A last minute trip to Ohio to visit my daughter, Krista, at college resulted in a Tennessee stopover to see my sister and her family.

There are so many places that are stunningly beautiful in this world, and Tennessee ranks right up there.

The Smoky Mountains are less than a hop and a skip from my sister’s house but even outside of the mountain ranges there are endless trails and wondrous hikes.

On a rainy Friday in late October we stumbled across these gems, and I couldn’t resist taking a picture.