Pigeon Forge

Oh no, not another car show...... - "Shades of the Past" 31st show and of course Daryl wants to stick around.  Either way it was going to be the one in Pigeon Forge or the other in Chattanooga......hows a girl to win!

Anyway we decide to stay as Shades of the Past is pretty big and already town is full of cars cruising around but unfortunately the RV camp we are in is fully booked so we have to find another place to stay.  I manage this and Daryl decides to enter the show and stay the 3 days for the event.  The first day is registration and it takes us the morning to find and move camps, then we head down to Dollywood to register and spend the afternoon wandering around the swap meet to see what's there (every girls dream).

 

Next day it is the official day one and judging day - we decided not to get judged as all the other cars in there were shinny!  Only a few were put up for judging compared to the numbers participating.

We stayed till 2pm looking around the cars - Daryl set up the chairs & an umbrella behind the car which was great because it was so hot, so I sat under there for a while when he went to look at more cars and found another two paddocks of them.....






















This was a huge car show and it was impossible to see all the cars.  On top of the people entered there is also all the people who come in their cars just to have a look and get the atmosphere but do not enter the show - there was thousands all together.







I am not loading all the cars on here.... you know the deal if you want to see them you will have to check out Daryl's Facebook page.........


So after 2pm we went back to RV and then decided to do the Airport Road cruise Mike had recommended to us so we headed back out to Gatlinburg to do this - it is only a few miles between the two towns.














It was much cooler up here - the temperature is very high around 100 degrees with high humidity also.

I spotted this little fellow on the way home twice and we had to turn around to get the pic - not 100% sure what it is????  Ground hog?
Anyone got the answer.....

On Top of Ole Smoky

Today we venture into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - we stop at the visitor center first & pick up a new fur baby......and some maps.  Turns out this park has no entry fee but everything you purchase goes towards the park.

We decide to head up the road to the Newfound Gap on the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina.

 

Then we headed up to Clingmans Dome - a very steep mile long walk takes you to Clingmans Dome Tower and the highest point in the Smokies (6,643feet).  Daryl powered up this as usual....I was a little short of breath at his pace!  Unfortunately by the time we got to the top, the clouds had closed in and there was not much to see - shame. 

 

Lots of coloured butterflies floating around up here and wildflowers although they are past their best now but still pretty.

 

We decide to head over the other side to Cherokee in North Carolina - a very pretty drive through woods with the river running beside the road.  We look around Cherokee township for a while and then took a drive around the area before heading back home again. 
















We spot this guy on the way back.

 

 

 

Coming back into Gatlinburg we make a stop in town to visit the Hard Rock Cafe so Daryl can collect his guitars.  Turns out this one is shutting soon to be relocated to Pigeon Forge so these will be obsolete soon.

Who said Daryl has a big head........


We went for a cruise down the strip to see all the cars and people that night - so many lined all up the strip it becomes hard to drive it - so slow.....

Another photo opportunity - there are so many.  I reckon this is the most photographed 40 in the States.

Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg

It's been eight days, must be about the longest we have stayed somewhere so far but today we need to move on but we can't make a decision on where to go - west towards home but which way or over to Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains.  The final decision was made after filling up with petrol and getting to the main road intersection....... we decided to go to Pigeon Forge as we may never get back here and we wanted to do 'On Top of Ole Smoky'.  Talk about last minute decisions!

So we head north east up through Knoxville and then down into Pigeon Falls and find the place crawling with hot rods, street machines and classic cars - anything goes and it is the Shades of the Past hot rod run this weekend.  We find a nice RV park but can only stay two days so we do that and see how we go as it is only Tuesday.

 

About 3.30pm we decide we will go and check out Gatlinburg to see what it is all about and Daryl had to find the Moonshine Shop as he had seen signs all the way in from Knoxville.

Guess what - they have free tastings and we can tell you that after 12 different flavours, 3 at 100% proof and 9 at 40% proof, plus a recap of your favorite two mixes, you walk out of there a little tiddly!

Gary our friendly bar tender was very good at lining up the shots.  I declined the 100% cheery in the third glass along but Daryl had to try it of course.

 

We needed to go for walk down town to get some fresh air after all those shots........

 














After wandering around down town we went back to buy our Moonshine - we got the Apple Pie and Blackberry flavours which also go well together.

Daryl had to get a pic of the forty used for Moonshine running in the day.


Then we did some more shopping - must have bought the shop out......, and watched the good old fashioned hillbilly music play for a while.

Labour Day

Yesterday we mucked around and then went out to Hamilton Mall and did some shopping along with trying to get that replacement lens for the camera.....still no luck.

Mike & Connie invited us over to spend Labour Day with them on their boat, so we arrived about 10.30am and headed out on the Tennessee River cruising along the river looking at all the houses and toys.  Mike took us quite a long way up the river and we went to find a legendary pub named Sip & Nip but unfortunately it wasn't opened when we found it.....  just as well as apparently you have to fight your way in and fight your way out again......but the people are lovely says Mike....

           











Turns out there is a nuclear power plant down the river........

 Later we docked for some lunch overlooking the river at a restaurant - very nice atmosphere and a very relaxing day all round.  Then we cruised over to Clay & April Miller's place and hung out until they came home - it was great to meet them also and Clay was wonderful enough to give Daryl a copy of his book on the World Race 2011 where he drove his hot rod, 1932 Ford Coupe, from New York to Paris - great book and thanks very much.




Hanging out in the Rock N Chair (made of rocks & is a rocking chair)
 

Another great day thanks to our friends, Mike & Connie.  It was very hard to say goodbye when it came time to leave.

Chattanooga .....

We are still here as it is Labour Day on Monday and we don't want to be caught in the long weekend traffic having experienced before...it is not fun in our books.
So we are here until Tuesday.......

Saturday we head down town to check out the Tennessee Aquarium and downtown area.  We wander down the river and across the longest pedestrian bridge in the world crossing over the Tennessee River and then back again by which time we have melted in heat and humidity. 

What is this statue made of?  

It is actually cast iron with a patina finish - very deceiving but cool.

 

 

 

The Delta Queen from Cincinnati.

The Aquarium also has snakes, butterfly enclosure, penguins and all sorts....

 




Seahorses

 

             

Black Rat Snake

                     

 

 After this we headed out to Rock City but being the long weekend it was so crowded, much like the aquarium, so we flagged it as Mike rung and invited us over to their house.  We had a great evening with Mike and Connie again and their grandson, Bennett.  Mike and Daryl got the lock fixed on the coupe, so we can lock the car again thankfully.