A BREATH OF COOL AIR....

IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE MY HUSBAND AND I DROVE UP TO TENNESSEE. SIGH....WHAT A GREAT TWO DAYS! THE HEAT IN UPSTATE SC WAS UNBEARABLE-TRIPLE DIGITS. WE HAD DECIDED TO HEAD TO PIGEON FORGE EARLY THAT SATURDAY MORNING. ARRIVING AT LUNCHTIME, WE DROVE DOWN THE MAIN DRAG IN PIGEON FORGE. WOW, THE TRAFFIC WAS IMPRESSIVE, SEEMS TENNESSE WAS HAVING A TAX-FREE WEEKEND JUST LIKE SOUTH CAROLINA. AND IT WAS HOT...AND HUMID...JUST LIKE HOME. BUMMER! WE HAD RESERVATIONS AT THE APPLE BARN COMFORT INN JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF PIGEON FORGE IN SEVIERVILLE, TN, http://www.comfortinnapplevalley.com/ THIS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO STAY, VERY CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE. WE HAVE STAYED THERE IN THE PAST WITH SOME OF OUR CORVETTE BRETHREN AND HAVE ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO WALK TO THE APPLE BARN RESTAURANT AND WINERY WHICH ARE LOCATED NEXT DOOR TO THE HOTEL.

CHECKING IN AS SOON AS WE COULD, WE CRANKED DOWN THE A/C IN THE ROOM AND DECIDED TO HIBERNATE UNTIL TEMPERATURE CAME DOWN A BIT. THEN WE DECIDED SHOPPING MIGHT BE FUN, SO WE VENTURED INTO ONE OF THE OUTLET STORE CENTERS. THERE WAS NOT A PARKING PLACE TO BE FOUND, CARS WERE CIRCLING LIKE THE SHARKS OUR VETTES ARE NAMED AFTER. MY HUSBAND AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER, THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL-THERE WAS NOTHING WE NEEDED THAT BAD!! EXECUTING A FLAWLESS 180 DEGREES (YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE CORVETTES!), THE C5 GOT US OUT OF THERE AND HEADED TOWARDS GATLINBURG, TN,. TAKING THE BYPASS DOWN THROUGH THE NATIONAL FOREST TOWARDS CHEROKEE,NC, YOU COULD WATCH THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DROP. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PULLOVERS WHICH WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF TO TAKE THE TOP OFF. THIS IS WHAT WE CAME TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR.....DRIVING THROUGH BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, BREATHING IN THE COOL FRESH AIR. SEVENTY DEGREES BEATS THE HECK OUT OF HIGH NINETIES ANY DAY IN MY BOOK! WHEN IT FINALLY GOT TOO DARK TO SEE THE SCENERY, WE DROVE BACK TO PIGEON FORGE AND ATE SUPPER AT CARINO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT. THE FOOD WAS GREAT AND WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP THIS ONE ON THE SHORT LIST! THE NEXT MORNING, WE CHECKED OUT AND DROVE THROUGH THE NATIONAL FOREST TO CHEROKEE, NC CONTINUING TO MAGGIE VALLEY,NC. I HADN'T HAD ENOUGH OF MOUNTAIN ROADS SO OFFERING TO DRIVE (WITH ALTERIOR MOTIVES!) I THOUGHT OLD HWY. 25 WOULD BE IDEAL! IT WAS AND THERE WAS ALMOST NO TRAFFIC TO DEAL WITH. STILL HADN'T HAD ENOUGH SO WE CAME THROUGH TRAVELERS REST, SC, AND WENT OVER PARIS MOUTAIN ON ALTAMONT ROAD. A WHIRLWIND TRIP TO BE SURE, BUT IT SURE RE-CHARGED OUR BATTERIES!