We woke up bright and early at 5:30 am, eager to kick off our hiking adventure. After a 30-minute drive down a gravel road, we found a small parking area at the trailhead. Surprisingly, there were no signs indicating we were in the right place, or if there was even a trail to follow. The lack of company added to the eerie vibe, but Mike reassured me, explaining that national forests typically don’t have signposts.

Thankfully, once we hit the trail, it was well-maintained, although I couldn’t shake off the occasional fear of getting lost or encountering a bear. Despite my worries, we enjoyed a pleasant stroll alongside the river, with only one incident of Mike walking into a spider web.

About an hour into our hike, we stumbled upon a picturesque waterfall where we resisted the temptation to take a dip. Surprisingly, we hadn’t encountered any other hikers until we were almost back at the car, where we found a group of people just starting their trek.

By the time we returned to the car around 9:30 am, the sun was beating down, and the humidity was rising. Maneuvering out of the parking spot proved to be a bit tricky, as Mike misjudged the bike rack and got it wedged in the gravel. With some guidance from me and directions from a helpful couple, we managed to turn the van around and head back out the way we came.

Although we had hoped to explore more waterfalls and trails, the weather had different plans, as heavy rain started pouring down. So, we continued our journey, eventually finding a nice campground by a lake around 6 pm, where I took a refreshing swim.

After another long day of driving, we’re now just a couple of hours away from the Great Smoky Mountains, where we plan to spend a few days exploring and driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway into Virginia.