I don't know why the leaf-peepers flock to Cades Cove to see "color." Sure, Cades is beautiful in its own right, but although it is smaller, Cataloochee Valley on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is better for Autumn foliage, in my opinion. And you are guaranteed to see the resident wildlife: the elk.

Provided, of course, that you go at the right time. The elk like to spend their time during the day and at night in the woods. They come to graze in the valley right at dawn and right at dusk. How long they spend before heading back to the woods depends on factors such as the time of year, the temperature, the availability of food, etc.

Since the only way into Cataloochee Valley is either via a long rutted, dirt road or a shorter, rutted dirt road, most tourists will come for the "sunset show" since they don't want to drive in the blackness of a pre-dawn morning along these roads. Fair enough - this leaves the sunrise for the photographers to come. Besides, in the morning you can get some nice mist. Yesssss . . .