Clingmans Dome

Now to get to what we REALLY came here to see......the Great Smoky Mountains. We started the day off early, to get out ahead of the rest of the crowds. Nothing worse than a traffic jam up twisty mountain roads!

The highlight of the day was the hike up Clingmans Dome, to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains and perched atop the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. It was a little chilly, with frost still clinging in the shaded areas, and a bitter little wind at the observatory at the summit. Well worth the views, all the same.

Not many pictures of the drive itself - too busy negotiating hairpin turns under rock faces with a cliff on the other side - but this piece of road is one of the most fun I have ever driven......and where the agile and spirited Juke can really show off!

Many great hikes remain to be explored when we return to this stunning National Park. Caves and camping too.....but also Bear Country!

A haze on the hills

Smokin' hot!

Clouds hang low in the valley

The curving walk up to the observatory

The view from the top!

And the bottom!

Tenne-ssee Ya Later!

Good Friday was true to it's word, as it marked Day One of the U.S. road trip, and began with Nailing the border Crossing at Detroit. But enough sacrilege.

Interstate 75 was busy but fast, as we hammered south enjoying fabulous travelling weather. After a few slowdowns in Dayton and Cincinnati, we crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. The scenery improved, particularly the stretch from Lexington south to Knoxville, Tennessee.

We made a short detour into Knoxville, to get take out at the Pizza Palace, whose culinary delights were espoused by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. From there, we would jump back on the Interstate and be in Pigeon Forge in mere minutes.

Except that we though Pigeon Forge would be a quaint Appalachian mountain town....when in reality the entire Strip from Sevierville to Pigeon Forge was bumper to bumper traffic and light after light of kitschy glitz. Interesting, but slow moving.

We finally reached out hotel, the lovely Creekstone Inn at the far end of the Strip - painful to get to at the end of a long day, but at least it placed us past the madness for the remainder of our stay. We enjoyed our delicious takeout on the balcony, surprisingly peaceful overlooking a river.

The next day, we walked the local Strip, visited Gatlinburg and some rustic valley villages. More importantly, we drove the twisty and scenic parkway through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Crossing the Ohio River at Cincinnati

Delicious food in Knoxville!

Ravioli and Spaghetti - to go!

The Strip in Pigeon Forge

The view from our balcony and some solitude amid the chaos!

Gatlinburg at Dawn

Newfound Gap

Down in the Valley

The mill at Cades Cove....

...and the smithy!

The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge - time for dinner!

Trew Dat!

We could not believe our good fortune when we saw that the The Trews were bringing their acoustic tour to the Capitol Theatre in Chatham. Not only was it close to home, and designated seating rather than fighting for space....but the venue is right across the street from Mama Maria's, one of our favourite restaurants!

We were joined for dinner and the concert by John and Julie, and Dora and Mike.

The boys brought their 'A' game, as they always do, but in this intimate environment the acoustic set rang even more Trew. Lead singer Colin MacDonald in particular diverged frequently from the standard "album" melodies, letting his vocal talents wander into new (for us, anyway) and decidedly wonderful territory. Count me among those who love to hear a new imagining of songs at a live show, rather than the sticking to the recorded script.

Great show and a great night!

John-Angus breaks out the mandolin!

Jeff Heisholt on the accordion...

...and the piano!

Colin works his vocal magic

While J-A brings the licks

Rhythm Banana

Sing Your Heart Out

Colin canters!

Ishmael and Maggie sing along to end the night!

There we are - third row up on the left!

Two Sets of Acoustic Goodness

Candle Power

While spared the worst of the latest big winter storm in southern Ontario, we did get a lot of rain and ice instead. A lot less to shovel, to be sure, but all that ice buildup often has negative consequences on Wheatley's wonky power supply.

So we lost power in the early evening, taking the heat with it as well. What to do? Light a bunch of candles, grab some wine and blankets, and play card games in the shadows. As always, by the end of the night we tell each other that we should impose this sort of condition upon ourselves more often than Mother Nature does.

The power didn't come back on until 3am or so, but the scene that revealed itself by the dawn's early light was something to behold. The photographs below can't truly capture the beauty of ice-laden trees glinting in the embryonic sun....but I tried.

Munchkin Loot Letters

A little heat...

...and a little more light....

....and some warmth for the insides...

Citadels by candle light

Sunrise brings light, heat....and power!

Branch-sicles?

Icy trees

Grand Times in Grand Bend

We had the opportunity recently to visit with John and Julie up at a cottage in Grand Bend - sure, the landscape was still a little wintery, but we got lucky with a gorgeous spring-like weekend, accompanied by a solitude altogether foreign to Grand Bend come the summer months.

A rousing weekend of board games and card games was to be had, amidst the usual levity and laughter that inevitably abounds when the four of us assemble. Over the course of the weekend, we played Loot Letters, Saboteur, Ashes, Smash Up, and Dead of Winter.

In between, we managed a brisk walk around Grand Bend for some fresh air and scenery.

'Snow-body here!

Winter in Grand Bend....or post-Zombie Apocalypse???

No Lifeguards on duty

The Beach is but a shadow of it's summery self

Lake Huron locked in winter's icy grasp

The Main Drag

Who doesn't love....fries?

A Sign of things to come!