Cades Cove Day

March 18, 2008

Here in our part of the world, we have the Great Smoky Mountain National Park just 25 miles from our back door. And in the GSMNP is a beautiful place called Cades Cove. It used to be that a great number of families made their home in this perfect valley in the midst of the mountains; now it's the biggest tourist destination for park visitors.

We avoid Cades Cove most of the year because it can be bumper-to-bumper traffic, and you just don't want to see that kind of thing in the mountains. People go crazy taking pictures of deer, and you'd better just sit back and take a nap if there is a black bear sghting.

Still, if you go at just the right time, you can just about have Cades Cove to yourself, and it is well worth it. Traditionally we have two annual excursions to Cades Cove: one in late October for the fall foliage and one in mid-March for the daffodils. Last year's Cades Cove day was a particularly perfect one. This year we had a bit of a snafu: the road on which "our" daffodil meadow is located was gated shut. That darned creek was flooded, and we couldn't get to our lovely patch of daffodils for our annual photo session.

We had a great time anyway. The sky was blue, the weather just a bit chilly when the sun went behind the clouds, and the traffic was very light.

There are a few beautiful old churches in the Cove. Laurel thinks she'd like to get married in this one some day.

I am always drawn to the graveyards, pondering the stories behind those names.

The kids always want to stop at all the old houses and barns, but we try to limit our visits to one or two of the old places. These homes affect me strangely. I feel such a sense of want when I'm standing on the back porch of one of these homes, staring out at the shadow of the mountain. I want to live there. I want to give up everything and live in a cabin in the mountains.

But here we are: we'll never be mountain people. And I'd really miss my computer. Would I trade it for the solitude of a mountain valley?

All I can say is, here is one thing I'd never trade:

And if he wanted to pack everything up and live in a cabin, I'd never look back.

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Comments

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - Even without my computer...

Posted by QueenoftheHill (97.66.84.74)

...I think I could actually do that -- go live in a cabin. If you want to feed my cats next week, you are welcome to borrow my "cabin." ;-) I'm certain that it couldn't be any dirtier even if it had a dirt floor.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous (98.223.215.227)

Such beautiful pictures, and such beautiful words.
Cindy
Still His Girl

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous (64.12.117.19)

Beautiful photographs! We used to live in Colorado and the same is true of the mountains there, on the right day it's Heaven, on the wrong one its bumper to bumper tourists.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - friend

Posted by onfire (206.132.50.252)

These homes affect me strangely. I feel such a sense of want when I'm standing on the back porch of one of these homes, staring out at the shadow of the mountain. I want to live there. I want to give up everything and live in a cabin in the mountains.

there is this common thread that weaves throughout the fabric of the lives of those we call "closest"
I believe I knew this in the back of my mind when I first sought you out.
p.s. love the one of jesse

Edited by onfire on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 11:05 PM

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous (71.215.191.3)

I love. love. love. that photo of your oldest son in the doorway.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous (71.215.191.3)

Um. That last comment was from me. :)

Heidi @ Mt. Hope

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by BChsMamaof3 (209.52.248.29)

Beautiful photos!! I can see why you love it :)
Thanks for sharing them with us,
Rosina

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by sadie423 (69.247.28.184)

We don't get up to Cades Cove much either....at least to the loop...one of these days we'll get the kids up to see it....I know they would love it as much as they do the rest of the Smokies

I know your feeling though, I get that....I was born in a mountainy area of WV on a homestead and when I look at pictures of back then I get this feeling....I would love to do that....maybe when I am 45 and the kids are all out of the house we will....

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Monday, March 24, 2008 - I could - if there was a/c and running water...

Posted by ComfyDenim (72.192.71.2)

There are some amenities I couldn't do without. Running water and flushing toilets are two of them. *L*

I love the picture of your first born and the cabin door. I could totally see that as an album cover!