The Wandering Disciple

The tranquil waters of the Oconaluftee River pass under a foot bridge at Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee, North Carolina. The river begins near Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains and is one of the largest rivers found within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Oconaluftee River Valley is home to the Cherokee Indian Reservation and is the North Carolina entrance into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. (Photo: June 6, 2016)

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee:   Today we continued our trek to the mountains of Tennessee as we checked-out of our hotel in Atlanta and hit the road for our four hour trip to Tennessee.  This section of the trip would cross two more states off our list as we passed through North Carolina on the way to Tennessee. This section of the drive was one of the most scenic I have been on.  Just a short drive north of Atlanta and we were in the mountains where amazing view were to be seen around every corner. Our drive was delayed a bit as we made two pit stops along the way.  The first of which was at Tallulah Gorge.  It was here where high-wire artist Karl Wallenda crossed the gorge on a tightrope.  Our second stop was the town of Cherokee where we took a brief walk along the river to stretch our legs and take some pictures. Then it was back on the road and into the Great Smoky Mountains.  This was by far the best drive I have ever been on.  I have nev...