Dispatch from the Road 2025

 Saturday September 27 2025 On Friday night, we had decided we would get up early and drive straight through on the return trip to our home. It is a distance of +/- 400 miles, which we can easily do in a day. We don’t even try to suppress the beeline syndrome anymore, when we are within a day’s drive of home, we just go. There is no sense fooling ourselves with a tentative overnight stop somewhere, we just go home. making a beeline for home! We set an alarm clock for these early departures but don’t really need it as we wake up looking at the clock every hour or so. A little after 3 am Millie asked if I was ready to go and I jumped right out of bed.  We had prepped the RV the night before for a speedy departure, about all we had to do was bring in the slide-out and disconnect the power cord and by 4 am we were out on the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway headed for Gatlinburg. My original plan was to beat the tourist traffic in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg that increases in volume ...

 Friday September 26th 2025 Although we really enjoyed our low-key week here in Pigeon Forge, today’s event is the reason we came to town.  Millie has been a fan of Dr David Jeremiah for many years. She watches his sermons online and we have several of his CD sets that we listen to when traveling with the RV.  Dr Jeremiah is an evangelical pastor and author who has successful enterprises, many accolades and no scandals. He has a charismatic presence and in a confident commanding voice delivers the unchanging word of God to an ever-changing world. Wow, that’s a mouthful, that last line I borrowed from his online bio. I do enjoy listening to his CD’s and hopefully retain some of his teachings, but this posting is not about me, back to the storyline. So, Millie has liked Dr Jeremiah for many years but has never seen him in person. I happened to see that he would be speaking at the National Quartet Convention here in Pigeon forge and wouldn’t that be great if I could get tick...

 Thursday September 25 2025 Not much going on this morning, we returned some clothes Millie had purchased from Beall’s the other day. While we were out, we checked out the parking situation at the Comedy Barn. As usual with these smaller theaters, the parking lot was small and tight, it made our truck feel bigger just driving through it.  We have tickets for the evening show today and though we’d get there a little early to get a parking spot. That didn’t work out as planned, when we arrived the line of people waiting for the theater doors to open was wrapped around the building. Ironically, there was a big empty spot for the truck in the parking lot. The comedy barn has been a long running show in Pigeon Forge and advertises itself as a clean family show. It was every bit suitable for everyone. There were no stand-up comedians per say, the show was a series of skits all done by different entertainers.  There was a dog act, a juggler, a ventriloquist, a couple singing act...

 Tuesday September 23, 2025 We did some shopping this morning, there is a tool store near where we are It is called Workshop tools, that’s a bit of a misnomer, if you’re expecting large power tools, they don’t have any. What do have is all sorts of small hand tools and a large selection of, for lack of a better name, gadgets. After walking around for at least forty-five minutes, after handling dozens of tools or stuff I walked out with……nothing!  One of several locations they have in Pigeon Forge Later while getting my thoughts for this blog posting together, I said to myself, you bought nothing, how did that even happen? I think it’s a combination of things, first most tools I took a shine to, I already have at least one of them, more than likely two or more. Second, my little two car garage shop is full, I don’t have room for more of anything. And third, I’m hate to admit it but I’m getting a little age on and would I actually use what I looked at?  Anyhow, it was enjoy...

 Monday September 22, 2025 At 11am this morning we pulled up stakes and left the lovely little campground on Lake Cherokee. It was only a 50-mile trip to our next destination so we took time and meandered down country roads to Sevierville Tennessee.  We stopped at an Aldi’s store and picked up a few things, I think we went in for three items and came out with two bags full. There was a classic stainless sided diner (restaurant) in the same shopping center and we had breakfast-for-lunch there. A very unique campground but we like it Moving on we traveled through Pigeon Forge and to “Up the Creek” RV park which is located just outside of town. We are in site 42 and will be here till Saturday. Up the Creek is a bit different than your average campground, both the campground layout and the way they run it. Basically, it is made for adults who have campers with all the amenities they need. There is no bathhouse, no laundry, no playground, nor activities, But it is a meticulous land...

 Sunday Sept 21 2025 A quiet Sunday here at Cherokee Lake. Millie and I are watching the Turning Point memorial For Charlie Kirk. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk

 Saturday September 20 2025 The weekend progressed as planned, which was just to enjoy a quiet couple days by the lake. Our purpose of going to our next stop which in Pigeon Forge is to hear Dr David Jeramiah speak on Friday the 26th. We have plenty of time to wander around before then and we’ve never been to Cherokee Lake before, so here we are.  Our view of boat ramp activity Cherokee Lake Campground It was a good decision, we really like it here, it is scenic, quiet and peaceful. Yesterday there was some activity by the boat ramp, but nothing like the high summer season, I’m sure. As I write this on Sunday morning it is as quiet as a church after all the parishioners have rushed out to go to their favorite lunch buffet.   We did go out a couple times, nothing much worth talking about, just to a couple thrift stores and later to Food City for milk and bread. 

 Friday September 19 2025 We departed Damascus Creek RV Park at 9:30 this morning, taking Highway 58 to Abingdon. Interstate 81 passes by here and goes almost directly to our next destination in Jefferson City Tennessee. We didn’t go that way, like I’ve said many times before, you can’t see the real America from the interstate.  Damascus Virginia to Jefferson City Tennessee We followed Highway 19 south to Bristol Tennessee and then highway 11W all most all the way to Cherokee Lake Campground. Owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley authority the 40-site campground sits on the bank of Lake Cherokee, one of the many man-made lakes in the Tennessee River Watershed.  Our site #27 The park is immaculately groomed, the roads are paved and the sites are gravel. Decently spaced, each site has water and 30-amp electric hookups. Our site 27 is moderately shaded and sits high above the lake and the boat ramps. Even this late in the season there is plenty of activity going on for ...

 Thursday September 18 2025 (Continued) Millie and her sister Betty have a shopping excursion planned in Abingdon; Betty is to pick up Milly at 10 am. I departed from our RV in Damascus at 9am on my bike for my first long distance trail ride. One of the best bike trails My ride 17 miles of bliss My path today is traveling west on the Virginia Creeper trail to Abingdon and back tracking the trail to Damascus for a total distance of 34 miles. I have biked it one way before so there were no new discoveries, but it is a very pleasant ride. For the most part you travel through forest and fields and see very little intrusion of urbanity on an otherwise serene country landscape. Over the pasture of a farm you pass thru old train station, now a rest stop It would be very hypocritical for me to say I belong in the back country because I am spoiled by the comforts of our time, but it is a nice place to visit! It’s a very enjoyable way to spend some of your leisure time. I’m looking forward t...

 Thursday September 18 2025 Note: This post is technical trail details. My personal experience in the next post. Millie and I have ridden the Virginia Creeper Trail from White Top Mountain down to Damascus 6 times. What fun it was to make that 17-mile downhill run through the old growth forest and across 20 bridges over large creeks cascading down rocky ravines. 17 miles to Damascus and then 17 more to Abingdon.  Originally a train track for the lumber industry, it has been enjoyed by thousands as a Rail to Trail. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed in Hurricane Helene and although it’s rebuilding is planned, I fear it will never be the same, we’ll see. Extensive damage to the downhill section of the trail. The sister to the Upper trail is a continuation of the Rail to Trail from Damascus to the city of Abingdon. This section is also 17 miles and somewhat different than White Top to Damascus. A good portion of it is forested and like the upper VCT it follows running wat...

 Wednesday September 17, 2025 We slept well last night until about 3:30 am when the first truck drove through town. After that every time you would drop off to sleep another one would rumble past us down shifting to slow down for the corner and then roaring off again. Highway 58/92 from I-81 is the straightest, shortest and best route to The Boone North Carolina area. Besides the local logging trucks lots of commerce passes through Damascus on its way south.  Our RV site next to the highway We were out of bed before 7 and getting ready for the day. Around 10 am we Drove from Damascus to Betty’s in Konnorock. We sat on her porch and enjoyed the pleasantries of quiet country living.  The Pedigo porch Around noon I went to work servicing their back up electrical generator. It was a simple job, there isn’t much to do, change the oil, air filter and spark plug. Unfortunately, the spark plug I had ordered was not the correct one for this engine. I sent Jason the correct part nu...

 Tuesday September 16, 2025 Although disappointed that we didn’t get all four cemetery plots pre-dug, there is no more we can do with the tools we have, so it is time to move on. Our destination for today is Damascus Virginia which is due west a crow-flies distance of 100 miles. That’s probably a 150 mile leisurely drive on Hwy 58. It's worth a visit.   At Hillsville we diverted south about ten miles to the Fancy Gap Pottery and Fabric outlet. The only purchase worth mentioning was the bird bath bowel. We had purchased one several years ago with a cobalt blue ceramic finish. The bowel on ours had broken some time ago but we saved the base. They no longer sell them but the outside yard man went through their odd pieces and found an undamaged one in Cobalt blue. A very lucky and inexpensive find, $12. Hats off to the man who took the time to help us. Moving mountains to realign hwy 58 The realignment of 58 through the mountains at Lover’s Leap is progressing nicely. We switched ...

 Monday September 15, 2025 Up at seven AM and out the door by nine, today is a work day. Millie and I have decided to dig our own graves! In the last year or so Millie and I have dug or been there while other family members dug small graves for cremated remains at the family cemetery. I can honestly say, I have never dug in harder-rocky-clay then the ground at the cemetery, it was like concrete  You have to reach a certain age before this makes sense Not that we plan on using our plots anytime soon, our reasoning for pre-digging is just to make it easier for whoever plants us and to insure we would be planted at a sufficient depth. Believe me, the morning of any grave side gathering is not the time to start digging there.  I suppose I could have contracted with Mountain View Cemetery in Ridgeway to dig the holes, they’ve always given us good service when we’ve had caskets buried or headstones set in place. I just didn’t think it would be as difficult as it turned out to b...