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Those of you who know me, know of my love to travel by motorcycle....you'll note there is video on this sight to that fact. There is probably a strong possiblity that if I had the time and the money I would be gone all the time..................but, it doesn't work that way so you just have to wait for a "molten moment" to occur to make it happenned.
Last weekend was one of those moments....I had a 48 hour "kitchen pass"...meaning, yes, you may go"! My next move was to find a location....check out camping facilities and watch the weather.
Although I live in the Appalachian Mountains I wanted to see and camp in the Smokies. I had traveled by them but never took the time to explore them....this would be my opportunity.
The weather forecast was really iffy....rain and cold weather was forecast. So, I played it day by day.....camping facilities were gonna be a challenge...the national park was full but there appeared to be many private campgrounds in the area.
Now what I didn't realize is that coming from the direction I would be coming from....i.e. north..I would have to approach the park via Pidgeon Forge and Gatlinburg TN. Ok...........no problem! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh was I ever off the mark!
The ride from home was good...it was cloudy and cool yet the rain that had fallen thru the night was to be over by my time of departure. So, the bike was packed and I was off at 9:30 AM.....Buelah and Me....headed for the Smokies......yeeeeeeeeeeeha!
We traveled 5 miles and water droplets appeared on the windscreen of the bike and the faceplate of my helmet....it was raining! Surely, there must be some mistake the rain is supposed to be over..... Oh, well....an adventure can't be one if a little rain doesn't fall on it .......right?
Ten more miles down the road and the rain stops....life is good!
The miles quickly pass by and Buelah is really feeling her oats and before long we break out into beautiful sunshine as we stop for lunch in Wise, Virginia.
With my belly full and the bright sunshine beckoning we continued down the road. Fall colors were in abundance....but shortly after returning to the highway...the clouds moved back in and would remain with me for the balance of the day.
Yet, we are making progress and I soon see the exit that would take me off Interstate 40 and down to the Smokie Mtn Park. And then..........ah then.....the traffic seems to slow.......slower........even slower.............S T O P P E D ! Did I say S T O P !!!!!
What is going on here.......why are all these people here.....there must be some kind of "event" going on.....the traffic is stopped. I am mere miles from my destination and I am stopped and surrounded by cars! This is not a happy camping venture.....this is traffic gridlock at its worst! I'm being held captive by all these people who want to see Dolly Parton!
Finally, and a hour and half later, after my gloved hand has squeezed the motorcycle clutch lever for the millionth time I find a turn off that will take me the final 17 miles to my campground.
Nearly an hour down that road I find the campgrounds.... but wait a minute.....they look like "RV Parking Lots"! If were to put up my tent it would have to be between gas generators! That is not going to work! And, now it is getting late....no place to camp.....can't find the entrance to the park....it is time for plan "X"! Yes, it was that bad....plan XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX...........Econolodge! Oh, nooooooooooooooooooooo!
So, out comes the plastic....the room is ok but it sure wasn't my idea of sitting around a campfire....smellin' the fragrance of the camp smoke...and singin' "kumbyah.......bummmmmmmmmmmmmer!!!! There must be a mistake!!!!
Well, there is tomorrow......
Sunday AM....I'm up early...gonna get an early start and get into the park....but when I open the door of the room it is pitch dark! Wait a minute....what time is it.....6:45 AM. Heading down to the free breakfast bar...I noticed a thick fog has settled in.......oh man!
Two hours later....it is still so foggy you can cut it with a knife!
Finally, after 9 AM although it is still foggy it is safe to leave the motel. And, to my wonderment...I drive 2 miles down the road ....out of the fog and into a bright sunshinny day....there isn't a cloud in the sky! YES!
Within a few more minutes I find a side entrance into SMNP and out comes the camera and I soon find myself in the element that I have strived so hard to find......life is good!
Now in the back of my mind I knew I needed about 7 hours to get home if I wanted to get there before darkness set in.....Buelah doesn't like running dark, curvy WV roads at night.....she is afraid of DEER! So, the day needs to planned with that in mind.
I see a sign that reads Cades Cove....sounds interesting....and we check it out. The colors and the bright sunshine coming thru the forest are off the chart and we are really enjoying stopping along the way to take pictures. Traffic is non existant....this is sooooooooo good. And then.....I see it....a one-way, eleven mile scenic road thru this magnificent valley...."just what I needed". I could do the loop and then find an alternate way that would miss Gatlinburg and that whole area. We're off!
Ah, did I say we're off.......yes, I did say that....ok....we're off for about a quarter mile....when we hit backed up traffic and stopped cars on this one-way..........no exit.........., narrow single lane.........eleven mile road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't tell me again..........T R A F F I C ...........S T O P P E D............. T R A F F I C! Hold it! ...I'm in the MIDDLE of the "wilderness"! There should be no "stopped traffic".....Something is wrong with this picture!!!!!!!!
Two hours later....with an overheated motorcycle and a mentality to run every car with a Florida lic. plate off the road.....I finally see the gate....I have finished the eleven mile "parking lot filled with SUV's that have come from Florida with occupants that want to photograph every falling leaf....every twig....every deer standing in a field a quarter of a mile away! And, every rumor of a bear sighting off in the woods!
Oh...Oh! Time out..why is this happenning?
Now the rules say...........that is... the posted road signs read....."DO NOT STOP IN ROADWAYS.....USE PULL OUTS" to chase down rumors of a bear sighting in the woods (I added these last few words myself)!
"U N B E L I E V A B L E !!"
Pondering this predicament...it occurs to me that these folks from Florida, by the way I love Florida....live in a "world of green"........nearly twelve months a year....they don't have fall....they don't get to see the "beauty of God's paintbrush"...and they are mesemorzied by the beauty that is surrounding them! But, Lord...why did this have to happen during "MY VISIT"! FATHER.......WHAT'S GOING ON HERE !!!!!! "Son, you need to quit pushing so hard against what you are doing....sure it is ok to have spontenaity in life.....but with that comes testing.....and I'm using "my Florida children".......to demonstate that to you".....do you get the picture!"
With that lesson learned........it is now time to head for the house...yet, while doing exactly that I see something I have never seen before in a National Park. The road into the park is filled with "stopped incoming traffic".....its just sitting there...people trying to get into the park to see more cars....frustration....you name it.
SMNP's attendance is off the chart...the roads can't handle the traffic. The single lane highway that comes down from Gatlinburg into the park funnels all the traffic into the park that has no place to put it! This is really sad...and for it to be changed will require several million if not bilions of dollars to work it out.
While sitting stopped in downtown Gatlinburg surrounded by cars on every side...my gloved hand hits the GPS....and punches the button that sez' "take me home"! Finally, 360 miles later and just after sunset Buelah pulls into my driveway. We were home safe!
My closing thoughts were "Lord thank you for this adventure....Thank you for your protection...Thank you for letting me see your Glory painted in nature"! And, thank you for showing me what I needed to do with my patience! i.e. work on it!
The upside of this little adventure are some great pics...there is one shown above...others can be found here.....
http://whosoever.smugmug.com/
Enjoy and God Love You! Thanks for stopping by.
