Spring in the Smokies

A few days ago, I promised you a picture of Spring in the Smokies. Here's a long shot from our car as we were driving west on I-40. See if you can spot the difference on the mountain.



Now here's a closer picture. Below the picture, I'll tell you the 'secret.'


If you look closely, you'll see that the trees at the bottom of the mountain are fully green. But at the top of the mountain, the leaves haven't come out yet. Just that difference in altitude makes a difference in when the leaves appear on the trees. In fact, more than once, we've driven over the mountains through the National Park at this time of year and experienced 'two springs.' It's spring at the bottom (Cherokee, NC) when we enter the park. When we get to the pass at the top, there are no leaves on the trees. But when we arrive in Gatlinburg, we get our 'second spring.'

Check back in a few days for a shot of the rhododendrons blooming at Smoky Mountain Tower.