Cades Cove Jamming with Kendall and Joe's Marriage Proposal

Oct 8

One of the things I offer with my GSMNP marriage proposals is planning. Quite often, the couple is visiting the Smokies for the first time so while they can read every travel guide there is, they may not appreciate some of the details that we locals know about. Whether it’s a Rod Run happening in Pigeon Forge or a closure in the park, I consider it my job to help a determined, would-be proposer plan so as to avoid risks.

And so it was I had to tell Joe that it being the first weekend in October, he could plan on serious traffic around the area. Distances don’t tell the whole story - sure, it is 22 miles between Gatlinburg and Clingmans Dome, but that is along a two-lane, twisting, no passing zone mountain road with a speed limit of 35 mph. Get behind someone driving a fifth wheel and blithely ignoring the pull-outs, and, well . . . it will be slow going.

Joe cared only for one thing: that Kendall be happy with her proposal pictures because he loves her so much. That meant no “surprise-at-the-end-of-a-hike” sweatiness, so he arranged a plan that included a proposal at a gorgeous spot and dinner afterwards. Why dinner? Hello, that way Kendall is looking her best, of course. Smart guy, that Joe.

But a beautiful woman deserves a beautiful setting and Joe had seen the views from the Wildlife Overlook in Cades Cove. And truly, that is a wonderful spot. I warned Joe that there is a phenomenon called a “bear jam” that occurs in Cades, when someone spots a bear AND EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE IT, stopping cars or slowing down to a crawl. Timing for a Cades Cove proposal on a sunny afternoon in autumn is a hard call.

But, by gum - they did it!

And it was everything Joe wanted for his Kendall. Let’s have a look . . .