SMOKY MOUNTAINS

It was a warm night, but we didn't want to turn on the AC because it would drown out the sounds of the river (pun intended).  It rained during the night and was pouring when we got up.  We had a leisurely morning, and when we finally decided to leave, the awning wouldn't retract.  On with the poncho and out into the rain to check things out -- from a distance, I could see that a tree branch, heavy and wet with rain had drooped onto the awning and was now stuck in the take-up roller.  Grrrrrr.  I tried to reach it with a broom, but too high.  We tried inching the RV slowly forward to dislodge the branch, but no go.

I called the campground owner and he stopped by and luckily the rain gave us a little break, and he had a good sized ladder and tree lopper thingy that he sawed off the branch and then while I tried extending the awning, he pulled on the stuck branch.  Finally we got it loose and he cleaned all the debris off the awning, and we were able to retract it.  Super nice guy and wouldn't take any money I offered as a thank you.

We got on our way, and within a few minutes were at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We stopped at a wayside pullout to have some lunch and I drove through the park while Jack napped.  Within fifteen minutes, I spotted three elk - I didn't know there were elk here!  The first was in a large field, but I was too slow to get my camera out to get a photo before he ambled back into the forest.  The second two were right along side the road. 

The drive was different than other times I had been here - it was raining lightly and low clouds shrouded the mountain tops and even though there were no commanding views of mountains or valleys, it was beautifully green and lush.  

The road was twisty and turny, which Beau did NOT like, and as we crested the top, the sun began to peak out.  We enjoyed sunshine for the rest of the drive through the park and on into Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  We took a bypass around the city which meant another twisty turny road over the mountain and into Pigeon Forge.

Pigeon Forge would be a great place for a family vacation with many, many things to do for kids - but way too touristy for our taste.  We slogged through the main drag, traffic light after light for a couple miles, loaded with tourist shops, chain restaurants, wax museums, go-kart racetracks, miniature golf courses and arcades.  We finally got through it and headed north, stopping at Norris Dam State Park in northern Tennessee and got a very nice campsite in a clearing in the woods - a quiet, restful place with few campers.  

We enjoyed happy hour while watching the news on the outdoor TV and had dinner outside.  Early to bed.