The reason these postings are late is because I had to run from Hurricane Ivan. The University was devastated and I could not return to campus (and my computer) until now.

To escape Hurricane Ivan, several of my friends and I drove to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It sits right on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and it is a tourist town.

Downtown Gatlinburg (and nearby Pigeon Forge) is filled with shops, museums, restaurants, and basically everything else that I'm accustomed to here, in my tourist town. To me, all these attractions are just tourist traps. I spent most of my time in the Park.

In the National Park I visited the highest point east of the Mississippi River (on top of the tallest mountain), visited a water mill from the 1860's that is still in operation, and even hiked to the top of one of the mountains for the spectacular view. Above all, this hike was the most memorable experience. I will remember it long after I've forgotten about any of my experiences downtown.

The sad thing is, there are many people that don't take advantage of all the National Park has to offer. Even I, years before this trip, had been to Gatlinburg but never visited the park. Too many tourists come to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge to squander their money in tourist traps. But no comedy show, no museum full of unbelievable artifacts, no pancake house, nothing can compare to my experience on top of that mountain.

It just goes to show you that there is nothing man can create that can top Mother Nature.