Tennessee

When you think of beautiful places in our world, I am sure countless, stunning locations come to mind. For me, right off the top of my head, I can say the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, the view of Germany and Austria from the peak of the Zugspitze, canoeing on Cameron Lake in Alberta, Canada, and hiking around the massive waterfalls that comprise the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park, one of the many spectacular National Parks that we are so fortunate to have right here in America. With our love of hiking and observing wildlife, John and I often plan our vacations in and around a National Park. So, in 2019, you can imagine how excited I was when my best friend, Lori, purchased a Tennessee cabin right at the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

About a year prior to this, I remember meeting Lori at one of our usual lunch spots at the office. She told me that instead of going on a beach vacation with her daughter this year as they normally did, she was planning something completely different – a mountain vacation. The destination was Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and I looked forward to hearing about how they liked it when she got back. Lori returned completely smitten with the area and pretty quickly decided that she wanted to buy a rental cabin there so that other people could enjoy the area’s special beauty as well.

I fondly remember the first trip that Lori and I planned to Tennessee right after she closed on her new property. I met her at the airport and together we checked 71 pounds of luggage containing every conceivable kind of tool you can imagine. We were ready to go to work the minute we arrived so that Lori could put her own unique stamp on her cabin. Four days later, after having had little sleep and barely pausing to eat, we returned to New York, happy with all that we had accomplished, and excited to return again as soon as we had the chance.

Next came finding an appropriate name for the cabin, which was located in the beautiful, ideally situated, gated resort community of Sherwood Forest. While still being very private, it is just a few minutes drive to Dollywood and all of the attractions in Pigeon Forge, as well as the shops and restaurants in Gatlinburg, known as the 'Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.' After much thought and deliberation, Lori decided upon Highland Ridge Cabin, a perfect name for a retreat that sits at the top of a private drive overlooking beautiful Mount Le Conte, pictured above.

Several months ago, I was sitting in my sunroom in Missouri when I receive a text from Lori, ‘Hi my friend. I’m looking at going to TN September 17-24, flying in/out of Knoxville. Any interest in joining?’ I always looked forward to trips to the cabin and after my serious health scare just four months ago, it was easy to say YES! This time, Lori planned to show me more of the sights around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and, best of all, we were going to go hiking. During my last nine years living in New York, I went out hiking most every Sunday of the year, in all kinds of weather, with my hiking club, the New York Ramblers. I missed that very much, and I could not wait to be on a trail in the woods again, especially in and around the Great Smoky Mountains.

We arrived in Knoxville in the early afternoon of September 17th and made our way to the car rental. An hour later, after some grocery shopping and a side trip to Apple Valley General Store in Townsend for some homemade fudge, we arrived at the cabin. I got out of the car and took in a deep breath of pine and earth and fresh Tennessee air. It was so nice to be back at Highland Ridge Cabin again. One of many sacred things for me is to see wild creatures in their natural habitat, from a safe and respectful distance of course, and Lori had mentioned to me that lately, her driveway camera had video of a mama bear and her three babies in her driveway. We were hoping that we would be fortunate enough to see them on this trip.

The next morning, I had a special ‘Welcome to Tennessee’ surprise.

“Kelly, the bears are back!” Lori said, quickly opening my bedroom door and peeking into the dark room. Her excitement was palpable in the quiet of the morning.

I threw off the covers and leaped from the bed like it was on fire. “Let me grab my camera!” I replied, blindly reaching for my glasses and iPhone.

Together, we crept out of the French doors and onto the front porch, walking silently to the end and quietly peering over the edge. There, fifteen feet below us, under the oak and poplar trees were the bears in amongst all of the greenery, noisily chewing one of their favorite treats, acorns. We held our breath, silently taking photos and videos of the little family. We looked at each other and smiled. How lucky we were to have this special moment with nature, and what a great way to begin our trip. The next day we made our plans for the rest of the week. We had already factored in a sunrise hike up to Clingmans Dome, and after looking at the weather forecast, we decided that the next morning would be the ideal time for this.

The alarm jolted me out of a sound sleep at 4:45 AM. I lay there for a few minutes rubbing my eyes. I was so comfortable. Did I really want to get up this early? Reluctantly, I threw back the covers and got up. I dressed quickly and gulped down a cup of coffee, throwing the last of my supplies for the day into my backpack. Lori’s friend Laura, who lives in the resort community, was going to accompany us this morning, and she arrived promptly at 5:15 AM. We piled into the rental car and began the dark, twisting journey into the Park and up the side of a mountain, pulling into the parking lot at Clingmans Dome just as the sky was turning a deep teal blue.

Lori told me I should go on ahead and she and Laura would be right behind as soon as they were ready. I went off alone into the dark, the dimming stars lighting my way. I began climbing the steep spiral paved pathway leading up to the viewpoint. The shadow of evergreen trees pressed in towards me like a hug, whispering to me like a long-lost friend. “Welcome,” they said, as I breathed deeply of their cool pine scent; suddenly so thankful that I was here in this moment. I reached the top of the peak and approached the lookout point. I could tell there were a few people there already, but they were quiet and respectful. It felt like we were in a magnificent ethereal Cathedral. Shortly, Lori and Laura arrived, and all of us on that lookout point witnessed the miracle of God painting a Masterpiece in the sky, so heartachingly beautiful that I am tearing up even as I write this.

When the sun was fully awake, we headed back down the trail toward the parking lot. I took a half-hour detour entering the woods past the trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, fond memories flooding my mind of the many times I had crisscrossed this 2,194-mile trail over the years with my beloved New York Ramblers. I met Lori and Laura back at the car a short while later, and we headed on to the valley of Cades Cove for a morning of more glorious scenery, bear sightings, and historic trails. Our day was capped off with a late lunch at Trailhead Steak & Trout Restaurant. Laura recommended the fried catfish. It was the best I ever had!

The week continued to be jam-packed full of so many unforgettable memories. It had begun with a moonshine tasting at Sugarlands Distilling Company and shopping in Gatlinburg. Then, in the following days, the spectacular sunrise climb to Clingmans Dome, exploring the preserved historic homesteads of Cades Cove, and spotting wildlife near and far. We also included a late afternoon ‘Chondola’ airlift ride to the summit of beautiful Anakeesta theme park and hiked the scenic Middle Prong Trail in Tremont. At the end of the day, we looked forward to relaxing in the hot tub, dinners at the cabin and other local restaurants, and morning coffee and sunset wine on the front porch, drinking in the glorious view of Mount Le Conte.

I returned to Missouri feeling relaxed and happy. What a memorable time I had had with my friend at her beautiful retreat in Tennessee, and I look forward to returning there very soon. Why don’t you reach out and say hello to Lori at www.highlandridgecabin.com. I know she would love to hear from you, and I know she would be happy to share her little piece of Paradise and host you as well.

Until next time . . .

K.