Fall Creek Falls

For our first anniversary, Matt surprised me with a weekend hiking trip in SouthEast Tennessee. I knew we were going somewhere, I just didn't know where. I was pleasantly surprised when we ended up at Fall Creek Falls, a beautiful hiking spot just a couple of hours from Nashville.

Matt and I spent the full day hiking. First we took a long hike to the falls and back. This hike was moderate to difficult. It was very rewarding to dip our feet in the falls after the long hike. Afterwards, we hiked an easier trail to cool down. I think it was about 5 miles long, but it was pretty flat. It started drizzling towards the end, so we finished up just in time.

We went back to our quaint little bed and breakfast to shower before heading out for dinner. There are about three restaurants nearby: a Mexican place, the state park cafeteria, and this local Southern joint, the Pig 'N Catch. This restaurant was awesome. We ate fried catfish and pulled pork, sweet potato fries and hushpuppies. I made the mistake of wearing a sundress, and I stuck out like a sore thumb. The locals looked at me like I was crazy for dressing up for the Pig 'N Catch...haha.

Back to the Bed & Breakfast...it was adorable and a great deal for the money. It was located super close to the falls, which was very convenient. We had the Ruby Belle Room, a clean and charming retreat. The breakfast was really nice, but very simple. The main dish was a sausage strata. The owners were a cute couple who seem to really love what they do. They were welcoming without intruding on our privacy. In general, I prefer hotels just because I like my privacy, but occasionally staying at a country bed and breakfast is really nice.

On our way home, we stopped at the Cumberland Caverns. We walked through the narrow passages of the cave, looking at stalagtites and stalagmites (I still can't tell you which one is which) and a small waterfall. At the end of the tour, there was an optional "Christian Light Show". Now, I am a Christian, but I found this very, very strange. It was basically the creation story, told from the voice of a scary old man. Meanwhile, colored lights were displayed on rocks, with thunder sounds in the background. It was just a strange and random finish to a cave tour.

I realized that I am not a big fan of caves. They just aren't that interesting to me. It was a nice little detour, but I wouldn't go back.



After this trip, Matt and I decided that we'd make it a tradition to take turns surprising each other with mini-getaways for our anniversaries.