Nantahala National Forest, The Great Smokey's & The Appalachian Trail

Monday night we grabbed the keys to our cabin and headed out into the national forest.  It had just snowed a few days ago and we were warned that we may hit a bit of rough driving and we wanted to get there before dark.  The road wasn't too bad for the majority of the drive and was only a bit icy at the end.

Our feast

We were blown away at how beautiful the cabin was.  The entire house was wood lined but still very modern.  There was a large great room with a welcoming fireplace.  The first floor also had a game room with foosball and air hockey and a hot tub on the outside porch.  Upstairs there was a pool table (to Josh's delight) and large master bedroom.

I probably missed this shot

He probably made this one

That night we splurge and bought some sea bass to grill.  Oh man was it delicious!  Josh did an amazing job manning the grill and it was such a treat.  Mara went to bed early that night and we finally had a few hours just the two of us.  We played pool (Josh killed me), Josh surprised me with beautiful earrings I had admired in the arts district but thought were too expensive and just hung out.  It was such a treat!

The next morning we tried to get moving, difficult with a baby, so we could do a little winter hiking.  A few days ago we had looked up some trails and were excited to get going.  It took us awhile to actually find the entrance to the Great Smoky National Park and then get to where we were going.

Driving through the Great Smokey's

We hit the Tennessee/North Carolina border and Appalachian Trail about noon.  The hike we had originally planned on doing was going to be about three miles long. We set out with Mara on my back.  The trail was beautiful but covered in snow.  It made hiking a bit difficult and slick and there were definitely some rough spots where it was hard to maneuver with Mara on my back but we made it.  We didn't get to our original destination but were able to go about 2 miles before turning back and heading to the car.

Before setting off

After our hike we headed to Gatlinburg, TN, for a little lunch and to check out the town.  As soon as we hit the main street we knew we weren't going to spend much time here.  The town just screamed tourist trap. Both Josh and I wanted to just grab lunch and get back to the cabin.

The snow laden trail

Beautiful

Our second night at the cabin wasn't as relaxed as our first as Mara had a bit of a rough night but we did take advantage of the hot tub before the rain hit.

Family after our hike

The cabin was beautiful and it was so nice to get away from the city and get outdoors.  Josh and I always try to do something outside when we travel and our short trip to the Great Smokey's was just the ticket.  I hope we can get back during our time here!

Josh took over the carry for a bit

Just hiking the Appalachian Trail