Great Smoky Mountains....Nov 2009

Gatlinburg...Pigeon Forge....Fall colors....adventure sports...camping...hiking....skiing

Yeah, I think these were the words/phrases that I have been hearing ever since I came to USA whenever there was a discussion about Smokies. Finally got the chance to visit this place along with my wife and a couple of friends. It was a good company and a great trip.

I think I did not mention Rock climbing in my opening line...please add that....coz I think that one experience is what according to me made it a great trip. Yes Rock/Mountain climibing. No this was not easy, that much I can certainly promise, coz there were some people including my sweet wife :) who stopped at the middle of the climb and gave up to venture to the top of the peak. And I do not really blame them, it was certainly a tough one and a small negligence might very well end up disastrous (without any exaggeration). Myself, I had always this awe for mountain/rock climbers...may be the initial fascination would have been due to movies like Cliffhanger or Mi2 where Tom cruise is cruising from one cliff to another (a similar act was dismally shown in a Balakrishna movie:))...anyways so this fascination made me to climb the rocks at my University and I started to increase my liking for hiking esp steep and challenging ones. So this Rock climbing act was the end of the "Chimney Tops" Trail...we had a hell of a time during this whole expedition. And due to our timing, you know what, it was snowing intermittently and it did snow when we were at the top of the climb...it was simply amazing...I would have loved to stay more to enjoy the hard-work and to relish the scenic beauty but my beauty down below attracted me more:))

After this adventure, (I would certainly rank this and Mission peak in bay area as best and second best trails I had ever taken up...But my aim is to go for some kind of expedition in Himalayas as my 2nd BIL did...he says its a very good exp and I can bet it would have been...also another such expedition is to go on foot to shabarimalais in kerala...lets c when they would materialize) we had another different kind of adventure...it was Horse back riding:) it was fun....Stirrups, saddle, reins, horse shoe-- saw them real close:) it was amazing how we forget those terms. Madhavi's horse name was Barney and mine was Scottey...it was 1 hour ride. The horses were walking and we were calmly sitting on them...Barney and Scottey two sweet horses:)

We had also went to "Laurels Falls" Trail between these two adventures. This one was average normal trail with a small falls at the end. It was good.

By this time we were pretty tired and went to Blaine's restaurant..yeah btw had been to NO way Jose's rest the previous night...so yeah we were eating pretty fine outside in this trip...my friend was saying I was turning to be more American way which I want to really change:)

Anyways, next day we started off with food again yeah :) as we got off late, we had a brunch at Pancake pantry and then headed towards Ober Gatlinburg via airtram. That place was fun. We started off with a 3 hr ice skating...and oh my god kids were just skating off but we had to hold onto the rails to avoid embarrasemet until my friend Rakesh reminded the basic principle of life..."Abhi, jitna ghirega utna sekega re, chodd us rail ko aur try kar". I spent last 30 minutes on the ice turf without holding the rail...:) hopefully both Madhavi n myself would do better the next time. After this adventure we went for a skylift and came down thru a slide (it was called alpine slide rightfully I would guess).

We then had subway sub and headed off to the night driving to Jacksonville. Btw between Rakesh n myself we drove almost 22 hrs to and fro both the times being night till dawn:) it was fun driving: having coffee, listening to music, keeping the eyes wide open as 2 other lives were in our hands;)(and eyes..literally:)). And for lodging we went to Cherokee springs cabins where Jacuzzi was the highlight:) next time I think we would prefer to go for the cabins which were supposedly more close to nature due to the absence of the electricity...don't u think...


i bet it would be.....i would go next time for a longer vacation and do more mountain climbing and hiking if I could...


Thanks to the Mother Nature....u r Beautiful!!!!!