Our dear friends, Tim and Rebecca Shivers, allowed us to moochdock in their driveway for several weeks while we visited family back in Ohio. During our stay, Mike installed an electrical transfer switch to allow their home appliances and lights to run during power outages by switching over to a gasoline powered generator. We also spent a weekend down in Charleston, SC with them, in a beautiful Airbnb house located on a lake. Mike's nephew, Harrison Carter, was stationed there and paid us a visit. We enjoyed the Mummenschanz performance at the Gaillard Center and enjoyed a few hands of Canasta during the weekend.... read more

The Cashie (pronounced ca-shy-a) River Treehouses and Campground was a spartan but interesting site. A boardwalk along the river provided access to several cabins on stilts with trees growing through the cabins. We made a road trip from here to the Outer Banks. Nags Head was a colorful tourist trap. We parked the Jeep and walked a short distance to the ocean. The Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devils Hill was a highlight of our southern journey. Standing right where powered flight was launched makes the hairs on your arms stand up. Truly inspirational! The members of Cashie Baptist Church (est. 1770) warmly welcomed us Sunday morning. The next day we visited the Hope Plantation and got a private tour by Sam. On the way back we had to stop at Bertie County Peanuts where ... read more

Dixie Caverns Campground was the closest we could stay to Lynchburg. The grounds were pretty sketchy, but the office gift shop/antique store was fun. After a workout at Planet Fitness, we drove to the Peaks of Otter and climbed Sharp Top Mountain. If you like climbing a ladder for a couple of hours straight, you would enjoy this hike. That same day we visited old haunts in Lynchburg including our first apartment and first house. We enjoyed catching up with David Smith that night at La Villa Italian restaurant. David was in our college and career group at Timberlake Baptist.... read more

Our shortest travel day was just down the road to Volunteer Park where we met a nice couple, Jamie and Gary, relocating from California. We drove to Cade’s Cove and hiked first at Abram’s Falls Trail before driving the Circle Tour. One unexpected highlight was a visit by a bear cub crossing the road! A visit to the Union County Opry in Maynardville that night, featuring Confederated Railroad, convinced us that the south will rise again. We visited the American Museum of Science and Industry in Oak Ridge and learned about the national impact of nuclear energy. On Sunday we attended a local megachurch, Grace Baptist, and then headed to downtown Knoxville to experience the observation deck of the Sun Sphere (from the 1982 World’s Fair).... read more

Corinth Baptist Church’s overflow parking lot was our Harvest Host (Wing & A Prayer) boondocking site for the night. A black cat stalked mice in the adjoining field.... read more