This is our third time through this area in Tennessee. Even though there are many things to see and do, this time was to decide whether this was the place that we wanted to end our travels, and it is. So we will spend some time in Alabama and then start this year’s 9 week tour of Florida. Most of the days here this time were spent both sightseeing and house hunting. We saw some great fall sights hiking on Signal Mountain. Our daughter came to visit for a few days and we took her to see Ruby Falls and Rock City among other sites here. We walked over the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge and around the park there. Another day, we visited the Chattanooga Zoo which is not big but still entertaining.

We arrived in Tennessee on Oct 7 and will be here until late November. The extended stay was to decide whether this would be the place that we would like to stay permanently. We looked at Knoxville, Chattanooga, and along the valley between them. Along the way we stopped in Dayton. This little town is on Chickamauga Lake, part of the Tennessee River. Woke up one morning to see over 200 boats waiting to hit the water in a fall contest. Big bass live in this lake. From here we hiked at Falls Creek Falls State Park. We also got to hike along the river at Watts Bar Dam and Lock with a nice view of the nuclear power plant here.our next stop was in Trenton Georgia, just south of Chattanooga. From here, we went to the Lodge Cast Iron factory store. Great place if you love CI. We also got to hike at Russel Cave National Monument and at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Sevierville is a small town about 15 miles north of the entrance to Great Smoky Mountain Natl Park. As GSMNP is one of the most popular national parks in the country, Sevierville, along with neighboring towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, have become a giant tourist destination. There are so many attractions, restaurants, shops, and other venues that it literally fun for everyone. And the number one spirit here is Moonshine! For us, it is the park that draws us here each of the last three years. The mountain views are gorgeous. We like the area so much that we are seriously thinking that the Knoxville area is the place we want to retire to.

Asheville lies in a valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just to the east of the city is the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the Parkway near Asheville is the Folk Art Center which is filled with arts and crafts both new and old of the area here in the mountains. Downtown Asheville is filled with shops, restaurants, and so much to see. One walking tour takes you around various architectural styles of buildings along with their history. One must see point here is Bob Moog’s museum and factory, the home of the Moog Synthesizer. Used by bands like the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, and The Rolling Stones to create music that could only sound that way on the Synthesizer. Downtown is also home to the Basilica of St Lawrence, a minor basilica built in 1905 and is quite a beautiful site to see.

Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the leaves are starting to change colors. We have driven most of the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville and from here we are driving it farther south. This area of the parkway is called the Pisgah Region. South of Asheville, it starts to enter higher elevations that have great views and more tunnels. Hiking trails are numerous here but one we passed was closed due to a recent bear attack.

Along the Virginia and North Carolina coastlines lies 200 miles of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks. The thing that makes this place special is there are no amusement parks, no cluster of 5 star restaurants, and no endless string of bars. The 400 miles of beaches offer swimming, fishing, kite boarding, and long walks on the beach. The Wright Brothers travelled here to fly because of the consistent winds. At the Wright Bros National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, you can see where they made their first powered flights as well as see a perfect replica of that first airplane. Farther south lies the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Here amongst the lighthouses and sand dunes, there is a National Wildlife Refuge and several U.S.Life-Saving Service Stations. If you are into sun and sand, this is the place to go.

This is another destination city as there is so much to do here. We were not on the beach but still only a five minute drive to the beaches and the boardwalk. The three mile long boardwalk separates the pristine beach from the hotels and the amusement park. A delightful statue of King Neptune. At almost 35 foot high, he is surrounded by dolphins, fish, starfish, and a huge turtle. Next day, we drove back across the bridge to visit Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum. From the Governor’s Palace to the Capital, there are many pieces of history to experience here. One other thing to note is the VB is the home of NAS Oceana. Oceana is a master jet base and is where naval aviators learn their carrier landing skills, so we were treated to a couple of days of fighters doing touch and goes. They didn’t practice at night thankfully. There is also a Military Aviation Museum here which is different from most in that almost every plane here is airworthy. Planes from World War 1 thru World War 2 and from many different countries are here to see.

Charlottesville is another city rich in early American History. Here you will find Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson. Our third president designed and had built this beautiful estate on a mountaintop south of Charlottesville. A great house with beautiful views all around, with the only downside was the lack of water on the mountain. Another day was spent just east of there at the Carter Mountain Orchard. With the buildings on top, all of the apples grow on the steep mountainsides. We tasted some wines and some apples and toured the orchards.

Here in Washington County, major battles were fought during the Civil War. Just south is the Antietam National Battlefield where on September 17, 1862, the bloodies battle in American history took place leaving 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing. The Battle of Antietam is well documented here by markers and plaques showing how and where the battle progressed. In Williamsport, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park celebrates the 184.5 mile long canal that runs along the Potomac River in Maryland. It served many communities with supplies but never made it to Pennsylvania where it was to bring coal from to DC.

Our next stop was outside of Hartford, Connecticut. This was not a sightseeing stop, but rather a social stop for Claudia to visit with several relatives. We did get to hike at Black Rock State Park across the street from our park. We arrived at the next stop in Allentown, PA on Monday as Ida was leaving devastation behind in Louisiana and heading for us. It’s a tropical rain storm, so just more rain? Well yes, just rain, but 6-8 inches in a day. Dinner time Wednesday, power goes out taking the water out too. Came back on at 5am Friday, so we spent 36 hours ”boondocking” at a FHU campground. We survived with the battery as the only casualty. Good learning experience, though. And the park is on a gentle slope to a stream that did climb 18” but only affected about 10 tent sites on the water’s edge. I hate hurricanes. The day before it hit, we drove up to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for raptors. Great views but rough hiking.