Sallisaw KOA, Sallisaw, Oklahoma We took yesterday off, mostly because we were tired and had some doubts about continuing long drives when we are tired. But there was also the minor little problem that I had run out of clean underwear. So we camped in, did laundry, went to Walmart for a few supplies, and took a nap. (No, I don't like to shop at Walmart. But it was close and besides, if we are staying at a KOA, we can shop at Walmart!). Humidity was pretty intense and with 90 degree temperatures, it was a bit challenging for us New Mexicans. With all that energy being built up, it wasn't surprising that our phones started broadcasting severe weather alerts. Around 11:00 pm a major thunderstorm rolled through. I guess there were tornado possibilities, but none ... read more

Village Creek State Park, ???, Arkansas Things are getting so blurry, I can't remember what town we passed through to get to this park. It is about 15 miles north of Interstate 40 and maybe 40 miles west of Memphis. The park is more than 7000 acres, even has a 27 hole golf course, and is really very beautiful. The showers have river-rock floors. Seems that these state parks, where we like to stay, are all located in wooded areas, gorgeous, and very well maintained. Alas, we've stayed in so many of them on this trip that they are starting to blur. Joan and I agreed that we would have to have a picture book of each campground with notes about what we did there if we were going to keep them straight. We got a ... read more

Smokemont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina We woke up to torrents of rain again. And it made no sign of stopping. We had planned on ending our visit here and starting the trek back home yesterday. Although we've done it before, hitching up and breaking camp when it is raining bears and elk, is not a fun experience. And, since this was our last planned stop with no reservations anywhere until we get home, there was no consequence to staying one more day. Thanks to being 'senior citizens', the campground only costs $10 per night, so adding another one would certainly not break the bank. Finally, there was some serious driving ahead of us to get the trailer up, over, and down these Appalachian mountains, and I wasn't looking forward to doing that ... read more

Smokemont Campground, Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina When I read that the park receives almost as much rain as the Pacific Northwest, I kind of wondered how that could be. And while I still don't understand what the weather patterns are that produce that much moisture, especially on this side of the park, I don't question that it is true any longer. Rain started in the wee hours of yesterday morning and it just dumped out of the sky. Although we enjoy the cooler temps at night by leaving all the windows open, we had to shut down the vents to keep dry. And then it poured some more - it rained all night with no let-up that I was aware of. When we woke up it was raining. The campgrounds were all flooded with ... read more

Downtown Asheville, North Carolina Joan's last Bucket List Rebellion side trip was a visit to the major city of the North Carolina mountain country, Asheville. We skirted the area on our way to Great Smoky, but Joan wanted an immersion of sorts into the city's downtown. So we drove some 60 miles back down US19, US74, and I40 right smack into the center of the city and found public parking. She had found a 'scavenger hunt' walking tour on-line that took us through much of the downtown area looking for plaques in the sidewalks that commemorated Asheville history and architecture. One thing you notice pretty quickly here is that this place is not hurting. There are multiple construction projects blocking the sidewalks and cranes dotting the skyline. Downtown, at least, is very vibrant with what appear ... read more