Bears, bears and more bears. There are plenty of them making themselves at home in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as if they were here first or something. So being in the area for a few days during our American vacation from global volunteering, we spy on as many of them as we can. We’d already spotted quite a few of them on the previous day’s outing to Cades Cove, but we decided to bear down and do it again.

We’ve been visiting relatives in the area of Knoxville, the original capital of Tennessee. It’s the home of the University Of Tennessee and the powerhouse of power, the Tennessee Valley Authority. It hosted the 1982 World’s Fair, from which the quirky Sunsphere, resembling a basketball trophy, still looms above the skyline. Folks in these parts have a reputation for friendliness and hospitality. From what we can see, some of them are even so generous as to contribute to the relief of poor beleaguered billionaires. Not to mention the struggling economy of China.

Before we set our bearings for the bears, we drop in, along with the rest of the family, at a local school for a dance recital. Our great niece Ruby is part of the ensemble, a group of girls performing a hula-ish routine to the music of Moana. Maybe we’re biased, but we think she’s pretty dang good; for whatever reason, she is placed in the back row, but she’s definitely front row material.

In the afternoon it’s off into the woods we frolic again, another day of bear-seeing even more crowded than the day before. Not crowded with bears, though there are quite a few. Crowded with bear peepers and their vehicles. And apparently not all the drivers are on their best behavior, as we notice one of them being issued a sobriety test by park rangers. Still, it’s worth putting up with all the humanity for the critters; today we spot even more cubs than yesterday.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles Tennessee and North Carolina, encompasses more than half a million acres of forests, mountains, streams, flora and fauna. In some parts of the park you can see elk; the black bears are all over the place, and they have no reservations about wandering across the road, even during one of the frequent traffic jams. The park is also a short commute from the popular Tennessee vacation destinations of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. (You’ve no doubt heard of Dollywood. We have no idea if it’s worthwhile, but there are plenty of other things that are. such as the alpine roller coaster and one of only a handful of places in the whole world to go zorbing.)

We’re happy to see that the highest peak in the park (6643 feet), which we’ve explored on a previous visit, has been restored to its original name of Kuwohi, at the request of the Cherokee nation. It was previously known for many years as Clingman’s Dome, in honor of — drumroll — a Confederate general. Its Native moniker suits it much better; but we fear it’s only a matter of time until someone decides the restoration was too “woke”, and the mountain is renamed after a slave ship or something.

As you might guess, the Smokies have some fantastic hiking trails — though of course you need to be alert about those aforementioned ursines. (We’re not going to make the silly joke that you should carry pepper spray, because the bears prefer their meals spicy. Fact is, they don’t bother you if you respect them.) And one thing you just might run into is some gorgeous streams, and maybe even a waterfall or two. If you’re into extreme sports, there are places where you can fight the rapids in a canoe, and there’s a better than even chance you’ll take a spill in doing it.

All told, this national park is a great place to get lost, literally and figuratively. Guess we’ll have to schedule more visits in the future. With more than 500,000 acres left to see, it will definitely bear repeat visits.

Events occurred: 5/2-4/2025