My good friends, Ken and Bonnie Pleat from Florida, have waited a lifetime to fulfill their dream of being park volunteers in Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Four days into the most incredible experience of their lives, the park was closed and they were forced to vacate their campsite and leave their dream behind.
My beloved Blue Ridge Parkway has remained opened. Let me clarify that and say that the actual road is open. None of the facilities, visitor centers, comfort stations, campgrounds, and hiking trails have been accessible. In defiance, people flocked to the Parkway this weekend to crowd the overlooks, take photographs, defy the rangers as they hiked their favorite trails, and enjoy "their" Blue Ridge Parkway.
On Saturday, Becky and I joined the masses and traveled the road from Balsam Mountain to Highway 70 near Oteen. For the better part of the afternoon, we stopped over and over to marvel at the vistas, the cloud formations over the peaks, the color changes, and the shadows cast across the valleys.
We both took a lot of photos and I want to dedicate mine to Ken and Bonnie today with a big hug and lots of love!!