NewsBreak Original

Right inside of the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park just after the Oconaluftee Visitors Center in Cherokee is a historic grist mill from the 1800’s that is still functional to this day.

Everyone knows the Cades Cove Loop Trail. It is one of the most popular scenic drives in the Great Smoky Mountains. But if you are looking for a lesser-known but still beautiful scenic mountain drive with all the overlooks, historic structures, waterfalls, and sites, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is just for you! It is a 5.5 mile one-way scenic drive right on the edge of Gatlinburg, with all of the beauty and a portion of the crowds. It also provides access to some of the most popular spots in the Smokies, like Grotto Falls and Rainbow Falls, the highest single drop waterfall in the Smokies. If you are looking for something free to do in the Smokies this is a great place to see nature and possibly spot a few black bears like we did.

On November 24, 1983, Thanksgiving night, a Cessna 414 was flying from West Chicago to the Jackson County Airport in Sylva, North Carolina. On board the plane were pilot Ernest Martin, and passenger, Centa Jarrett. The plane crashed into the mountain at around 6,000 feet. Both the pilot and passenger died upon impact. The probable cause of the crash was determined to be due to low visibility from low lying clouds and precipitation. The pilot was either unaware or unconcerned of the weather that awaited him. As a matter of fact, he did not file a flight plan that is required for weather conditions such as what they experienced. Additionally, the FAA found a blood alcohol level of .04%. The wreckage was uncovered by Civil Air Patrol members a week later near the summit of Waterrock Knob. Much of the Cessna 414 is still up there on the mountain. The plane could have made it over the mountain if it had just been about 150 feet higher. It is equally eerie and interesting to see the sight.