The morning was chilly as we drove at a leisurely pace along the deserted Blue Ridge Parkway to Waynesville, a charming town at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. With cloudlike mist curling out of the range’s deep valleys, we felt far removed from the troubles of the world. We pulled over at a scenic overlook to appreciate the hazy mountains and the bright pink and white seasonal flowers, but the fast-moving fog foiled our attempts at photography.