Day 30 - Asheville, NC to Fort Oglethorpe, GA

Up at 6:00 and heading out by 7:02. The GPS found a Starbucks less than a mile away, but it was in a Barnes & Noble that didn’t open till 9:00. The backup was something over a mile away. Only Barb’s sharp eye caught the sign a couple of blocks from where we were looking.

Not needing breakfast after last night’s birthday dinner, we found an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and started out. I have to say this was one of the most beautiful parts of the trip so far. The parkway, established in 1934 to protect the last of the more than four million acres of the southern Appalachian forest, covers 520,976 acres and extends 469 miles from Rockfish Gap, Virginia, to Cherokee, North Carolina. Our destination today was Cherokee.

The parkway is a two-lane twisty road, with 26 tunnels and speed limits that alternate between 35 and 45. I never came close to 45. We only drove about 54 miles of the parkway. But around every curve, through every opening in the trees a new vista opened. Blue sky, sunlight through the trees, the reds, oranges and yellows of fall. One mountain ridge after another turning a lighter and lighter gray in the distance. Distant valleys filled with haze. And one turkey standing beside the road.

Sounds good so far, right? And it was, until we stopped at one of the many viewpoints and I took a good look at the GPS. We were on our way to Rockfish Gap, Virginia. Yup, headed the wrong direction. For 54 miles beautiful miles. A quick 57 mile drive, most of it on interstate, and we were back in Ashville. Continuing west we picked up the Smokey Mountain Expressway and were back on course.

Remember what I said about flea markets yesterday? Well, today was Saturday and they were in full force. Some were organized with stalls for the vendors, but most seemed to have just sprung up on grassy sections beside the road. Goods spread out on blankets or tables and sellers reclining in lawn chairs waiting for the sale.

And then there was the corn, something we hadn’t seen in days. At first small plots beside rural homes, but then large fields. It was like a reunion with an old friend.

The four-lane expressway also had great color, but a lot more traffic and all of it in a hurry to get somewhere. We finally passed onto a two-lane road and crossed into Tennessee near the small city of Ducktown. Honest, look it up on a map. The latter part of our drive passed along the Ocoee River and skirted Ocoee Lake. There are several Ocoee Dams in the area, all of which are part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The Ocoee River draws kayakers, white water rafters and those with a fly rod.

The last part of the day was just like entering any other city. Multi-lane freeways and traffic. On ramps and turn signals. Brake lights and lane changes. Checked into our motel and with a little work it could be a 1 out of 5. Barb cancelled the second night and got us into the Hilton in Chattanooga. Tomorrow we visit Chickamauga National Military Park and Lookout Mountain. Passed 7,000 miles today (7,196) and added Georgia for 27 states. 340 miles today.