Saturday morning we went BACK to Cades Cove. (Yes, we do go other places.) We decided to

hike up the Rich Mountain trail at the beginning of the loop road.

until we reached the John Oliver cabin. It was about a mile and a half walk.

John Oliver, his wife and two oldest children arrived in Cades Cove in 1821.  They were the first permanent white settlers in the cove. From their place, we walked down to the loop road

and back to where we had parked. Just in case you ever get the notion to do this same hike, it was an easy three mile loop.