GSMNP - Mingus Mill and Mountain Farm Museum

We finally made it to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! After checking in at our campground in Cherokee (review in the next post) we headed on over to the Oconoluftee Visitor Center. There wasn't much to see in the visitor center itself, but they have a farm museum right out back that was pretty neat. The farm is a collection of historic log buildings gathered from throughout the Smoky Mountains and preserved on a single site. The house is in its original location and the other buildings include a barn, applehouse, springhouse, and smokehouse.   

Wayne really like the wooden gutters on the house and the ash hopper used for making lye for soap. I really liked the gourd birdhouses and the apple trees covered in caterpillars and lichens!

Our next stop was the Mingus Mill just a little ways down the road. It was built in 1886 and was the largest grist mill in the Smokies. It uses a water powered turbine instead of a water wheel to power the machinery in the building. We got there shortly before closing so that in addition to seeing it in operation we also got to see the miller shut it down for the day by climbing the ladder up to the 200 foot long wooden flume and diverting the water. From what we've seen so far, I would definitely recommend coming to the Smokies in April or May. There are no crowds and the weather has been cool in the mornings but it warms up quickly and all the spring wildflowers and flowering trees have made the forest so beautiful. I love the shape of the flowering dogwood against the other trees, but have found it impossible to capture in photographs. Any tips, anyone?