Places
GTW Hop 10: Knoxville, TN, to Pigeon Forge, TN
25 miles via I-40 and TN 66. Cumulative distance: 1,350 miles. As economy rooms go, the one we had at the EconoLodge in Knoxville, next to the RV repair shop, wasn’t bad. It was spacious with fairly comfortable beds and a decent shower. It was quiet and offered both free breakfast and (this is unique … Continue reading
Knoxville, TN
First, let me tell you that the truck started yesterday. Started right up. No hesitation, no evidence of a dead battery. Nevertheless I took it to the nearest Sears Auto Center to have the batteries tested. Both were fine, according to them. So we are left with a mystery: why the drained battery on Saturday … Continue reading
GTW Hop 9: Heiskell, TN, to Knoxville, TN
22 miles via I-75 and I-40. Cumulative distance: 1,325 miles. This was more of a “limp” than a “hop.” The original plan, before the devastating Thursday blowout, was to put the RV in the shop for one day to fix the assortment of minor problems that we had accumulated to date. The idea was that … Continue reading
Slow-cooked fatback beans
The life of a long-distance trucker is richer than I thought. I am not talking about money; I am talking about the things that he (or she) can surround himself with while driving. We have seen many truckers who have dogs as companions. That makes sense. What I learned yesterday and found surprising is that … Continue reading
GTW Hop 8: Hillsville, VA, to Heiskell, TN
225 miles via VA 100, I-81, I-40 and I-75. Cumulative distance: 1,303 miles. It just keeps getting worse. Another day, another blowout. This one occurred at 60 mph in the middle lane of a very busy I-81 on a downhill curve near Wytheville, VA, less than 30 miles into our 225-mile journey. It was the … Continue reading
GTW Hop 7: Luray, VA, to Hillsville, VA
207 miles via US 340, I-81 and VA 100. Cumulative distance: 1,078 miles. We traveled to Hillsville for one reason and one reason only: it was just over 200 miles from Luray. We have determined that we don’t want to travel more than 230 miles in a day, that being the comfortable limit of a … Continue reading
Luray, VA, and the Shenandoah National Park
The plan for our 2-night stay in Luray, VA, was to take a leisurely road trip along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and, possibly, take in the famous Luray Caverns. But I learned that Jett is not a spelunker (her response when asked if she would like to tour the caverns was “No freaking … Continue reading
Amish furniture
We love Amish furniture. Part of it is that we love furniture made from solid wood. Another part is that we appreciated craftsmanship. The third part is that we like a bargain. Which is why I drove for 8 hours on Saturday to pick up two oak swivel gliders to replace the very uncomfortable loveseat … Continue reading
GTW Hop 6: Lorton, VA, to Luray, VA
96 miles via I-95, VA 234, I-66 and US 340. Cumulative distance: 871 miles. Our first non-ding hop! OK, it was just 94 miles, mostly over interstate, but we have done short-and-easy before and still managed to collect a ding. Let me feel good about this. The route was pleasant enough, with rolling hills lining … Continue reading
Lorton, VA
We are currently 5 days into our 7 days at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. We are spending a week here not because we love Lorton or northern Virginia (though we are growing more fond), but because the park is less than 30 minutes from the house shared by Jett’s twin sons. It … Continue reading