Whitewater Falls, or technically Upper Whitewater Falls, is a waterfall in North Carolina on the Whitewater River. It plunges 411 feet and it is not only the highest waterfall in the state, but is also asserted to be the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. This waterfall is a designated North Carolina Natural Heritage Area and is only accessible from U.S. Hwy. 64.  Most of the waterfall is of the tumbling or cascading nature.
 
There are two observation areas for these falls.  The Upper portion can be viewed by walking on the paved path to the top.  It is less than 1.4 mile and you have an excellent view of the falls.  The walkway begins at the end of the parking lot and is accessible to wheelchairs.
 
You may get a better view by taking the stairs (around 155 of them) down to the next platform. There is a small viewing area there. The safest views of the falls are from the two overlooks.

This beautiful Ukrainian Egg was designed by Sarah Trantham.  I stumbled upon her blog and fell in love with this wedding ring pattern and couldn’t wait to order one.

Sarah learned the art from the State Fair when she was ten and hand crafts each design.  She recently “hatched a plan” as she calls it, and with an open heart Sarah is on a mission.  “Eggs for Eggs” using her talents to glorify God.  She donates all proceeds from her Ukrainian Egg sales to World Vision where $25 will buy two chickens for a family in need.  And… Sarah is donating 100% of her proceeds. 

For more information about Sarah and her spectacular eggs, visit her blog, or her display at Dalton’s Christian Bookstore in Waynesville, NC .

I am so looking forward to my egg, and what a feeling to know that you are also helping someone else in the process.  Thank you so much, Sarah.  I look foward to your future designs.

http://eggsforeggs.blogspot.com

Cades cove is the most visited destination in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
 
Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the 1800's the valley was home to numerous settlers whose main source of income came from logging and farming.   This activity was leading to massive deforestation.
 
The U.S. government negotiated with the cove residents to buy their land during the process of buying land into what became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Most of the settlers were forced out by eminent domain, however. A few were able to stay for a nominal annual lease. The Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church even maintained a small congregation until the 1960s, and the last resident died in 1999.
On the advice of cultural experts, the modern structures were demolished leaving the pioneer structures.  Cades Cove is now an open air museum with a number of preserved historic buildings including log cabins, barns, and churches. Cades Cove is the single most frequented destination in the national park, leaving visitors with the impression they have seen something wonderful and wholesome.
 
Self-guided automobile and bicycle tours offer the many sightseers a glimpse into the way of life of old-time southern Appalachia.  The Cove is best seen via Cades Cove Loop Road, a one-way, 11 mile (17.7 kilometer) paved loop road around Cades Cove that draws thousands of visitors daily, and can take over two-four hours to traverse during heavy tourist seasons.
 
The cove draws such attention more so from its reputation for wildlife.  At sunrise and dusk, the valley floor is filled with deer.  More Black Bear are found here than any other location.