| With the state of the world today ie. Economy, | | | | little cut offs and eat lunch ( Not many fast food |
| Stress, High Blood Pressure the list goes on we | | | | places back then ) and play along the edge of the |
| often neglect or just simply forget taking care of | | | | stream that bordered the road. I remember how |
| our health or we go in the opposite direction and | | | | peaceful and calming the sounds were and even if |
| over do it at the gym. Our bodies are under | | | | I fell and scraped my knee the cool mountain |
| constant bombardment from our surroundings | | | | waters would always seem to wash away my |
| and from the mental beating we allow our minds | | | | pain and I would return to playing like I didn't have |
| to give us. What we need to do is take a walk or | | | | a care in the world. |
| should I say Go take a hike?! The beautiful | | | | I am always at peace when I'm hiking back to |
| Smokey Mountains are a great place to get away | | | | those places in the Great Smokey Mountains. In a |
| too and refresh and renew our bodies and our | | | | time when stress is something we all seem to go |
| minds. It's a stress reliever to be out among | | | | to bed with and wake up with we need to be |
| nature walking the trials at our own pace and | | | | able to find a calm place for me it's when I think |
| breathing in the fresh clean mountain air and | | | | back on those days as a little boy and remember |
| exhaling the stress and tension from our minds | | | | the winds blowing through the trees and the |
| and bodies. Anytime of year is acceptable to | | | | sounds of the streams rushing by slapping against |
| explore the Smokey Mountains with each season | | | | the rocks as it flowed down hill. After work or |
| bringing a new face to the forest. Go, Laugh, play | | | | after a hard day I think of those sounds and |
| and explore the calmness that is hiking in the | | | | images in my head and let stress of the day take |
| Smoky Mountains. | | | | one path while I take another. |
| In my mind there can be no more serene a place | | | | Most of the summer I can be found hiking or |
| on earth than outdoors among mother nature and | | | | camping in the smokies with my wife and children, |
| no place is more attuned to what we as | | | | I think we know the park better than some of |
| creatures of this planet need. I remember as a | | | | the rangers since I have been going there for |
| small child riding in the back seat of my | | | | over 50 years. A lot has changed since I was a |
| grandfathers 1953 Buick from his house near | | | | little boy playing along the stream but one thing |
| Pioneer, Tenn. down through Knoxville, Tenn and | | | | has never changed and that is this, I always find |
| into Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. We | | | | peace of mind, calmness of body and spirit and I |
| slowly began our adventure of exploring the | | | | always leave my stress in the mountains with |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mother | | | | mother nature. |
| Nature at her best! We would stop at one of the | | | | |
