2004 Smokies

Eating at the Hard Rock Cafe

We were going to do a hike today and I would have been content with Alum Cave Bluffs but somehow in the car everyone decided they wanted to do Chimney Tops... sounds good to me! I just hope this goes better than previous tough family hikes have. I was really proud of Kyle... I knew he had no idea what he was really getting into but he chugged up to the top with no complaining, no "can we turn around", and no "I can't do this" statements. *** At the top Gina and Kyle decided to not climb up the rocky portion so Ryan and I did that part by ourselves

I've been up here at least 6 or 7 times and never found the "chimney hole" (I actually always forget to look for it). I think in this picture you can see it, at least in the full size one. It is just a bit above the center point of the picture on the right side of tallest "near by" rock.

Ryan coming back down from the top. The rock was so hot that you could not hold your hand on it for more than about 10 seconds. My hands stung the rest of the day.

There is a miniature golf course in Gatlinburg that has "all you can play for as long as you stay" for about what it costs for 1.5 games. We always get the unlimited pass and play a couple games each night.

You know you are really into photography when you get up at 5:45 AM on your vacation... however I find it to be a special time as there are no crowds and there is a stillness in the air that you just can't experience any other way. I shot this sunrise from the road and the parking lot at Clingmans Dome.

We drove to Cades Cove to bike around the loop and got there at 2:35... they stop renting bikes at 2:30. Argh. We decide to drive the loop and find that it is the emptiest we have ever seen it.

Gina and Ryan are addicted to these super size corn dogs. I call them "death on a stick".

After a pretty good sunrise the previous day, I somehow managed to convince Gina to get up with me today and see the sunrise. It was very overcast at the hotel so I did not have a good feeling (and I was going to feel real bad after she got up this early if there was nothing but dense fog up top). We drove up to Clingmans Dome and hit really thick clouds about 3 miles from the top. Argh. We drove back down to a lookout just past Newfound Gap and at least we were below the clouds but it did not look promising. However, about 15 minutes after the sun came up, the clouds cleared a bit then a thick layer came in and made for about 3 minutes of really good shots like this one.