The first old time photo op that comes to mind is Cade’s Cove deep in the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This little pioneer town is the perfect setting for some beautiful pictures any time of the year. It also gives a glimpse of what life was like back in the early 18th and 19th century. The 11 mile loop road has stops that include three churches, log cabins, a working grist mill, and barns. The surrounding mountains along with these structures leave this momma very camera happy and luckily dad and the little divas are usually very willing to stop and pose! Once we return home, I love to play with the settings on the photos and put them in black and white or sepia tones to make them look more like old time photos.
Another great stop is the water powered gristmill in the Old Mill Square. The wheel itself is hard to get up close to but we have been able to get some great shots from a nearby bridge with the mill in the background. I think it is hard for Jellybean and Peanut to fathom the concept that the wheel is still actually used to grind meal and flour. They think that these products just magically appear on store shelves for us to buy.
For some more comical photos, the outside yard décor at Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud is perfect. There are clothes hanging out to dry on a clothesline along with an outhouse and farm animals that give the feel of old time mountain life. I have captured some great smiles and laughs on my girls’ faces at this stop.
Don’t miss out on filling your memory books with photos from these great photo ops in Pigeon Forge!