We headed out in the pouring rain and it stayed raining all the way down to below Washington DC. Discovered that the gaskets on the drivers side door had an alignment issue and gave way. That let the water come in, so I was very glad to see the rain stop. By the time we got to Apex NC, we had most of the stuff repacked so it did not rattle or move, except for the book, DVD and VHS tape collection. No matter what I tried to hold them in place, they slid around and fell out when we went around corners or came to a stop. Robin and Jenna finally found a place to store them that they did not move around. There is a lot of storage room in this thing. Some times there are too many places to store things, every time we put something away, we spent a bunch of time trying to find it again. Mom got to watch some of my VHS and DVD collection I got when I was working for the video rental place and being paid in used product. She laughed her way thru Primary Colors and The Distinguished Gentleman. Pretty Woman still owns her heart.
Newfound Gap, Great Smoky National Park apx 5800 ft
Cross this off the list of places to go, unless it is to come back in the fall
That hat is getting a lot of miles on it Top of the Gap
During the trip down to NC, I had had such bad experiences with the engine brake in the RV (basically it did not work, and liked to UP Shift instead of slowing you down above 45 mph) I did not use it during the twisty and hilly road leading to the Cherokee Reservation. What a big mistake that was. We had to stop for over an hour to cool the brakes off. Did discover that below 40, that engine brake was very good. All the way down from the top of the Gap, I rarely had to touch the brakes, as long as I stayed under 40 - 45. I also learned that those signs that said not recommended for tractor trailers, well they meant 38 foot, 30,000 pound motor homes too! Added a few things to the shopping list. Understood better some of the things I see in the magazines for sale after a couple of the RV parks we stopped in. Found a great one (by accident), with cable TV, Wi Fi and nice level lots in Eastern TN. I will find it again on purpose. Found a so so park in northern VA that had less options and cost more, but made a new friend from south eastern LA. Spent a lot of time talking with them about Katrina and its aftermath, getting the real stories and not the crap on the news. We drove by a big War of Northern Aggression reenactment in the Shenandoah Valley on the way home. The North looked like they were winning that one again. Remember I am a Red Sox fan and like to root for the under dog. I keep hoping one of these Tarzan movies the Elephants are going to win too. Besides, BOTH the Red and White Sox have a more recent World Series Ring than do the Yankees. The Cubbies are next!
Never saw such a tourist trap strip as we did in Tennessee leading into Gatlinburg. The road leading to "Dollywood" had to be the largest collection of crap & junk shops and general arm pit outfits I have ever seen, anywhere. Makes the outskirts of Atlantic City look high class. At first I thought there was an antique car rally going on in front of all the stores and hotels, but I am not sure if that was just not what the locals were driving after I thought about it for a while. Also ran thru a Honda Gold-Wing Rally. Never saw so many large QUITE motorcycles in one place. That sure is a smooth running machine!
All in all, a good trip and a great time. A couple of things for things for Crowley RV to fix and I am ready to head out for good!