Active in Smokies

Me being a big kid, I could probably spend whole day playing mini golf. They all look so tempting and they all have something special that I have to see! With a limited time, it was a skeleton riding on the horse that helped me make my choice.

Treasure Quest Mini Golf is one of few inside mini-golfs in this area, so it can be done even when it rains. It has only one set of holes and is not a very difficult one to do. So you have time for more then just a game. Your play card where you record your scores has few questions to answer. Your task is to write down the hole nearest that is nearest to certain objects. As you play, you have to keep looking for an earring, pearl, chest and so on. It is fun, and if you get it right, you get the prize at the end.

I did it; I got my prize, so how about you? The normal prize is around $6 per person, but you get the second game for half-price if you come back the same day. So are you in Smokies and it's raining? Here is something to do for you and for your kids.

I thought that I am adult, grown-up, settled, and decent. Well, the true is, I will never grow up! Driving around the miniature golf course with a big waterfall and boat in the middle automatically forced me to stop and go to play. I did not even take my camera with me; that's how much in a hurry I was to discover the Lost Treasure of professor Hacker. My mind was delighted as soon as I got in.

To begin the game, first you sit on a little train and it takes you all around the golfing area and drops you next to the volcano where the first hole is. There are actually two different games here. You either follow the Diamonds or the Gold. But the Diamond is better, as the hole 17 is actually inside the boat!

There is also a chance to win a free game; all you have to do is to hit on the first go hole number 1 at diamonds or number 9 at gold. To be honest with you, I did not see any camera recording if you really did it, so if you want another game for free... No, I am not telling you to cheat; just do it on the first go!

I had so much fun watching and talking with the little girl in front of me, who became my big friend, as we picked the same color of ball, that I completely forget about the treasure.

Perhaps it was under the dinosaur’s skeleton in the water or inside the crocodile’s belly. One thing is sure: it is still lost somewhere there, so go and get it yourself.

Price for a game is $7 with the discount coupon available at the information stalls.

Oh yeah, let's do some rafting! First, the usual process of picking leaflets around town and finding out the most suitable one. Free spaces, good price, not a big driving distance from Gatlinburg, good time of a ride… Prices vary according to the trip you want to take, the time of the year, and even the time of a day. I chose the Smoky Mountain Rafting that had it all. We went together with my friend, who has never done rafting before.

First we got to Winery square-half mile from Gatlinburg traffic light #3—look for the big green wheel. In this office we received a description how to get to the river, about a 45-minute ride. We started heading there right away and had lunch once arriving. As you get off the highway, turn left instead of right to find places to eat.

After lunch, we made the last 1 mile to the rafting center and started getting ourselves ready for an exiting afternoon. Pay, register, change clothes, lock the car, leave the key at the register office, and wait in the shelter. There were seven rafts leaving that day for an exciting 2-hour ride with class III and IV water fun.

Everyone was assigned to a raft guide, who gave us safety jackets and helmets. Being securely dressed up, we went to listen to a security instructions. My friend was getting quite pale as the guide was explaining how to get back to the boat once fallen in the water. After being threatened by a one guide, we got onto the bus and another guide took over in explanations. "Now we will take 3-hour ride to North Carolina…it was 15 minutes. This is the oldest bus driver in the area, he is blind, but don’t worry, he knows his way. Ooops, that was a stop sign…" Well, it is about having fun.

Time passed quickly and we were boarding our raft. We were quite lucky, as our guide was the boss, so he was doing with us all kinds of spins as we rafted down the white water.

At some point he jumped from the raft to the water to rescue a paddle. When handing the paddle to his friend-guide, he said to not worry about that. I have a man there and he doesn’t know how to swim. Well, between us, you can not really swim having that rescue vest on.

Seems like they rescued him. The conversation afterwards quite surprised me. Why didn’t you stop? Well, you were showing all is OK. NO, I was showing there is a swimmer in the water. Ooops.

Well, they seem to clear that little misunderstanding and now they are all using the same signals, so no worries, just go for it. It was really a fun day.
And hey, you will get wet! Have fun.

Details at: www.smoukymountainrafting.com or (800) 771-RAFT (7238).

Horseback riding was on the top of the list of activities I wanted to do in Smokies. There are many options. Just walk around downtown and pick leaflets with discount coupons.
Soon you will find out that prices everywhere are the same—after all wonderful discounts-around $20 an hour.

To choose the best stable to ride with, you have to have other selection criteria. I like water, so I wanted to ride around the lake. This got me down to two options, Douglas Lake Stables and Middle Creek Stables.

The Douglas Lake Stables collaborates with a local shear program and therefore must have many customers. If I didn’t want something, it was to ride in the group of 50 people, so my choice was Middle Creek Riding Stables.

I phoned them a day before riding to find out about reservations-no need. Super! When I appeared the next day there-Oh, big surprise! We did not expect you! Did you make your reservation? “No, I did not. I called you and you said there was no need” OK, OK, it will take some time to get the horses ready.

It took 45 minutes! When the horses were ready, we had to jump on them from a ramp-very degrading for me, but OK.

The “ride” started. If horseback walking can be called a ride! These horses are trained to walk one after other at a stable slow speed. Horrible! There were only experienced riders in my group, but the guide would not let the horse run. Not even in the places safe and made for a bit of air in the hair.

Even if I was disappointed with American horseback “riding,” the nature around was very nice. Everything looks different from the back of the horse. Even the lake looked more like a pond, but I am sure that’s just the horseback-view effect.

But not to be sarcastic, I got to be in the woods on the horse for over an hour (paying for two), and the woodland and the valleys scenes were very nice.

Ramsay Cascades, arguably the best waterfall in the Smokies, can be seen everywhere. Each calendar from Smokies has them. Many drinking machines around Gatlinburg display them. So why should you be bothered to hike 8 miles round-trip to see them? Simply because no pictures can show their real beauty. This hiking trail offers more then just the final Cascade, the path curves around the stream so you can listen to the water bubbling over the stones during nearly the entire journey. I hope you don’t have problems with walking on narrow bridges over the water as you will have to cross three of them. They are not really scary but they are very romantic and perfectly fitting to the scenic nature around.

The path is slightly uphill the first 1.5 miles, the rest is much steeper. When reaching the sign telling you there are 2.5 miles to the end—roughly half way up—believe me, the second half feels much much longer and much, much steeper. However, this should not put you off hiking this trail. Even without much training, it can be done; slowly and with breaks, but it can be done.

There are also old grown up trees along the path, but you will not notice them on the way for the sweat pouring over your eyes. Take your time on the way down and enjoy the view to the stream reflecting the lazy afternoon sun. If you are not hiking every day you will be sore at the end of your journey, and the next day, but the trail is so pretty that all the sweat disappears from your memories and just the impressive waterfall, bubbling stream, and imposing old trees will stay on your mind.

From Gatlinburg turn on traffic light #3 North on US 321 and go approximately 6 miles. Turn right on Greenbrier Cove and follow the little Pigeon river for 3.1 miles, then turn left at Ramsay Prong Road and travel 1.5 miles to the parking area. The trail begins at the back of the parking lot. First bridge to cross is right ahead of you. Good luck and safe return!