Page 102 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

ASHVILLE, NC to TOWNSEND, TN and GREAT SMOKIES NP

Tuesday - We had our first hot breakfast in weeks at The Day’s
Inn’s complimentary buffet. The fatty meal “stuck” with us for

hours but was very tasty. Even on the repeats.

The only traffic we had on the Parkway was coming from the
south as commuters made their way to Ashville. There was hardly

anyone on the road after that brief flurry of worker bees. It was a
good thing as the clouds billowing up from the east were thick. At

times we were only just able to make out the center yellow line

for 10 feet in front of the car. There was no place to pull over, so
with flashers flashing and prayers a-flying, we would press

onwards looking anxiously behind for any fool crazy enough to be
driving faster than 20 mph in those conditions.

The clouds continued rolling up the ravines onto the eastern

ridges. Many times on entering a tunnel we would be in thick
cover, but as we exited not more than 50 yards onto the western

slope, the sky would be crystal clear. We began to count on that

fact to relieve the tension of the drive. Luckily, we saw no other
cars behind us until the fog had cleared.

We were now in the land of big mountains. The clouds were

below us. The views, when possible, were for miles over rank on
rank of evergreen shrouded mountains. Even though they look

heavy and majestically tall, our literature asked us to believe that
these mountains used to be as high as the Rocky Mountains or

perhaps even as tall as the Himalayas. So that’s what happens if it

rains and snows on you for a few million years.

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