7-23-16  Smoky Mt.s to Cades Cove, on to Sunflower fields, and another brewery:

We got to play tourist here!  We had driven up to the entrance to Cades Cove before with Tim  and Faith, but they were afraid we might get caught in traffic, so we didn't drive through it then.  Now that they've been there a couple times, they were ready to take us there.

 Scenic it is---all 11 miles of it!!!!

The only "wild life" we saw.

The road is one way and rather narrow.  So if people stop on the road (like when they see a bear or other wildlife), you can be there for awhile.  We didn't see any wildlife, so the traffic was moving.

 Sad that signs have to be put up to remind people of danger.  But I'm sure if they didn't, someone would get hurt and blame it on the park since there wasn't a sign up!

 one of the many scenic pull offs.

 There were lots of hiking trails, too.

 There are 3 old churches up here, too.  We stopped at one and looked around.

 Tim was even playing pretty music on the piano.  

 wild flowers outside the church.

 There was a cemetery by the church.  It was sad to see so many tombstones for infants or very young children.  Here are stones of 3 babies a couple years apart all to the same parents. 

 back on the scenic trail

We read before that the Blue Ridge mountains got their name from the haze that's produced from something given off by the trees.  Don't know if this part of the Blue Ridge mountains, but it had the haze, too.  Maybe that's what "Smokey" stands for in the Smokey Mountains.

 one of the little creeks along the way.

 more views of the hazy mountains.

 Tim and FAith

 I think they really love it here in Tennessee.  I can see why!

 what can I say!?

 another interesting wild flower

 These kids didn't look like they appreciated the ride as much as I did!

 Only bicycle and foot traffic are allowed on the loop road until 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Wednesday mornings from early May until late September. Otherwise the road is open to motor vehicles from sunrise until sunset daily, weather permitting.   I thought it would be fun to ride a bike here, but there are some pretty steep "hills" here!  We did see a fair amount of bicyclists here even after 10am.

 We stopped at the visitors' center/gift store.  Ken hung out here while Tim, Faith and I wandered around the old mill, buildings, and house nearby.  Most of them were brought in from other areas of the Park.

 The first Europeans settled in the cove sometime between 1818 and 1821. By 1830 the population of the area was 271. Cades Cove offers the widest variety of historic buildings of any area in the national park. This contraption was used by attaching a horse or mule to the pole and having it walk in a circle.  Whatever was in the buckets got cranked through a sieve.

 The Cable home.  Not originally on this spot, but moved here with some other buildings for show. 

 a colorful moth?

 the gist mill where meal and flour was ground. 

 don't know what this building was.  The sign in it just warned of snakes around the building.

 Inside the Cable House.  It was moved and rebuilt, but I wonder if the original structure was this nice?

 The story of Becky Cable who lived in this house until she died at the age of 94.

 a log barn?

 the creek running through the area.

 the back of the Cable house.

 flowers by the house.

 looking down the flume.

 another building/barn in the area.

 love the weathered wood.

 another view of the creek.

looking towards the mill house

 heading back to the visitors' center.

 a sign on a truck in the parking lot.  I like the Salt Life ones, but this is the first time I've seen a Cornlife sticker).

 not the safest way to ride the scenic route.

 the woods

more scenic views

 there were even horse drawn buggies.

 As we were heading down the mountain.  Near here people could rent inflatable inner tubes and tried to ride them down the shallow rocky river.

almost out of the park

 loved the clouds

 looks like a tiny home for sale!  Wonder how much it is?

Later we went to a Wildlife Management Area owned by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and they even spelled out their initials with sunflowers.  Obviously this is the "W" of TWRA.

there are fields and fields of sunflowers here.

Tim's over 6' tall so many of these flowers were well over that.

 first time I've seen how sunflower seeds grow.

 the sunflowers were huge here.  Some of them were even larger then Faith's face

 our wild life.

 a baby sunflower

 love all the wild flowers, too.

more colorful wildflowers.

 even a colorful dragon fly.

 I thought the shadow of a tree branch on the dusty rocky road was interesting.

By the time we were done there, it was time to get something to drink.  So we headed to downtown Knoxville.  It is a pretty little city. 

 with a college stadium that holds 90,000 people during their football games.

 loved the reflections in the glass

 The Federal Courthouse----where Tim works.

 ended up at this cute little "castle" brewery

they don't have food here, but they do have lots of different kinds of beers.

 We each had a brew

Then decided to go in search of dinner.  Ended up at Central Flats and Taps in Knoxville where we had some really good wings and flatbread pizzas.

It was a full day, but a fun one.