20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Never Too Old to Hike Appalachian Trail

this is shot in the great smokey mountains national park. my 84 year old mother and i go on a 10 day road trip to tennessee. we had never been. i plan the whole trip. we start out by visting relatives in little rock, ark. mom flies in from her home in kona, hi and i fly in from my home in phoenix, az. then we start our 10 day road trip to memphis, nashville, chattanooga, pigeon forge, gatlinburg, smokey mountain national park and grimsley. since the pandemic was still in full force and TN and AR had high numbers i took my lysol spray to spray down everything in the hotel rooms before i let mom in. we wore our mask indoors like museums, grand ole opry, and on bus tours and the like. we stop at serveral places in the park to hike and notice one section is park of the appalachian trail. now mom can say she hiked the appalachian trail at 84 years old. ( at least 200 feet of it with her cane!)

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.0021
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States of America
Camera: SM-G781U1
Copyright: © Wilda Payton