We left home the day after Labor Day headed east on Interstate 40. We had seen a really nice looking RV park the last time we came to Pigeon Forge, and we decided to just leave a bit earlier than we actually had to in order to stay here for a couple of days.
We are pulled into a nice, spacious space overlooking the French Broad River. We haven't seen the French Broad (I think she lives in the house down the stream from us), but we did see a bunch of wild turkeys last night. There were 8 of them just strolling up the river bank across the river from us. Then I see a big bird with a white head land in a tree directly across the river. I decided it was a big duck, but the man at the office this morning told me that it was most likely the male bald eagle that lives down by the power station. So, one night and we saw 8 wild turkeys and 1 bald eagle.
This morning I got up a little before 7am (Holly Springs time) and killed about 45 minutes waiting for the office to open so that I could go and get my walk in. When it was about 10 till 8am, I headed up that way only to have to turn around and head back. I had the IPod and I had the telephone. I didn't have my pedometer. Anyway, the man was opening the office building about the time I got back up there, so I turned on the lights, turned on the air conditioner, turned on the flat screen tv and walked for about 45 minutes. I figured I didn't need to do the full 10,000 steps since we were going shopping in Pigeon Forge and to Gatlinburg later. Good thing I held back, because - as of right now - I have walked 17,000 steps and the day isn't over yet.
By the time I got back to the RV and got cleaned up, both Jimmy and I were basically starving. So, off to the Flapjack Pancake House in Pigeon Forge. It is kind of a tradition to have pancakes or waffles for breakfast when we are here. But, it was about 10am (our time) and it filled us up for most of the rest of the day.
Then, off to the Tangier Discount Mall. Jimmy finally found his new tennis shoes. Since they had a buy one, get the second pair for half price sale - I got me a new pair of walking shoes also. Since I am up to over 200 miles since mid-July, I don't think I can have too many pairs of walking shoes - do you!!!!
We wandered around the rest of the shopping center and I found the pasta servers and slotted serving spoons for the Church. Then off to Gatlinburg. What a trip. No parking. Nothing but t-shirt and wood carving shops interspersed with the fast food restaurants. I am really depressed by how commercial Gatlinburg has become. But, you have to walk up and down main street at least once. We also drove out and through the artist community just outside Gatlinburg. Quite frankly, we were trying to kill time so that it would get to be late afternoon and we could go see animals in Cade's Cove.
We finally realized that, by the time we drove to Cade's Cove and with the time change, it would be mid-to late afternoon by the time we got there. So, off to Cade's Cove. We had barely gotten onto the one way lane when we saw the first of three black bears. Two were right at the road (pictures will be uploaded later) and one was just wandering around the hill. I just couldn't get out of the car and up to where I could get his picture quickly enough!!!
Here are the pictures of the bears we saw.
We also saw one white tailed deer, a bunch of butterflies and a few birds. But, the time was well spent since we got to see three black bear in one less than 11 mile drive. We spent three days in Yellowstone and just saw two bear!!!
I think it is Cherokee, NC tomorrow, but I'm not sure.
Stayed tuned.
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