Gatlinburg TN
The campground manager shuttled us into beautiful downtown Gatlinburg today. We walked about two miles – up one side of the street and back down the other.
We started at the Mountain Mall where I visited Mr. Harry Dodson’s shop. He still owed me a case for my dulcimer and I was tired of using an old stuff sack to protect it. It was fun to visit his shop. He and another instrument builder had several experimental banjos on display. I was amazed you could get music out of a cigar box.
Our next stop was the tram to Ober Gatlinburg (http://www.obergatlinburg.com). A ski resort in winter, this business has figured out how to make money on the off season. The tram ride up the mountain (10 minutes, 17 MPH, 2.1 miles, rise of 1,335 feet in elevation) in the rain showed the Smokies at their best – mountain behind mountain behind mountain, all in shades of blue and gray, with clouds rising until we were in the clouds, and then above them. Because of the rain, we could not ride a chair lift to a higher peak and then race sleds back down. I was seriously bummed about this – it was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Gatlinburg, but we had fun riding the tram back down.
At the other end of the street, we visited the large outfitter in town. They had a huge fire roaring in their stone fireplace. Two young men with two empty back packs were drying out. All their gear was spread out around the hearth. The Appalachian Trail cuts near here and they looked like they needed a break from their trek. A man in a climbing kilt (tough nylon fabric, smooth in front with pleats in back, and cargo pockets on the sides) helped Kelly look for a day pack, but she couldn’t find one that fit correctly. When I inquired about the kilt (I was careful not to call it a skirt), he told me that it cut down on chafing. He told me he’d added the pleats this year to make it look more masculine. He wore those pleats well, but it was the pockets that kept it from being a girly skirt. Men must chafe in different places from women – my thighs would be toast if I tried to hike in a skirt….or kilt.
Near our original starting point, we found a much smaller outfitter. The owner remarked on my daypack and Kelly explained that it didn’t fit her properly because of her shorter torso. He recommended the Deuter brand. She tried one on and knew it was the right one for her (http://www.deuterusa.com/products/productDetail.php?packID=futura24SL&sub=hiking&tert=futura). I was please she’d found a pack to fit her frame.
We made only one junk stop – a couple pieces of chocolate from a shop that had been recommended. I somehow managed to pass up all the funnel cakes. That’s OK – it’s only April.
We caught the campground shuttle back to our little house on wheels and listened to the rain on the roof.
The campground manager shuttled us into beautiful downtown Gatlinburg today. We walked about two miles – up one side of the street and back down the other.
We started at the Mountain Mall where I visited Mr. Harry Dodson’s shop. He still owed me a case for my dulcimer and I was tired of using an old stuff sack to protect it. It was fun to visit his shop. He and another instrument builder had several experimental banjos on display. I was amazed you could get music out of a cigar box.
Our next stop was the tram to Ober Gatlinburg (http://www.obergatlinburg.com). A ski resort in winter, this business has figured out how to make money on the off season. The tram ride up the mountain (10 minutes, 17 MPH, 2.1 miles, rise of 1,335 feet in elevation) in the rain showed the Smokies at their best – mountain behind mountain behind mountain, all in shades of blue and gray, with clouds rising until we were in the clouds, and then above them. Because of the rain, we could not ride a chair lift to a higher peak and then race sleds back down. I was seriously bummed about this – it was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Gatlinburg, but we had fun riding the tram back down.
At the other end of the street, we visited the large outfitter in town. They had a huge fire roaring in their stone fireplace. Two young men with two empty back packs were drying out. All their gear was spread out around the hearth. The Appalachian Trail cuts near here and they looked like they needed a break from their trek. A man in a climbing kilt (tough nylon fabric, smooth in front with pleats in back, and cargo pockets on the sides) helped Kelly look for a day pack, but she couldn’t find one that fit correctly. When I inquired about the kilt (I was careful not to call it a skirt), he told me that it cut down on chafing. He told me he’d added the pleats this year to make it look more masculine. He wore those pleats well, but it was the pockets that kept it from being a girly skirt. Men must chafe in different places from women – my thighs would be toast if I tried to hike in a skirt….or kilt.
Near our original starting point, we found a much smaller outfitter. The owner remarked on my daypack and Kelly explained that it didn’t fit her properly because of her shorter torso. He recommended the Deuter brand. She tried one on and knew it was the right one for her (http://www.deuterusa.com/products/productDetail.php?packID=futura24SL&sub=hiking&tert=futura). I was please she’d found a pack to fit her frame.
We made only one junk stop – a couple pieces of chocolate from a shop that had been recommended. I somehow managed to pass up all the funnel cakes. That’s OK – it’s only April.
We caught the campground shuttle back to our little house on wheels and listened to the rain on the roof.
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