Friday, March 17, 2017

Exploring Caves and Hiking Trails! (Maryville, TN)

By:  Cherylynn Finklin & Angela Yao
Trip:  Once Upon A Time: Exploring the Stories of the Cherokee People

On Wednesday, our Once Upon A Time, team took a much needed break after two days of cutting down trees and removing massive amounts of privet. Our first adventure led us to
The Lost Sea tour in Sweetwater, TN. On the tour we explored the rich history of a cave that traces all the way back to the 1800s! We learned how native Cherokee people used this space at point for living and secret meetings. After walking ¾ of a mile in the cave, we arrived to the The Lost Sea and took an exiting boat ride, with a glass bottom, on the 800 feet long by 220 feet wide lake, that’s 50 feet deep!


Following our tour in the depths of a historic cave, we made our way to Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On this trail we walked 1.6 miles to reach a beautiful scenic view of the Laurel Waterfall. Along this hike, some team members were able to share special moments with one another—learning new and personal facts to form deeper relationships. Although this hike was not easy for most and surly a challenge for some, the experience of pushing towards the Waterfall was a reminder that great things worth having or seeing takes hard work and dedication—in the end the sacrifice would be worth it! We were all delighted upon arriving to the Waterfall and basking in nature’s beauty. Of course we couldn’t leave without taking multiple selfies and a great group picture!


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