Smokies & Cherokee

On the ride back, it became evident that it truly WAS only March. It was quite cold when we took this picture with the Great Smokey Mountains as a backdrop. So we got back in the car and drove through Gatlinburg and finally, Cherokee. Cherokee was incredibly sad to us, . . . everything was run-down. Even the elementary school had a huge hole in the side due to its demolition. The Cherokee Indians, all dressed up on the side of the road, were desperately trying to get the few tourists to come and listen to their stories. Meanwhile, paint was peeling, buildings were vacant and the only thing open and beautiful, . . . was the casino. Cherokee: a perfect example of what we have done to the Native Americans of this country. It was very sad. That being said, the casino restaurant was very nice. And it was there that we realized that we truly had small-town children when they got excited riding the escalator (and wanted to ride on it multiple times)!