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Wednesday–April 21, 2021
Trail Day–061
Trail Mile–0.00/621.6
Location–Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap, Lodge of Legends, Renee & Tim Faith, owners, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, AT Mile 207.7
Today will be a day of rest. Plans were to arrive Newfound Gap this morning, not yesterday evening. But,
due to shelter spacing in the park, plus restrictions prohibiting random off-trail camping, we ended up hiking a longer than expected day Monday–in order to reach Siler’s Bald Shelter yesterday, where tent camping is permitted. Consequently, that gave us the option/opportunity to hike on through to Newfound Gap yesterday evening. And so, for the zero-mile day today here at the luxurious Lodge of Legends!
Barry and Durwin have opted to take the free 
trolley ride to town this morning. I choose to indulge myself, to simply lounge the entire day right here in the lap of luxury–at Lodge of Legends.
I did, however, take time to soak my tired old bones in a delightful hot tub of water, wash my filthy, smelly hiking garb, switch to loaner clothes, prepare both breakfast
and lunch from their freezer offerings, then to roam the lodge, both in and out–to take some photos to give y’all an idea about the thorough and thoughtful effort Renee and Tim have put into making the weary hiker’s stay here at Lodge of Legends both delightful and memorable…
Give me the luxuries of life
and I will willingly do without the necessities.
(Frank Lloyd Wright)
