And we survived. Barely. Okay, no close calls, but picture steep mountains on one side, steep drop-offs on another, hairpin turns, pitch black, the possibility of ice, and truckers barrelling down your back. But Dean's a champ and drove through it splendidly!
We made the gorgeous drive through the Smokey Mountain National Park today and were just amazed at all the beauty. And all the people. And the tourist traps. On one side of the park is a "charming" little town called Cherokee (it's the closest thing to Fontana and it's 25 miles away). It's actually a Cherokee Indian Reservation and on the strip there's great shops with names like "The Wig Wam", "Tomohawk Tom", and "Moccasins". The funny thing is (besides the stereotypical names and people flocking from all over to go to these places) the people who work in these places have thick southern accents and blond hair and blue eyes. And Leona Lewis' "Keep Bleedin' Love" was playing in the background. It just seemed a little out of place. But fun.
Then we headed across the park to Gatlinburg, which is directly at the end of the park. I've never seen anything like it. It's like Branson meets mountain town, with about 15 Ripley's Believe it or Not museums and more candy shops than you can count. Oh yeah, and if you want to get an old time portrait made, you know the one where you look you're in a old western saloon, this is the place to do it. They're literally on every corner. But incredible food! We just walked the shops, had lunch at the Pancake Pantry, and strolled to The Peddler for dinner. Absolutely amazing dinner!! Then we made our white-knuckle drive back to Fontana.
Tomorrow's just a day for some R&R right here in the village. No phone service, just us and nature (Dean's beginning to panic a little). So far, it's a great trip!
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