There are several ways to approach the breathtaking waterfall of Cummins Falls State Park. One can stroll to the scenic vista. There is the relaxed trail to the top of the falls. Or, one can take on a mile long trudge through a creek to the base of the falls. My feet are wet, so you can guess which way we took.
Roughly half way between Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, a series of magnificent waterfalls bisect the state in a line running North to South. Given their position, they make for excellent day trips from both major cities in Tennessee.* We ventured out to hit as many as we could in one day. That number wound up being two. But they were an amazing two and were accompanied by pleasant hikes through the fall foliage. First stop was Burgess Falls State Park. Which has not one, but four beautiful waterfalls.
Alum Cave was first referenced in a land grant application by three North Carolina farmers in 1837. The resulting Epsom Salts Manufacturing Company mined alum, Epsom salt, saltpeter, magnesia, and copperas in the area until the salts were depleted in the mid 1840s. Today, it is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a popular destination along the Alum Cave Trail.
It has been nearly a year since we last came to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The first time was specifically to enjoy fall, this time was a pleasant coincidence, returning from the Overland Expo.
Temperature control is a lie you tell your body. That lie dissipates as quickly as sweat droplets form on your skin from the wall of humidity that meets you at the threshold to the outside. The outdoors are for mornings and evenings. But for the next few days, we will be seeking midday shelter in the home of a friend outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Today we dine in Memphis and sleep in Hot Springs.
It's spawning season. The fish are interested in things other than our rods. I mean bait.
We may have been rather rash when we assumed that visiting the Smokey Mountains on a weekday would be simple. Possibly, because this was a weekday when the leaves were changing. Fortunately, we only needed a spot for Wednesday night, because Thursday was booked solid.
We are taking a mini road trip for a few days in the mountains. After visiting some museums it was dark. Too dark. The kind of dark you get when you are driving on a heavily forested road without street lamps and only very small and infrequent road signs. A rational person—upon discovering that the only thing poorer than the road markings was the cellphone reception—might have concluded that any hopes of camping should be abandoned. Instead, we decided to drive on.
As an individual with genteel sensibilities, I am not usually accustomed to stand idly by while people beat each other up. That being said, I guess it's less of a matter for concern when people pretend to slam opponents on their backs. So, in the interest of partaking in the cultural events of this region, we attended WWE Summer Slam in Nashville, TN.