A Relaxing Day

Slept in this morning and didn’t get on the road until 9:45. Woke to pouring rain which isn’t a surprise here and low hanging fog on the mountains but by 9:30 the rain had stopped. We headed over the Smokies on the Great Smoky Mountain Parkway (441) to ride the Tail of the Dragon but found the Tennessee side closed due to a rock slide. You can still get on the Dragon from North Carolina but cannot ride the whole 11 miles because there is no way to get off other than to turn around and retrace your ride. Guess we won’t do the Dragon this trip. Bill led us over some beautiful mountain roads along rivers and then ended in Gatlinburg where we took a Cable Car to the top of the mountain some 2000 feet above sea level and over 300 feet above the town of Gatlinburg. At the top is a recreation park, indoor ice skating rink, shops, flume ride, toboggan rides, and more. We had lunch and enjoyed watching the kids ice skate and then headed back over the mountains on 441. It was very warm in the valley but true to form as we climbed the mountains it had been raining and the roads were wet, the fog was settling in places and it began to get cold. Back at the motel by 3:30 for some sightseeing and a nice relaxing dinner. Tomorrow Dwayne and Sherry arrive.