Our first trip to the mountains in 2016..We checked out the Chestnut Top trail, Cades Cove and we drove to the top...supper at the Pottery...Good time with good friends..Thank you Lord

We made a trip to Big Ridge with the Frenches and I can't upload pictures

We think this is a bud of a camellia flower...not sure..and we didn't go back to check later..

Mountain Camelia 2015

We went back to the Sugarlands Trail this year a little earlier in June, and we couldn't find the camellia trees.  We hoped to go back one more time but didn't make it.  We'll try next year to see them.  Someone on facebook told me that a tree is in Greenbrier across from the ranger station.  We wanted to go check that out this year but there was flooding in Greenbrier and the road was closed.

We did get to Elkmont for the firefly show with the Frenches. We went before the park was officially closed for fireflies , so we drove right to our spot to sit and watch..just across from Jakes Creek trail ...Good show. 

We saw the pink lady slippers  at the same place as last year and they were a lot healthier and pretty this year.

Someone on facebook told us where to find yellow lady slippers , and we went to the spot in North Carolina and find a clump of dead ones...Next year we'll go earlier.

We are walking less and less, but we'll sure try to go next spring to the mountains for the wild flowers...

We plan to go to Pisgah in October to see the fall colors.  We have reservations at Pisgah Inn for us and the Frenches...

Mountain Camelia late June 2014

Frenches new motor home at firefly campout June 6

catching up mountain trips 2014....May 6, May 11, June 6, and July 1

Since the last report, we have made trips to the mountains by ourselves and with the Frenches
On May 6 we cooked out at the Chimneys picnic  grounds with Frenches

On May 11, David took us across the mountain to Oconoluftee and then to the Blue Ridge Parkway

On June 6 we stayed at the Gatlinburg Inn and spent the day with the Frenches at Elkmont campground...We saw the fireflies again..

On July we drove by ourselves to look for the mountain camellia on the Gatlinburg trail and found it on the Old Sugarlands hwy. trail..

Fabulous Frenches

Thank you Lord for bringing them into our lives....They love the mountains like we do, and they like to take us.  They say we know the trails and the flowers, and they can learn from our experience.  They pick us up at our door and deliver us back after a wonderful day in the mountains.  All of our trips have been good...Trips started in October 2010  at Cades Cove for a picnic.  Many trips later, we still find new trails and new things to do.  We have camped out with them (we stay in the hotel at night) and we have watched the fireflies for three years now, and planning to go this year...

April 25, 2014 Roaring Fork Nature Motor Trail

Sammie said this was our best day yet.  We saw so many flowers just from the car windows!  I loved the Reagan cabins..

Lady Slipper not quite pink yet

Noah Bud Ogle Cabin

The Reagan Brothers Places

April 2 at Chestnut Top Tral

we're seeing the early spring flowers

finally got there in time to see the blood root

the CCC boys planted these daffodils with their company number...more than50 years ago..

We finally saw trailing Arbutis on the Abrams Falls trail

March 21,2014 trip across the mountain to Oconoluftee

Lovely spring day in a beautiful place surrounded by the mountains..

nice river walk

the North Carolina side of the Smokies

We have made 6 trips to the mountains with the Frenches in the first five months of 2014...

In February 20, 2014 we drove through Cades Cove.  It was a cloudy day but we almost had the Cove to ourselves..

We walked to Abrams falls from the house and barn..

More fall 2013 pictures

 

John and I made it to the tower at Clingmans Dome Oct. 24

We stayed with the Frenches in the daytime at Elkmont and spent the night in the Gatlinburg Inn Oct. 22

We walked up the river road in Elkmont on a beautiful fall day Oct. 22

We drove around Cades Cove and saw 5 bears in all Oct. 28We walked up the paved trail to the tower Oct. 28Foothills parkway Oct. 28

Cosby Apple Barn Nov. 4

After we ate we walked the Sugarlands Trail out of Cherokee Orchard Nov. 4

 

Fall 2013..Lots of trips to the mountains to see the color

Rose and Paul came over to watch the UT game with us..We beat South Carolina!Yea

Sammie and Mark took us to the mountains to look fall color.  The foothills parkway out of Maryville was a good place to start

We're camping at Elkmont with our friends.  We had homemade vegetable soup for lunch..

We checked out the foothills parkway out of Cosby

They hiked on Thursday to Spence field and spent a cold night in the shelter.  They went to church with us on Sunday, Nov.10, 2013