Finishing up Skyline Drive, we passed a large group of young people on bicycles heading south and spread out over several miles. They were all wearing the same bicycle shirts so we guessed they were all together. We met a bicyclist heading north who flagged us down. He had 2 flat tires and wanted a lift to the final Visitor Center to pick up his car. We managed to make room for his bike and himself and enjoyed his company for the 30 miles or so he rode with us. After leaving Shenandoah National Park we headed east on I-66, stopping at Manassas National Battlefield, site of both Battles of Bull Run during the Civil War. From there on to Fairfax, where we are staying with Kerry's niece, Deanna. A great afternoon of visiting and a ... read more

We continued north on the Blue Ridge Parkway into Virginia. What a beautiful drive. The Parkway connects the Great Smoky Mountains NP in North Carolina with the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. But don't expect it to be the quickest route, because that is definitely not its purpose. With a maximum speed limit of 45 mph, it is meant to be savored. It's a perfect road for motorcyclists and for those happy to get away from the superhighways. With its multitude of scenic overlooks and grand vistas winding through beautiful forests, it's a peaceful and refreshing drive. No commercial vehicles are allowed and bicyclists seem to love it, too. The southern half was full of blooming rhododendrons and a variety of wildflowers. We were worried about getting a campsite on a Saturday night after just managing ... read more

The stream sang us a lullaby last night and we slept very well, though it got cool enough for us to pull up the blankets. We drove south through the Great Smoky Mountains NP on 441 to Cherokee, NC, where we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at several overlooks, which are plentiful, but it was pretty hazy and we couldn't see far. We were lucky to get a campsite at Davidson River Campground in Pisgah Natl Forest near Brevard. After buying a few groceries, we called Kerry's childhood friend, Tom. Tom's wife, Brenda, came over and led us to their house, where we had a delicious dinner and a great time visiting and catching up. It sure was good to see Tom and Brenda again. We headed back to camp and showered and ... read more

This morning started out poorly. Kerry got up early and researched our problem on the net with less than encouraging results. At 8AM he started calling local RV dealers. No one answered at one, another told him they couldn't work on Jayco campers, another didn't open until 10. He called a Jayco dealer in Knoxville, but no answer there either, and no call backs from the messages he left. Finally, he realized he hadn't called Northgate RV. They said they could probably fix it, but couldn't guarantee they'd get it done today. So we dropped the camper off there, hoping for the best and went to pick up Sara for our trip to the Tennessee Aquariums. We had the best time; since Sara volunteers as a docent at the Aquarium, she knows an awful lot about ... read more

We're home at last and everything is green and lush. It has rained since we arrived. The grass is knee high, but it's too wet to mow, so that will give us a chance to relax a little. Michael came over last night and had supper with us. It was so good to see him; now we can't wait to see David, Misty, Sara and the grandkids. We had a couple of incidents in our last hundred miles. First, we heard a flapping noise that we weren't sure was coming from our vehicle. We stopped for gas and discovered that the electrical hookup to the camper had become unattached and the plug was dragging in the road. We'll have to replace the plug, but at least we had brake lights for the rest of the trip ... read more