indian Creek Campground in Cherokee NC. I am going to surprise the kiddos and take them here. I went here for 1 night on our way back home on our first trip and LOVED it. I didn't get a chance to explore much though- this time we will make up for it. 

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