Davis Family Travels: A Simpler Time

Today we went to Cades Cove. As I understand it, when the states of North Carolina and Tennessee granted the land that would become the Great Smokey Mountains National Park there was one community that sat well within the property. The solution was that the government offered each resident a life estate (paid them in full for their property with the additional condition that they maintained ownership of the property until their death, at which time it would become the property of the National Parks Service.)

Today you can visit the community which has 40 or so buildings that have been preserved so that we can get an idea of what life in the mountains would have been like a hundred or so years ago.

We began with a tour of one of the homesteads. It was a little over a quarter of a mile to this particular house.

It was a nice little walk. I had a little extra weight to carry. It is a lot at the moment but even tonight I look back on it fondly knowing that someday soon they probably won't want to be carried.

We arrived at this house. Thirteen children were raised in here.

We looked around the outdoor area

For some reason the wildlife around Cades Cove is not very afraid of people. While looking around on a trail around the house, someone walked right up. The girls took this picture.

After returning to the car and little more sightseeing, we stopped at the visitors center and had a picnic.

We looked around at some old barns and structures

The we discovered the stream

This was a big hit

This is a first. Addison asked to take our picture. I love this lady!

We took a look at how corn meal is made. Emily sits on a meal stone.

Addison and Olivia watch Corn Meal being made

In front of the water wheel which drives the grinding wheel.

After leaving Cades Code we stopped to look at a waterfall. Everyone got a little rest. (Emily has on new clothes because she did fall into the stream back at Cades Cove)