Breakfast with a View
8:21 AM – Nancy is bright-eyed and – well you know the rest….
Breakfast and binoculars…
Mother – Daughter huggin’!
Ticky Tacky Tour Three
12:13 PM – Mother – Daughter escape to downtown Gatlinburg….
…nother Mother – Daughter shopping among the elite.
Climbing Clingmans Dome
1:49 PM – Geology Class –
Scott, “What kind of rocks are those?.”
Nancy, “Big.”
Oh, good, a nice, smooth paved path:
“The half-mile trail to the summit of Clingmans Dome is paved, but very steep. During the short hike, you will gain 332 feet (about a 31 story building!), which makes the climb gradient almost 13%! The Clingmans Dome hike does feature several benches along the way if you need to catch your breath during the ascent.”
David made the climb without a bench stop, but Nancy chaperoned to assure that the old guy didn’t fall off the mountain.
Upon reaching the end of the trail, test number two, the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower, another 45 foot high climb. The 375 foot ramp was not as steep (3% grade).
The view was spectacular, particularly after Nancy opened up a hole in the clouds.
Clingmans Dome is the second (and, interestingly, also the third) highest peak in the Eastern United States.
Homework: what is the highest?
Ominous…….
The young guys, unlike their Grandfather, enjoyed running up and down the ramp.
There they are!
Appalachian Trail – Again
David was intrigued with the Appalachian Trail…..
…..which ran near Clingmans Dome, also.
Just like the Newfound Gap tour, this part of the Appalachian Trail was also rough, we didn’t go very far. Wonder how many pairs of shoes you use up doing the entire 2190 miles?
These little looks just can’t convey how incredible the Smoky Mountains are.
These tourists are clearly amazed.
And this is why!
Excellent Steak Dinner
6:55 PM – The Good Barrister Harkness provided us with, then grilled to perfection, some mouth-watering Omaha Steaks. These ladies are ready to dig in!