Home Sweet Home

Arrived home yesterday afternoon.  Even with the 93+ degree heat, it's good to be home :-)

Who knows where our next summer adventure will lead us......

Onward and upward. Boone, NC elevation 3300 feet.

So long Dollywood, hello Blue Ridge Mountains!  It was a long day driving/riding to arrive in Boone, NC at Flintlock Campground.  Even though I was told that we would have 'no problem' getting in and parking and that the campground was 'big rig friendly', it was one of the most difficult places we've ever had to deal with.  The road is very narrow, and a lot of the rigs encroached on it a bit.  Cary had to back in, and given the 12 ft width of the road and the short spot it was pretty scary actually.
Besides that, it only had 30 amps and the site was muddy and sloppy.  Good Grief!  I should have taken pictures, darn!

The next morning we drove on over to Blowing Rock.

As you can see, there was road construction on the highway into the city.  But we wanted to see the actual blowing rock, so we kept going.

We turned in

Were welcomed

and headed for the gift shop and entrance

 To get to see the rock, you had to pay of course, I thought it was worth it, Cary....not so much. 

 This rock is 4000 feet above sea level, and there is an Indian legend that enhances it's appeal.  A local chief left his beautiful daughter there to keep her hidden from 'the white man's admiration' to be raised by a squaw.  A young Cherokee brave wandered nearby and saw the young maiden daydreaming on the cliff.  It was love at first sight.  Days later he saw a reddening sky which he took as a sign that his tribe needed him.  The maiden pleaded with him not to go and he was so torn, he jumped off the rock.

Long way down

 Well the young maiden was heart broken and prayed daily to the Great Spirit.  One evening as the sky reddened, a gust of wind blew her lover back onto the rock and into her arms.  From that day a perpetual wind has blown up onto the rock from the valley below.

Not the young maiden

I told you it was a legend. 

It was a breathtaking view....

Grandfather Mountain

 Just amazing.  You can see why this is the Blue Ridge range.

We spent a while taking in the views and taking lots of pictures.  And then left to find my friend Jan's house.  She and her husband Ross had invited us over for lunch so we got out the detailed map she drew and followed it to their summer home.

We had a nice lunch, then sat on the porch and enjoyed the break in the rain.  There were lots of birds snacking at the feeders and a squirrel that could jump like a kangaroo.

Jan showed me her 'woods garden' which was whimsical and well done.   She said she used to sit on a log bench and have her morning coffee, until one morning a snake slithered out from under the log, YIKES!

We parted ways (it was so good to see you Jan & Ross :-) ) and decided to check out downtown Boone.

We saw Doc Watson

lots of Appalachian State stuff

Lots of art shops where of course......

and a general store that had tons of what used to be penny candy and was now 6.99/lb

The university has grown by leaps and bounds since I had been there last.  Lots of new buildings and lots of new student housing.

What a neat little town, I love it!  Cary, not so much....

We were going to Grandfather Mountain and Banner Elk the next day, but some pesky medical issues motivated me to head for home.  So this morning we packed up and wriggled our way out of the campground from hell to head for home.

So long North Carolina, till next summer.....

We drove/rode for 9.5 hours and ended up in Kingsland, GA one mile from the FL border.  Staying at Country Oaks Campground and RV Park.  Nice, shady, 50 amp, water, sewer and wi-fi.  Close enough to Jacksonville to get TV stations with the antenna.

We should be home tomorrow....whew!

Good Golly it's Dolly!

Parked at Spring Lake RV Park in Crossville, TN

We left Crossville, TN

after having lunch with our friends at one of the state parks.  That's right, a state park.  There is a great restaurant run by the park service if you can believe it.  It's a buffet and its amazing.

It is a huge restaurant and the food is good.  Cumberland State Park, a great place to eat.

We decided to stop in Sevierville, TN for a few days at the River Plantation RV Resort.  Cary wants to go to RV's for Less in Knoxville and look at DRV's (our 5th wheel) to see what's new. 

River Plantation is where our owner's group is having their rally next year.  It's OK, nothing special.  But does have a little shade, 50amp, sewer, water and cable.  And free wi-fi, which is pretty slow.  I usually tether my computer to my phone.

We set up and headed out to Knoxville, but first made a stop for lunch.

After lunch, the road to RV's for Less was calling, so we drove on over.  They had a pretty good selection and I found a floor plan that I like a lot.  But can't see buying a new one anytime soon.

Today, Tuesday, we went to

Gatlinburg, TN in case you can't read the sign.

On the way there, we passed King Kong climbing a building

and a few cows  having a good day

This whole area is just a big 'Myrtle Beach in the mountains' as Cary says.  Just one 'attraction' after another, with shopping squashed in here and there.

Didn't get it then and still don't.

Gatlinburg isn't a whole lot different, except there are more local art shops.  I stopped at several of them and bought a few interesting items.
As we walked back to the truck, we passed this place

and had to stop for lunch.

Who can pass up Mexican food?  Apparently not us. To No Way Jose's we proceeded.

We went inside, 'Just two?' yes, just two.  We were led to the back of the restaurant in a small room with a small empty table crammed against the wall and another large, large, large table crammed with kids.  "Can we sit somewhere else?" I asked.... and so we were seated back in another room up front.

Great salsa and chips to start.  No margaritas for us though.  :-/
I ordered Carnitas, roast pork.

Beans and no rice.  I don't like beans, but Cary wanted them.  The carnitas came with a lime cilantro sauce.  Very good.  Cary got a combination plate, that just wasn't picture worthy.  "Take a picture of mine!"  Didn't tell him that it didn't look too good.  But I took a picture anyway....not blog worthy.

And we paid for parking across the street.  Oh well, at least we won't be towed.

A creek runs through the town, directed along by buildings and streets.  Not real 'natural' but still looks nice.


This is where I did a little more shopping and found my small art pieces...after which we loaded ourselves back into the truck and started back to Sevierville.


The road takes you through The Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  I had to stop and get my Park Passport stamped.

We did take a little drive up

Cove Mountain Road, just to see what we could see.  The road is narrow, not built for a truck like ours.  Fortunately, we didn't meet anyone on the road.

After we saw this sign, we turned around in a driveway and headed back down.

So through the tunnel and back to the trailer.
 I started on this post and was watching a great old TV program

The Rifleman.  Cary came in, took the remote and changed the channel..."I was watching that."  "Well I want to watch the news."  I guess you can see why I have my own TV at home.

Oh, I did pick up a caramel apple, which I intend to eat shortly.  :-)

Didn't I see you at the flea market in Big Pine Key?

This yard sale is 690 miles long running from Michigan to Alabama.  We spent only a short time looking, as most of the stuff seemed like junk to us.  But there were some interesting items.

Need a rooster?

Coolest dressing room I ever saw!

Yep, they bought the tall green one.

I ran into a vendor selling jewelry, and after a few minutes I realized that I had bought a ring from them in Big Pine Key at the flea market there!   Over 690 miles of yard sale and they just happened to be at one of only two stops we made.  Pretty crazy eh?

Saw this at the yard sale, but not for sale

I just don't know what to say about this.

 We've just been hanging out with our friends.  Went shopping yesterday and didn't buy a thing!  But we went to Costco today and I found a nice pair of sunglasses that I couldn't live without.  :-)

Back at the trailer, parked in Springlake RV Resort, we are chillin.  We are lucky to have a nice shady spot in a nice friendly campground.

Wind sculpture in our friend's yard.  One of 3 they have.

I think it's sounding like happy hour about now.......