On your way to the Great Smoky Mountains, make sure to stop by the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg. Located in a dry county the distillery is the one and only place all JD is produced for world wide consumption. I recommend taking the tour and learning about Mr. Daniel's, the difference between Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon, the rotation (or lack thereof) of the barrels.

Forgot your tent? Sleeping bag? Bear maze? Time to equip yourself before heading into the park.

The Great Smoky Mountains are the most visited National Park in the US. But most visitors stay near the road and in the big campgrounds on the edge. A little bit of hiking through these beautiful mountains gets you away from the crowds fast. Stop by the visitor center to apply for a back country permit, pick a trail, and a remote campsite (takes 10 minutes).

Drop the car and start backpacking into the wild. The trails are narrow but easy to follow. Just make sure to fill up on water whenever you cross a creek. The higher you get the harder water is to find. And some campsites have no water within an hour hiking radius.

Row, row, row your boat....

Just don't forget to string up your food between the trees so the bears won't get to it.