The first weekend of fall is such a great time to hike some trails and visit some local establishments for an easy relaxing inexpensive day trip. We hiked, shopped, bought ribs from a food cart, shopped at a community farm market, visited family and then stopped for a refreshing loaded tea all in Southeast Tennessee. Polk County is where we found our fun activities.
My wife and I began our day trip around 8 a.m. The weather was clear, cool and sunny. We started our day by traveling to McCamey Lake. It was a cool 55 degrees. There are lots of camping sites available with restroom facilities that are very clean that come with shower stalls. There were also many picnic tables available around the lake. We decided to hike to Benton Falls. The trail was fairly wide and was a pretty easy hike. There were several areas with slick and rocky terrain. The trail really doesn’t get steep until you make it to the falls. There are stone steps leading to the peaceful spot. We spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and enjoying one of Polk County’s hidden treasures. The climb back up was challenging but wasn’t too bad. We stopped at several spots on the way down the mountain to take pictures and take in the majestic views offered by the Cherokee National Forest.
We then stopped at The Ocoee River Inn. The Ocoee River Inn has cabins to rent and they have white water rafting trips scheduled every day from March through October. The gift shop had tons of shirts, water sports gear and other collectibles.
Our next stop was at the corner of Highway 64 and Parksville Road. Big Mike’s BBQ caught our eye when we were on our way to Benton Falls. We ordered a slab of ribs and a pulled pork sandwich plate. The pulled pork sandwich was topped with hot slaw and served with baked beans. It was huge and so tasty!!! The meat on the ribs was so tender that it just fell off the bone. Big Mike’s was very reasonable and their family was so friendly with their service. They are open only on Saturday and Sunday until the end of October.
Our next stop was made to the Delano Community Market. The market is owned and ran by the Mennonite family. They have fresh vegetables, fresh baked goods, and several canned items in Mason jars. You’ll need to get there early. We specifically went to get tomatoes and our arrival time was close to noon. There were only 2 tomatoes left when we got there. We walked away with those 2 tomatoes and several sweet potatoes. We made our way to Steward Farms to visit with family and friends.
Our last stop was made at Ocoee Nutrition in Ocoee, TN. They specialize in energy teas and meal replacement shakes. They are low in calories, tasty and reasonable in price. This was the perfect ending to a perfect day trip!
If you happen to need a place to get away, try Polk County Tennessee. I didn’t even get to try the rafting, tubing, fishing, kayaking and other water sports offered in Reliance. I’ll be visiting this area soon.
If you visit these places, tell me about your experience. I’d love to hear about your trips. Enjoy this fall weather!
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
