There are some places that you go and say, "been there, done that, mark that off the list" (like last year's trek up Mount LeConte). And then there are other places that you keep going back to, places you cannot get enough of, places that are comfortable and peaceful, a place to get away from it all...
The Elkmont area of the Smokies is like that for us. We have been going there for at least 20 years to camp, picnic, hike. It is a beautiful place to be, with the Little River flowing by over big round rocks, campsites scattered along its banks.
The area is rich in history, and every time we go, we find something new to explore, old homeplaces, cemeteries, roads, trails.
These steps lead up to the old Wonderland Hotel, a remnant of an earlier time when this was a resort area, back before there was a Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The building was on a hill looking down on the Little River, with a view of the Smokies in the distance from the rockers on the big front porch.
The Wonderland has been in bad disrepair for a long time, its ultimate fate being decided by lawyers and the government. The decision was finally made to remove what was left of the old wood frame building, after fire and time had made it beyond repair.
This is all that remains of the old hotel, in operation from 1912 - 1992, demolished 2006. The area will go back to nature, but the fireplace and steps will remain for a long time, for future generations to discover and learn about.
