Side Trip Fun on Smoky Mountains Spring Break Trips

During the 1990s and into the early 2000s I was fortunate to lead several teen trips to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over spring break. Making these trips possible and successful were friends who volunteered their time and helped immensely with various aspects of the venture such as connecting with the campers, driving, preparing meals, etc. The trips usually took place near the end of March or early April so the weather could be a little "iffy" (i.e., cool and rainy). We'd typically take an afternoon during the week to explore the nearby resort town of Gatlinburg, TN. A funny thing we discovered on one excursion were the little wedding chapels that dotted the town. Of course we had to check them out! The photos feature Steve who volunteered on the 1995 and 2003 trips. With Steve in the first photo is Jon and in the second is Brooks. They fixed up the little chapel nicely since our initial visit.