Day 1 Sugarlands Visitor Center, Elkmont Campground, Abrams Trail, and Abrams Falls As I arrived in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I entered the main entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park proceeding directly to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. First, I watched a twenty-minute documentary film about the history of the Smoky Mountains, including wildlife and nature that visitors might encounter, plus activities offered in the park. While browsing the interactive museum I discovered stunning, authentic wildlife exhibits with native plants. Ranger Sam answered my questions, advised me on wildlife sightings, and recommended sites to visit within the park. The bookstore offered visitors interesting books, maps, badges, postcards, and a variety …show more content…
On the winding, mountainous seven-mile drive, my ears crackled and popped as we ascended through the mountains. Suddenly, a mother black bear emerged alongside the road with her three little cubs wandering closing behind her, so I quickly grabbed my camera to capture the image of these striking animals. Approaching Clingmans Dome, I observed numerous dying trees and areas of bareness towering the Spruce-fir forest. Finally, I arrived at the Forney Ridge Parking Area below the summit and began the short, steep one-half mile hike on the paved spiral concrete ramp leading to the observation tower. The sun filtered through the misty-fog as I climbed higher, the mountain air had a fresh scent, and the breeze was slightly chilly. As I reached the top of the observation tower, I experienced some shortness of breath from the 6,643 feet of high elevation, so I took a moment to rest before enjoying the view. The concrete circular platform surrounding the tower provided an awe- inspiring panoramic view of the scenery for miles. The incredible scenery looked like an artist’s palette with vivid hues of green, shades of brown, and touches of yellow speckled throughout the landscape. The natural wonders in sight were breathtaking, just inspirational beauty. As I peered upward, I felt a sense of floating in a sea of clouds as they rolled in and out …show more content…
Entering at Cades Cove, I trekked down the narrow muddy trail through the forest listening for the sounds of rushing water. The cold crystal-clear water flowed effortlessly over the smooth rocks and the air was quite refreshing. Carefully, I made my way downstream, watching my footing, while admiring the spectacular countryside. The remoteness of the area and the quiet stillness provided solitude and a relaxing atmosphere. As the sunrays glistened through the water, I captured a glimpse of a large dark fish with pale spots and light-yellow back, a brook trout. Immediately, I gently cast my line in the distance, patiently waiting for a nibble. Amazingly, after my sixth cast, I caught a 10-inch rainbow trout with silvery sides, bluish-green back, black spots, and bright pink bands. After several hours in the peaceful environment, I met my quota of five trout over seven inches, a successful day for any angler. Quickly, I headed back to the campsite to freshen up for my next adventure horseback riding at Sugarlands Riding Stables, located just before the main visitor
At the point when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was opened in 1934, the Tennessee Valley Authority reported that there were no tourism-situated organizations in Pigeon Forge. By the 1950s, upgrades to US-441 prompted the station of a couple of campgrounds and cabins, however little that might produce real income. Throughout this period, then again, two variables in adjacent Gatlinburg might prompt the business blast Pigeon Forge might encounter in the last 50% of the twentieth century. Initially, Gatlinburg, itself encompassed by high mountain edges, had constrained area assets. Second, the area assets it did have were to a great extent controlled by a couple of neighborhood families who defeated endeavors by outside organizations to exploit the town's prime area. Subsequently, outside business visionaries were compelled to look somewhere else. Pigeon Forge, being only north of Gatlinburg along US-441, was the evident target.
Many are not familiar with the area of the Great Smoky Mountains located in Tennessee, this novel provides a great sense of understanding of the area, and paints a clear image of the setting of this novel. The imagery the author uses is so in depth
The drive to cross the Kentucky border had taken hours and hours of strenuous patience to finally arrive in another state. The view was by far country like as hints of cow manure could be smelled far from a distance. We drive through small towns, half the size of our hometown of Glen Ellyn had been the biggest town we've seen if not smaller. The scenery had overwhelmed us, as lumps of Earth from a great distance turned to perfectly molded hills, but as we got closer and closer to our destination the hills no longer were hills anymore, instead the hills had transformed to massive mountains of various sizes. These mountains surrounded our every view as if we had sunken into a great big deep hole of green pastures. Our path of direction was seen, as the trails of our road that had followed for numerous hours ended up winding up the mountainous mountains in a corkscrew dizzy-like matter.
If you're a nature lover, Ober Gatlinburg might be the perfect place for you. The Smoky Mountains are right next door, and their spectacular views, rich wildlife and long hiking trails are all but guaranteed to leave you speechless. Gatlinburg itself is filled with fun places to visit, such as Ripley's Aquarium and Odditorium, the Sky Lift, and the many shopping malls and museums. During the winter season, the Ober Gatlinburg Amusement Park & Ski Area is a must visit for anyone interested in ski sports.
As the two men hiked, they came upon many rugged trails and hills that were difficult to overcome, however they did it together and kept moving on. The view from the trail was beautiful with many places to stop and admire the view, but they couldn’t seem to get above the canopy of the trees to truly take in the whole view. The man that strove to see the beautiful scenery from an unobstructed viewpoint was trying in every way to get above what was around him to see the true beauty of the mountains.
As I inched my way toward the cliff, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. I could feel the coldness of the rock beneath my feet when my toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival. My heart was racing like a trapped bird, desperate to escape. Gazing down the sheer drop, I nearly fainted; my entire life flashed before my eyes. I could hear stones breaking free and fiercely tumbling down the hillside, plummeting into the dark abyss of the forbidding black water. The trees began to rapidly close in around me in a suffocating clench, and the piercing screams from my friends did little to ease the pain. The cool breeze felt like needles upon my bare skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. The threatening mountains surrounding me seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment, I felt myself fighting for air. The hot summer sun began to blacken while misty clouds loomed overhead. Trembling with anxiety, I shut my eyes, murmuring one last pathetic prayer. I gathered my last breath, hoping it would last a lifetime, took a step back and plun...
Not once have I given up an opportunity to venture to Vacationland, one of Maine’s state slogans, since every trip differs from the previous. One of the most amazing experiences occurred this past summer, one that has surpassed all other Maine memories. My family and I woke up in the very early morning hours, three am to be exact, to travel forty five minutes away to Acadia National Park for a view of the very first sunrise within the United States. The summit of Cadillac Mountain, located on Mount Desert Island within Acadia National Park, experiences the first of the Sun’s rays within America each morning. Luckily, that morning there were few clouds in the sky and the sunrise was unlike one I have ever witnessed. I felt as if my all of my nerves began to tingle once I caught the first glimpse of light emerging over the horizon. Within minutes everyone who had gathered on the summit became immersed in the light from the sunrise, one in which only a...
If you ever get a chance to visit Chaco Canyon National Monument in New Mexico, you should take the time to just stand in the desert and listen. The silence in this place is physical; you can feel it surround you. This is a silence with depth and layers that are unbroken even by the wind, which moves through emptiness and speaks only in occasional sighs through the canyons. The air itself is very clear—the lack of humidity gives the cliffs and buttes sharp lines, and the colors of the earth, though muted, stand in stark relief to the blueness of the sky. Night comes gradually to this place. The height and dryness of the air allows the stars to appear before the sun has set—creating an odd contrast of light and darkness in which night is falling on one horizon while the sun reddens the other. Standing on the cliff tops you can see the sky deepen from blue to black. At night the only lights come from the stars and moon, and the faint smear of light that is the city of Albuquerque, fifty miles away. This small blemish on the horizon haunts my memory in some ways, like an eyelash in the eye, because I know that twenty years ago the night was perfectly dark.
Congress created the world's first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. For many years after the beginning of Yellowstone (and other such parks), the wilderness could be viewed from afar, but not entered. Camping within park limits was something that was just not done by visitors (National Park Service, Caring for Legacy, 1). The national parks were much less accessible to the public sector in the early 1900's than they presently are. A staggering 68% of Americans have visited at least one area of the National Park System today, and all these visits have undoubtedly led to the gradual degradation of our parks (Rettie, 124).
Fierce rays from the sun shine down on my skin, evaporating the compact drops of sweat on my chest back into the atmosphere as I stand atop Austria’s highest peak. Every direction I look I can again see the vibrant colors of nature, the serenity and calmness of the wilderness, the small blobs of snow still stuck in the mountains that make up the land and the endless blue that reaches for the horizon. Small bodies of glasslike water, falling between peaks, look as if no human has ever broken their surface. The lake is a fragile, baby-blue color, like the delicate sweep of a painter’s brush. The smell of the pure air, so light and delicious, makes you believe you can fly. I lower myself onto the grass, slipping forward as the dry earth crumbles beneath me. I can’t stop smiling as my eyes again sweep across the breathtaking land. My mind is free to wander in this peace; forgetting the accident and all the troubles of the past few months. I sit silently on the earth, watching the birds interact. I pretend I was one of them, flying above the land that gave me birth.
I should have been tired; I'd been climbing all day, since around eight that morning, and we were just finishing the forty-five minute, up-hill-and-down-dale walk back to the American School of Archeology. Despite a nightly average of five hours of sleep over the last week or so, I felt like I could go on forever. There was so much to see and discover -- new things to try, ancient ones to visit -- and only a few more days of this amazing vacation left! My grandparents caught up, and we continued, leap-frog fashion, up the remaining streets to our destination.
In the 1850’s Americans were starting to realize that the wilderness was something that needed to be explored and protected. There was a newfound understanding of preservation of lands and all that inhabited them. Through the years that followed there would be the development of national and state parks. Some of these areas have protected monuments and structures that were significant in our history while others have been preserved in order for us to enjoy the beauty and esthetics of a specific area. However this is not the only use of these current sites. With new research being developed by the education foundation we see more and more interest in parks regarding ranger-led programs. The idea of outdoor leaning has allowed for parks to not only teach their history but also allowed to target age groups and make learning about our environment fun. By examining the history of our national parks and the theory of learning outside of the classroom we can see the importance that state and national park programs play.
As I sit down on the big gray slate rock that has been warmed by the early morning sun, I begin to gulp in the beauty as a starving man would gulp down food. I start my usual ritual of examining the banks of the creek by gazing down the right side of it first. I notice that the wild azaleas are in full bloom and that the trees have regained all their leaves. They stand tall and majestic as if they are soldiers standing guard.
Surrounded by massive purple and blue peaks, the tallest which rises over 14,000 feet, one is truly awestruck at the power and beauty of Mother Nature. The winding roads which encircle these mountains mark mans ascent and discovery of the surrounding lands, but also provide the opportunity to reach higher into the heavens then most dreamed possible a mere century ago. The breathtaking view over the surrounding lands, which was once only available to the adventurous mountain climber, is now readily available for all to see.
Many mornings during my childhood, my father would take me to watch the sunrise over the water. The place he took me was discovered several years prior and was the ideal place to watch the sunrise. It was comprised of a hill that was surrounded with only the purity of nature. The hill was encompassed by trees, and it slowly sloped down until the foot of the hill waded into the water’s edge. At the top of the hill stood a massive Wye Oak tree, that to a child eyes seemed as though it was a skyscraper. This tree was as wide as a house and was full of green leaves. It was strategically placed in the center of the hill, which also happened to be the optimum point to see the sunrise. On one side of this hill was a field of swaying flowers. The flowers formed a rainbow of color, like the ones that were in the field by the Emerald City in Wizard of Oz. On another side was a crystal blue lake whose top seemed to be like a sheet of ice. This place was the “ideal place” for the sunrise because no matter what was wrong in life, this tranquil area, which was like the Garden of Eden, was a means of escape. No matter, where someone stood on the hill the sun and nature was always gorgeous.