Could life get any better than this? So many cabins, so many great Smoky Mtn views, plenty of time to enjoy it all. Mt. LeConte beckons in the photo above. This resort cabin sits high on Shields Mountain, about 10 miles out from the Smokies. With some rocking chairs...
A rocking chair, a cup of coffee or tea, the sun coming up over the Smoky Mountains. The air is soft and cool, and the day is new. Settle into a chair and enjoy the relaxing moments. You're miles away from cares and stress. Your daydreams are all that matter.
Heavy rains make the creeks rise and creates great conditions for kayaks. I ran into a group of students and staff from Purdue University last week. They were miles away from home on a Smoky Mountains spring break kayaking trip. You can see from these photos that...
Last week we experienced a popular Smoky Mountains view at the Oconaluftee Overlook. This time we're enjoying the view from Morton's Overlook. The photograph above is looking west, down the valley towards Gatlinburg. You can see the twin bumps of the Chimney Tops in...
A classic Smoky Mountains morning. The signature blue haze, the tops of the ridges warming with orange as the sun approaches the horizon. How many of the receding ridges can you count? Twelve or thirteen at least. Dawn comes very slowly here. You can leave...
The Smoky Mountains are starting to look Spring-like on this last day of February, and our heavy winter snows may be over for the season. I really enjoyed them ... the big Christmas Eve storm that gave us a White Christmas for the first time since we have lived in...
It's a quiet and peaceful day in Cades Cove. Winter is really special here. Plenty of time to cruise the loop road at your own pace, stopping whenever the mood strikes. In winter the deer come out by the dozens -- probably over 100 of them in the central meadow on a...
I don't need a groundhog to tell me that in 6 weeks the early wildflowers will be blooming in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! In the meantime, there's still a chance to squeeze in a snowy winter getaway to Gatlinburg and the Smokies. Or if there's no snow,...
You could get lost in the layers of this scene. Late afternoon, sun setting on the Smoky Mountains, the shadows enhancing the definition of the landscape. Taken from my newly-favored perch on top of the Space Needle in downtown Gatlinburg. I spent an hour up there...
Doesn't this scene warm your heart? Even as cold as it looks? Makes you want to find the nearest fireplace, invite a cat onto your lap, and be grateful for living on planet Earth. Wow! The wood is cut and dried on the porch, and you're obviously not going anywhere,...
It's a new year, and things are definitely slowing down in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. A good time to plan a snug-as-abug getaway! Bring a stack of books or your Kindle and pull up a chair beside the fire. Glance out at the fabulous view a time or two before...
Gatlinburg this time of year is festooned with Christmas lights from one end to the other. It's hard not to get excited about it all. I love to play around with light effects. For example, the picture above was blended from a tree in Pigeon Forge, another from...