Last November, I took a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with my best friend Anna and her parents. This was the second time we travelled there together, and hopefully not the last. We drove by car, and it took about 7 hours to get there. Tom, Anna’s dad, drove the whole way; while Anna, Sandy (Anna’s mom), and I relaxed in the car listening to music and eating good snacks.
The place we stayed at is called Deer Ridge Resort. What a beautiful place to stay! Located literally in the mountains, Deer Ridge has a glorious view of the Smoky Mountains. We had to drive up many winding roads to get there every day, but it was worth it. The building was similar to a mini condo, with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and loft. Anna and I slept in the bed in the loft, while Tom and Sandy resided in the Master Bedroom. There was also a small porch in the back, which was very lovely. A few times I would wake up and drink coffee on this porch, taking in all the beauty of the nature that surrounded me.
We did many activities during this trip that included: visiting the mountains, going out to eat, shopping, and just driving around. We went to some strange restaurants, but they all seemed to have good food and provide a good time. The times we went up in the mountains were absolutely majestic. We went at a good time, because fall was just beginning and the leaves were turning all sorts of reds, oranges, purples, and yellows. It wasn’t too cold yet, and most days were pretty sunny. It was fun to just stand outside of the car in the mountains, and just look into the vast surroundings. I felt so high up in the world, and I was! It was extremely serene and tranquil way up in the mountains.
We also saw some amazing waterfalls, old cabins from the 1900’s that people lived in, and Anna swears she saw a bear! One night we tried to drive up to the mountains to see the sunset, but it took longer than we thought to drive up there, so we missed it. The drive was still nice though, just listening to music and looking at the wonders that were in my current atmosphere.
The Smoky Mountains did many great things for me during the trip. At this time in my life, I was very stressed out. I was nervous and worried about college, and my current school work. I had no idea what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and how I was going to get there. Visiting the Smoky Mountains was a great way to get away from all the stress. Immersing myself in nature made me feel calm and invigorated. By the end of this trip, I felt at peace with myself. I was not so worried anymore, and realized that I just need to take every day at a time. The Smoky Mountains is a wonderful place to visit, and I really hope I continue to travel there for years to come.
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