Seeing the Bear Made My Smoky Mountains Trip Complete 🐻❤️

Took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in early November to catch the peak fall colors! 🍂 Day 1: Drove from ATL all the way to Clingmans Dome. Everyone ignored the “trail closed” sign 😅 and hiked up the side path to the summit for sunset. The trees were completely frosted — it felt like we stepped from autumn straight into winter! ❄️ Day 2: We enjoyed a cozy coconut chicken hot pot in our Gatlinburg cabin 🍲 and didn’t head out until past 2 PM. Drove slowly with stops toward Cades Cove. Even by dusk, no black bears in sight — though we did spot a totally black wild pig… and got our hopes up for a sec 🐷😂 But later that night, right before bed, I stepped outside and — THERE IT WAS! A black bear 🐻💫 walking out from one house and climbing the stairs of another. That’s when I knew: the noises we heard the night before were definitely a bear climbing near OUR cabin. My trip was officially made. 🥹 Day 3: Spent the day exploring Gatlinburg. The best spot? Ole Smoky Moonshine 🥃! For just $5, we did a tasting early in the day — started the morning tipsy! 😵‍💫 We tried about 7-8 drinks: fruit shine, cream liqueur, butter whisky… and one that tasted like baijiu and was 73% ABV?! 😱 Almost everything was super sweet — even the straight whisky. Loved the fruit shines with real fruit inside — like drinking jam from a jar! The staff said, “We won’t let you walk out of Gatlinburg sober!” 🥴 My friends already bought peach, pineapple, and whisky the night before, so I went with Sour Apple Moonshine — tangy and less sweet — plus a cute shot glass as a souvenir. The $5 tasting fee was waived with purchase! 📌 Tip: Staying in Gatlinburg is super convenient — close to groceries, restaurants, and attractions. We visited during Halloween, so the town was lively and decorated 🎃👻. We even hit a haunted house on night two! #SmokyMountains #FallFoliage #Gatlinburg #MoonshineTasting #BlackBearSighting #CabinLife #TravelDiaries #PeakAutumn