After entering Tennessee, we left the interstate and followed the back roads for the last part of our journey. When we arrived at Natural Tunnel State Park, the office was closed, so we made our way to the familiar campsite that we had stayed in a little over two years ago. We enjoyed the site so much the last time that we intentionally booked this trip when we were able to get this particular campsite. Some of the park’s activities were closed due to the pandemic, the chairlift (it is open Friday through Monday), the cave tours, and all of the guided activities.

We settled in quickly, happy to see that our five-month hiatus from camping didn’t dull our abilities with an efficient and quick camp set up. It had been a long trip, so we decided to just take it easy for the evening. Chris made burritos over the campfire, and we enjoyed the beautiful post-rain colors of the sky.

Excited by the prospect of a possible Neowise sighting, I looked up where to find it. We were finally somewhere dark enough to get a good view of the sky, but the timing was off. The information I had said to look to the northwest sky, but it was much smaller now than it had been earlier in the month. There was a good possibility we would not be able to see it, but I was still willing to give it a shot. My research indicated that it would possibly be visible between 10:15 and 1:00. I pulled out the tripod around ten and looked up tips for taking sky photos at night. I was ready to go, but a few minutes later, the clouds moved in, blocking most of the sky. While I didn’t get to see the comet, the clouds made the most spectacular pattern above us.

We woke very early the next morning. We wanted to have a good breakfast and get to the Devil’s Bathtub trail before it was too crowded. I cooked bacon and eggs over the fire. We enjoyed our breakfast with coffee as the fog around us slowly lifted. An ant attempting to carry a moth wing to his nest entertained us. 

After breakfast, we drove the back roads, arriving at our destination in about half an hour. The last time we did this hike, we were in a low to the ground Grand Am. We had to park along the road because we couldn’t navigate the treacherous terrain leading to the parking lot. This time we were in a 4Runner. I am brand new to the whole off-roading thing. In the worst spot, with two giant craters, one on each side of the road, we slipped a little in the mud. We put it into four-wheel drive and were successfully able to make it to the parking lot. If I had more experience with that type of driving, I would have made it up without any problem.

Making it to the parking lot was great as it cut out a quarter-mile of walking uphill. We checked to make sure we had everything we needed, bug spray, camera, water, hiking sandals, and my trekking pole, and climbed the steps to the trail. The fog had lifted entirely, and it was a beautiful day for a hike. We took our time, enjoying the walk and all that nature has to offer. There were plenty of mushrooms everywhere. I was so happy to see the red-spotted, bright orange young newts again this trip. I thought they might only be around in the spring.

The last time we did this hike, we made it almost to the bathtub before seeing anyone else. This time the trail was much more crowded. When we heard other hikers coming, we darted off the path until they passed. We ended up seeing some mushrooms and flowers that we would have otherwise missed this way. Most people were pretty respectful of our distancing efforts. If we couldn’t find a spot to hop off the trail, we pulled our masks up until people passed. I was a little disturbed that some people felt the need to make fun of us for this.

The last time we were here, it was late spring, with high water levels. I accidentally left my trekking pole in the car, so I had to carefully navigate my way through the deep, rushing water over unsteady rocks. With the lower water level and the third point of contact from the pole, the ten streams were much easier to navigate.

After our very slow mile and a half journey, we finally arrived at a beautiful turquoise swimming hole. I remember crossing the stream at this swimming hole the last time we were here and climbing an embankment to continue on the trail. There was a rope to help with the climb. That rope was no longer there, so we weren’t sure how to proceed. I soon realized that we could walk across the rocks on the other side of the swimming hole to get to the bathtub. The last time we were here, those rocks were completely underwater.

We carefully made our way around the crowd at the swimming hole and climbed up and over the rocks. We found a path through the stream that brought us safely to the Devil’s Bathtub. The bathtub is an oval hole in the rocks, probably about six feet by ten feet, filled with crystal clear water with a turquoise tint. A waterfall feeds into one end, and the stream flows out the other. The hole resembles a tub and looks to be about 12-feet deep. It is gorgeous. Unfortunately, most people stop at the swimming hole and miss out on the beauty of the bathtub, even though it is so close.

I was so happy that we decided to return. When we were here before, the volume of water flowing through the rocks completely hid this wonder. As we made our way back to the truck, it started to rain, and we could hear the distant rumble of thunder. The rain lasted just long enough to cool us down.

We headed back to Natural Tunnel, stopping at Hob-Nob Drive-In for a delicious lunch. We were famished, so we ate our cheesy tots and took the rest back to our campsite. We planned to hike down to the backside of the tunnel after lunch. As we ate, a thunderstorm rolled in, so we hung out in the truck until it passed. On the map, the trail looked to be a little over a mile. It was much shorter to get to the tunnel, which was nice as the return hike was very steep.

We checked the weather and saw that rain was forecast for 8:00 the next morning. We decided to call it a night and get an early start so we wouldn’t be breaking camp in the rain. When we made our last trip to the bathroom for the night, we discovered an adorable little black snake peeking out of the rainspout. I slept very well. We opened the rainfly up so the tent wouldn’t be so stuffy. It was just chilly enough for me to want the sleeping bag. Chris kept vigil most of the night, listening to the bugs disappear, one by one, as a possum ate them next to our tent.

In the morning, we quickly packed up and were on the road before the rain started. The mountains were spectacular, with the low-lying clouds clinging to them.

When we got to Buchanan, we took a detour to a waterfall that we have attempted to visit twice before. The first time was February last year. The plan was to hike to the waterfall and then climb Flat Top and Sharp Top mountains. Unfortunately, the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed due to the bad weather. This past January, we drove down the Parkway, stopping at several waterfalls along the way. We spent a lot of time driving on little back roads, finding some waterfalls, while others we never saw. By the time we got to Otter Falls, we were too tired to continue to Falling Water Cascades.

The trail to the waterfall is rather steep and rocky, but beautiful with the glimpses of mountains you catch along the way. The route we took brought us to the top of the waterfall, where a bridge takes you over the creek. The trail then follows the flow of water as it streams down the mountain before crossing again and then heading back to the parking lot. The total hike is less than a mile and a half, but it is an intense workout. Near the end of the trail, we rounded a bend and saw a beautiful deer, only about five or six feet off the trail. Chris has a sharp eye; I would have walked by her and completely missed her had he not stopped to point her out.

We stopped at the Peaks of Otter hotel to use the facilities. They had the loveliest lavender garden, full of a variety of different butterflies, several types of bees, and even a hummingbird hawk moth, which was a first for me. After spending a few minutes enjoying the garden, we got back on the road. Our timing was perfect. Just as we neared the bottom of the mountain, another massive but short-lived thunderstorm erupted.

We stopped briefly for gas. There was a Popeye’s at the exit, so we thought we would check out the chicken sandwich that we have heard so much about. It was a decent sandwich but did not live up to the hype. As we continued our drive, we could see a storm in the distance with a torrential downpour. The sheets of rain appeared to be falling sideways. We drove right into it, but luckily only caught a corner of it. Most of the storm stayed just a little south of us, making for a much more comfortable trip.

Cost of trip – 3 1/4 tanks of gas $80, camping $79, firewood $6.