A romantic anniversary retreat for one couple in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, took an unexpected turn when a curious bear sauntered into a local tea shop, exploring merchandise before startlingly leaping onto the counter, an event captured on video.
Victoria Puyol and Joshua Card were marking their seventh anniversary in Gatlinburg when they visited The Spice & Tea Exchange on a recent Friday. It was there that Card first noticed the unusual visitor near the entrance.
An Uninvited Guest Enters the Shop
"There's a bear," Card recalled stating, his voice likely tinged with surprise. Puyol initially struggled to comprehend the situation, but upon hearing Card and the store clerk repeat their observations, she turned to see the animal standing in the doorway.
Recalling standard advice to maintain distance from bears, the couple began to retreat. However, the bear continued its advance deeper into the store. The clerk promptly guided Puyol and Card behind the register, where an emergency exit offered a potential escape route.
The animal displayed a keen interest in the shop's offerings, tearing into a sweet-tea blend and examining tea diffusers while a crowd gathered outside. Despite an employee from a neighboring establishment sounding an air horn, the bear seemed largely unfazed.
Close Encounter on the Counter
As the bear approached the counter, Card began filming. "Hey, what you doing there, buddy?" he can be heard saying in the footage. The bear then turned and agilely jumped onto the counter, prompting Card to instinctively step back.
"He's talking to this thing like it's a puppy," Puyol later recounted. "It's a bear. It's not a puppy. It's a bear."
Card admitted that his initial thought, given the populated urban setting, was that it might be a "show bear" accompanied by a handler. This notion quickly dissolved as he realized it was a wild animal.
Drawing on his background as a military veteran and lifeguard, Card reflected that his experience in emergency situations influenced his calm demeanor. He described feeling uncertain about the young animal's capabilities and whether intervention was necessary or if simply providing space was the best approach.
"This didn't really feel like an emergency," Card explained. "It felt unpredictable to me."
He characterized the bear's behavior as more curious than aggressive. "He didn't really seem threatened," Card noted. "Even when he jumped up on the counter, I was like, okay, well, I'm going to take a step back."
Puyol echoed a sense of astonishment rather than fear. "I wasn't scared," she affirmed. "I was just shocked." She clarified her reaction: "I wasn't like, 'Oh my God, it's a bear, I'm going to die.' No, it was like, there's a wild animal, like eight feet away from me."
An Unexpected Anniversary Memory
Adding a touch of irony to the experience, Puyol revealed that she had expressed a wish to Card before their trip to see a bear during their anniversary getaway.
"Be careful what you wish for because I wanted to see a bear, not that up close and personal," she quipped.
The clerk eventually informed the couple about an alternative exit available on the second floor. However, before they needed to use it, the bear abruptly exited the shop. Card and the clerk then secured the door, ensuring the area was safe before departing.
Puyol estimated the entire incident lasted approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Previous Encounters Reported
Store employees later informed the couple that the bear appeared to be a repeat visitor, having reportedly entered the establishment earlier in the week. The shop itself had previously shared a photograph of a bear on social media, accompanied by a caption stating, "This young bear came into our shop today, snagged some sugar and came back for more!"
Having safely navigated the encounter, the couple agreed it provided an unforgettable anecdote for their anniversary celebration.
"The trip has been filled with oddities, and so this just kind of ... fuels that whole experience," Card remarked.
