Cades Cove Hiking With Grandkids on Christmas Eve

Tessa splashing in puddles. Today was the last picture taken of her with the pacifier!

Santa Claus took it with him in exchange for presents. 

Christmas Eve Hike With Grandkids--Cades Cove

Thursday Dec. 24, 2015

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Tessa and Michael Lindsey

1 mile round trip hike

   Tessa is our granddaughter and is two years old.   She sees the photos of waterfalls around 

the house. She hears me talking about going to waterfalls. She sees video of them on You Tube.

She has been asking to go see some waterfalls.  Adam got to feeling poorly Wednesday night before Christmas.  Kenny was taking a couple vacation days so he would not lose them.

We knew Adam really needed to just rest at home Christmas Eve so we volunteered to watch the children so he could.  We kept them with us Thursday and took them hiking.

It was a beautiful, warm day. It rained off and on, but when it is seventy degrees and springlike weather who cares?    We had originally planned to hike to Spruce Flats Falls, but the rain came down in buckets for awhile there.   Kenny suggested we head out to Cades Cove to drive the loop first. We'd see if we could spot any animals.  Maybe the rain shower would let up by the time we got round the loop?  

          We stopped at the visitor center in Cades Cove. It was a restroom break. Splash in puddles time.  Check out the store.   Run around. Pretend to drive the jeep. Eat a snack.

Then we got going again.  We saw many deer including some big bucks! The traffic in Cades Cove was almost non existent!  Very few people which was a pleasant surprise.

We saw lots of turkeys.  We saw one silver, shaggy coyote!

              We finally got around the loop and back to the first parking area.

The kids were getting restless again and it was close to lunch time.  We opted for a short hike to Crooked Arm Cascade.   Kenny carried Tessa on his back there and I toted her on the return trip.    I carried Michael across the creek on my back since it was too high to rock hop in sneakers without getting soaked.   

 Papaw, Tessa and Michael

 Does are curious about the little humans.  

 The deer stare at the people and the people stare back.

            We first visited the bottom portion of the falls. 

Bottom drop of Crooked Arm Cascade

Next we went back to the trail and walked a bit further which took us right beside Crooked Arm Cascade's main drop.  

 Michael is getting hungry and ready for lunch. He's over it.

Crooked Arm Cascade. Kenny would NOT let me go down the bank with a baby on my back.  I don't blame him. It was slippery that day after the rain, but at least the falls was flowing good. Tessa was in agreement with me. She wanted to go down the bank and get closer!  We were still overruled!

 Smile for the camera Michael.  I was teasing him out of a bad mood.  Sweet boy at age 6.

Nanny Cookie, Michael and Tessa.  She is pouting now because she does NOT dig having to stay on the bank above the falls. Dag nabbit Pawpaw!

 Happy Tessa throwing rocks in the creek. She wants to be in the scene. Not a mere observer.

 Not sure what Michael was doing here.

 Tessa clapping for herself at the rock throwing.

Michael and Kenny looking for good skipping stones in the stream.

            We began our hike back after the kids played in the creek.

We saw one big buck on the way out. He was lying down in the woods resting. 

 Big deer taking a rest in the woods.

Cloudy view of Cades Cove.  The grass is very green for this time of year thanks to the rain and warm weather!

          We wrapped up our day with lunch at Subway.  We had pizza and subs.  Tessa, Michael and Papaw had icecream for dessert. I did not have room for icecream.    Tessa entertained the customers with her rough and gravely voiced performance of "Black Mouth"!   Which is who she becomes when she eats chocolate icecream!  

What a fun day!  We got the kids home around 3 pm. Their mom was home.  Adam was up in the recliner having taken his antibiotic and was starting to feel better.  

Tessa sleeps in the jeep on the drive home.  Dissy over her head. Passy in her mouth.

Below is a short video of the hike highlights.