Cades Cove-June 4, 2011

At the suggestion of a lady at the Sevierville Post Office, today we drove to Cades Cove. That's pronounced Kay-deez Cove. It was an early settlement (1820s) in this area that was eventually taken into the Smoky Mountain National Park. The original houses and churches are still there. They are open to explore. There's also wildlife in the area and some of the most beautiful meadows we have ever seen. The sun was warm and there was a slight breeze. It was an incredible day and the drive through the Cove was so much fun. We have pictures of a very pretty white tail deer and some wild turkeys. Live ones, not on a bottle. The more we travel the more in awe I am of the people who settled this country. How tough and strong they had to be. And what incredible faith they had. As we came home through the mountains again, I was able to see that the sides of the river in most areas were filled with tiger lillies and ferns growing wild. Such a pretty sight. Two interesting observations we have made about this area. (1) There are only two banks here: Tennessee State Bank and BB&T. That's odd to us. (2) There are very few pine trees. The trees are deciduous. Imagine what they would like like in the fall. It must be a beautiful sight. I cannot explain either of these oddities. We are leaving tomorrow for Asheville, North Carolina. I spoke to the owner of the park who told me he would not be there when we arrived, but he would leave our lot number taped to the front door. He will be around on Monday to collect the rent. It amazes us when we find people who are so trusting. We plan to stay in Asheville about a week because there is so much to do in that area. We especially want to see the Biltmore House. I wish everyone a blessed Sunday.