Waterfalls, Deer, and Bears, Oh My!

Yesterday we took a trip up to the mountains to visit Cade's Cove. Cade's Cove is a section of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The valley was home to early settlers in the mountains.  Many buildings are still standing and it's a great place for sightseeing. We drove the 11 mile loop and made a few pit stops to take in some history.

The girls enjoyed the old buildings and settlements, especially Emma, who has been reading Little House on the Prairie. She loved making comparisons to the book with the houses we saw and seeing a mill, just like the one where Charles Ingalls worked.

Of course, they were more interested in the wildlife and became expert animal spotters. We saw horses and wild turkeys, but their favorites were the deer and bears. Poor Sophia fell asleep and missed the bear, but loved hearing all about it!

This spider completely freaked me out. Even though I tend to exaggerate about the actual size of spiders, I'm not exaggerating when I say this monster was the size of Sophia's hand. Not that I let her near it for comparison...it might have eaten her.

For me, my favorite part was spending time with my sweet family and enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains. The trees, the woods, the rivers...it makes me a little homesick for my beloved Grass Valley, but it's a joy to be so close to such a beautiful place that I can visit and share with my girls.