a taste of moonshine

Our 'to do list' on our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was to bike, hike and horseback ride.  However, as I had mentioned on my last post, all of our plans had come to a halt when the government partially shutdown.  We hadn't really planned to do much in town, just adventure in the mountains hoping to find a bear.  Okay, maybe not a bear, but at least a good adventure.

On our first day we headed into the town of Gatlinburg.  We wandered the streets aimlessly to get a little time outside of the cabin.  After lunch, we stood above the Moonshine Distillery as we listened to a live bluegrass band.  Old folks generations behind us sat in their rocking chairs below us listening to the bluegrass guitars, mandolin and the banjo play.  That was when I realized that southern folk are simple people.  The south was once (and still is in some locations) a simpler time.  Times have surely changed, but it put some things in perspective.  I'll let you ponder that thought.

After we listened for awhile, we headed down to the Moonshine Distillery and to Joe's delight they had free 'moonshine' (whiskey) tasting.  Flavors ranged from: Blueberry, Peach, Strawberry, Pink Lemonade, Lemon Drop, Cinnamon, Mudd (tasted like a tootsie roll), Wild Fire, Salted Caramel, Moonshine Cherries, Tennessee Whiskey, Original Moonshine, Apple, Blackberry, Grape, Hunch Punch.  I tried a few and I think the Mudd was my favorite.  We walked out with the original moonshine to take home with us.

Part 1: a trip to the great smokey mountains.  well sort of.