Highpoint: Tennessee. Clingman's Dome (6643 ft). June 21, 2010

My laptop died last week, and I won't be able to retrieve the pictures from my hard drive until we return to NH in August. In the meantime, I'll include pictures from my Facebook page -- they are small, but they're better than nothing. In August, I will replace these tiny images with full-size photos.



We arrived in Tennessee a couple days before the auto road opened, so we killed some time in Gatlinburg. Staying in this cheesy tourist town was fun, it was a nice change from camping. However, after spending two days playing Glow-in-the-Dark Circus Mini-Golf and visiting various Wax/Ripley Museums, we were ready for some views.

On the 21st, the road finally opened. Up we went.





The view from the summit parking lot was phenomenal. No need to hike the half-mile to the top if you just want some great scenery.





Since we are highpointers, we did, of course, walk up the peak.



After only a tenth of a mile or so, I noticed the USGS marker. I wasn't expecting to find it before we reached the top, but there it was...



The peak's look-out structure is rather unique...



Alex lagged behind, as she didn't appreciate the 95 degree heat...



Once both girls were at the top, it was picture time...

On the way back down, we noticed the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the summit area.



We felt this peak was well worth the wait. Great views, easy access.

Next stop: Alabama.