The Birmingham News (my local paper) had a great feature in a recent Sunday paper about hiking to LeConte Lodge. You can check it out at al.com.
The article is basically the telling of the writer, her husband, and their friends hike up to the Lodge via Boulevard and out via Alum Caves. It also talks a lot about the experience of staying overnight at the lodge and some of the history.
Made me want to grab my pack and head to the mountains.