One of my favorite vacation spots is Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and nearby Pigeon Forge. There is something about vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains that feels like taking a deep, refreshing breath.

Although I don’t particularly enjoy the crowds found there during the Fall, the Smoky Mountains are wonderfully beautiful then. The brush stokes of yellow, orange, and red across the mountain trees just make one want to sit down in an old rocking chair and rest a while.

 In Pigeon Forge there is a picturesque restaurant called The Old Mill built inside an old water-powered gristmill on the bank of the Little Pigeon River. In the early 1800’s, the mill produced the flours, meals from corn and wheat, and even the electricity for the little town. One of The Old Mill’s most distinctive features is the giant water wheel that harnesses the flow of the Little Pigeon River. The Old Mill was created to produce for the people. Its flow and the harnessing of its power had distinctive purpose.

On Sunday, I reminisced about The Old Mill, it was as if I were there. In my mind’s eye, I could see the beautiful river flowing. I could feel the spray off the water as it tumbled along. I could hear the music of the moving water.  Read more...