Day 4. Kephart Shelter to Gatlinburg TN

<p>We probably should have taken more pictures of the strange destination of Gatlinburg TN but you'll have to do your own google search to see the marvel.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There are a million gimmicky shops and touristy entertainment options.&nbsp; Indoor mini-golf through a "circus", mini-golf on the side of the mountain,&nbsp; ripley's believe-it-or-not museum, ripley's aquarium, Guinness Book of World Records Museum,&nbsp; a shop consisting only of "smokey mountain trolls", another one for "knives, rifles, and airsoft guns, dune buggy rentals and on and on.&nbsp; And it's crowded!&nbsp; People everywhere wandering around with cars and motorcycles crusing back and forth.&nbsp;&nbsp; We were/are on sensory overload!&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>Back to the trail tomorrow and thankfully so!&nbsp; There's so many options to spend money in Gatlinburg.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Aside from our wanderings through town we had a great (short) day hiking.&nbsp; We split up this morning with Jon and Jamie opting to walk the 3.5 miles back directly back up the mountain on the "Sweat Heifer Trail".&nbsp; Laurens, Rachel and I took the more leisurely and moderately graded "Grassy Branch Trail" to rt 441.&nbsp;&nbsp; We waited barely 10 minutes for a hitch and they drove us the 25 miles into Gatlinburg.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We hopped on the road about 10 miles before Jamie and Jon were going to get there but as we were driving by we spotted them emerging from the trailhead and hollered at them as we cruised by.&nbsp; Unfortunately, our little car was full with 5 people and we couldn't fit anymore.&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon arrival in Gatlinburg we got sucked into the outfitters and Jamie and Jon ended up beating us to the Grand Prix Motel.&nbsp; We got a cozy little apartment for the night,&nbsp;&nbsp; bought some beers and did laundry.&nbsp;&nbsp; Our day would have been perfect if we had thought to ask about the best way to get to the grocery store.&nbsp; The AWOL guide had misinformation about a a store having resupply foods so after walking for 2 miles we gave up and stopped in a little roadside convenient store to resupply.&nbsp;&nbsp; Not the best options or prices and an unfortunate waste of our time and energy but all was made better with mexican food and margarita's.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>
We're back at the hotel WAY past hiker midnight and we've got to meet our shuttle at 7:30am.&nbsp; Tomorrow we are hiking over Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT. We wanted to make sure we had some time to hang out there and take in the view so we are skipping the all-you-can-eat  breakfast buffet so as to get on the trail early.  I did, for a few minutes, contemplate going down the street at 5am to the Donut Friar (best.name.ever), but the chances of that are slim.  I might even say non-existent.  Yet again I will not get my donut!   Some day I will get Donuts on the trail.    I'll go to sleep tonight dreaming of warm donuts with honey glaze.   Mmmm.