In the Smokies

A view from Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Husband Walter and I are in the Smoky Mountains. Due to the shut down of 17 percent of the United States' government operations, we knew our usual haunts in the park would likely be inaccessible.

U.S. 441, also known as Newfound Gap Road, is a major artery through the park from Cherokee, North Carolina, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

As expected, we saw a campground, picnic areas, visitor centers and major trails along U.S. 441 closed with parking blocked on our drive across the mountains. Parking at some overlooks was also barricaded. 

At one of the open overlooks, I hung on to an interpretive sign to snap the photo above. The wind was so strong that Hubby might still be looking for me down the side of the mountain if not for that sign.

Windblown duo

He was my stabilizer for the photos he snapped of us.  And that is not a weird growth sprouting out of my head. It's a tree in the background. We did not linger for do overs. The cold had us both scrambling to get back into our van.   

Even with government closures the Smokies still blow us away!