In Summer 2000, I went to Lake Erie and The Great Smoky Mountain with some of my friends. I have described that trip here. I hope you will enjoy.

Starting our trip
It was a trip to Lake Erie in Pennsylvania and then to Smoky mountain in Tennessee. We had to finish the tour within two days. A van was hired for 48 hrs, from Saturday 7:00 am to Monday 7:00 am. We had many things to see in a short time. A very quick tour with a very tight schedule. We bought some dry food and soft drinks, took a camera, selected some audio cassettes. Jasim, one of my friends, now in Virginia in his job arrived in time to join us. 

Our first goal was Lake Erie. We started from Dayton at  8:00am. Ohio and Pennsylvania are side by side. Still it took almost 5 hrs to reach the city Erie where the lake is. We stopped there to have our launch in a restaurant. The way to the lake was not much of enjoying. Plain cultivated land was what we saw most of the time. Still we made it great with music and sometimes making fun, sometimes overtaking other vehicles. Our van was running in 80 to 90 miles speed. Whereas the limit was 65! We had to keep a careful eye on police. This always happens, specially with boys in such a trip. Moreover everybody was feeling relaxed as it was a long weekend. 

First to Lake Erie
We reached the lake at 1:30m pm. There was an isle. Growing from the main land it extended a few miles inside the lake. That isle had roads and beach of course. We were following that road and viewing the lake, its beach in both sides. Not the whole beach was suitable for tourists. There were only several spots for sunbath. We choose a good one. It was full noon. The beach was busy. People were wearing colorful cloths. Kites of different shapes, size and colors were flying on the beach. Some kites had several stings. You have to be strong enough to make them fly. The beach is always windy. We captured several snaps there. Some of us were so enthusiastic that they put off their shoes, to walk on naked feet in water near the beach. Some were playing sand volleyball. Children were digging up sand. This was a game. They dug up sand and soon the hole was filled with water which they liked to see. We pulled over and again continued going along the isle to find something more attracting. By the road there was a footpath. Boys, girls  were skiing there. I saw some tri cycle bikes. Father was in the front seat, in the back was his little daughter. Two tiny legs of the daughter are giving support to her father. We continued going and stopped near a stoppage for cargo. These cargos were for river cruise. We hired one. It was a 2 hrs cruise. There was a guide describing all could be seen on the beach. The only notable thing happened there was that Jasim almost totally got wet. It happened suddenly when a high wave jumped into our boat. We saw a man gliding over the water. He was going far into the water and coming back again. It was a bold and tricky task to do. Bold because he could fall in deep lake at any time. In that case he had to float there alone till rescue boat would arrive. Tricky because the wind was in the same direction. Still he managed to come back. He did it controlling the glider with its two strings which were captured by his hands firmly. Time passed very fast. We came back to land. River cruise ended. It was time to come back home. 

Returning from Lake Erie

Instead of hiring a motel we decided to come back because smoky mountain was in the opposite. Again our one friend had a chance to join us. He was on an interview in California that day and supposed to return before we halt at home. On our return way we got a ticket for speeding. It was night. Our target was to come back as early as possible at around 12:00am. It happened near the Ohio and Pennsylvania border. The highway patrol police was hiding in the dark of the gap between left and right way. This is a good position for them to catch people who over speed. Hasan vai was driving. He is a good driver. The speed was 75 which is legal as the limit was 65. 10 more is tolerable. In this situation he was trying to overtake another slow vehicle ahead. The speed increased to 85. But who knew there was a police hiding in the dark that time. He scanned us, detected the speed and soon was after our van making a loud siren with high flush light. Hasan vai pulled his gear back and stopped. Our joyous mood withered within moments. The police approached our vehicle with a torch light focused toward us, searching for the driver who was guilty of breaking the law. We were waiting silently with fear for his coming. At last he reached us and found the driver. Hasan vai opened his window, 

"I am sorry, sir." - very politely.
"Your driving license and registration pls".- very calmly. 
"I am sorry." - even more politely.
"It was 85, where the limit is 65. A clear excitation. Your
driving license and registration pls."

We were sealed with a $90 ticket after this happened, in the rest of our tour we never speeded over 75). Our mood was off. No music, no fun. Everybody was silent. Hasan vai himself broke the silence. "Why you are off, start the cassette player." Everyone started making fun again. We reached home at 1:30pm. 12:00pm was our target. Ok, it was not much of a matter. But we did not have enough time. We had to wake up at 5:00am. Jasim was supposed to drive in the next day. He went to bed with no delay. Me and Salam, our another friend, spent half an hour to prepare breakfast for the next day morning. Arif was back to home. He was ready to accompany us. 

Tour to The Great Smoky Mountain
It was 6:00am when we started for The Great Smoky Mountain. We had to cross three states Ohio, Cincinnati and Kentucky to reach Gatlinburg a city of Tennessee where the mountain is. This time the highway was beautiful. After crossing Ohio border end we saw hills all through the way. Those were mostly stone hills. Road were built cutting stone. It was smooth. Again the mountains were covered with a thick layer of soil to let green trees grow over. Huge rush of green as far as eyes could see. Extending up and down just below the cloud. The road and its surrounding were sometimes a little foggy. Trees in the far disappeared in that fog. Sometimes clear sunlight were coming through the clouds. The game of sun and cloud over the green hills was so fascinating. 

At 1:00pm we reached Gatlinburg city leaving the city Pegion forge just behind. These two cities are on the feet of the Smoky mountain. They are very busy cities and crowded mostly with tourists. There are lots of parks with verities of recreational arrangements inside - swimming pool, merry-go-round, dragon show atrium, water tunnel, free fall stage, etc. They were really cities with fun and fantasies. Everything was very colorful to attract the tourists. The most attracting thing was cable car also known was ropeway car. We  planned to ride on it on return way. Soon the road came out of the city. It was under the open sky and now the great mountains were clearly visible. Standing in front of us. We all jumped into pleasure. The whole range of green mountains, extended their heads into the sky. Now our goal was the mountain area which was just within minutes' drive. The road was very busy. All the cars were slowly heading to the mountains. Smoky is not a single mountain, it's a group of mountains. You can enter into it from different sides. That is why cars were dividing into different roads. We were following one road shown in the map. The map was always with us. Very soon we found ourselves in a narrow sloppy road through the woods. We have entered into the mountain area. The sound of the city was gone. The surrounding was very calm. There were cars in front and behind of us. Nobody was in a hurry. All were running slowly, gazing on the deep green nature beside them. They did not want to miss a bit of the silent beauty. Complete silence. There was only sound from spring water falling down the canal somewhere. We were passing a real great moment. The mountain was of hundred percent solid stone. The road was built removing stones from the mountain surface. It was slowly going high round the mountain. It has continued up to the highest peak at 6,643
feet. Sometimes the mountain was very steep. We had to be careful all the time. We saw trail of cars coming up through the woods hundreds of
feet below. Sometimes roads were turning to stone tunnels going through the mountain. A tremendous effort had been given to build these roads. The construction started in 1934. The mountains were covering almost 5.5 lakh acres land. It needed $12 million that time to purchase the
mountain lands which were under private ownership. The money of land purchase came as donation in the range from pennies to thousands of dollars from children as well as rich person like Rockefeller. The roads and tourists spots were built by the Government. Since then it had been preserved with the name "The Great Smoky Mountain National Park". It was a big surprise how the trees evolved to survive here. I have seen pines, maples and others I don't know. As we went higher I got the answer. The climate is wet almost all through the year. The wind has carried and dumped dusts over the mountain. The surface of the stone has smashed into soils. Consequently a soil layer of significant height has developed. Enough to support lives. But some trees are really very surviving. They were standing just over naked stone to make me fool. I felt easy to decide that their roots were in the very depth. We rised high at 5000 feet. On the way to this height we stopped in several sites. These sites are placed so that other mountains can be easily seen from there. We saw clouds touching the highest point of the mountain. One site was near a spring falling down through big round stones. The water was very clean. Water had been stored in some places of four to five feet depth. I saw some people taking bath there. "Bath into spring water" - something that is worth saying to others. There was a bridge over the spring. The source of the spring was at the top of the mountain. There was a trail of 2 hours hiking. The trail had started with that bridge. It would take you at the top where the spring had originated. We stopped in some other sites to see the surrounding scenery. Gaps between the steep mountains were very deep. You will shrink to look at that, still will feel great to see the green woods there. Soon we reached a site, Newfound Gap. Tourists were taking rest here. This site has a monument in memory of those who had contributions in building this National Park. Here we found the way going to the top. The top of the mountain is named as "Klingsman's Dome". Everybody was eager to go there. They wanted to touch the cloud. It took half an hour to reach there. Now it was the most beautiful place.
            A small parking lot was on top there. Tourists have gathered there. Everyone is busy at sight seeing. Capturing photo. Clouds were falling down and coming up in the open gap between the mountains. It was happening just beside us. Again trees were there. Around the parking lot people
were sitting calmly to see the mountains in the far below. We saw other roads going round other mountains. Cars were running slowly one after another to reach the other mountain top like ours. It was still half a mile walk to the Klansman's Dome. We followed the trail. This trail always had people going to the dome and coming back from there. The dome was built at the highest point of the mountain. It was difficult to walk. The trail was steep. I saw many taking rest in the half way. It took twenty minutes to reach there. The dome was a open place built on a long concrete column. We got on the top there along the stairs. Now we were in clouds. Clouds were sweeping through us. I captured a photo of myself touching the cloud. We stayed there sometime. It was impossible to stay long as we were getting wet. So we came back to the parking lot. Spent sometime there capturing photos. So that was our tour in Smoky Mountain.

Fun again
            On the return way, we halted in Gatlinburg city to ride on ropeway. That was again a real fun. Before riding my first interest was to see how it moves on the rope. Soon we saw one tram in the far coming toward the station we were waiting. Someone went to the counter to buy tickets for all of us. The tram reached the station after a while. It had wheels that move round on the rope. The tram was hanging from the wheel with two strong thick bars of steel. Two motors attached with these two bars were moving the wheels round. The rope was extended over several hills. Each hill top had a tower to tie the rope. There was an island on the other end of the ropeway. That was also a mountain peak. The tram was going to carry us to that island. Again we were in the high. It was afternoon then. The sun was about to set. Mountains were below us. Some mountains had bang lore on their tops. They looked like palace. The tram dropped us into the island. The island of course is isolated. There were only green mountains around it. It was a park cum shopping center. There were two three casinos, a ice ski stadium, water tunnel, free fall stage - verities of recreations. Jasim bought a CD of screen savers. It was on beautiful scenes from the smoky mountains. We saw bears there. I have not told so far. The jungle of smoky mountain has bears, deers and some other rare species. Of course they are small in numbers. We have seen none in open
eyes. We spent some time. When we were coming back to the city by another tram it was night already. Once again we were in the high. We could see the whole city from far above. The city had been merged in flush of light. Red, yellow, blue lights flooded it. Hundreds of cars were entering into and going out through roads connected with it. The city was looking like a crystal. We came back to the city. After a while headed for home. 

Back to home

In our return way, we stopped in Kentucky to have our dinner in a restaurant. It was 1:30 am then. We reached home at 5:00pm. Hasan vai read the mileage. We had driven 2200 miles in 48 hours !!! Happy home coming. Everybody was tired and fell asleep almost immediately.