Smoky Mountain
Learning Adventures
Analisa L. Smith
As a young child,
I spent more time in the mountains when away from home than perhaps any other
place. As an adult, the mountains are our home away from home. The mountains
have offered us ethereal beauty and educational opportunities that abound for
our homeschooling efforts. Following are some of the activities and locations
that our family has enjoyed in the Smoky Mountains and used in our
homeschooling adventures.
Nature Viewing
and Photo Tours
The Great Smoky
Mountains is famous for its spectacular display of fall foliage, with its deep
colors of yellow, orange, burnt brown, and crimson. Take in the view from
October until mid November while enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking,
canoeing, rafting, horseback riding, or scenic car rides. Be on the lookout for
trees such as birch, maple, cherry, hobblebush, beech, and lush evergreens.
These are great places to allow the children to make tree rubbings and learn to
differentiate bark types.
Photo tours are
often an unexplored learning aspect of the Smoky Mountains. One of the most
photographed areas is the Cataloochee Valley, where wildlife roams freely. This
area is home to many historic buildings, including springhouses and German
barns, making it an opportune photography location. Cades Cove is the most
visited area of the park and is home to a variety of beautiful wildlife to
view, identify, and photograph. Children should be informed beforehand of how
to observe wildlife properly so as not to interfere with the animals’ natural
habitat.
Monte LeConte is
one of the highest peaks in the Eastern United States, offering panoramic
views. The highest waterfall in the Smokies can be seen at Ramsey Cascades.
Make children aware of slippery footing in these areas, and be sure that you
know how to read trail markers. Hiking allows you to see nature firsthand, and
many hiking sites can be found by following signs along the roadsides. All
hikers should know the hike destination. Allow time for breaks and exploration
along the way. Some hike sites have trail guide pamphlets available; these
include a map of the area, and they also pinpoint sites for optimal viewing.
Whitewater
Rafting
Most of the river
rafting in the Smoky Mountains takes place on the Big Pigeon River. The lower
section is mild and tame while the upper section is the place to find the
whitewater rapids. Raft Outdoor Adventures and USA Raft are two
commercial rafting companies. Rafting is easy to find as an activity in most
any place throughout the Smokies. You can often save money by booking your
rafting trip online. Fees are competitive, and some outposts offer packages
that include activities such as horseback riding or zip lining. Rafting does
have risks, and waivers may have to be signed.
Hayrides
Hayrides are
typically thought of in connection with fall festivals, but in the Smoky
Mountains hayrides are offered most of the year. These hayrides offer
spectacular viewing of surrounding landscape and nature. Gatlinburg has
hayrides that traverse through the downtown streets during the fall months.
Cades Cove offers a hayride that travels the entire 11 miles around Cades Cove
Loop Road. Occasionally businesses offer wagon or carriage rides.
Festivals
The charm of
Smoky Mountain towns is celebrated in their festivals as they share their
culture through craft shows, quilting fairs, athletic contests, music, food,
art and more. Not just a fall event, festivals can be found in the area from
March through December. Some of the more celebrated festivals are the Gatlinburg
Craftsmen’s Fair, the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, the Pigeon
Forge Harvest Festival, and Townsend’s Winter Heritage Festival. For
a schedule of upcoming festivals and other events, go to this website: www.allsmokymountainvacations.com/gatlinburg-events.html.
Wildlife
Wildlife can be
spotted in the natural surroundings of the Smokies. Bears, elk, deer, turkeys,
and foxes are a few of the wildlife species taking up residence there. Rangers
advise that when viewing wildlife from a vehicle, drivers need to pull over to
the curbside to allow other vehicles to pass.
For a close-up
visit with wildlife, there are many good choices in the region. The Smoky
Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo allow people to feed and
pet animals. The Briarwood Ranch Safari Park, with hundreds of animals
from six continents, offers a 4-mile safari by car, as well as wagon rides and
a petting zoo. Parrot Mountain is host to the largest eco-tourist bird
park in the southeast. Dinosaur Walk Museum exhibits realistic dinosaur
replicas up close and personal. The Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo
features more than six hundred live animals, many of which made their way to
the Smokies from the rainforests of the world. Ripley’s Aquarium of the
Smokies hosts displays of more than ten thousand marine animals.
Gem Mining
Gem mining is a
Smoky Mountain tradition that children of all ages enjoy. The mountains of
western North Carolina and Tennessee have a rich history of gold and gem
mining. It is not a clean process, and most people get wet and a little dirty.
Minimally, you will end up with dirt under your fingernails.
Mining takes
place in salted dirt or natural dirt. Salted dirt is dirt that has been
sprinkled with some gems and rocks by the mine owners so that customers,
especially children, can experience a gem find from their dirt bag. Natural
dirt is just that—dirt that is dug from local mines or elsewhere and that may
or may not contain gems. There are numerous gem mines throughout the Smoky
Mountain region. These gem mines provide buckets or sack cloths filled with
dirt and show you how to screen the dirt for gems—at a price based on bucket or
bag sizes and type of dirt. This gem mining process is re-created to reflect
the activities associated with the gem mines of the area from the early to
middle 1800s.
Historical Sites
In addition to
the Cataloochee Valley with its high mountain peaks, there are the Tuckaleechee
Caverns, which are sometimes called the “greatest sight under the Smokies.”
The Old Mill & General Store located in Pigeon Forge dates
back to the early 1800s and is labeled one of the country’s national treasures.
There’s a resident miller who still uses the old mill to grind corn meal today,
and there are many other history-related attractions to explore as well. Many
historic buildings exist in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
including cabins, barns, and grist mills.
Museums
Museums abound in
the Smoky Mountains. The Mountain Farm Museum is located on the banks of
the Oconaluftee River. This outdoor, somewhat “living museum,” has gathered many
historical buildings from the region to create the essence of a family farm.
The best time to visit the farm museum is during the summer months when there
are real livestock there. Volunteers tend the farm and wear period clothing,
making the visit and learning experience more authentic.
The Wheels
Through Time Museum contains a vintage collection of rare automobiles and
motorcycles with unique memorabilia. The Fields of the Wood Bible Park
provides a walk up the Ten Commandments Mountain and Prayer Mountain.
Carbo’s Police Museum warehouses thousands of police items from around
the globe. The Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center offers historical
information about the Native Americans. The Elvis Museum, Guinness
World Records Museum, and Floyd Garrett’s Muscle Car Museum are fun
places to visit too. Each museum has its own charm and historical value.
Cherokee
Reservation
The Cherokee
Indians are a federally recognized tribe whose history and culture can be
learned and observed throughout many parts of the reservation. The Oconaluftee
Indian Village is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association
and serves as a stepping-stone back to the 1750s. It is often referred to as a
“living” museum because it hosts live reenactments, interactive demonstrations,
and hands-on Cherokee arts and crafts classes.
The Museum of
the Cherokee Indian has many original artifacts that were made and used by
the Cherokee Indians, including various forms of art, tools, and weapons. The Mountainside
Theatre is home to the Unto these Hills outdoor drama—the
second-largest outdoor drama in the U.S. The story portrays a Cherokee Indian
who fights and sacrifices himself so that his people may remain in their home:
the Smoky Mountains. Original Cherokee arts and crafts may also be viewed in
many craft and gift shops found in the town of Cherokee and on the reservation.
Each of the
places mentioned in this article has a website that will provide more
interesting and essential information—just put your search engine to work!
Conclusion
In my opinion,
the Great Smoky Mountains rise above the rest of the land to offer a piece of
Heaven here on Earth. True to the name, the smoky fog that covers the Smoky
Mountains conceals many of the fantastic learning adventures the mountains
hold. The purpose we are called to as homeschoolers compels us to utilize what
God has given us as our classroom. The Smoky Mountains await you and your
family in your next homeschooling adventure.
Analisa homeschools
her youngest child, who has special needs. Analisa speaks nationwide about
learning issues and educating a child with special learning needs and serves
colleges, professionals, and special interest groups as a consultant. Her spare
time is spent with the Lord, family, and in the Carolina and Florida outdoors.
More information may be found at her website: www.abledlearning.com.
Copyright 2012,
used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the
April 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the trade magazine
for homeschool families. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps
atwww.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.
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