Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waterfalls along Parson Branch Road, Smokies

First of all,  if you missed reading my first post about this road and this area,  please click HERE and read that post before reading this one.   I don't think I emphasized enough how truly BAD that road was in certain spots...  I'm sure there are times when it is not so bad --but this may have been the 2nd worst back road that George and I have driven on (the first being Potato Patch Mountain in GA--in the snow and ice).  There were huge ruts,  mud holes --which you could almost disappear in,  etc....  As pretty as it was back in that area (and it was),  there was at least one time that I wasn't sure we would make it!  BUT--we did.....  AND---the beauty we saw made it all worthwhile.

Today,  I'll share that beauty with you.  We saw three new waterfalls along Parson Branch Road.  The picture above shows the first of these waterfalls. Note that the road crossed right OVER it.   We had several 'water crossings' like this one...

We drove over the creek/waterfall,  then stopped and walked back to get some pictures... I didn't try to walk back across the water--but George did (of course).  He managed to get his feet wet --but that didn't stop him!!!!!  Afterall,  this was a new waterfall for us... ha....




George took the picture above.  Isn't it GREAT????  He said it was worth getting  wet!!!!! ha... This waterfall is PANTHER CREEK FALLS.  We have never driven so close and OVER a waterfall before, like this one!!!!!




This is the one I showed you in the last Parson Branch post.  This is TRIPLE FALLS on Parson Branch.  It's the prettiest of the three waterfalls in this area.




The above picture shows another water crossing. Again,  we crossed and then parked to get some pictures.  This time,  George didn't have to get his feet wet!!!




He was able to get down to the bank to get a great picture... Isn't this a pretty little waterfall?  Its name is LOWER FALLS on Parson Branch.  You can see the road near the top of the picture.  This area was truly GORGEOUS-----which made the bumpy road all worthwhile!




Here is a picture of George down on the creek bank.....  And NO--he didn't go wading  (although I'll bet it was tempting)!!!!! ha ha




Finally,  I'll close with a beautiful picture I took of Parson Branch --as it headed on down the mountain.  This is just the type of place which would be wonderful on a hot day (like we have been having).   Take a picnic lunch and find a big rock... AND--let your tootsies dangle in the water--without your shoes on (of course)... ha

Have a wonderful day!!!!  And don't be afraid to go to places like this...  I promise you that I'd go back again in a heartbeat...  It is truly a marvelous area of the Smokies.

Hugs,