Sara Schwabe: Truly wild nightlife
I realize that the focus of this Web site is to inform all you hep-cats and -kittens about what's cool on the ever-swinging Knoxville entertainment scene. However, if you've had the chance to observe the synchronous fireflies at Elkmont, you'll understand why I'm stretching the rules and including them as "nighttime entertainment."
The annual mating ritual and subsequent lightshow is a phenomenon unique to the Smoky Mountains, as well as just a couple other spots in the world. So unique that the Park Service has organized special parking and even a trolley schedule to accommodate the growing number of visitors during the two-week span of this special natural event.
I wasn't really sure what to expect as we exited the trolley last Sunday night and headed into the dark woods, armed only with Deet and a red-cellophane covered flashlight. Hoping for a more private experience, we walked further down the trail than the rest of the visitors (insert "Blair Witch" music here). As their voices faded behind us and the pathway ahead became more difficult to see, that bit from Dante's Inferno kept run through my head--something about the woods being tangled, rough and savage.
Then it started.
Almost as if being cued by an invisible conductor, the fireflies began their
now-famous lightshow against the darkness of the forest. The silvery flashes flowed in a magical cascade from the tops of the trees, down the hill, through the underbrush and across the gravel path before stopping at the river. There was a moment or two of darkness, then the wave of light would start again. As the night went on, the twinkling lights grew denser with more and more fireflies joining the performance.
Time flew (pun intended), and soon it was time to catch the trolley back to our car and head to Knoxville. It felt great to enjoy a fantastic night out with friends for the price of a quarter tank of gas and $1 admission charge. (Now I can spend what I saved on extra cocktails next weekend!)