As a child, my family and I visited the Great Smokies every summer for more than a decade. We did a lot of camping in the park early on, then started staying at Johnson’s Motor Court just off the main drag in Gatlinburg. I found the mountains and streams enchanting and magical (I still do!) and always looked forward to the annual trip. We completed dozens of hikes in the park, but my favs still are Rocky Top, Gregory Bald, Abrams Falls, Charles Bunion, and Chimney Tops. We did quite a bit of fly fishing there in our later years (my age, 8 to 14) and actually caught quite a number of brook and rainbow trout (catch and release only). Of course, we spent many evenings strolling the streets of Gatlinburg looking for treasures, and often drove over to Franklin, North Carolina, to do a little gem mining (Mom garnered several pieces of jewelry from these excursions, typically ruby or garnet earrings or necklaces). As an adult, I have made this trip five times, now renting big cabins but still doing many of the same activities — and having a great time!
