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Friday, January 29, 2010

A Frosty Tour of Cades Cove

I know it's not the first time I've taken you on a tour through my favorite part of the Smoky Mountains, but this is the first winter tour so grab a cup of steaming coffee, cocoa or tea and enjoy the ride as over the winding road and along icy Little River we go.
Cades Cove is a valley between the mountains, a cove where several hundred mountain folk lived before the Great Smoky Mountain National Park came into existence in the first half of the twentieth century.
It's the most visited national park in the United States of America.
Cattle grazed here just a few short years ago, but now commercial interests are taking a forefront with horses to ride for a fee, of course.
A lone male turkey with a beard that touches the ground while grazing.
Those two doors speak of a bygone era when gentlemen and ladies entered the church through portals of a different gender.
Inside another church in the cove.
The Cable Gristmill where grain was ground into flour and cornmeal is frozen today, really frozen.
It was too cold to picnic at a table in the park so we lunched in the suv and watched the wildlife show from front-row seats.
A doe with her yearling fawn.
Bee gums, although there are no bees working them now.
In my mind the most wondrous man made building in the cove is this cantilever barn.
Every board is pegged together; not a nail in the structure.Hope you enjoyed this lil short tour. We'll talk about the cabins another time, the good Lord willin'. :)

Shared at:  Roses of Inspiration

19 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the tour very much! I've been telling Hubby that we need to take a trip to Cade's Cove sometime. Maybe in the spring.

    The pictures are great!

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  2. Loved the pictures! My hubby and I live in California in an area not so pretty and long to live in the area where the Smokey Mountains are. Thanks for giving us a tour! It's so beautiful over there!

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  3. Thanks for the tour! Your National Park - yes, it's yours in my mind - is really beautiful! That church with two doors is very interesting and the barn too. No wooden buildings around here. Looking forward to the next trip! :-)

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  4. Thank you for the little tour this morning over my cup of coffee. I love the churches in Cades Cove. Your pictures made me smile as I cozy in and watch the snowfall outside my window.

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  5. Thanks for the tour. It certainly looks like a very special place :)

    Stay warm....here the wind chill is 15 below zero! Don't think I would do any touring around here ;)

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  6. Hubby & I honeymooned, in a tent, in the Smokies 42 years ago. It was wonderful then altho still more crowded than we liked.

    We were enthralled with the buildings and tried to imagine people using them. Well, on the way back to our campground we took a wrong turn - on a little dirt road we passed homesteads where the buildings were like what we'd just seen! Everybody waved, yelled hello and assured us we'd get to where we wanted if we just went down the road a bit. That wrong turn was the best part of our honeymoon.

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  7. Your pics are fabulous! I was there in 1978. I was six months pregnant and we were tent camping in the state park with our other two children. I fell in love with Cades Cove. Our oldest son and his girlfriend were there in July. When we were there, the mill was still working and we bought a bag of corn meal.

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  8. Great photos and the area looks absolutely beautiful

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  9. I bet that was a cold church service
    back in the pioneer days! those old
    buildings were drafty !

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  10. Were the mountain folks relocated when they acquired the land? Just wondering, it is beautiful and so is the church. Isn't it amazing how they built using pegs, I did enjoy your tour, your photos were very nice and clear. Hope you have a nice weekend.

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  11. Beautiful tour! Thanks for taking us along. Defantely a part of the country that's on my to see list~

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  12. Lovely photos! Beautiful!! I would love to visit someday. Enjoy a lovely week my friend.

    Smiles...

    Beverly

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  13. Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you! And that barn is really something. Such craftsmanship!

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  14. Loved this tour.. And yes, the barn is awesome.. Imagine the labour... So nice to meet you via Stephanie and I am your newest follower.. God bless..

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  15. What an interesting and enjoyable tour!
    The icy river looks fascinating as do those simple, beautiful churches.
    Thank you for the tour & See you again soon!

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  16. Beautiful! I loved this little glimpse into the cove.

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  17. I Love grist mills, I have never seen one frozen before, very cool!

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  18. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, my friend :) I fell in love with the sweet church and the animals are simply precious.

    I hope your week is going well. Hugs to you!

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  19. Beautiful photos and what a pretty place.

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Thank you for your comments!