Day 3

July 19 - Thursday

(Ignore the little yellow balloons. They show up as destinations when you click and drag the route to make it show where you actually went versus where Google tried to send you.)


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Timothy spent the morning trying to speed up my laptop. I don't think he was too impressed.
Departed Spandril Lane around noon headed for a local lab so I could get an INR (Coumadin level check). Finally off headed to a Tennessee state park west of Knoxville. When we got just east of the Great Smokey Mountain State Park we decided we couldn't drive around it so we headed for the south entrance. I missed a turn and ended up 10 miles SW at an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. After a beautiful 30 mile wind through and over mountains we arrived at the south entrance to Smokey Mountain NP. Then up throught the center of the park (more exquisite views), on west of Knoxville to our turn off for Frozen Head State Park.
Quite a contrast as we drove past a land fill, a gravel pit, two or three dreadful concrete casting operations and a complex of buildings encased in razor wire and then Annie spotted the sign: "Watch out for inmates on roadside." Yep, we were about to camp three miles from a state prison. Further along we discussed which would be worse: coming upon an inmate or coming upon a bear. We both chose the bear!
The park, however, was lovely and we had no trouble finding a campsite. Set up camp, grilled some steaks and in bed by 10:30.
91 degrees and sunny ground level.
71 degrees at 5000 '.
82 degrees north of the park.