Hi Bill, sounds like a great first trip. We had all sorts of good intentions to check out the synchronous fire flies but missed them again this year. We were in the area at Horse Cove campground in Nantahala NF from Sunday through Thursday but the thunder storms each day kept us close to the CG. There were quite a few fire flies around each evening, certainly more and brighter than those we have in the eastern part of the state but not the show I've heard they put on in the Smokies.
If you camp much in that area and aren't familiar with Horse Cove, it would be worth a visit. Its a small, eighteen site, USFS campground just outside Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Robbinsville. Flush johns but no showers and only $10/night ($5 w/geezer pass).
Site 12
The sites on the left side of the upper loop border a creek on the back. This was directly behind and below our site. Sure made for some peaceful background noise.
Hope to see you on the road some day - Al