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...

Monday, July 17, 2017

MC CLOUD MOUNTAIN VISIT with Friends 7/5/17

George, Neal and Patti at  McCloud Mountain, July 5, 2017
Our good friends,  Neal and Patti,  were visiting family in north Tennessee recently ---so we drove up toward that area on July 5 to see them and have lunch with them at a new restaurant on top of the mountain near Duff,  Tennessee (which Neal had read about and wanted to try).   Even though this area is only about two hours from our home,  George and I had never been there...  WOW--what a neat place!!!!

We drove UP UP UP the mountain to a small private resort on top of McCloud Mountain... It is conveniently called the McCloud Mountain Restaurant and Lodge  (since there are rooms available for lodging)....  For more information about this little resort,  click HERE.

When we left home,  it was a very drizzly and foggy morning...  AND--the fog got worse as we drove up that mountain...   BUT--we were so happy to see our Indiana friends  for a few hours...  We all decided to eat lunch first and then hope that the fog would lift (which it DID)....

The restaurant was nice and we all had Bison Burgers for lunch (delicious)...  As we always do when together,  we talked and talked --all the time watching that fog gradually disappear...  After lunch, we went outside and took pictures around the facility.

Then we drove to check out the Chimney Skywalk....  Nature provided a chain of 32 'chimneys' forming a chain --and then they built a walkway over them...  Nature is SO amazing!!!!!

Today I'll share pictures from that day with friends... Hope you enjoy them... There's nothing better than being with good friends at a beautiful setting....


The Restaurant with a VIEW (when it's not foggy) on McCloud Mountain;  I loved seeing the big Cross which is lit at nights --and can be enjoyed by folks in the valley below.



Neal and George --both with cameras in hand (of course)!!!! ha



More of the facilities on McCloud Mountain;  The views from these lodge rooms would be marvelous!



Some of the viewing areas near the restaurant and lodge



A view of the valley below (once the fog lifted);  Taken from the area pictured above --near the restaurant;




I told George that I wanted that house built on stilts hanging out over the edge of the cliff!!!!   (NOT REALLY!!! Ha)



A view from inside the restaurant (all decorated for the 4th of July--even though it was the 5th when we were there)



I loved this "Patriotic Tree" in the restaurant  --all decorated in colors of red/white/blue.



As the skies continued to clear,  we drove to see the Chimney Skyway.   By now the views were becoming better and better... 



This happy lady was thrilled to be here!



I was amazed seeing all of these natural  'chimneys'---32 of them altogether!  Some of these formations were between 100 and 250 feet high....  Isn't Nature just amazing?  



Oh--- those gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains!!!   AND--that handsome man enhances the views,  don't you think?



How creative is this deck rail????   Both Patti and I noticed this and were pleased to see them build it this way... Have you ever seen this done like this before?   I loved it.



We heard a train whistle in the distance from the Skywalk Overlook..   Once I spotted the train,  I pulled out my LONG lens and got a fairly good picture from WAY down in that gorge...



One more picture of our fantastic friends on a great day in Tennessee
Hope you enjoyed our pictures for this wonderful little Day Trip...  This would be an awesome place to visit ANYTIME of year --but especially in Autumn.... Hmmmm--maybe a trip back up there!!!!

Have an awesome week,  my Friends.

Hugs,