For a last-minute trip with the family before the craziness of the holidays, suggest heading down south to the Great Smoky Mountains, which will take about nine hours by car.
The Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina are part of America’s most visited national park, attracting 9 million visitors each year. During the fall season, families flock to the Smokies to see the leaves on the 100 different types of native trees changing hues.
Nancy Gray, a spokeswoman for the national park, recommends going to the midpoint of the mountains to take full advantage of the color transformations.
“There?s more variety within the mid-elevation range, which ranges from 2000 to 4000 feet, where there are a major variety of deciduous trees, and those are the ones that change color,” she said.
Hiking is a great opportunity for kids and parents to enjoy the splendor of the picturesque view. There are more than 150 trails and some are shorter hikes that take less than an hour.
Many other recreational activities, such as auto-touring, horseback riding, camping and fishing are available. Cades Cove is a popular auto-tour destination containing an 11-mile one-way loop road, which provides access to historic and untouched views of nature.
Tina Zou is a senior at Centennial High School. She is an intern with The Examiner.
