I waited in the dark and cold of morning for the first rays of sunrise to spill across the valley of Cades Cove. I could feel the allure of this beautiful valley nestled securely within the protection of the Appalachian Mountains. I felt like an honored guest in someone’s house as I traipsed amongst the architectural remnants of the settlers who had once called this paradise home. To awake each morning shrouded in mountain mist and witness the beauty of this great land would surely have been a treasured gift.
