Autumn Memories in the Great Smoky Mountains 🍂🏔️

On the second day, we woke up naturally—the rain hadn’t stopped, so we decided to explore Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Breakfast was at Log Cabin Pancake House. Despite the long line outside, the cozy atmosphere made the chilly weather feel welcoming. We indulged in a classic American brunch—sweet, hearty, and incredibly satisfying. The restaurant’s rustic decor also gave us a genuine taste of 🇺🇸 campus culture. Gatlinburg is a charming tourist town with a fairy-tale-like ambiance. 🐻 is one of its central themes—you’ll find bear-themed art everywhere, from elevator doors to local galleries. Of course, it’s also a typical Southern town, with support for Trump and the Second Amendment visible throughout. After refueling the car and stocking up on supplies, we asked staff about road conditions in the mountains (which were closed due to ❄️). Although the answer was still no, they recommended the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail—which turned out to be an amazing place for bear spotting! 🐻 Before we saw any bears, we spotted wild turkeys. Then, every few hundred meters, a staff member stood by the road with several cars parked behind—a sure sign that bears were nearby. Throughout the trail, we saw over twenty bears, many climbing trees foraging for berries. It was then that I truly understood the phrase “frost falls, bears climb trees.” At the end of the trail, we even encountered an unfortunate groundhog lying in the middle of the road. This trail was a completely unexpected delight! As dusk fell, we visited Sugarlands Moonshine Distillery and Tasting for a moonshine tasting session. The experience was surprisingly affordable! A group of us gathered in a circle while a loud host warmed up the crowd. For about $10, we sampled 12 uniquely flavored moonshines. Most were intensely sweet with wild flavor profiles, and downing 12 shots in a short time definitely left us a bit buzzed. Interestingly, the alcohol content was measured in proof. The host, clearly a conservative local, noticeably cooled down when interacting with us—speaking less and with less enthusiasm. As an introvert, this was perfect for me, especially since I could barely understand his rapid Tennessee accent anyway! P.S.: “Moonshine” refers to illegally distilled alcohol, with roots tracing back to the Prohibition era during the Great Depression. Rihanna’s “Diamonds” lyric—“Moonshine and Molly”—references this term. #GreatSmokyMountainsNationalPark #Gatlinburg #TravelDiary #RoadTrip