We left our mountain home at 10:30 Saturday and drove over to TN through Smoky Mountain National Park. We debated weather to take this route or the southern route, but since the southern route involved traveling along Hwy 321 in TN, we decided to go through the park. Driving on Hwy 321, also called “The Dragon” because of the 318 turns in 11 miles, can be a challenge in any motor vehicle but we didn’t feel like fighting our way through in our camper today.
We arrived at Amy & Randy’s around 2:00 after a stop for lunch at Long John Silvers. Amy was waiting for us and said she knew we’d be there around 2:00. We talked and looked at their new trailer, then had some ‘adult beverages’ while we waited for Randy to get home from work. After he arrived he and I visited, we ate dinner,and we all talked & laughed some more. Randy turned in early and we took showers and followed soon after.
Sunday Amy made us a breakfast of cinnamon rolls and coffee, while I turned on the LP gas in their trailer and tried to get the fridge started. After four attempts at gas or electric, we finally leveled the trailer and it lit, success. Amy was pretty well all packed so Linda & I headed out to get to the park and secure two sites for us. When we arrived at the campground it was old, rundown, sat on top of a mountain with no trees but lots of high tension power pole & lines overhead. Oh My this will never due. We went around & around trying to find two sites where we would be in close proximity to each other, but nothing worked very well. I decided we should go down to the Visitors Center by the dam and ask if this is the only campground. The attendant there said “No we have two campgrounds”. The East campground, which we had just left and a west camp across the dam and 2 miles down the road. We loaded up and left after thanking him. I said to Linda as were driving, “If the campground is better and the restrooms are just as bad as the East campground it will be OK”, or if the restrooms are better and the camp is similar it will be OK.
Well The west camp has all paved sites and nice restrooms, Hurray! We picked out to sites back to back and settled in. Amy & Randy arrived at 6:09PM and we helped them get settled in. I made hamburgers on their new grill that attaches to the side of their trailer. With the potato salad that Linda made and some fresh corn on the cob that Amy had soaked and Linda roasted on the fire we had built, we were stuffed. On thing I forgot to mention, We battled rain, on & off all afternoon and evening.
Here we are, all settled in.
Here’s both campsites.
Monday dawned bright & sunny and we dined in Amy & Randy’s trailer on Sausage gravy & biscuits, Linda had prepared, Um.mn. After breakfast we left for some sightseeing around the park. This park seems to cover a lot of country between the east & west sides, the dam, river & lake. We drove to the pool and while explorin’ the sky opened up. We waited till the rain let up and ran for their truck. From there everywhere we went was rain on and off all morning.
We visited the Dam, it rained.
The Grist Mill, it rained.
The Threshing Barn, it rained.
We came back around 1:30 and the skies were starting to clear, Yeah. Linda & I cooked Pizza’s for us all in our ‘pie irons’. hey were enjoyed well by all. We spent a lovely afternoon laughing and visiting around the campfire. Amy served a delicious dinner of ‘Ring baloney’, mashed potatoes & baked beans, with some corn on the cob on the side. After we sat and talked 7 joked & enjoyed each others company until the dark clouds moved back in late in the eve. We all decide to call it a night.
Well I know I left out a bunch but I’ve got to get to bed so’s I’m ready for Amy’s breakfast tomorrow. Hope to see ya’ down the road as we’re;
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment