It was a cold, wet and dreary October 14th when 38 of your fellow Illinois Club members set out to tour Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains.  We were hoping to experience the legendary fall colors of our region, along with learning the "Cades Cove Story," but the weather (and the trees) refused to cooperate with our activity coordinator (we thought she had more "influence" then that). 

Two shuttle buses (each with it's own tour guide) kept us out of the rain while navigating the 11 mile loup through the cove.  Our tour guides were well informed and shared stories they have gotten from talking with descendants of the original cove residents and from reading numerous books about the area.  Even if you had already been through the cove, the many personalized tales brought the homesteads and the area to life in a way you won't get from just driving through on your own. 

We hope you will enjoy the photos.

Photos to the right shows some of us literally "trudging" up the wet driveway to the Methodist Church which offered us shelter from the rain. 

Once everyone was settled in the wooden church pews, one of the tour guides shared stories of the struggles and joys that filled the lives of the many inhabitants of the valley. A number of other tourists joined our group to listen to the tales and ask questions about the area and the inhabitants.

Stones in the adjoining cemetary document the family names you see and hear throughout the tour.

At right, Illinois Club members wait for the shuttle to pick them up for the second half of the loop tour.

Below, the "inhabitants" from one of the buses gathers at the tour office before leaving to enjoy lunch in Townsend.

There are many more photos yet to view - don't stop looking yet !