2009 Smoky Mountains Vacation
13JUN - 21JUN2009       highlights by Steve & Mary Cain

    last revised 22JUN2009
    page 1 of 2   link to page 2           first photo         S. Cain web page
    trail map        LeConte Lodge

Steve & Mary Cain with their daughter's family - John, Cindy, Courtney, and Justin

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Vacation Highlights
visit SC grandchildren
and family		Steve, Mary
Courtney & Justin
Mountain Loft resort
Gatlinburg TN		all
White water rafting
The Comedy Barn
Grotto falls hike
Mt. LeConte campoutSteve
Bicycling in Pigeon ForgeSteve & Mary
Go Cart ridingBurns family
Horse back riding


On Saturday we packed bicycles, laptops, and groceries and drove to our sons house near Piedmont SC. Our daughter's children, Courtney and Justin rode with us. We got to Michael's house around noon and visited. This was a rare occassion when all 4 of our grandchildren were together. We enjoyed playing with Ethan, age 1 and his baby brother Evan, 7 weeks old. We helped Michael (our son) connect a TV antenna to his new 40" HDTV. We left his house about 3:30PM and drove to Gatlinburg.

We checked into units 351 & 352 of Mountain Loft resort. Burns family in unit 351 & Cain family in unit 352. Units were 1 bedroom with sleeper sofa, 1 bath, kitchen, washer/dryer.

On Sunday we hiked to Grotto Falls. After we got back the AC broke and we had to move at 9:30 PM to a 3 bedroom chalet down the hill. We didn't finish moving till 11PM. The wireless internet didn't work most of the time but the AC was good.

We dined at Subway, McDonalds, The Chop House, No Way Jose's mexican resturant, Longhorn's and Calhouns but the best eating was the roast beef, steak and salmon meals we fixed in the chalet.

Steve backpacked to the top of Mt. LeConte and camped. The trial to the top was 6.5 miles long and climbed about 3500 feet in elevation. He pitched his tent between the bear-resistant shelter and LeConte lodge. Squirels kept trying to get in his backpack and knats were annoying. Slept good and woke up in rain. It took 3 hours and 20 minutes to return to the parking lot. On the way back to the chalet we saw a black bear.

On Wednesday we all went white water rafting for about 5 miles on the upper Pigeon river. We rode in a guided raft through class 3 and class 4 rapids. All 7 in the raft got soaking wet. Near the end Steve and Justin jumped in a calm stretch of the river to swim. The water was cool.

   

P7003 14JUN2009 Burns and Cain's in Great Smoky (mispelled Smokey) National park at start of trail to Grotto Falls. It is about 1.5 miles to the falls. From left to right: John, Cindy, Justin, Mary, Courtney, and Steve.

 

P7004 14JUN2009 Mt. LeConte, elevation 6593 feet, in the Smoky Mountains. View is from the balcony of our timeshare unit, (5th floor, building 3, Mountain Loft resort). Photo P7011 shows opposite view.

 

P7008 14JUN2009 Grotto Falls in Smoky National Park. Courtney Cain and Cindy Burns are on the trail which goes under the falls. The trail to the falls is about 1.5 miles long.

 

P7005 14JUN2009 Burns family standing in front of Grotto Falls in Smoky Mountains. From left to right are Courtney, Cindy, John, and Justin.

 

P7006 14JUN2009 Mary and Steve Cain standing in front of Grotto Falls in Smoky Mountains.

 

P7007 14JUN2009 Gatlinburg TN on US 441. Steve and Mary were vacationing here and heading to McDonalds hamburger resturant visible in the distance.

 

P7018 15JUN2009 Mountain Loft resort Chalet unit 105 in Gatlinburg TN. Steve Cain, Mary Cain and the John Burns family spent several days here while on vacation.

 

P7012 16JUN2009 Grotto Falls in Smoky Mountain park. Cindy and Justin Burns are sitting on a log above the falls. People below said they were worried about them falling.

 

P7011 16JUN2009 View looking northeast from hiking trail near top of Mt. LeConte. Mountain Loft resort is visible on left side marked with a black arrow. Photo P7004 shows the opposite view from Mountain Loft resort.

      Go To Vacation Page 2 






 Directions to Gatlinburg time share                          
  Mountain Loft units 351 and 352, wk 24, 423-430-2056       

  1. Go N on US 441 to US 321 intersection in Gatlinburg, TN.
  2. Turn right on US 321.                       
  3. Go 1.8 miles and turn left into Mountain Loft resort.
  4. Go 0.1 mile and turn sharp left.                  
  5. Go 0.1 mile and turn sharp right.             
  6. Go 0.1 mile and park at main resort building.    


Mountain Loft a Bluegreen Resort
110 MountainLoft Drive
Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Revision record       top of page 1
22JUN2009 Addded some links and rafting photos.
20JUN2009 Addded some links
19JUN2009 Created web page - 1st section.