GETTING BACK TO NATURE, FOR FREE AND FOR A WEEK! THE EIGHT-DAY WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK IN PIGEON FORGE HAS A FEEL OF TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. IT'S FULL OF WONDERFUL SESSIONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES, AND DID WE MENTION IT'S ALL FREE? by Marla Hardee Milling STEVE GARRETT HEARD THE CALL of the wilderness deep in his soul. While many may hear it, he acted on it. He first hiked a major portion of the Appalachian Trail and then when the corporate world started eating at his serenity, he looked for a change in career and lifestyle. He knew from his time on the AT that he would enjoy getting others back to nature. A Google search for "hiking businesses for sale" led him straight to Smoky Mountain Llama Treks and the Great Smoky Mountains. On first glance, Garrett ruled out the llama hiking business, but the idea kept creeping back into his mind. He asked his wife to look at the website and she gave the new venture a "thumbs up." They ultimately loaded up their then 14-year54 | BlueRidgeCountry.com old son and 11-year-old daughter in Michigan and headed to East Tennessee to begin a new life. They took over the business in April 2012. At that time Garrett was 41 and his wife was 40. The business currently includes 11 llamas and one alpaca. "I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that some people think you ride the llamas, but you don't," says Garrett. "You walk with them. It's a very cool experience. You don't have to carry anything. The llamas carry everything." Exploring the Natural World Garrett is one of the presenters at this year's Wilderness Wildlife Week (WWW), now in itshttp://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com