The highlight of my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was finding an epic ride to my Airbnb while stranded in the rain

• I took an aerial tram up into the Great Smoky Mountains in spring 2023.

• The ride was not part of my initial travel plan. In fact, I'd never heard of it before this trip.

• I spotted the tram while stuck in the rain with no taxi. It was the highlight of my trip.

During a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in spring 2023, I had an experience I never expected — taking an aerial tram ride high above them.

I never knew this tramway existed before I arrived at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But it turned out to be the most unexpected highlight of my trip.

And if I hadn't been stranded in the rain, I never would have ridden it.