"Don't You Ever Vacation At The Beach"?

That is a question I got asked a couple of weeks ago. The answer is yes....but it is not my favorite vacation destination. Luckily, it is not my wife's either. When my mobility is limited someday, maybe I will let someone prop me up in the sand under one of those big umbrellas. But for now, I will choose a more active vacation. This past weekend the family and I traveled to the Smoky Mountain National Park for a long weekend. The highlight of the trip was a night's stay at the top of Mt. LeConte (http://www.leconte-lodge.com/), the third highest peak in the Smokies. Getting reservations at the "lodge" is not easy. We started calling on the morning that reservations opened and did not get through until 3 days later. By that time, there were only a few nights open. There is a long waiting list every season, so we felt lucky to get our reservations.

Mt. LeConte Lodge is only accessible by five different hiking trails so we opted for the Rainbow Falls Trail. This trail is 6.5 miles long and gains 3820 feet in elevation. It was a beautiful day for a hike, but we were a little disappointed in the views along the trail. Nonetheless, it was a great hike and we leisurely reached the top in 3.5 hours. Nathan and Anna were hiking machines. If they have their choice, a hike with steep climbs and drop-offs are more to their liking than flat trails.

Momma And Anna Taking A Break While Nathan Scouts The Sights

After reaching the top of Mt. LeConte, we got checked in to our cabin and had a little time to explore before dinner. We decided to set out for Cliff Tops, a clearing on the very top of the mountain with beautiful views. The 1/4 mile trail is an easy climb and the views were spectacular. This is a place I could sit for an entire day and gaze out into the surrounding mountains. But, it was time to eat.

Anna Chillin' On Cliff Tops

Dinner is served family-style in the main lodge. We had beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, cornbread, green beans, baked apples, and wine. It was all you could eat and it was quite tasty. After dinner we went to the main office, a common meeting place for the visitors of the lodge. We sat and played Scrabble by lantern light (did I mention there is no electricity?) while others sat around the stove and talked. I should probably mention at this time the women did not give the men much of a challenge in that game of intellectual skill.

Outside the Lodge at Mt. LeConte

An early bedtime was followed by the 7:45 wake up call for breakfast. Again, we were not disappointed with the meal. This time we enjoyed an unlimited supply of scrambled eggs, ham, pancakes, grits, and coffee. The meals really are quite amazing considering their limited supplies. All items are delivered to the lodge twice a week by llamas, using one of the five trails. They must have the organization down to a science after all of these years.

View From The Top

Since we had to get back to school the following day, we took off down the mountain directly after breakfast. We decided to use the Bullhead Trail on the way down. This trail is slightly longer than Rainbow Falls, but uses the same trailhead parking, so it was our only other option. Even though we were sprinkled on the entire time down, the trail was much prettier than Rainbow Falls, and on a clear day, would have had some beautiful views. In about 2.5 hours, we were at our car and ready for the drive home. It was a strange feeling later in the day when we were in a traffic jam on the interstate, only hours from one of the quietest places I had ever been. If you seek quiet, I recommend a trip to the top of Mt. LeConte for you.

Anna And Daddy Enjoying The Lodge

Ok, all of our hiking trips are over. Only 52 days left until our first day of riding. Time to get some serious training in.