Quite pleased and content with my lunch I headed back out to find the Gatlinburg By-Pass. To get to it I had to go into Gatlinburg and then head back out toward the Welcome Center. From the Welcome Center I head back toward Gatlinburg. The by-pass exit is on the right and became my favorite way to get from one end of Gatlinburg to the other.

The By- Pass is a scenic drive that takes you around Gatlinburg, bringing you out near the Sugarlands Visitor Center. From the visitor center you can head to Cades Cove to the right or Cherokee, North Carolina straight ahead or back to Gatlinburg by turning left.

There are scenic turn outs with plenty of parking. and the road is well maintained.

This was  the beginning of my introduction to auto touring the Great Smokey Mountains.

When we went to Alaska we were told that in the springtime the fields were filled with wildflowers. Well spring was late the year we went but I seemed to hit it just right for Tennessee. The grass and trees were green and wildflowers abounded.