The Great Smoky Mountains - July 4th Weekend! -

The Great Smoky Mountains – July 4th Weekend!

We had so much fun over July 4th weekend with friends in Maryville, TN near the Great Smoky Mountains N.P. We spent the day Saturday exploring, starting with some of the best donuts I’ve ever eaten at Richy Kreme. Of course I had to be festive and get at least one with red, white, and blue sprinkles! The owners were extremely nice and we’ll definitely be going back next time we are there. They were out of fresh coffee at Richy Kreme and we didn’t want to wait for the new batch so we drove over to Vienna Coffeehouse. If we lived up there I would probably spend all my extra money at that place. The coffee was so good!

With donuts and coffee in hand we made our way towards the park! Our lunch pit-stop was at Apple Valley Mountain Village Cafe. The food was delicious and we actually got to sit outside in the shade in the summertime and not die of heat or humidity… so nice (sorry Florida!). From there it was a relaxing drive toward Clingman’s Dome. We stopped off a couple times to see the river and the beautiful views along the way. The walk to the top of Clingman’s Dome is a steep one but it’s certainly worth it. On the way back we took a break by a waterfall off the side of the road and watched some people jumping into the river from the rocks above. SO fun!

The Smoky Mountains have a special place in my heart. I grew up in Louisville, KY and we would go to the Smoky Mountains for long weekends, usually Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend. My Grandpa also had a home in Maryville for a brief time. There’s something about the Smokies that makes me feel at ease. It may sound silly but whenever I’m up there, it feels like the mountains are giving me a big hug.