#mingus mill

On Thursday we drove to Cherokee, NC and then onto the southern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It’s rutting season for the elk there, and they did not disappoint.

The loser of this sparring match wandered off, but returned as the victor went into the woods to be with his harem. And yes, that’s what they are called.

But the loser entered the historical farm, which was quite a surprise.

After this excitement, we headed off to Mingus Mill, an old mill located on Mingus Creek.

And Mingus is an unusual name. There’s Charles Mingus, but surely not…

Sure enough! His grandfather was a slave on the Mingus Farm.

glamping in the Smokies

We spent last weekend in a giant tent with a bed, hardwood floors, a shower, and a bathroom next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the children were in a much smaller teepee (called a “hive”) 20 feet away. This was how my bride wished to spend the weekend following her birthday, and no wonder we get along so well.

The road from Atlanta took us to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center as soon…