Day 228 : A Great Day in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Bryson City (NC) to Boone (NC)

High Point : The great views along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Smoky Mountains National Park… amazing stuff!

Low Point : 4 crew in the back and sitting next to Steve for 2 hours makes for not much space!

Look-a-like point: Steve has now been mistaken for…

1) Alan Garner : the guy with the baby from “The Hangover”

2) Wrestler “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

3) Jamie Oliver (plus beard)

4) Jimmy Buffet

5) Worzel Gummage

6) Donald Robertson , Page 7 LOCK UP magazine Issue 15 Alabama state.Authors comments

Leaving the paradise that was the “Relax” Inn in small town Bryson City was hard for the girls. They enjoyed the fact that although it was freezing outside their heater didn’t work all night, and then in the morning they were ecstatic that their shower had no water coming through at all. At least it was a genuine excuse for not showering this time girls!

We were heading into the Great Smoky mountains for a day, roaming around the forests and mountains of America’s most visited National Park. The views from all sides were unbelievable as the mountains rose all around us and the views stretched for miles. As it has through most of the USA, the weather again had been kind to us and the deep azure blue skies added to the amazing golden brown colours of all the trees waiting patiently for spring to come.

The tricky side of driving in the Smoky Mountains was the winding steep road that lead up and down along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The road down from the ridge had the most warning signs that I think I’ve ever seen one stretch of road as around each turn another signed warned us “more danger ahead” or “this road gets more dangerous!” . To say that we were a little worried would have been an understatement but Steve handled it well and the engine breaking that Keith Bute had taught us all before we set off worked a charm!

It was another long day on the road and I think we were all relived to arrive into Boone (North Carolina) and find a great traditional “diner” right next to our hotel for the night.

Small town America will sadly soon be behind us and days like this when we see more deer than people won’t be the norm. Perhaps we will need all those warning signs on the road when we approach Washington and New York, and perhaps we will be even more scared this time!

Honest Jim

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Tags: Bryson City, fire engine, road trip, usa