Change of Plans! Hiking & Camping in the Cumberland Gap (Tri-State Peak, Sand Cave, & White Rocks)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- After a failed attempt to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the crowds were crazy!), we found ourselves in the Cumberland Gap, an area we didn’t know much about beforehand. And wow, what an AWESOME Plan B! We spent two days hiking and camping around the park, including visiting 3 states at one time, seeing a cool sand cave, and trying a new campfire dessert. It was a blast!
WHERE WE VISITED
Tri-State Peak Trail: www.alltrails....
Wilderness Road Campground: www.nps.gov/cu...
Sand Cave & White Rocks: www.alltrails....
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ABOUT US
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.
We created Adventures of A+K to help busy, budget conscious, and adventurous travelers maximize their vacation time and money wherever they go through detailed travel guides, vlogs, and resources. Our goal: to help you spend less time (and stress!) planning your trip and more time enjoying it!
We will be sharing 1-2 travel vlogs a week, so please SUBSCRIBE to follow along on our adventures! :)
Note: We’ve linked a handful of items so you can see exactly which products we take with us. Full disclosure--if you click on these links and make a purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend products we truly love, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!
NOTE: This video has been demonetized to not break National Park commercial filming rules (Cumberland Gap is managed by the National Park service and we were told that we could post this without ads)
Safety is our #1 priority and we want to stress that this adventure, and all future adventures, will be done responsibly and with the health of others in mind. Here are the steps we are taking everyday, including in these videos:
😷Masks and face coverings. We wear these anytime we are near others outside and especially indoors. If we don’t have a mask on in a video, it’s 99% because there was no one around.
⏰ Exploring early. We normally start at sunrise anyway because of less crowds, but especially so with COVID. We have been starting our days before sunlight so we can limit our interactions.
🧼 Washing and sanitizing our hands, especially after touching anything outside of the van.
🚐 Being in the van 95% of the time when we’re not filming. The adventures we share are a small sliver of our lives. We are staying in the van all day everyday when working and the only time we leave is to do laundry, get gas, or go to the store.
6️⃣ Keeping our distance. We are trying to stay at least 6 ft from others, which truthfully isn’t always possible (and then we make sure we cover our face).
I live in Middlesboro. We have the best park no one knows about! Glad you enjoyed
My wife and I briefly visited Cumberland Gap National Historic site this past June. I mentioned to the gentleman at the visitor center that his park was more beautiful and less crowded than smoky mountains. He smiled and said "I completely agree." We hope to get back this October for a few days. Plus a bonus, the trails are dog friendly. Thanks for sharing.
The Hensley Farm is the best to hike to & see. The mine tour in Cumberland is good to see.
Your energy levels are great. Especially once the food comes along !
Hahahaha we don’t play when it comes to food 🤣
You two are my kind of people. I have been following you since you were in South Dakota (my home state) and have loved all of your adventures. When our family vacations, we do very similar things as you do, so I am LOVING the guide you are giving me.
Yay, we are so happy to hear that! We loved your state and are glad it led you to us! 🥰
My first hike to Sand Cave was in 6th grade. We’ve hiked there twice within the last year and 1/2, with our last trip being an overnight backpacking trip in November for my birthday! It’s such a beautiful area and thankfully, not crowded like some other places. I’m glad you discovered it! You guys have the idea lifestyle!!❤️
Ooo an overnight trip sounds so fun! And we loved how much less busy it was over there, it is such a special place!
Less crowds = More better.......lol. Love the off the beaten path places
We agree! Thanks for watching!
I'm from Ohio, we call them pudgy pies. So much fun! You have desert covered, but we also use them for pizzas- bread, pizza sauce, cheese and pepperonis. So many possibilities!
We love the name pudgy pie haha! Pizza will be next on our list of pies to try, it sounds sooo good!
@@AdventuresofAplusK pizza is the best!
I bet it would be amazing with mascarpone!
Enjoyed 😊
Some of my best and most rewarding experiences have been Plan B!!
Enjoy your time with family 💕
😊🍁
We have learned to appreciate things not going according to plan because usually it leads to something even better. And thank you Shari, it was a very nice visit with them! ❤️
I haven't had pie-iron pies forever. Looking at your inspiration bear claws makes me want to try making them in the pie iron with puff pastry instead of bread. We may need to have a fire in the backyard soon to do some experimenting...Now if the rain will only stop! Love your videos!
Ooo puff pastry would be incredible! 😋😍 Let us know how you like it! Nothing beats a true bear claw, but we will take what we can get!
The National Parks are packed this year! I love that you are highlighting the less crowded places! This one is going on our list. Have fun visiting you family.
Thank you Carol! We are super glad to share these less popular spots too!
Just went to the Smoky Mountains and wanted to see if you all had been there, found this video. Putting Cumberland Gap on my list! Love you guys!!!
We attempted the Smokies around the time of this video and it was just wayyy too busy for us. We definitely need a redemption trip!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
This was a great adventure! Tri-state trail looked awesome....and so did dinner!
Steaks over the fire is one of our favorites! 😋 Going to try to switch it up though because we have quite a few more camping related adventures ahead!
Glad you all got to experience our home state of Kentucky! Our whole family enjoys watching your adventures. You might want to check out the Bourbon trail if you are in the Bardstown, KY area. There isn't a lot of good camping around, so you are welcome to stay on our veggie farm near there! Coulter's Good Earth Farm--Chris and Amy Best Wishes!
Thank you so much! We actually left Kentucky earlier today after seeing family, but really appreciate the offer! 🥰
Living the life
We weren't expecting it either, it was such a cool gem! 😍And yeahhh the crowds, COVID or not, give me major social anxiety, so we try to avoid being around a lot of humans as much as possible regardless lol!
Great video!! I did Cumberland Gap a few months ago....when it was pouring rain!!! I hiked to the Gap and continued on to Tri-State Peak. I would love to return to see more of the park. Thanks for sharing, and greetings from Washington state!! :)
Oh wow, we know about those pouring rain adventures! 🤣 We hope you still got to see some views there! Hello back atcha, we sure do miss WA!
That’s cool my wife and I have camped in that very camp site and we have done all those hikes they are great we live just 30 minutes from this park and it’s always laid back
Ya that was such a hidden gem! Thanks for watching!
Enjoy the video thanks for sharing
Thank you for watching! 🥰
You guys are so awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Thanks for joining us for the adventure Tyler! 🤗🤗
Love your videos, please keep going places a little off the beaten path to help us learn and find new places to go. One ask though, please mention the time of year you are visiting places and basic weather, i.e. “we are here in early august and the weather is hot but no rain so plan accordingly, or we are here mid October and it’s pretty chilly and a little wet so bring the right clothes”. That would help tremendously when planning for future trips. Thanks A+K!
Hi Bryan! We definitely love going off the beaten path as much as we can! It's extra fun for us to film and share places that people maybe hadn't considered.
As for weather and when to visit type details, we typically post videos very close to when they were filmed (to give an idea of the month), but we also publish super in depth guides and itineraries on our website for most destinations (we didn't do one for Cumberland Gap yet) that share everything you'd need to know before you visit somewhere! We try to make our videos as helpful as possible, but our website goes wayyy more in depth, including how to get somewhere, when to visit, and more! adventuresofaplusk.com/destinations/
@@AdventuresofAplusK thank you, I guess I should have done my research and checked out the website before posting “doh” 😊. Thanks again for the great content and my wife and I love your foodie stops and feedback! Nothing makes a trip like good food.
We actually don't think may folks that follow us on TH-cam even realize we have a website! It was our baby before TH-cam and still continues to be a huge focus for us. We should share it more often! Glad you enjoy the food in our videos, we LOVE to try local spots when we travel!
About 5 miles from the campground is Wilderness Road State Park. It is a great complement to Cumberland Gap. It explains how the road through the gap was blazed and what life was like on the frontier during Daniel Boone’s day.
Ah cool! We would’ve loved to have seen that!
Great video, cliff views looking over the valley, the cave was wild, so much sand, but that leaf you held up was huge!! Thanks for sharing.
The leaf was CRAZY! 😱😱 So massive!
Lovely, thanks for taking us along!
Glad you enjoyed it! 😄
Sometimes a Plan "B" turns out to be the best kind of adventures!
We totally agree! Plans have changed a LOT this year and we are super happy with how everything has worked out!
@@AdventuresofAplusK I think we have all had to adapt with the current climate. Just glad we can still get out there and explore. Safe travels - Milin & Randy
We agree! Very thankful for our home on wheels and finding places where we can safely be outdoors. ❤️
So true! Some of my favorite adventures have been totally unplanned
We agree!
This was an awesome plan B like you said! I loved the trails and the sand cave! Also you had my mouth watering with all your amazing campfire food! 😋 🤤 Thanks for sharing guys!
Campfire cookin’ is our fav!!! So excited to do it more on future vlogs and share different recipes. Happy you enjoyed our plan b! 🥰
I have DREAMED of having one of those bear claws from pole bridge mercantile!!!!!
They are SO worth the hype!
Always fun to follow you guys, awesome colours in those trees, and loved the cave.
Thank you Richard! The cave was super cool!
Thank you for making this video. We were at the smokies and it was so busy that we went and did your plan B and had an amazing time!
So sorry to hear about the crowds, but so happy that our plan B also worked as your plan B too and that you still had fun!
What a great time. Thank you
Thank you for watching! 🥰
Great video! Even Plan B worked out great! Great job in your videography as well (it takes a lot to set those camera shots up while you walk through them)!
Hahaha setting up the tripod is a pain sometimes! Adam loves those shots!
Per Wikipedia: The Secor lyrics contain a geographic impossibility: heading "west from the Cumberland Gap" to Johnson City, Tennessee "you'd have to go east."[12] As Secor explains: "I got some geography wrong, but I still sing it that way. I just wanted the word 'west' in there. 'West' has got more power than 'east.'"[12] - and now ya know! Great series on WV...really enjoyed it. We live in Pendleton county, WV about 40 mins from Spruce Knob. So many great experiences to be had in this area. Thanks!
Thank you so much Michael! WV rocks!!!And we are so glad that the lyrics are just geographically inaccurate and we weren’t just confused lol!
We were in the Smoky mountains 3 weeks ago and hiked to LeConte lodge to spend the night. It was getting crowded then. Gatlinburg sidewalks were packed with lots of maskless people so we did not stop there.
Gatlinburg was insane! Felt like Vegas with the crowds! How cool that you stayed in the lodge. I think we will try to do that next time!
I’ve done this hike multiple of times! It’s been about 10 years since the last time though, it was cool to see the cave again in your video!
Ah cool! Glad we could help you relive it!
Another great episode, don't blame you guys for forgetting about the Smoky Mountains for now. That was too much like going to the mall! Love your campfire menu's. Does your puppy ever revolt and just sit down in protest over hiking? lol Great views and thank you, above all stay healthy and safe.
It was totally like the mall lol! And Kona seems to have endless energy! She does enjoy a good post-hike nap though 😴
Red River Gorge is really cool, about 45 minutes from Lexington. The area is full of natural stone arches and you can hike across the top of a few of them!!
We may or may not have a vlog from there coming soon! 😉
Camp pies are soooo good. :)
For a Black Forest variation, try cherry pie filling and chocolate chips.
And if ice cream is your thing, there are some cool ways to make your own using things you probably already travel with.
Ooo that combo sounds amazing! And we would love to make ice cream in the van. Do you have a recipe?
@@AdventuresofAplusK you can use any ice cream base recipie. Add your flavorings and put single servings in a heavy duty zip lock. Put that in a gallon size zip lock with ice and rock salt, and smush until mostly frozen. You can do 2-3 servings at once. Warm gloves help with this part. Rinse the rock salt off the small bags, open, add topings, and eat right from the bag. :)
Nice! We will have to try this! 🙌🏼
been to Polebridge before, such a cool place!
Loved your adventures in Cumberland Gap! I have done the Sand Cave and White Rocks trail twice myself. Great trail and happy you’re highlighting Kentucky! Safe travels
We had a great time there! Thanks for watching!
I live in Lexington, KY and am looking forward to watching your Kentucky video. Hope you got to see some interesting places, try some bourbon and enjoy the Bluegrass state!
We really loved it there! We had a lot of fun and it was sooo gorgeous 😍
Great plan B! You make me want to visit everywhere you go! One time we used the last few leftover items in our cooler and made yummy camp pies for breakfast! Cheese slices and crushed pineapple was a strange combo, but were delicious! Looking forward to your next one!
Ooo that sounds interesting and we’d totally try it!!
So sorry our home park.the Smokies, was so busy. Looks like Plan B worked out! Love your version of the bear claw. We were recently at Glacier and went to Polebridge because of your blog. It was so much fun. Thank you!
At first we were super bummed, but we will definitely be back and try to come during a less busy time. It was beautiful from what we saw though! We miss Polebridge and those bear claws everyday and we’re excited to have a recipe to sort of fill the hole in our hearts and stomachs until we can get back! 🐻🥰
what a hike...I loved the cave and the view. I missed the ice cream though. LOL Love the videos..I wish we could see one every day... :)
Don’t you worry, we will have ice cream in a couple vlogs soon! 😋 Adam’s suggestion of adding ice cream to our hobo pie almost had me running to a store hahah
@@AdventuresofAplusK yay!!!
I still recommend visiting the 4 corners, Mesa Verde and several other places in that region. The 4 corners is owned by a First Nations community and it really helps them
We loved Mesa Verde! We made a video there and had a great time! 4 corners would be fun to visit some time
Since your in this part of the country, check out the Auxier trail in Red River Gorge. Although, not the best example of the geological wonders, it’s a beautiful hike. Grays arch is phenomenal too. Go on a week day, it’s pretty crowded on the weekends.
We did one of those hikes! It was awesome and we can’t wait to share in one of our future videos! 🙌🏼
Not sure where your headed, I hesitated to share this place, because it is so cool. If your headed South, this place is awesome. The corn crib cabin is the best. Make sure you get the full package, the food is really good! www.ccl-bsf.com/aboutus
Wow, that place looks super cool! We headed north after this, but if we are back that way we will have to try to check it out!
Glad you guys could find some solitude. In most parks if you get a 100 yds from the parking lot you can escape the crowds, but I experienced the same while at Smokey Mtns. Too many people!!!
We feel the same! Usually longer hikes scare many people away, so our focus going forward is going to be to try to do more backcountry/difficult activities to escape crowds
Beautiful, we’d have left & gone to Cumberland, also.
It was an awesome plan b!
Hi guys,
Since you are so close you might check out Red River Gorge in KY. It has the 3rd most arches in the US after Utah and Arizona. Climbers from around the world climb the area. Happy travels!
We swung by there this past weekend! It was awesome! Can’t wait to share more 😃
We were in Yellowstone and Grand Teton not too long ago and the crowds were crazy as well! I guess the crowds are harder to predict now because of the pandemic. I'm glad you were able to find a place that was pretty mellow, though!
Definitely has us wanting to stay away from the busy parks for a while and find more spots like this!
We call them mountains pies in PA. Lovem! We went to Smokies Labor day as everyone was leaving! Perfect time! Ñext time u go take the other rte in around Pigeon Forge! No traffic!
Love that there are different regional names for the pies! 😃 And that sounds like a good time to visit! We look forward to going back someday!
I'll be visiting down there the first weekend of June. Really looking forward to seeing the Sand Cave and the tri-state point. I was at GSMNP two years ago, in May. The crowds and traffic from Sevierville to Gatlinburg with all the attractions were overwhelming. I cut the trip a day short and headed home.
We feel ya on the crowds! We have started to love more of the lesser known spots! We hope you enjoy your trip there!
Great editing job on this video!
Thank you so much Kara! 😃
White rocks is one of my favorite place to camp. Hope you make it to Cumberland Falls while you are in KY. Another beautiful and very lesser known park is Breaks Interstate park sharing land in KY and VA.
Unfortunately we had to head straight north after, but those falls look gorgeous! We will be back!
If you guys want to stand in three states in North Carolina, check out the Pond Mountain Game Lands (Creston, NC) area. You can hike to the place where TN, NC, and VA meet and its even on an old Christmas tree farm! The views are incredible and long-reaching. I'm an NC native, so message me if you want to know some great hikes! You should also check out the Linville Gorge. It is too stunning for pictures or words.
Ah cool! That’s awesome! We had planned to check out the Linville Gorge, but the whole BRP area was madness! Next time though...it looks beautiful 😃
You don’t get views like that at 4 corners in Arizona. We can’t wait to visit this area of the country - so glad you guys were able to find awesome alternatives to your original plan!! ❤️ Aaron & Nicole
Hahaha very good to know! We really have enjoyed our time out East!
Hit the smokies late spring before schools are out on weekdays or late summer week days when schools are back in session .
Thank you for the tip! We definitely will try to visit at a much less busy time next time!
Ha - yes, we were in the Smoky Mountains 🏔 last week and we had to get on the trails before the sun was up each day to avoid all the traffic/people. It worked, but we pretty much got stuck in traffic every evening on the way back to our hotel. The leaves 🍁 were amazing.
We just missed ya there! That was our plan as well, before we decided to leave. What trails did you do?
@@AdventuresofAplusK
Baskin Falls - Nice short quiet one and saw a bear 🐻
Grotto Falls - Hiked with llamas 🦙 (their schedule is a bit different right now)
Alum Cave - Quite a few people on that one (and unprepared people)
Andrew’s Bald - wooded and then opens up to views
Abrama Falls in Cades Cove - The hike was fine early in the morning, but the traffic was crazy
I have some pics on my IG account if you’re curious
Oh wow, amazing! We actually did see a bear from the car (we got SO lucky and I looked in the woods at the right time!). We wanted to do a few of those hikes. Excited to check them out whenever we make it back there!
@@AdventuresofAplusK Awesome on the bear 🐻 sighting! Hope you find a less crowded time to make you’re way through there
The bear claw looks tasty and liked your version of it. Made me go get dessert after watching this. 🍰
Ooo what did you get?! 😋
@@AdventuresofAplusK nothing as good as what you two had. 😁
Great decision on the plan b looked way too busy 👍 beautiful scenery and the cave was amazing , hey Adam where do you buy your socks 🧦 they look great for hiking 👌
As y’all know from how early we start every vlog, we definitely like our solitude in nature! And those are actually free socks I got for him at a tradeshow for work 🤣, but he recently got some alpaca socks when we stayed on the alpaca farm that he LOVES and we also love Smart Wool socks!
Loved it. Will definitely be a future destination
Maybe it's just because we aren't from the area, but we think it's super underrated!
I'm from the area and haven't been there, so it was something new to me. I envy your freedom. I've never been to Harper's Ferry and I'm from WV. I live such a sheltered life. Lol
Hopefully we are helping give you some ideas of places to go!
I'm loving all of your videos!!
We are so happy to hear that! 🙌🏼
I'm from this area, and I still live here just not in Middlesboro. When you come back this way next time stop in Pineville, it's just north of Middlesboro. There is a nice lodge there called Pine Mountain Lodge. It has a nice restaurant in it. You can visit Chained Rock. Chained Rock over looks the city Pineville.
Thank you for the tips!
@@AdventuresofAplusK oh and further north of Pineville on 25E past Barbourville is Corbin. It is the birth place, if you will, of Kentucky Fried Chicken. It has the first KFC and cafe. Have you ever heard of a moonbow. You should look up Cumberland Falls. There's lots of things in this area!
The sand cave was sooooo cool...you three all looked like you had the best time! And, WOW is all I have to say about the White Rocks Overlook!!! ❤️ I want to try some of your pies when you are back in Austin. 😋 I loved your mess up and Take 2...I don’t know how you do it without messing up all the time! 😂 Safe travels!
We should definitely make some pies! We want to try pizza ones too. Y’all just need to get a new fire pit 😉
We are going to get a new one! We want to be out there Christmas Eve.
Alright!!! Can’t wait! ❤️
Check out Cumberland Falls. Moonbow is this weekend if thr skies clear up-it will be crazy, busy though.
Oh cool! Unfortunately we are quite a bit NW now from there, but the falls look incredible! 😍
When are y’all planning to come back out west... We’re in Idaho and would love to show you some out of the way places ! Keep up the great content... Mark & Bev
We will be back west next year! We can’t wait!
Love your Plan B...I avoid crowds also.
Just did New River Gorge Bridge... beautiful. I did the bridge walk 🥴
Ahhh fun! How was it?!
@@AdventuresofAplusK Thrilling, scary, exciting, Interesting. Kaitlin did a good job. We took a break and sat down for a bit..pretty cool. Memorable New Bridge Gorge!!
Great vlog! I don't blame you for postponing your trip to the Smokies. We were just there the 1st week of October and it was very crowded! My husband and I were there last year right before Mother's day and it was much better and the weather was very nice.
I enjoyed your detour. The sand cave was great! By the way, I personally think you both should have a show on the Travel Channel! :)
We were thinking that late spring may be a good time in the future, good to know it was less crazy then! And you’re too kind haha ❤️
Both of y'all and Kona are awesome! ❤️ You guys need to get zero gravity chairs! hehehe. You won't be disappointed. 👌😆
Ooo I will have to look those up!
Oh my word, Great Smoky Mountains looked awful with the crowds and crazy parking. Adam's likening of it to a black Friday sale was on point! Never heard of the Cumberland gap before - the sand cave looked more like something you'd find in the west rather than East coast. Not much help now as it would mean going back on yourself, but for future trip planning for low key/off the beaten path places, my summer camp was in the Adirondacks and the hikes we did with the campers (or on days off) remind me a lot of the hikes you did in this video (minus the sand cave) and because it's not a National Park, it doesn't get the huge visitor numbers. Lake Placid was a lovely town.
The Adirondacks are super high on our list! NY had some tight covid travel restrictions, so we had to skip it this year, but next year we hope to make it there. And same with New Hampshire’s white mountains...those also look stunning! 😍 So many awesome spots in the US that aren’t one of the 62 US national parks!
@@AdventuresofAplusK I've never made it to New Hampshire, but really want to visit, same as Maine too. If you're over that way next year, I'd highly recommend Martha's Vineyard too. I would have said Nantucket but I've heard getting space for a vehicle on that ferry is very difficult!
We are definitely hoping to visit those spots! Cannot wait to see the cute coastal towns! 😍
Can’t believe it is that crowded!!!!!! Damn. I actually brought some huckleberry jam in Costco in Montana with a really good price! Also they have huckleberry cider.. that beer is a bomb... we took a suitcase of that back 😂
We should’ve bought gallons of huckleberry jam there lol! Next year we will be making sure we don’t make that mistake again 🤣
I was just in Kentucky recently! I was at Red River Gorge, which has some beautiful hiking and natural rock bridges, but it will packed. And I also went to Mammoth Cave National Park, which was really cool. You have probably already been through by the time you see this, but it was also my first time in the state and I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to seeing what you do there.
We went to Red River Gorge and loved it! We did a super long hike and didn’t see many people thankfully (probably because it was so long. We were pooped lol!) 😅 Can’t wait to share it!
Mammoth cave is amazing. I mean really amazing! Red river gorge is on my bucket list. The Smokies are so beautiful but you got to hit them just right or the crowd and traffic can mess you up.
In Eastern Kentucky don’t miss Carter Caves State Park. While in the area try bourbon chocolates and the best ginger ale in the U S, Ale 8.
Unfortunately we had to stay close to Lexington because of family, but we will definitely be back! 🙌🏼
HOBO pies are so good...you have to try and make one with apple pie filling and cinnamon. Mmmmm....Ok now I'm hungry. And good job rolling with the punches...Plan B often ends up being better than Plan A and learning to roll with the punches is an invaluable skill to have. P.S...I LOVE the old school Casio watch.
Oh my gosh that sounds SO GOOD! We will be making more of these as soon as we can have a solid campsite with a fire again!
Hahahah Adam says thank you! It’s cheap but it does the trick!
We were at Great Smoky Mountains last Saturday and it was as busy if not busier. Honestly, your adventures were just as cool as all the ones we did in the Smoky Mts, buuut y’all didn’t have crowds with you the entire way. Also, that view at the top of the trail was stunning! The fall leaves were definitely not as nice in the Smokey’s (hadn’t peaked yet), so this is all to say: y’all were very smart to go with plan B!
This makes us happy to hear! Because we went back and forth if we should stay or go. And while no doubt the Smokies are incredible and the trails are beautiful, we are glad that our Plan B didn’t seem like a huge downgrade. What hikes did you do at GSMNP? We can’t wait to go back there!
@@AdventuresofAplusK yes! Go when you can actually enjoy your time there! We went on the Alum Cave Trail, but make sure you go all the way to the top for a gorgeous viewpoint! We also went to Clingman’s Dome, which is another amazing lookout. We caught this one at sunset, and that was seriously the best decision!
Alum Cave was high on our list! Looks so cool! And clingman’s dome is where those photos were from. We drove up there, but then just stayed in the van haha. It was gorgeous even from the parking lot!
While in Kentucky you should visit the original Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and museum in Corbin. After touring you can eat there and taste the best fried chicken of any KFC location, possibly because they still use the original recipe. Nearby is Cumberland Falls State Park. We know how you guys like waterfalls.
Aw man, I’m so bummed we missed that! That would’ve been super fun to try! 🍗
The Smokies have been insane all summer. You could tell just by the number of TH-cam travel vlogs in our subscription feed all year.
The gap is BEAUTIFUL. And you got to all three states at one time! The Four Corners is...um...a LOT busier, too.
And the Bear Claw? Now gotta get to Sciortino's Bakery in Milwaukee for their super-close-to-a-bear-claw version...best in our hometown if not the Midwest. (Sorry...semi off topic...) You're creating a hot mess masterpiece.
And that leaf on the long hike is twice the size of your head!
If I was a football coach, I'd take my team to that sand cave and have them do reps running up that dune. They would never tire out in the 2nd half.
Nor did you when you got to that VIEW! Yeah, we'd be lying down after reaching that spot.
As for Wagon Wheel, we'll have to consult country music expert AnonyMommy (my wife) on that one.
It definitely seems that covid has made it even busier since being outside is the safest option right now! We are so happy with how our plans changed, it was so gorgeous there!
Oooo we will be that way next year and will have to try that! 😍
That leaf was crazy big and the sand dune would be an AWESOME football drill lol! 🤣🤣
We have since heard that the writer of the song knew it was wrong, but liked how West sounded better than East 🤷🏻♀️
@@AdventuresofAplusK When you go to Sciortino's, tell them the Sorgi's sent you. (Our families know each other, as half the Italian families in Milwaukee do.)
And yeah, never let fact get in the way of a good song lyric! LOL. (Will tell my amateur songwriter wife that.)
Will do, thank you for the great suggestion! And now your wife can freely write whatever she wants 😝
@@AdventuresofAplusK That's a dangerous opening for her! 🤪
🤣🤣🤣
Awesome video I enjoyed it
We’re so glad! Thanks for watching Chris!
I love your plan B! I think you definitely made the right choice not going to the park, nature is still amazing without that National Park title! This area of the US is so beautiful. (also, definitely started singing Wagon Wheel when I saw you guys were at the Cumberland Gap lol)
Wagon wheel has been stuck in our heads for a week 🤣🤣 And we couldn’t agree more-some of the lesser visited national park sites and non national park sites are just as beautiful and fun!
True... but Cumberland Gap, although not the Smokies (and without all the commercialization, thank goodness!) is actually a national park... "Cumberland Gap National Park" (born, raised and retired here ❤)
At the iron furnace in the gap is actually a creek running from the bottom of the Gap Cave not a river
Love this episode! Yeah..GSM is too crowded all year round..
We were curious how what we experienced compared to other months. But knowing it gets over double the amount of visitors than the second most visited park, we can imagine it’s always pretty busy!
I went in March of 2017 and it was not crowded at all. But the main road through the park was closed so that probably had something to do with it. We still found some good hikes though.
You guys should have hiked the Appalachian and Boulevard Trails from Newfound Gap to Mt. LeConte in the Smoky Mountains, even if most of the other sites were crowded. I went during 4th of July weekend. The places you showed in your video (Clingmans Dome, Alum Cave) were every bit as crowded as when you went there, BUT...I hiked for 6 hours along the Boulevard Trail to Mt.LeConte and saw only TWO people! They were a married couple. Plus it was only 63 degrees on the trail even though it reached 102 degrees in Gatlinburg. The most beautiful and interesting trails in the Smoky Mountains are never crowded even when the rest of the park is crazy.
Nice. We’ll keep that in mind for our next visit. By the end of that time we were just burnt out from all the crowds and just wanted to get out of there. Thanks for the tip!
@@AdventuresofAplusK Just driving once through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge burned me out fast. Avoid those places at all costs!
Yup. That’s what we learned!
I’m sorry you missed the Pinnacle on this trip. It is a great view. Wider than the ones you saw. There are a few sharp U shaped curves on that road.
It was a bummer! The van length has limited us a few times now, but thankfully not too often!
Actually, just found it...
Anyone looking at a map of Tennessee and who has even the slightest sense of direction knows that Johnson City is about 100 miles east of Cumberland Gap. And the co-author of the song, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, has acknowledged this geographical impossibility. In a 2011 interview with Peter Cooper of “The Tennessean,” Secor said, “I got some geography wrong … I just wanted the word ‘west’ in there. ‘West’ has got more power than ‘east.’”
From rapidcityjournal.com/blackhillstogo/arts-music/on-the-record-you-can-t-get-there-from-here/article_82e1b872-a81b-55a6-b036-440e26994449.html
Hahahah their song, their rules! Glad we weren’t just mega confused about the map. 😅
@@AdventuresofAplusK Enjoying your videos, guys. Keep up the good work. Came here to say what Robert already did. I thumbed about 10K miles back in the 70's and the guy being on 81 in Roanoke trying to get to Raleigh from New England is absurd, too. Still a great song, though! th-cam.com/video/hvKyBcCDOB4/w-d-xo.html
Sorry if it has been mentioned (a lot of comments), but y’all were so close to “Chained Rock”
It’s a short hike with some good views and a story behind the chain and how it got there!
I did a short video on my channel when me and the wife visited Cumberland Gap
We’ll have to check it out next time! Thanks for the rec!
Love your videos
We are so happy to hear that! Thank you for watching! 🥰
You probably should have visited the home of Daniel Boone while you were in St. Louis visiting the Gateway arch which was only 35 miles away.
Hi cuz i,m your cuz Dave from Indiana nice to meet you. i,ll be watching. nice show.
Hi Dave! 👋🏼👋🏼
@@AdventuresofAplusK how you all doing like your show just found it from my sister . i,ll check in once in a while be safe have fun.
ps tell my aunty J and cuz,s Land K I said high your mom and dad too.
Thank you, will do! 😃
If you make back to Kentucky or SW Virginia, check out Breaks Interstate Park.
Oh wow, that looks really cool!
@@AdventuresofAplusK
I really liked your Cumberland Gap video. We stop there fairly often but have never hiked the White Rocks / Sand Cave trail so it was great to see just how great that trail is. The White Rocks were a well known marker for travelers on the Wilderness Road when Kentucky was the frontier.
Ooo we didn’t know that, that is very cool! Glad you enjoyed that video! The area is so beautiful 😍
I live less than an hour from where you are. If you need some information and suggestions for this area, including the less crowded areas of the Smokies. I can help with any other places in Tennessee. I enjoy your videos.
Thank you so much Karen! Unfortunately we left TN, but we WILL be back!
I have asked myself the same question about that lyric for years.
Hahaha I’m so glad we aren’t alone! Someone explained it in the comments, it was intentionally wrong apparently
Enjoy your channel - FYI Bob Dylan wrote Wagon Wheel in 1973
Ah okay, we thought he just wrote a few lines that Old Crow Medicine Show used to finish the rest. Our bad!
I was vicariously eating your campfire bear claw 😂 and wondering how it would be with a croissant instead of bread…have you tried that? I am going to get us one of those pie makers for sure. 🤤🤤🤤
Croissants are better than bread in my opinion so that would be AMAZING!
Kingdom Come State Park is nice, too. What section of KY does your grandma live in?
She is near Lexington! We had a lot of fun in the area and cannot wait to share more soon!
The tunnel is one of only two that cross state lines
Oh wow! In the US??
Cumberland Gap is much prettier than 4-Corners too! Lot's of other things to do around 4 Corners, but i was underwhelmed with that spot
Cumberland Gap was such a fun surprise for us!
Wow, that sand cave is amazing! Your videos continually make me want to explore the States, maybe one day after Covid! Love seeing things thru your eyes, thank you 🥰 Just curious what breed of dog is Kona? Stay safe 🧡💛🤎
We are so fortunate for the diverse scenery here in the US! And she is a pit, Jack Russell, dachshund mix we think!
@@AdventuresofAplusK yeah its great in the States you also have the opportunity to get away from cold weather all year long. That's pretty limited here in Canada, you're only warmer option in the winter is the west coast, which in the winter gets cooler and wetter but at least not usually much snow.
We never really thought about how y’all couldn’t find any warmth in the winter. We are reallyyyyy missing Canada though!
"Took a nice long toke," lord know I have enough trouble finding my parked car never mind trying to differentiate between East and West.
I still do the “never eat sour watermelons” trick sometimes to remember the directions haha 🤣
The Smokies are beautiful when it's not as busy. Keep in mind that certain roads in the park close in the winter, including Clingmans Dome road, and depending on the weather conditions when it is open in the spring.
www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/seasonalroads.htm
We agree! And we were wondering that. Maybe we would shoot for springtime. That road to Clingman’s Dome is steep!
To answer your question about the lyric in Wagon Wheel. The songwriter has come out andnsaidnit was just a mistake on his part andnnot knowing the geography of the area. If you want to correct the lyrics you can sing
"Headed west TO the Cumberland Gap FROM Johnson City Tennessee"
Happy to see a video today, Awesome as always
Did you take some time off
We had a small gap in videos due to our original plans not working out and we got a bit behind, but we shouldn't have much of a break until the holidays!
Enjoy all the stops
We had so much rain in Fl recently
It’s raining 🐱 and 🐶 where we are currently! But we kind of enjoy the rain on work days 🌧🌧