There is an 11-mile loop road that takes you around the cove. The road used to be very rough and have a lot of pot-holes, but earlier this year, they repaved the road, made it wider, and added more pull-offs. The road is smoother now than it’s ever been.

While Cades Cove is a great place to see wildlife, it’s good to keep your expectations down and enjoy the beautiful scenery and any animals you happen to find there. The last several times we rode through the cove, it’s been harder to find bears, and the deer are not out as much, compared to a couple years ago. This could simply be chance, but I think it’s partly that the park has had to move bears out of the cove because bad people feed the bears.

Here are 3 pictures we took in Cades Cove yesterday, plus several from back in May.

Click one to enlarge it.

The building is a log structure and the inside of the restaurant is cheery and inviting. We ate there in the afternoon, so the place was basically deserted. The food is absolutely wonderful and the prices are acceptable, considering the quality of the food, the serving sizes, and the uniqueness of the experience.

I got an 8 oz. hand-formed cheddar steakburger sandwich with fries for $7 something, if I remember right, plus sweet tea with lemon. It was simply delicious.

To make a long story short and to make the drive home shorter, we came home a better way than we went in. There is only about 10 miles between I-40 and Cataloochee Valley. Around 3 miles of that is gravel road. To go home, we took I-40 to the Foothills Parkway exit and took it over to 32S for a short distance, and then brought 321 over to Gatlinburg from there. After taking a right instead of a left at the Cosby Post Office, the above happens to be my favorite route to get over there.

The first of October is a perfect time to see elk in Cataloochee. This is their rutting season, and there’s a certain intensity in the air. We saw more than a handful of big bulls and heard lots of bugling.

There is a lot of open field right along the road and the elk come out of the woods to feed here. Plan your arrival in the early morning or toward evening, and you’ll stand a good chance of seeing elk out in the open this time of the year.

Here are some photos I took on this trip to Cataloochee Valley. Click one to enlarge it.

We arrived in Townsend around 2:45 PM and stopped to eat at Timber’s Restaurant on 321 not far from the edge of the Smoky Mountains National Park. Timber’s is a great place to eat if you like log cabins, black bears, amazing service, and big servings of absolutely delicious food. We love the atmosphere. It’s comfortable and almost feels like you’re sitting around the dinner table at home.

Next, we headed out toward Sugarlands and stopped to take in the newly remodeled overlook and parking area at the Sinks Waterfall, and of course, to see the water. This waterfall offers a lot of “bang for your hike” since it’s right by the road and there’s a lot of water gushing down over the rocks. When you’re short on time or energy, this is a perfect waterfall stop.

After a brief stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, we headed over to the Sugarlands Valley Nature Walk for some quick, easy exercise. This paved, 1/2-mile loop takes you through a nice forest past a wide, rocky stream. There are plenty of benches where you can stop and relax if you feel like it.

It was rather chilly and a bit wet today anyway, but just after we crawled into our vehicles to leave, it started sprinkling, so we made it out of the woods just in time.

By then we were ready to head up to Pigeon Forge to check in at Colonial Properties, the company through which we rented our house. We are staying in Gatlinburg, not far off of the PIgeon Forge bypass and a little less than 6 miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Our plans are to be here for 10 days. It’s exciting to think of all the quality time we’ll have together as a family, relaxing, playing games, eating, hiking, driving around, looking for bears, and whatever else we come up with!

Thanks for reading and check back for more.

Lavern

Looking at my waterfalls brochure, I found two waterfalls close to Townsend that we could drive to. We took Little River Road toward the Sugarlands visitor center, watching for Meigs and the Sinks. For some reason, we didn’t see post #6 (according to the brochure) and drove past Meigs waterfall and came to the Sinks.

There is a nice parking area at the Sinks and a gushing river stumbling down over the rocks. Little River flows under Little River road at this point and turns to flow parallel with the road.

The Sinks is probably the most beautiful waterfall in the entire Smoky Mountain National Park that you can drive to. And for those a little daring, you can climb out on the rocks for a more intense view of these engaging falls.

After soaking in some of this beauty, we headed back and found Meigs set back maybe 100 yards away from the road. Even at this distance, Meigs waterfall is a beauty to behold and worth stopping on the shoulder for a few minutes to take it in.

If you are ever make it down Little River road between Townsend and Sugarlands Visitor Center, take a few minutes to stop and enjoy these two Smoky Mountain waterfalls.

Lavern Gingerich

We arrived in Townsend toward noon today and stopped at a favorite little restaurant of mine, Riverstone Family Restaurant.

Today was the second time I ate at this restaurant. Both times we were served large helpings of fresh home-style cooking. The waitresses took good care of us and did a great job of making us feel welcome. The plates are a bit on the expensive side for us (like $10.99 for an average plate with bread and two sides), but I think the large servings and kind service make up for it.

Driving through Townsend on highway 321 toward the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, we passed a number of decent-looking restaurants before we got to Riverstone Family Restaurant. We decided to go see Riverstone again since we enjoyed our first meal there the last time we were in the Smokies about three months ago.

So if you’re in the mood to try out a new restaurant, go check out Riverstone Family Restaurant. It’s on your left on highway 321 in Townsend as you’re heading toward the park entrance. It’s right by Riverstone Lodge and one of the last businesses before the park entrance.

And if you decide to take my advice, please come back and leave a comment to let us know what you think about the food and service you experienced at this fine little restaurant in the peaceful town of Townsend, Tennessee.

Lavern

The Smokies are a great source of inspiration to me and my favorite vacation spot. In my opinion, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina are a deeply special part of God’s creation. The romance and charm of these mountains and all the beauties of nature hidden in them keeps calling me back.

There is a lot of information already available on the Smoky Mountains. But in my experience, much of it is scattered and some basic information such as the true differences between the atmosphere in Gatlinburg and Townsend, the scenery and roads leading to major attractions in the park, and a good explanation of how wonderful Cades Cove really is, are not easy to find online.

My intention is to post photos, videos, and articles of my times in the Smoky Mountains and to teach you enough about the Smokies before you go so that you can plan the best trip for you and your group.

I need your feedback. Please leave a comment or e-mail me with your suggestions. Let me know what you would like to learn about the Great Smoky Mountains.

Lavern Gingerich