Author Archives: Sparky
TN7 Hop 9: Dumfries VA to College Park MD
60 miles via VA 234, I-95 and MD 212. Cumulative tow miles: 1519. Truck miles: 245. Cumulative truck miles: 2330. The extra truck miles were accumulated due to numerous family events near Dumfries, a trip to get an oil change and one sightseeing trip to Manassas VA. This was the first major departure from the … Continue reading
TN7 Hop 8: Wake Forest NC to Dumfries VA
230 miles via NC 96, I-85, I-95 and VA 234. Cumulative tow miles: 1459. Truck miles: 321. Cumulative truck miles: 2095. The extra truck miles were primarily due to the lunch I had with Mary Markunas, an old friend that I had not seen for over 40 years. This was a very pleasant trip in … Continue reading
TN7 Hop 7: Charlotte NC to Wake Forest NC
174 miles via I-77, I-85 and NC 98. Cumulative tow miles: 1229. Truck miles: 266. Cumulative truck miles: 1774. The extra truck miles were due to 2 shopping trips and a depressing sightseeing trip around Charlotte in the rain. This was a rare route: not a single mile on a road that I have traveled … Continue reading
Return to Pigeon Forge
Wednesday was a lousy day, weather-wise. Cool, wet, dreary. I got stir-crazy and decided to take a road trip to Pigeon Forge, about 30 miles to the east of Walland. I wanted to see the town again, which I first saw in 2012 in our first month on the road. I wasn’t expecting it to … Continue reading
TN7 Hop 6: Walland TN to Charlotte NC
244 miles via US 411, TN 338, TN 66, I-40, I-26, US 74, I-85, I-485 (southwest of Charlotte) and I-77 with a midway refueling stop in Hendersonville NC. Cumulative tow miles: 1055. Truck miles: 331. Cumulative truck miles: 1508. The additional truck miles were due to my sightseeing trip to Pigeon Forge and my two … Continue reading
Not looking forward to tomorrow
Hop 6 tomorrow will likely be the most difficult of the TN7 – over the Smoky Mountains, which will be a tough haul for the truck. And 233 miles which, given the mountainous terrain, may exceed the range of the truck. So I may have to do a refueling stop in a gas station (I … Continue reading
TN7 Hop 5: Ringgold GA to Walland TN
118 miles via I-75, TN 68, US 411 and US 321. Cumulative tow miles: 811. Truck miles: 298. Cumulative truck miles: 1177. The extra truck miles were due to the trip to Blue Ridge and my tour of the Chickamauga battlefield. Finally, I am off of I-75. I chose to use the TN 68 exit, … Continue reading
Chickamauga Battlefield, second visit
The main reason for picking Chattanooga as a destination – less than 80 miles from Cartersville GA – was to take a second look at the Chickamauga battlefield. On my first visit I split my day between Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain. My impression of Chickamauga was… HUGE. It is a very large battlefield. I felt … Continue reading
Battle of Allatoona Pass
As I mentioned in the previous post, the railroad track ran very close to my RV site at Allatoona Landing Marine Resort. The upside of that proximity is that it put me very close to the site of the Civil War’s Battle of Allatoona Pass, a battle fought for control of that railroad line. The … Continue reading
TN7 Hop 4: Cartersville GA to Ringgold GA
78 miles almost entirely on I-75. Cumulative tow miles: 793. Truck miles: 188. Cumulative truck miles: 879. The extra truck miles were due to my shopping trip which included the Booth Museum of Western Art and a sightseeing trip into Atlanta. This was a short trip – just over an hour – but it was … Continue reading