Trip to the Mountains

It was cold , but the leaves were still on the trees in our neighborhood, so we decided to go check out the mountain leaves. We went to Elkmont by way of our secret route down Chapman Highway...White School Rd. ..River Divide...New Era West Rd.... Goose Creek...Walden Creek...Wears Valley Road....Metcalf Bottoms..
The leaves were beautiful up to Elkmont...red oaks covered the mountain side all the way to the top...We drove through patches of all yellow beech leaves, and then we'd pass orange and red maples and black gums and hickories to name a few.
The leaves were gone up the Elkmont road where we hiked; there was snow on the ground and it felt like a winter hike. We walked two miles and then came back to walk through Elkmont campground to get a drink of the good mountain water and to eat our peanut butter sandwiches and apples at a picnic table. People were camping on the first loop...there were motor homes and tents.
We drove back to Cades Cove Loop Road and saw some magnificent views of the orange and red and yellow covered mountains. It was a clear day . The mountains looked like the view you get from the top of Leconte...just beautiful We had to stop to let a deer run across the road in front of us.
The drive back to Townsend was beautiful with yellow leaves hanging over the road. There is still water in Little River, but it was down. We stopped at the visitor center in Townsend . They are showing a display of mountain paintings....
When we got home, our beautiful trees were waiting for us. Oh it was a nice fall day!!
May you have one like it ....