See Cades Cove in comfort of tour bus
By Scott Brooks
Driving the loop in Cades Cove can be an exercise in patience,
especially during the height of the season when traffic is at its worst.But there is an alternative where you can leave the driving to someone else and learn more than you ever knew about the history of the Smokies.
Cades Cove Heritage Tours offers daily excursions through the loop on a 19-passenger tour bus.
“The whole point is to provide an alternative that makes the experience much more relaxing and educational,” said manager Alex Roche.
Tours began in Oct. 2008 and Roche is expecting this to be a big year, especially during the peak tourist season.
Each bus has a trained guide who shares a wealth of experience about the National Park and the history of Cades Cove.
“We have quite a bank of facts, stories and history,” Roche said.
There is so much information that the company is starting three new specialty tours for 2009.
Visitors can learn more about the families that lived and died in the area on the Cemeteries of Cades Cove tour.
“You’ll learn about these incredible people and visit many of the 13 known cemeteries in the area, many of which have been hidden from public view,” said Roche.
A new tour especially for spring wildflower season is the Daffodils Tour.
Running from March through May, the excursion will share the significance of daffodils blooming around the cove.
“Usually when you see a patch of these flowers, it marks an old homestead,” Roche said. “We’ll teach people how to interpret these locations.”
Another new tour will focus specifically on the ecological heritage. The Natural Wonders tour includes a look at the flora and fauna of the area.
The specialty tours will be spread out into the regular schedule, which will remain heavily focused on the Heritage Tour, a comprehensive look at Cades Cove and the people who lived in the Smoky Mountains.
Roche said popularity of the tours is steadily increasing, so reservations are recommended.
Visitors can now book their tours, both individual and group, on line as well as by phone. Tours can also be booked at the Visitors’ Center in Townsend.
The buses run year-round, but peak season is May through October.
Individual tickets for any of the tours are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $10 for children.
For more information and to book a tour, visit the Web site at www.cadescoveheritagetours.org or call (865) 448-8838.
