Weekend Window: Smoky Mountains

July 8, 2007 — -- Spanning two states and with a rich history, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park holds some of the country's most beautiful vistas.

The park lies in North Carolina and Tennessee. It extends more than a half million acres, covered in dense, lush forest.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park actually got its name from the mist that rose from the mountains after rains in the summertime.

"With panoramic views that span high mountain tops, it's just a gorgeous area to visit," said park ranger Nancy Gray.

Park ranger Mike Meldrum said the park has 140 types of trees.

"Our patch represents everything that's here: The arrowhead represents the history; the trees represent all the vegetation," he said. "We have animals here -- bear, deer, salamander."

There are about 1,400 miles of streams in the park, Meldrum said.

"It's a good place to view waterfalls," he said. "Every waterfall holds something significant to it."

The park even holds several historic districts, including Cade's Cove.

"Cade's Cove is probably one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the park, for good reason," Gray said. "It's a 6,000-acre valley. Wildlife is a great opportunity to see in the valleys, as well as the historic structures that are maintained and preserved in those areas so people get a glimpse of what life was and how people settled in the area."

Meldrum said it is the type of place where visitors can go through the gate and leave behind their troubles.

"You go in and it's like you went back 150, 200 years," he said. "As you go through, you'll see bits and pieces of architecture that were very significant in Appalachia."

Visitors can see log cabins like John Oliver's first home and his second house, too.

"In Cades Cove, religion was the law; they didn't have a police force; they didn't have any type of law enforcement," Meldrum said. "It's a serene place. It definitely removes you from everyday life."